Bacchus
Loitering in the Santa Monica Trader Joes wine aisle (again), I noticed a couple shelves with a California Red, classily labeled, and entitled “Chariot Gypsy 2008” for $4.99. There was an extra little tag posted by the TJs wine expert saying this was a limited time selection offered at a specially negotiated price, and when it was gone, it was gone for good. I’m always a little intrigued by flash in the pan wine deals. These can sometimes end up being some of the most memorable wines you drink all year. Like the 2008 Roxton Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa that I picked up once at an undisclosed location for $3.99 a bottle. Smoky, satisfying, balanced with present but not overpowering tannins; all I have left are the memories and maybe one empty bottle still in my recycling. I only wish I’d bought 2 cases instead of just one.
I did a bit of research on the internets about the Chariot. Wow. The impressions and writeups range truly from the ridiculous to the sublime. It seemed to inspire downright vitriole in some, and ebullient enthusiasm in others. Some people were crossing statelines to visit other Trader Joes to stockpile bottles of Gypsy, claiming it could easily beat Orin Swift’s ‘The Prisoner’ in a blind tasting (really??). Others compared it to alcoholic Dr. Pepper, called it “Five Buck Jim” (the winemaker is Jim Neal), or said it was wine for people who don’t like wine. All bold statements.
So I bought a couple bottles. The verdict? Well, mine is only one palate, and people out there have all different kinds of tastes, but this is no Prisoner. The two wines may both be blends of predominantly Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, but that’s where the similarity ends. My first whiff was an overpowering smell of — i couldn’t believe it: Dr. Pepper! Maybe it was just the power of suggestion, but I definitely got the ripe fruit, some vanilla and herby notes. The wine itself was soft, with nothing other than the fruit going on. No acid, no structure. It didn’t incite rage in me or anything, but this isn’t wine for wine drinkers. And now I’m stuck with a second bottle. I guess I have been wanting to roast some meat in a wine-reduction sauce for awhile now. And i know just the perfect base for my sauce…
As for Jim Neal, I have no reason to believe he isn’t competent or talented. I recently ran across his name in a different context, while reading about some of the new companies appearing on the scene to fill various niches for the growing interest in fine keg wine. His newest venture is N2 wines, a facility developing innovative techniques for streamlining the process of filling and re-using wine kegs, and creating many blends of his own available in the kegs. But I hope his other offerings are more sophisticated and interesting than the Chariot Gypsy.
Spend your $4.99 instead on the new sea salt and turbinado sugar dusted chocolate covered almonds over in the snack aisle. They are ridiculous!!
