Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 138

A simple but flavorful RRV Pinot, we review the Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 138.

Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley, California.

Once again, there’s not much info available on this Trader Joe’s private label. The only hint we get is the “Estate” written on the bottle, but of course there are no indications as what estate they are talking about. This would seem to imply, however, that this isn’t merely a blend of purchased juice but perhaps oversupply from a single Russian River Valley winery. In any case, let’s check out how it tastes.

Sample submitted for review. The 2024 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 138 is available for $12.99, exclusively at Trader Joe’s.

From the bottle:

2024 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve RRV Pinot Noir
Lot 138
Estate

Produced and Bottled by DNA Vineyards
14.3% Alcohol

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The 2024 Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 138 opens with a simple but pleasing aroma of black cherry and cranberry plus touches of licorice and forest floor.

Taking a sip reveals similar flavors to the nose along with some white and black pepper, cola and touches of spice in the mouth. The fruit is juicy and rather tart and while the wine is lacking some balance, it definitely has a lot of flavor.

It ends dry and long with lots of tart, sweet tasting fruit. It’s not bad for the price but it also didn’t strike me as very Russian River Valley like. It was a bit better on day 2 though, so be sure to give it lots of air.

 
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 Pinot Noir here!

Review Summary

Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 138 • Reverse Wine Snob

A simple but flavorful RRV Pinot, we review the Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 138.

Editor's Rating:
7

Pros

• 87-88 points, worth the price

Cons

• Not particularly Russian River Valley-like
• Rather simple