An easy to drink red blend with a blue-collar price, we review the latest vintage of the Roustabout Meritage from Trader Joe's.
A Meritage blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot and 27% Merlot from Paso Robles, California.
The Roustabout Meritage is available exclusively at Trader Joe's and still sells for just $7.99.
From the bottle:
Paso Is My Home
With silky tannins and exceptional texture, this wine opens with notes of black cherries, wild blueberries and cigar box, finishing with nuances of dark chocolate and espresso.
Bottled by Miller Family Wine Company
13% Alcohol
We last reviewed the 2018 vintage of this wine, so let's see how the most recent vintage compares.
The 2021 Roustabout Meritage begins with a pleasing aroma of dark fruit that's a bit ripe and jammy plus cola, a little spice, a little tobacco, and a little white pepper.
Taking a sip reveals that while is this not a super deep or complex wine, it is nicely balanced and easy to drink. You'll find more dark fruit and lots more cola in the mouth along with nice touches of spice throughout and even a bit of tobacco. We found this 2021 to be a bit more rough than the 2018 although it does smooth out a bit with some air.
It ends dry and with good length. While it's not very refined, it's still a solid blend at this low price.
As always you can find an updated list of our recommended wines from Trader Joe's as well as more info on their pricing model and some tips and tricks for shopping the store in our giant guide.
You can also find more of our favorite red blends here!
