A very young wine with a lot of potential, we review the Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Merlot Lot #122.
Merlot from Yountville, Napa Valley, California. No other information is available on the wine.
Available for $14.99, exclusively at Trader Joe’s.
At first blush we thought this might be the sibling of the Platinum Reserve Yountville Cabernet we previously reviewed, but that is probable unlikely as the vinted and bottled by info is different. In any case, we’re always up for a good Merlot so let’s check it out!
From the bottle:
Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Napa Valley Merlot
Lot #122Handcrafted in the heart of Napa Valley, this Merlot impresses with rich fruit character with depth and complexity. The palate is powerful with excellent structure and a lingering finish.
Vinted and Bottled by ATC Wines
14.8% Alcohol
The 2023 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Merlot Lot 122 opens with aromas of dark fruit, lots of cedar and other barrel room like notes and a little spice. It’s pleasing but give it some time to breathe as this one is really young and definitely gets better with air.
Tasting the wine reveals a smooth and round mouthfeel with a bit of oaky spice at first, but that resolves with some time in the glass and will integrate even more with a couple of years in the cellar. It seems like Trader Joe’s (and Costco) are grabbing deals on higher end juice available in the market right now, but many of them are still really young and require some patience.
It ends dry and grippy with a little oaky spice on the very long finish. It was slightly better on day 2. We give this wine a high 8 Taste Rating (90 points), but with good balance and structure I can definitely see the potential for higher in the future.
2023 Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Yountville Merlot
RECOMMENDED BUY
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 Merlot selections here!
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