2008 Blue Fin Petite Sirah: A Sobering Offering from Trader Joe's

Just when I was feeling rejuvenated about Trader Joe's as a fun place to shop for value wines I come across a stinker like this one.  The 2007 picket fence Pinot Noir they had at $8.99 was uncharacteristic for their model because it's a wine that retails for $30 and is sold at other wines stores for much more.  A more common find at TJ's is the exclusive label rock-bottom-priced cheapie like this Blue Fin.

A while back I tried a bottle of Blue Fin Pinot Noir and thought it was surprisingly drinkable.  That being the case, and since I've enjoyed a number of affordable Petite Sirah lately, I thought to try a bottle of their Blue Fin Petite Sirah.  Unfortunately I don't think the Petite Sirah is good.  At all.

Look, I understand the wine only costs $3.99.  The problem I have with it is that it doesn't encourage us to try other Petite Sirah that are still quite affordable.  Step up to the $10-$15 range and you can find some fantastic Petite Sirah.  But why would you after trying this one?  It's not delicious, rich or redeeming in any way.  It's not similar at all to other California Petite Sirah that for me can be excellent more affordable alternatives to Napa Cabernet.

In my opinion, this wine was a real killjoy.  It wipes the smile I had on my face while shopping at Trader Joe's right off and makes me afraid to troll in the sub $5 range again.  Even the Charles Shaw Cab is way better in my opinion.  Steer clear of this turkey (or try it to see what bad wine tastes like).

Here are my notes:

2008 Blue Fin Petite Sirah
12.5% Alcohol
$3.99 at Trader Joe's

Artificial grape dominates the aromatic profile of this surprisingly thin California Petite Sirah.  A little wood echoes in the background.  I was glad it delivered limited flavor, because the flavor profile it exhibited was undesirable.  Stewy vegetables smashed together with ambiguous slightly-sweet fruit.  An abrupt finish which I was grateful for.  One of the worst non-flawed wines I've ever had.

55/100 WWP: Not Recommended

Better options in Petite Sirah for around $10:

• 2007 Villa San-Juliette Petite Sirah
• 2006 Mockingbird Hill Petite Sirah

Further reading about Blue Fin:

• I didn't think their Pinot Noir was nearly as bad
• I should have listened to Jason's Wine Blog when he told me to skip this one