Another Syrah from a promising place, but does it deliver? We review the Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Syrah Lot #236.
Syrah from Santa Barbara County, California.
Santa Barbara County has been one of our favorite spots for Syrah for years, so we were quite excited to see this bottle on the shelves at Trader Joe’s, especially for just $9.99. Unfortunately, there’s very little information (which is par for the course with TJ’s private labels) on exactly where the wine came from or how it was made. Let’s check it out.
From the bottle:
Bold and complex with aromas of dried fig, cassis, spice and black fruits.
Cellared & Bottled by Miller Family Wine Company
13.7% Alcohol
The 2021 Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Syrah Lot #236 opens with pleasant aroma of ripe plum and dark berry fruit along with a touch of spice and dried herbs.
Taking a sip is a bit of a letdown honestly, which is what we also found with the Trader Joe’s Reserve Wahluke Slope Syrah we recently reviewed. Easy to drink but lacking much complexity, the wine features a smooth mouthfeel with similar flavors to the nose plus touches of cola, licorice and spice. It does definitely get better with air so give it plenty of time to breathe.
It ends with a dry, medium-long length finish featuring a little peppery spice. We didn’t think it held up quite as well on day 2.
Overall, it’s decent but nothing remarkable. And while it definitely left us a bit disappointed knowing just how good the Syrah from this area can be, it’s still worthy of the low price.
2021 Trader Joe’s Reserve Santa Barbara County Syrah Lot #236
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 Syrah here.
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