Tag Archives: Colores del Sol

What we’re drinking: Colores del Sol 2011 Reserva Crisp White Blend

Brynn writes:

This is the counterpart to the Colores del Sol Rich Red Blend we reviewed last week. Unlike the red, this wine needed no time to open up and had Mary and I captivated after the first sip.

It’s a blend of 50 percent Chardonnay, 20 percent Torrontes, 20 percent Semillon and 10 percent Moscato.

Before you poo-poo it because of the majority Chardonnay grape, let me tell you this little tid-bit: When I poured this for Mary I didn’t tell her the breakdown of grapes. Instead I told her to guess.

To my surprise she immediately tasted the Torrontes — a white grape produced in Argentina but not widely known elsewhere — and suggested another white. But she was pretty certain there absolutely was no chardonnay in this wine. (This from a woman who shares my love for chardonnay).

The Torrontes gave the wine a nice acidity, while the Moscato added the slightest hint of sweetness. The Semillon rounded it out and the Chardonnay gave it its crisp, citrus notes.

This is a great wine for summer, especially if you cool it down in the fridge before serving. The wine guy at Trader Joe’s suggested using it as the base of a white sangria, which I think is a great idea. Throw some fresh peach, oranges, pineapple and apple in there and you’d have a great party cocktail.

If I didn’t know the price, I would have guessed this wine fell in the $10 to $15 range. At $2.99 it’s a steal and one I’d buy again, no question.

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What we’re drinking: Colores del Sol 2011 Reserva Rich Red Blend

Brynn writes:

In search of a bargain wine that was good, or at least decent, and wouldn’t break the bank I headed to the one place where I knew I could find a great deal: Trader Joe’s.

When the wine guy asked me if I needed any help I responded with these exact specifications: “Yes, I’d like a bargain wine that actually tastes good.”

He didn’t even blink and asked if I wanted white or red? (I said both) and walked me right over to a display of wines from Argentina. The price tag? $2.99.

My reaction? Yeah right, there’s no way this is going to be good. But I looked at the bottles — the wine was from what looked to be a legit winery — and thought “OK, I’ll give it a try.”

The first bottle Mary and I opened was the Colores del Sol 2011 Reserva Rich Red Blend. I have to say, my first whiff, and the following sip, gave me what I was expecting: A wine that tasted like it was a bargain.

Then I was proven wrong. I tried the wine again a few hours later after the bottle had been open and poured. Air is this wine’s best friend. What first felt like a tight wine with a more acidity than I like on the finish turned into a wine with nice fruit flavors. It did even better when paired with food.

The blend break down of this wine is an interesting mix: 45 percent Merlot, 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Bonarda Argentine, 15 percent Malbec.

As you remember from our recent definition, Bonarda is the second-most widely planted grape in Argentina.

The color of this wine is a rich purple, which signifies its young age. It is one I’d recommend with food — it did really well with the pepper-crusted salami I couldn’t keep my hands off. It also did well with the rosemary and sea salt crackers.

With a full meal I’d recommend peppered steak or even hamburgers. For $2.99 it really is a good bargain.

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