More News on the Charles Shaw Wine Phenomenon
Mar 07 '03
The Bottom Line I don't this wine, but the million bottle barrage of $2 Charles Shaw wines is still making news in Southern California.
Three months ago, I wrote about a trio of wines from Charles Shaw. I was surprised by the response: over 6400 visitor hits in 12 weeks. Although I have yet to try a Charles Shaw wine that I like, I decided to do some further investigation and taste testing.
I don't particularly like Charles Shaw wines, but that doesn't mean that its wines are bad. I am a regular shopper at Trader Joe's Markets and I've heard other shoppers there speak enthusiastically about the Two-Buck Chuck.
Last December, I tried a couple of bottles of the 1999 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon. I rated the wine with a score of 73 -- 2¾ stars. It was not a wine that I particularly liked, even at the $2/bottle price, but I am motivated to sample more vintages because of the recent news reports I read in Southern California newspapers.
Charles Shaw California Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
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Alcohol: 12.5% by volume.
Appearance: Dark ruby color.
Aroma: Youthful, awkward and unbalanced; cherry with some sawdust and sour fruit.
Flavor: Slightly sweet and tart cherry and cranberry flavor. Light-to-medium bodied with some lingering bruised fruit flavors, caramelized soy, and a slightly fishy tone; possesses a light, almost oily texture. Not as fruity as the '99 release, and I sincerely doubt that this wine will benefit from any additional bottle aging.
Verdict: 2¼ stars. Not recommended, even at the inexpensive price.
Appearance: 4/5
Aroma: 18/25
Flavor: 28/40
Body: 6/10
Overall Quality: 14/20
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My Score: 70 -- 2¼ stars.
Price and Availability: Uhhh.... $1.99 per 750ml bottle at Trader Joe's Market. TJ's is the exclusive distributor of Charles Shaw wine.
Cellared and bottled by Charles Shaw Winery, Napa, California.
Here are some quotes from newspaper articles I clipped after posting my initial review covering Charles Shaw wines:
Glut Puts Squeeze on Wine
Los Angeles Times, Section C (Business), Page 1
Thursday, January 30, 2003
by Melinda Fulmer, Times Staff Writer
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"Too much California wine is making it hard for vintners to raise prices. At the same time, a flood of inexpensive, decent-quality bottles from Australia, Italy and elsewhere are finding their way into the U.S. market. / In certain price categories -- such as the $7-to-$8-per-bottle segment -- imports account for about 40% of sales. / [A] sign of the times was the Winery of the Year award, presented Wednesday (Jan. 29) to the vintner with the biggest jump in sales. Typically given to a premium wine producer, this year's award went to Bronco Wine Co., the privately held Ceres, Calif.-based maker of $1.99 Charles Shaw wine, now known as 'Two buck Chuck.'"
Grape glut, imports turn state wine market sour
The Press-Enterprise, Section G, Page 5
Sunday, January 26, 2003
by Michelle Locke, The Associated Press
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"It's enough to make a sommelier shiver. The latest buzz in California wine circles is over two-buck Chuck, the little wine priced at $1.99 that could herald a new era for the once high-flying industry. / Charles Shaw is made by the Bronco Wine Co. headquartered in Central California. Although the labels say bottled in Northern California [they actually read: Cellared & Bottled by Charles Shaw Winery, Napa, CA], the wine itself is a blend. Bronco isn't talking about the specifics of Charles Shaw wine, but there's speculation it comes from cheap Central Valley grapes, or surplus inventory dumped by hard-pressed producers." [My emphasis added.]
Area awash in $1.99 Charles Shaw wine
The Press-Enterprise, Section E (Food: Cook & Tell), Page 1
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
from Staff and Wire Reports
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Perhaps the best article I read in newsprint thus far. A two sentence excerpt from the article:
"A million or so cases of these wines are being bottled, making it impossible for them to come out of the same tanks and unlikely to be from the same vineyards. Variation from batch to batch is possible, especially when the wines are selling at a price that indicates not a lot of precision blending is taking place."
The article spoke well of the 2000 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon (I have yet to try it) and the 2001 Merlot (I didn't like it), but the descriptions I enjoyed most:
2000 California Chardonnay: "[S]melled of linoleum waxed with a citrus-scented polish and tasted of lemonade sweetened with something artificial...."
~ and ~
2001 California Sauvignon Blanc: "[S]luggish and sweet, with a flavor suggesting candied citrus rind...."
I'll probably buy more Charles Shaw wines, but only the varietals and vintages that I haven't tried yet. I realize that everyone's palate is different, and there is room for some disagreement on the matter. Indeed, in any argument concerning what constitutes "good" wine, it might be enough to state that the most popular wine in America (in terms of sale) is a boxed wine, Franzia, and the second most popular wine variety is White Zinfandel.
Buying Recommendations
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Other inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon wine that I've tried this past month recommend in place of the Charles Shaw offering:
Super Performer for less than $5
Alice White Cabernet Sauvignon, South Eastern Australia, 2000
Alcohol: 12.5% by volume.
Appearance: Purple-garnet; saturated to the rim.
Aroma: Plum, a lively-yet-slightly-sour berry and cedar.
Flavor: Bright cherry fruit with a curious bit of apple.
Interesting sidebar of anisette; an almost buttery richness; smooth
and easy on the palate, round fruit flavor and a touch of wood spice.
Silky, refined, tea-like tannins.
Price and Availability: Purchased at Big Lots! for $3.99/bottle.
Labeled as being imported and bottled by Corus Brands, Woodinville,
Washington (this wine brand is now owned by the Canandaigua Wine Co.)
Not produced in the great quantities that Charles Shaw wines are produced
(fewer than 11,000 cases of The 2001 vintage were shipped).
Verdict: 3¾ stars --
Appearance: 4/5
Aroma: 20/25
Flavor: 35/40
Body: 7/10
Overall Quality: 17/20
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My Score: 83 -- 3¾ stars.
Good Deal
Mystic Cliffs Cabernet Sauvignon 1998
Another "premium wine" brand of the Canandaigua Wine Company.
Alcohol: 12.5% by volume.
Appearance: Garnet/dark purple-plum.
Aroma: Warm cherry on top of cedar and spice
and a slight note of violets and iodine.
Flavor: Currant and cherry with a somewhat sweet,
oak-spice edge. Medium-bodied, with good balance and a semi-long,
dry finish with a solid caneberry/currant fruit flavor. Attractive.
Price and Availability: The wine normally retails for about $7
per 750 ml bottle. I purchased for the bargain price of $2.99 at
Big Lots! Cellared and bottled by: Mystic Cliffs Vineyards,
Gonzalez, CA. (Riverland Vineyards -- Monterey County, California --
produces Mystic Cliffs and Deer Valley wines.)
Website: http://www.usawines.com/mysticcliffs
Recommendations: Vinted for near-term consumption. It's ready right now.
Verdict: 3½ stars --
Appearance: 4/5
Aroma: 21/25
Flavor: 33/40
Body: 7/10
Overall Quality: 17/20
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My Score: 82 -- 3½ stars.
Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon California, 2000
Alcohol: 13.0% by volume
Appearance: Bright ruby.
Aroma: Currants, cedar, dry herbs and tobacco.
Flavor: Raspberries, currants; slight vegetal and herb flavors
accent the mid-palate, but ends with a pleasant, fresh
fruit finish with smooth tannins.
Price and Availability: I purchased this wine for $6.99 (plus tax) at
Trader Joe's Market in Murrieta, California. It is available in wide
distribution and should be fairly easy to find.
Recommendations: Serve at 65°F, this wine works well with hamburgers. The 2000
vintage Buena Vista Cabernet Sauvignon is a solid red wine.
Verdict: 3½ stars --
Appearance: 4/5
Aroma: 20/25
Flavor: 34/40
Body: 7/10
Overall Quality: 16/20
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My Score: 81 -- 3½ stars.
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Member: Tom Carr
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