# Grand Reserve Meritage Napa Valley Lot #63 (2013)

- **Producer:** Trader Joe's
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.5%
- **Average price:** €12
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Passed
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, cherry, black pepper, raspberry, vanilla, cloves, cedar, smoke, chocolate, leather, tobacco, forest floor, dried fig

## About this wine

Trader Joe's Grand Reserve Lot #63 Meritage is a limited-release, seasonal Bordeaux-style blend sourced from a prestigious, undisclosed estate in the Napa Valley. Under Trader Joe's unique private-label model, premium wineries with excess inventory sell high-quality juice under strict non-disclosure agreements. This allows consumers to access estate-quality Napa wines, which would normally retail for $30 to $50+, at an exceptional value.

## Interesting facts

- Sourced from a high-end, confidential Napa Valley winery to protect their premium brand pricing.
- The 2013 vintage in Napa Valley is widely celebrated as one of the finest of the decade, producing grapes of exceptional concentration.
- Aged for 22 months in French oak and held for 4 years before release, an extraordinary aging regimen for a wine at this price point.

## Food pairing

The bold structure, rich dark fruit, and moderate-to-firm tannins of this Napa Valley Meritage require hearty dishes rich in protein and fat. High-protein foods like grilled or braised red meats bind with the wine's tannins, softening the mouthfeel and highlighting the underlying dark berry flavors and sweet oak spices.

## Wine making process

This Meritage is crafted using traditional Bordeaux vinification methods and aged in French oak barrels for 22 months. Following its extensive barrel aging, the wine was held back for an additional 4 years of bottle aging before its late 2016/early 2017 retail release, allowing the bold dark fruit flavors, structured tannins, and oak spices to integrate beautifully.