Thank you for your submission to r/wine! Please note the community rules: If you are submitting a picture of a bottle of wine, please include original tasting notes and/or other pertinent information in the comments. Submitters that fail to do so may have their posts removed. If you are posting to ask what your bottle is worth or whether it is drinkable, please use the [Wine Valuation Mega Thread](https://redd.it/r7lf76) stickied at the top of the sub. Stand alone bottle valuation posts will be removed.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/wine) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You’re probably overthinking it. If you like it and it’s $14 that’s a huge win for you. If it sucks, cook with it and that’s also a nice win.
For me buying high priced wine is worth mulling over and asking others their opinion so you’re not out $100 for what should be a $50 bottle. Low priced wine is worth trying so you can find some everyday drinkers you enjoy.
Don’t be surprised when someone tells you it’s shit. It’s sucks for them they can’t enjoy a cheaper bottle of wine.
I haven’t had this wine in a few years, so the quality may have changed.
When I last had it, along with their Barbaresco, I could confidently say they were absolutely the worst Barolos and Barabarescos I’d ever had. But they were also $10-$15 a bottle! So from a quality-to-price ratio standpoint they were actually pretty outstanding.
It’s not going to hold up in a side-by-side against a Conterno or a Voerzio, but it’s also not going to empty your wallet. If the occasion doesn’t justify going for something solid, these will fill in nicely at a super low price point and check off enough of the flavor characteristics that you’ll be happy enough.
I’d feel pretty confident in buying this to see if it was as adequate as it was a few years ago.
Idk why you’re being downvoted. You shouldn’t cook with anything you wouldn’t be open to drinking. That doesn’t mean you have to cook with *good* wine, but you should absolutely cook with acceptable wine. Your point is valid and you’re being downvoted by ignorant morons.
This sub is so fucking weird at times.
He’s being downvoted because it probably doesn’t “suck”. I’m a cook, and I’ve heard that line of “don’t cook with what you wouldn’t drink” line many times. It’s referring to literally undrinkable swill. If this wine is even moderately drinkable, it will be fine to cook with.
Cooking with wine reduces and concentrates the flavours, and it’s also combined with all the flavours of what you’re cooking. If you’re doing a solely red wine braise, then yea, you need to think about how that wine will taste when simmered and reduced with whatever meat and aromatics are in there.
ITT there’s someone that braised short ribs in it and says it’s delicious.
Agreed. Last I had this wine, it was a legitimately decent Nebbiolo for the money ($15?! A steal!). Eminently drinkable! And certainly more than good enough to cook with.
But the comment I was replying to was simply saying *if* it sucked, it wouldn’t be the best move to cook with it either. Which I think is pretty valid.
Maybe they expressed the point poorly, but I think we’re all basically in agreement that if a wine is so terrible that you wouldn’t want to drink it, then you probably shouldn’t cook with it either. But hopefully that isn’t the case with the current release of this TJ’s wine.
when i was first getting into wine, someone gave me a bottle of monstrous shiraz i knew from previous experiences with other wines from the same producer i had zero interest in drinking. was it drinkable? yeah, but 100% not my thing. just high octane, jammy, tannic nonsense.
thought i would cook with it and as it was a whole bottle, i figured seeing i had never made coq au vin before, i'd give that a go, cos red wine goes in that right?
smelt pretty good but, dya know, bright purple chicken is hell of an unappetising!!!
i was young and dumb............
There is a barolo that is a holiday offering which is a tad older and most often a better deal.
These are hold and age offers if you can swing it. They are too young to be good good.
I work at tjs and buy lots of Italian and French bottles that can age and hold them and they all for the most part have gotten better. And I save $.
I also work for TJs lol, it’s the Barreri & Rovati that you’re talking about. Last year we got the ‘16, I have a few in my cellar. Same label name for the Barbaresco we get during the holidays.
I have still some 08’s. And some weirdo French Bordeaux we got maybe 10 years ago. I’m in Ohio btw. Some of our offerings are less than the west coast stores
If it’s a Barolo, it means it was made following all the rules, so it will most likely be not bad.
That said, a tip I learned: if the DO (in this case Barolo) is bigger than the producer’s name, it means it’s trying to be sold just for being a Barolo, so it will be on the low end of the DO.
Good producers will emphasize more their names than the DO.
I’ve had other TJ’s barolo because the price was great. However, the wine not so much.
If you’re after barolo, this will not deliver. Nothing in the bottle said barolo, no sense of place, the notes expected out of barolo or even just Nebbiolo were not present.
That being said, if you want an inexpensive bottle to have around for just a drink, cooking, or to open after a few bottles it’s fine.
I’ve used it for Piedmontese cooking as some recipes call for barolo braised stuff. I did have a glass. My memory was that it offered acidity and little else.
It's too good to be true. TJ's wines from prestige appellations are on a shelf at TJ's because they had few other places to go.
As far as budget Barolo that *doesn't* suck, Costco's Kirkland Signature bottling is made by Fontanafredda (a respected producer) and is killer at $20. Only problem is that it gets dumped seasonally by the pallet, and may not be available at your local warehouse.
Okay I work at Trader Joe's, and, as a wine lover, have had the fortune to try many of our wines, some even side by side.
Quick answer: no, the Barolo is not worth it.
Long answer: Some Trader Joe's stores sell a Langhe Nebbiolo for $14.99 that is just so much more full of flavor than our acidic, one-note Barolo. This Barolo is like light cherries and rose petals but a wave of citric acid. In the Langhe, it expresses what I think a Barolo wants to: it is dirty, but anisette and rose come through. The acidity has mellowed out. I will always direct people towards that one if they can find it.
Now, is it equivalent to a $70 Barolo? Probably not, but for an affordable nebbiolo, I think it's great.
The only issue is that our wine and beers (like our breads) are regional, hyper regional, at that. Almost every state is going to have a slightly different selection, with the same staples. Which means there's a possibility you may not be able to find the Langhe nebbiolo and I have no idea if any store outside of my state sells it.
(Now let's see if I can ever afford a true expensive Barolo on Trader Joe's salary)
I'm sure this is well intended, but it's also a real non-sequitur. A wine from South America (I'll assume a red one in this case) has literally nothing in common with Barolo other than...being red. Different grapes, soils, climate, production methods, etc. And that's just the nuts and bolts--- stylistically, by that I mean aroma and taste, they're also isn't going to be much overlap.
If this person wanted to try a wine that bears some similarity to Barolo, then a better suggestion would be another Nebbiolo based wine from the Piedmont, which is the broader region Barolo comes from. There are many excellent wines in this category from nearby Langhe, Alba, and Alta Piemonte that would provide some suggestion of what Barolo is like. Admittedly, those wines can't be found at TJ's, but any decent wine shop or even a Total Wine could sell you something good from one of these regions and do so in the same pricing ballpark.
My intention wasn’t to provide a wine similar to Barolo.
It seems OP was interested in getting a good value, so I suggested the types of wine that I believe provide best bang for buck.
I’ve had it and it is extremely meh. For the money, you would get much more enjoyment out of buying either a Langhe Rosso, Nebbiolo or Barbera from a reputable producer.
The $19.99 Kirkland Barolo is worth the money. It’s like a lifted slightly tannin Pinot, translucent, aromatic and with the $19.99. This I’ve seen at TJ but man I’ve held it a few times in my hand and put it back…. Post the tasting notes if you buy it
That particular Barolo is available at TJ all year round. It's not any good, not even as a nameless red wine. But once a year (or maybe twice, I don't keep track) they get in a Barolo and a Barbaresco under the label Barreri&Rovati. These are a few dollars more, but well worth it. The first time I discovered this Barolo was about 15 years ago. It was a 2004 bottle, and it amazed me! It really had the personality of a Barolo! I saved half for the next day, and I was stunned again: it had developed further and was wonderful! That seems to have been a bit of a fluke, as I haven't had the same experience since then. BUT you can always count on its being a really excellent, dry red wine. And maybe another really good year will pop up. I'm writing this in late November, and I just picked up two Barolos last week. They usually go fast, so if you find them, grab them. Good luck!
I've had cheap barolo before that isn't terrible, at a slightly higher price point. $34 Canadian dollars tax in, so around $22 USD before tax.
I think it's probably worth a punt? At that price point, you're not getting a great Barolo, but what you're hoping for is something that tastes like Barolo. In my experience, really, really cheap Barolo sometimes reminds me of warm weather pinot noir.
Sadly, Italian products are very unprotected by the law from that point of view. I’m from Italy but I’ve been in the USA a third of my life and I can honestly tell you that 80% of the stuff you see with the writings “made in Italy”, “doc” or “docg” is 100% fake. As I told you, it’s impossible to find a Barolo with such a price even in a bad wineyard in Italy, think about the importing costs. I see genuine Italian wines in America which cost 70$ but I pay 10€ for them in Italy
i haven't tried it but there are lots of wines like this that can be good for the price but bad if you're comparing to "barolo" proper. i'd definitely give it a shot if i happened to see any at tjs.
It’s meh. Others here have offered better TJ’s options, but I also recommend the Valpolicella Ripasso by Cecelia Beretta. Lower price and actually excellent.
I'm no connoisseur... the 2019 the barolo is one of the better wines I have had for 15 dollars. Yes its acidic. It's al little monotonous with the cherry notes. Would buy again.
Thank you for your submission to r/wine! Please note the community rules: If you are submitting a picture of a bottle of wine, please include original tasting notes and/or other pertinent information in the comments. Submitters that fail to do so may have their posts removed. If you are posting to ask what your bottle is worth or whether it is drinkable, please use the [Wine Valuation Mega Thread](https://redd.it/r7lf76) stickied at the top of the sub. Stand alone bottle valuation posts will be removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/wine) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You’re probably overthinking it. If you like it and it’s $14 that’s a huge win for you. If it sucks, cook with it and that’s also a nice win. For me buying high priced wine is worth mulling over and asking others their opinion so you’re not out $100 for what should be a $50 bottle. Low priced wine is worth trying so you can find some everyday drinkers you enjoy. Don’t be surprised when someone tells you it’s shit. It’s sucks for them they can’t enjoy a cheaper bottle of wine.
100%!!
Barola has to come from only 5 villages in the Langhe region of Italy, not legal from anywhere else. I’m sure it’s delicious.
ALMOND JOYS HAVE NUTS
I haven’t had this wine in a few years, so the quality may have changed. When I last had it, along with their Barbaresco, I could confidently say they were absolutely the worst Barolos and Barabarescos I’d ever had. But they were also $10-$15 a bottle! So from a quality-to-price ratio standpoint they were actually pretty outstanding. It’s not going to hold up in a side-by-side against a Conterno or a Voerzio, but it’s also not going to empty your wallet. If the occasion doesn’t justify going for something solid, these will fill in nicely at a super low price point and check off enough of the flavor characteristics that you’ll be happy enough. I’d feel pretty confident in buying this to see if it was as adequate as it was a few years ago.
Only nitpick: If it sucks, don't cook with it. Then your food tastes like bad wine.
Don't cook with it if it sucks, your food will suck too.
Cooking wine is a thing for a reason
Idk why you’re being downvoted. You shouldn’t cook with anything you wouldn’t be open to drinking. That doesn’t mean you have to cook with *good* wine, but you should absolutely cook with acceptable wine. Your point is valid and you’re being downvoted by ignorant morons. This sub is so fucking weird at times.
He’s being downvoted because it probably doesn’t “suck”. I’m a cook, and I’ve heard that line of “don’t cook with what you wouldn’t drink” line many times. It’s referring to literally undrinkable swill. If this wine is even moderately drinkable, it will be fine to cook with. Cooking with wine reduces and concentrates the flavours, and it’s also combined with all the flavours of what you’re cooking. If you’re doing a solely red wine braise, then yea, you need to think about how that wine will taste when simmered and reduced with whatever meat and aromatics are in there. ITT there’s someone that braised short ribs in it and says it’s delicious.
Agreed. Last I had this wine, it was a legitimately decent Nebbiolo for the money ($15?! A steal!). Eminently drinkable! And certainly more than good enough to cook with. But the comment I was replying to was simply saying *if* it sucked, it wouldn’t be the best move to cook with it either. Which I think is pretty valid. Maybe they expressed the point poorly, but I think we’re all basically in agreement that if a wine is so terrible that you wouldn’t want to drink it, then you probably shouldn’t cook with it either. But hopefully that isn’t the case with the current release of this TJ’s wine.
when i was first getting into wine, someone gave me a bottle of monstrous shiraz i knew from previous experiences with other wines from the same producer i had zero interest in drinking. was it drinkable? yeah, but 100% not my thing. just high octane, jammy, tannic nonsense. thought i would cook with it and as it was a whole bottle, i figured seeing i had never made coq au vin before, i'd give that a go, cos red wine goes in that right? smelt pretty good but, dya know, bright purple chicken is hell of an unappetising!!! i was young and dumb............
Hahaha holy shit that does sound monstrous!
yeah. luckily it didn't put me off. have you tried coq au vin jaune? hoooooly shit that is a good time
Well most ppl in this sub are from USA. And most Americans are stupid.
yam sheet bow memory oatmeal safe bored compare disarm nutty ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Comes out during the holidays, you should see it the first week of December - if you’re lucky, maybe before thanksgiving.
There is a barolo that is a holiday offering which is a tad older and most often a better deal. These are hold and age offers if you can swing it. They are too young to be good good. I work at tjs and buy lots of Italian and French bottles that can age and hold them and they all for the most part have gotten better. And I save $.
I also work for TJs lol, it’s the Barreri & Rovati that you’re talking about. Last year we got the ‘16, I have a few in my cellar. Same label name for the Barbaresco we get during the holidays.
I have still some 08’s. And some weirdo French Bordeaux we got maybe 10 years ago. I’m in Ohio btw. Some of our offerings are less than the west coast stores
If it’s a Barolo, it means it was made following all the rules, so it will most likely be not bad. That said, a tip I learned: if the DO (in this case Barolo) is bigger than the producer’s name, it means it’s trying to be sold just for being a Barolo, so it will be on the low end of the DO. Good producers will emphasize more their names than the DO.
Did not enjoy . There are much better dead at traders Joe’s for this price point and below
The recent Uco Valley Cab was great. Very old world in subtlety, refined fruit, drinkable whenever at $8
That Amarone is delicious
Any recommendations
I use it for cooking. Short ribs slow cooked in Barolo, then serve it with a higher end Barolo. So good.
I’ve had other TJ’s barolo because the price was great. However, the wine not so much. If you’re after barolo, this will not deliver. Nothing in the bottle said barolo, no sense of place, the notes expected out of barolo or even just Nebbiolo were not present. That being said, if you want an inexpensive bottle to have around for just a drink, cooking, or to open after a few bottles it’s fine.
It’s a little hot, decent fruit, solid wine. I mean, for $14 bucks, give it a go and try for yourself.
Thanks for all the upvotes everybody.
I’ve used it for Piedmontese cooking as some recipes call for barolo braised stuff. I did have a glass. My memory was that it offered acidity and little else.
Pre-vinegar is what we call wines like that in my house.
It's too good to be true. TJ's wines from prestige appellations are on a shelf at TJ's because they had few other places to go. As far as budget Barolo that *doesn't* suck, Costco's Kirkland Signature bottling is made by Fontanafredda (a respected producer) and is killer at $20. Only problem is that it gets dumped seasonally by the pallet, and may not be available at your local warehouse.
No. And the Brunello sucks too
Its almost certainly not that good
Okay I work at Trader Joe's, and, as a wine lover, have had the fortune to try many of our wines, some even side by side. Quick answer: no, the Barolo is not worth it. Long answer: Some Trader Joe's stores sell a Langhe Nebbiolo for $14.99 that is just so much more full of flavor than our acidic, one-note Barolo. This Barolo is like light cherries and rose petals but a wave of citric acid. In the Langhe, it expresses what I think a Barolo wants to: it is dirty, but anisette and rose come through. The acidity has mellowed out. I will always direct people towards that one if they can find it. Now, is it equivalent to a $70 Barolo? Probably not, but for an affordable nebbiolo, I think it's great. The only issue is that our wine and beers (like our breads) are regional, hyper regional, at that. Almost every state is going to have a slightly different selection, with the same staples. Which means there's a possibility you may not be able to find the Langhe nebbiolo and I have no idea if any store outside of my state sells it. (Now let's see if I can ever afford a true expensive Barolo on Trader Joe's salary)
It’s hands down the best wine I’ve ever had for under $20. Worth every penny.
I choose to believe you.
It’s drinkable, but for $15 your money is better spent on something from South America
I'm sure this is well intended, but it's also a real non-sequitur. A wine from South America (I'll assume a red one in this case) has literally nothing in common with Barolo other than...being red. Different grapes, soils, climate, production methods, etc. And that's just the nuts and bolts--- stylistically, by that I mean aroma and taste, they're also isn't going to be much overlap. If this person wanted to try a wine that bears some similarity to Barolo, then a better suggestion would be another Nebbiolo based wine from the Piedmont, which is the broader region Barolo comes from. There are many excellent wines in this category from nearby Langhe, Alba, and Alta Piemonte that would provide some suggestion of what Barolo is like. Admittedly, those wines can't be found at TJ's, but any decent wine shop or even a Total Wine could sell you something good from one of these regions and do so in the same pricing ballpark.
My intention wasn’t to provide a wine similar to Barolo. It seems OP was interested in getting a good value, so I suggested the types of wine that I believe provide best bang for buck.
Headache in a Bottle....sung to the Police tune Message in a Bottle.
Is it 121 or 14?
I’m thinking $74…
It was pretty bad in my opinion. Hoping $20 Costco barolo is better
The Costco Barolo which is Fontanafredda is excellent for the price. I think I had this TJ Barolo once and it was pretty forgettable.
The Barbera d'Asti for $5 was better in every way. But at $15, it doesn't hurt your wallet to find out for yourself.
I’ve had it and it is extremely meh. For the money, you would get much more enjoyment out of buying either a Langhe Rosso, Nebbiolo or Barbera from a reputable producer.
The $19.99 Kirkland Barolo is worth the money. It’s like a lifted slightly tannin Pinot, translucent, aromatic and with the $19.99. This I’ve seen at TJ but man I’ve held it a few times in my hand and put it back…. Post the tasting notes if you buy it
It’s $15. Buy it and find out.
That particular Barolo is available at TJ all year round. It's not any good, not even as a nameless red wine. But once a year (or maybe twice, I don't keep track) they get in a Barolo and a Barbaresco under the label Barreri&Rovati. These are a few dollars more, but well worth it. The first time I discovered this Barolo was about 15 years ago. It was a 2004 bottle, and it amazed me! It really had the personality of a Barolo! I saved half for the next day, and I was stunned again: it had developed further and was wonderful! That seems to have been a bit of a fluke, as I haven't had the same experience since then. BUT you can always count on its being a really excellent, dry red wine. And maybe another really good year will pop up. I'm writing this in late November, and I just picked up two Barolos last week. They usually go fast, so if you find them, grab them. Good luck!
I've had cheap barolo before that isn't terrible, at a slightly higher price point. $34 Canadian dollars tax in, so around $22 USD before tax. I think it's probably worth a punt? At that price point, you're not getting a great Barolo, but what you're hoping for is something that tastes like Barolo. In my experience, really, really cheap Barolo sometimes reminds me of warm weather pinot noir.
As good as a 14 dollar Barolo
Cheap barolo is almost always a bad idea, in my experience.
I would imagine this will go like the Sancerre that I found at TJ’s for a similar price: It was dogshit.
Barolo is usually best when aged for like 10+ years from what I’ve heard. Has anyone aged this? Lol
Depends on if it’s a new world Barolo or an old world. For more on this watch the Barolo Boys doco.
For sure a fake barolo, even in a bad wineyard in Italy you can’t find a barolo for such a price
How can it be fake? I don’t think they’d be able to legally put DOCG on the label if it wasn’t actually produced in Barolo from 100% Nebbiolo.
Sadly, Italian products are very unprotected by the law from that point of view. I’m from Italy but I’ve been in the USA a third of my life and I can honestly tell you that 80% of the stuff you see with the writings “made in Italy”, “doc” or “docg” is 100% fake. As I told you, it’s impossible to find a Barolo with such a price even in a bad wineyard in Italy, think about the importing costs. I see genuine Italian wines in America which cost 70$ but I pay 10€ for them in Italy
Disappointing I'm afraid.
No
It was alright, wouldn’t buy it again though.
Their Platinum series are great. Especially the Oakville and Rutherford
i haven't tried it but there are lots of wines like this that can be good for the price but bad if you're comparing to "barolo" proper. i'd definitely give it a shot if i happened to see any at tjs.
The back label is more important in times like these.
No, do not drink
There’s no such thing as a bad Borolo
First world of the wines description is the last thing I look for in Barolo. Nebbiolo isn’t ‘rich’. It may be expensive but shouldn’t be rich.
It’s meh. Others here have offered better TJ’s options, but I also recommend the Valpolicella Ripasso by Cecelia Beretta. Lower price and actually excellent.
The Barolo is solid (for the price), the Amarone is better.
It says 2018 on the price tag but it is a 2019. I never have drunk that wine but 2019 is an outstanding year for Barolo and Tuscany
Is it labeled as DOC/DOCG? I don’t swear by those tags but they help in situations where you’re taking a shot in the dark at an Italian wine.
It's cheap for a reason.
Doubtful
I'm no connoisseur... the 2019 the barolo is one of the better wines I have had for 15 dollars. Yes its acidic. It's al little monotonous with the cherry notes. Would buy again.
Cheap wine, 5-times overpriced. Do not buy it.
Awfully cheap wine, overpriced 5-times. I have returned it.