Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Trader Joe’s – Grand Reserve Pinot Noir 2023
Carneros AVA – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
An entry-level Pinot Noir from Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve series, designed to be approachable and wallet-friendly, yet sourced from Carneros, a region with a strong pedigree for Pinot Noir thanks to its cool climate influenced by the San Pablo Bay.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe red cherry, cranberry, and a touch of strawberry compote. Subtle notes of baking spice and a faint hint of cola.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied, soft tannins, and moderate acidity. Smooth and approachable, leaning more toward fruit-forward than earthy complexity.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs, Margherita pizza, Mushroom risotto, Soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.

Verdict
A casual, weeknight Pinot Noir that shows off the Carneros fruit in an uncomplicated way. Don’t expect Burgundian elegance or layered depth, instead, it’s a friendly, fruit-driven Pinot that hits the right notes for its price. Cheers! — 2 days ago

Eric K

9.5

Direct follow up to 2020 vintage. Much more earthy terroir taste than the 2020 fruit bomb. Very enjoyable with more complex hints of flavor — 5 months ago

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

9.3

Been a long time, got a lot to catch up on — 6 months ago

Greg Andrew

9.0

10/25/25 - Steak, loaded potato & Brussel sprouts — 10 hours ago

with Beth

Paige Donnell

9.5

Are with beef, great flavor - rich and delightful — 2 months ago

Suneal Vishnupad

9.1

Great still needs a lot more time — 5 months ago

with Kayla

David Peifer

9.2

As a nod to Karen (who some will remembered worked at Louis M. Martini decades ago—and is the nicest and best person to ever work in the wine industry) we opened this for my birthday. Paired it with a Tri Tip. It was a nice pairing. Good cab. It was better a couple years ago but still nice to drink for a special occasion. — 6 months ago

Tom Casagrande

9.5

Truncated cookout notes. Damn this is spectacular. The flavor density and balance is so old school. The nose is ethereal. None of that 15% alc. chocolately bullshit that now seems to permeate Napa Cab orthodoxy.

UPDATE: Next morning, the wine long gone, I’m sitting here watching college football highlights from yesterday still thinking about how much I liked this. There’s usually only one wine per year that has that effect on me. — a month ago

Vicki Ausloos

9.1

Smooth red many different fruit flavors. Will not disappoint. — 4 months ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

9.0

Plenty of tannins left. 25bucks. Those were the days! 14%| Quite classic. Browne tinge. Needs at least 2-3 hours of air. Quite harsh and astringent. Roses, earthy and dusty, very dry. Hint of truffles. - Not super exciting at first (15min) so wait. Will last another 10 years - but i do worry about the fruit component if you need space in your cellar - i would suggest drink up. I will. Some folks tend to hype these wines i don’t - after all this is their most basic version with a large production volume. Total volume is 500,000 bottles a year at this cooperative. My guess they to make a lot of this one. — 5 months ago