NOTE FROM AUTHOR: Wow, time to get back in the saddle. I’ve been on hiatus for all but the very best of reasons – wine. It’s nice approaching my TJs Wine Blog with the new ocean of information, perspective, wine production and palate experience. My site will still strive to locate diamonds in the rough and troughs to avoid. All posts are my opinion, but as always, your participation in the comments is what makes this site more interesting for all. -Matt
The Wine: The one wine which has generated the most visits to my site has been my review of the 2009 Cocobon. People love this wine. I’m excited for my return post to be about this wine, the 2010 vintage.
2010 Cocobon California Red Wine
Red Wine blends are awesome. Perfect outlet for bulk table wine and rich wine crafting palate for talented wine makers to create immensely complex interesting boutique wines. Occupying the $8 price point and California appellation, this is bulk red wine production. The 2009 was mainly Zinfandel with some Cab Franc, Merlot, Petite Sirah, etc. I imagine this is almost no different. So how is it?
The Experience:
Color: Garnet violet center, rhubarb edges, fairly deep yet translucent.
Nose: Lots and lots of dark berries, vanilla, woody – still very young.
Palate: Mega fruit forward all the way through from start to finish. Lightly tannic/woody mid-palate. Has a noticeable slate/stony character. But the finish is very similar to that of cherry cola – sweet.
Bottom Line: Next-Wine-Please/Worth-A-Buy
This wine is not my style – sweet, when I prefer dry and more structure in red wine. If you are looking for a Tuesday night dinner wine? Here ya go. It would go well with any spicy food or something from the grill. If you are looking for a wine to serve at a holiday party, here’s a perfect crowd pleaser for a general wine drinking audience or would make some awesome Glühwein – German mulled wine (A personal favorite of mine after living in Germany for sevearl years.)
Looking forward to your thoughts on this best selling wine!
-Matt
Dec 15, 2011 @ 21:10:03
Hi Matt,
Glad you are back in the saddle! Lovely descriptions of Cocobon 2010. Can’t wait to try some. Keep up the fine writing.
Patricia and Edward
Dec 16, 2011 @ 09:19:10
Thanks Patricia and Edward!
Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve 2009 Meritage Napa Valley « Trader Joe's Wine Notes
Dec 28, 2011 @ 19:19:50
Trader Joe’s Grand Reserve 2009 Meritage Napa Valley « Trader Joe's Wine Notes
Dec 28, 2011 @ 19:21:03
Dec 28, 2011 @ 21:30:32
Great to see you blogging again. I was pleasantly surprised by the 2009 Cocobon at an office do, and grabbed some bottles, but its charms wore off on me. The sweetness caught up with me, too. Quick Tuesday night quaff that doesn’t exhaust the cellar? Very good in that role. I don’t know that I’ll go for the 2010, though, except perhaps to bring to potlucks where I don’t want to bring plonk but don’t want to expose something good meant for my knowledgeable friends to the ravages of the bring a Two-Chuck but pour someone else’s good wine crowd. Happened to me this Christmas, alas.
Dec 28, 2011 @ 22:20:25
Beth, it’s great to be back! Cocobon to me is far too sweet. Lots of people like that style. It’s a wine that will definitely get thumbs up from most casual wine drinkers. As for the Two-Buck-Chuck bringers but nice wine drinkers, that’s just not cool. Next time just carry the nice bottle around as you make the rounds and make sure your knowledgeable friends all get a splash – I’m sure they saw the several unopened bottles of Chuck on the table and got worried, too…
Feb 06, 2013 @ 17:49:35
A psychiatrist is a phiyacsin who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. I have a bachelor’s degree in the social services field. For several years, I have worked with children who have been diagnosed with mental disorders. It is upsetting to see children victimize at an early age and even more disturbing to see them as predators as early as 5 years of age, however knowing that I am doing my part to assist them in becoming functioning youths and adults is rewarding. The empathy, confidentiality and maturity of a medical assistant are definitely needed in this area. I enjoy establishing a rapport with these clients and helping them to find adequate coping skills to deal with their disorders, therefore I would like to work for a psychiatrist.I would not like to work for an emergency phiyacsin for several reasons. I will explain a few. Patients who come to the emergency center typically have serious injuries or trauma. I would not like to have my mind constantly focused on who is coming thru the door and how sever the prognosis is. Knowing myself, I know that would be my focus and I would not be very productive. Also, in the emergency room the staff has to be prepared for anything, I would prefer an area that focuses on a particular specialty. Most importantly, I do not wish to see excessive amounts of blood loss on a regular basis. Actually, not even a minimal amount of blood loss on a regular basis. Giving my opinion and thoughts about this specialty, I would not be an effective employee.
The Cult of Cocobon « Trader Joe's Wine Notes
Dec 29, 2011 @ 20:31:08
Dec 29, 2011 @ 22:26:31
Just browsed the notes on the 2009, the 12 g/L RS tells the key part of the story. That’s around 4 to 10 times what would be typical for a dry wine with moderate acidity. Sensory threshold is supposedly 2-3 g/L for most people. Sounds like 2010 is similar. No surprise this style is popular–low tannin and a little sweetness makes it easy to enjoy. But wines like these are a bit frustrating at times because the TJs associates often assume everyone wants this style because most people like it. It seems like TJs puts a lot of effort into offering foods with complex, interesting flavors, then settles for the easy path with friendly for drinking but non-ideal food pairing wines. Food wines don’t need to be austere, tannic and acidic, but cola-replacement is not quite the angle I’m looking for with savory, earthy or layered-flavor foods.
Jan 23, 2012 @ 19:14:41
hi i tried your wine and loved it and took pic on my phone now going to share with more friends thank you to the people at trader joes but most of all thank you to the perfect blend able to meet everyones taste
A Few of my Favorite Things — January 2012 Light and Lemony Edition!
Jan 31, 2012 @ 17:06:11
Feb 07, 2012 @ 21:24:50
My husband bought this wine at cost plus based on description only. I just drank te bottle a week ago, and all I Can say is I’m in love. Texture and berry flavor is amazing. Eazy drink wine and would be great with steak or spicy food.
How do I follow your blog? I’m a wino and would love recommendations.
Tara
Feb 18, 2012 @ 08:25:17
I really enjoyed this wine. Very flavorful and a good price point at TJ’s.
May 05, 2012 @ 08:27:46
I’m on my 2nd case of the 2011. A great full bodied red wine. For $7 you can’t beat it!
May 17, 2012 @ 21:15:11
Sweet/Schmeet!! I really like this wine and plan to buy another case soon!!
May 26, 2012 @ 18:51:33
I think you may have undercut this one just a bit. It’s a little on the sweet side, but it’s far from flabby. For the price, it has some complexity, a decently long finish and, all-in-all, it’s pretty amazing. I’m a vegetarian, and this goes with much of what I cook. What I think it probably lacks is tannins, which doesn’t matter to me because I don’t eat meat, but this would NOT be a good wine to have with steak. Absolutely perfect with an Algerian veggie couscous, however. http://www.ivu.org/recipes/african/algerian-j.html
Aug 07, 2012 @ 21:36:55
I love this wine. I usually like more full-bodied reds, but this one, just *does* it for me.
Aug 08, 2012 @ 14:41:30
This is great wine! I disagree with the person that wrote his commentary on this. I don’t think it’s “sweet” at all! Perfect with any food and amazing with a chunk of dark chocolate:) Will stock up on this wine.
Aug 21, 2012 @ 06:01:56
Totally concur. I loved it so much I had to look it up online to find where I bought it
Sep 06, 2012 @ 14:40:27
We had a summer dinner party with very fine food and ALL of our guests were raving about this wine. I had 2 friends who were in attendance of the party follow up after to get the name. And another friend brought it over to my house for a girls drink nite. We LOVE this wine! For the price of $6.99!! It is our go to red table wine. Please try it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. I give it a 8 out of 10 on the drinkability scale.
Feb 06, 2013 @ 02:21:51
I had a rather hard time chsooing just one type of physician I would want to work for. So many of them fascinate me, and with me not really going into any medical field other than support, I never gave this any thought in the past. After reading the list, I am more favorable of working for a neonatologist. It is difficult to think about how neonatologist physicians sometimes have the most difficult job in the world, but I can only imagine how amazing it would be to be a part of saving a baby’s life. I had a coworker once whose baby was born at 36 weeks, and her baby had a lot of heart and lung problems. There were concerns about whether or not they would ever fully develop once she had him, but after many months in the NICU, and many scares that happened during it, the doctors were able to save him and he is now a very healthy 5 year old. It is because of that I have a higher interest in the neonatologist field.I hate to say which type of physician I would care less to work for, and it is because I worry that many will take it the wrong way. When I was 16, I used to help my mom at an assisted living home as a caregiver. We would get to work at 7:00 A.M. every morning to prepare breakfast for four of the elderly men and women that we were caring for. We would then make sure that all bedding was changed, rooms were cleaned, meals were prepared, and appointments were handled. We worked 12 hour days, and they were always grueling. The owner of the home made sure that everyone had their medicine and made it to their doctor appointments on time. However, she was more worried about getting paid for her services than actually helping the elderly. She would yell at them if they did something wrong, and even call them terrible names. My mom reported her and we both quit our job, but it has always left a sting in my heart since then. It is because of my experience with that situation that I do not think I could ever work for a gerontologist. I know that the situations would be much different, but ever since my experience with caring for elderly individuals it is very hard for me to think about assisting a physician in geriatrics because I worry that someone else might treat the elderly in the same way the owner of the home did. I am a firm believer that the elderly deserve the ultimate care and comfort when going through any treatment and aging in general, but I do not think I could ever work in that environment again.
Nov 02, 2012 @ 15:01:00
2011 is along the lines of cherry, over sweetened motor oil and chocolate. Not drinkable or cookable.
Good Wine Hunt With A Stranger | Oh No It's Joono | The Bold Ramblings of a Delicate Girl
Nov 08, 2012 @ 14:38:33
Nov 12, 2012 @ 09:41:09
Just discovered the Cocobon, and it’s quickly replacing another ‘bargain’ weeknight dinner wine of ours. Thanks!
Feb 07, 2013 @ 06:08:14
(I’m not sure if I’m posting this in the corcret place as I was unable to post it from the Dashboard.)The type of physician I would like to work with is a gerontologist. A gerontologist specializes in caring for the elderly. I have a fondness for our older population. They built out society and lived in a time that many of us can learn from. I would take great pride in caring for them as they age. In my opinion, working with a doctor that shares my passion and excitement would be the ideal work environment.The type of physician I would not be as excited to work with would be a proctologist. To be completely honest, I just don’t think I have what it takes to be in that environment. It’s important to be professional in any medical environment. I believe my sense of humor would not allow me to be as professional as I would need to be. I would also prefer not to work with ophthalmologist. Several years ago I spent a week with my grandfather at a specialist to have cataracts removed. I found it very difficult to watch the videos of my grandfather’s up coming procedures. It wasn’t difficult caring for my grandfather after surgery, but I must admit the pre-op was an experience that I would not want to assist in on a daily bases.
Dec 04, 2012 @ 00:10:06
This is my favorite bargan wine blend. Love it!
Dec 22, 2012 @ 18:34:14
This was a disappointment. I knew it as soon as I opened the bottle. This is the “Coors Light” of wines. It won’t truly offend anyone But, it won’t impress anyone either – it’s safe. I was looking for something to enjoy with a veggie pizza and I had to open a different bottle ($5 Epicuro Agianico). It is probably a great red wine for my niece, who, is just being introduced to red wine. The sweet strawberry/ cherry/ vanilla/ chocolate combination should appeal to most and would work well with a chocolate dessert. I was initially looking for the Dr. Jevediah Drinkwell Meritage @$9.
. .
Jan 31, 2013 @ 11:28:15
All I know is I tried some during a tasting at TJ’s and I immediately snagged up a bottle. Now I need to find someone to drink it with.