2007 Clos du Bois Pinot Grigio, Sonoma County
VERDICT: "Alrighty then"
Pinot Grigio, 13.0% alc.
$8.99 (Trader Joe's)
www.closdubois.com
There’s nothing wrong with minerals or tanins. It’s only when they’re alone that it becomes a problem. Imagine a building without the architecturally interesting facade. Or a car without the sculpted body, sitting there, just a chassis. That would be this wine from Clos du Bois. It’s missing something.
You can tell right away on the nose: not much but minerals and a whiff of alcohol. From then on, it doesn’t get any better.
The experience in the mouth is mostly chemical in my opinion, and lacking the “seductive floral and lemon” as mentioned on the label. I do agree the finish is “clean, crisp”, but then again it’s almost like drinking slightly fermented grape water. Not exactly the best experience.
This is another white you’ll find on the Trader Joe’s shelves. This one is a pass, even at $8.99.
We continue to work through the shelves at Trader Joe’s and Costco, plus we’re tasting plenty of wines direct from the wineries in Napa, Sonoma and along the West Coast. Soon, I’ll be revealing some round-ups of the best deals, and ones to avoid. This one falls into the latter. However, I did like their Chardonnay (87 pts, $13.49).