Trader Joe’s The Originals Red Wine Blend Review

A crowd pleasing and food friendly blend for just $7 at Trader Joe’s. We review the 2022 The Originals Red Wine Blend from Horse Heaven Hills.

64% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Syrah and 1% Mixed Reds from Horse Heaven Hills in the Columbia Valley of Washington State. The wine is aged 6-7 months on 60% American and 40% French Oak and has 6.62 g/L of residual sugar.

Sample submitted for priority review. Sponsored by Precept Wine.

The Originals Red Wine Blend is available exclusively at Trader Joe’s and is priced at just $6.99.

Horse Heaven Hills is a prime spot for wine in Washington State so a price this low definitely gets our attention. The wine is also made by Precept Wines and we have enjoyed quite a few of their wines over the years, so things definitely look promising.

The real test, of course, is what’s in the bottle so let’s check this one out.

From the winery:

This Red Blend opens with cedar on the nose, leading into a bright, blackberry, and raspberry palate. The velvety tannins pair well with Ode to the Classic Potato Chip, Mozzarella Sticks, and Uncured Pepperoni Pizza.

Varietal Blend: 64% Merlot, 29% Cab Sauv, 6% Syrah, 1% Mixed Reds
Aging: 6-7 months on 60% American and 40% French Oak

RS (g/L): 6.62
TA (g/L): 5.47
pH: 3.86

13.3% Alcohol

The 2022 The Originals Red Wine Blend opens with aromas of dark berry fruit and a good bit of oaky spice and cedar although that lessens once it has a little air. It’s a nicely balanced and pleasing aroma once it has time to breathe.

Tasting the wine reveals this to be quite a nice blend. I was a bit worried about the wine tasting a bit sweet, but it tastes pretty much dry with perhaps just a touch of residual sugar that actually adds to its appeal rather then detracts.

Featuring a round, smooth mouthfeel from the Merlot, it has similar flavors to the nose that are not as oaky in the mouth. This is a nice, food friendly blend at a great price!

It ends dry and with good length and was similar on day 2.

It does need some air when first opened so I would recommend cracking the screwtop about an hour or two before you plan on drinking it.

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 wine blends here!