2007 Novella Synergy Blanc, Paso Robles: A short wine story not worth the time
It struck all the wrong notes, and I sensed it going in, but still took a chance as I continue to work the shelves, seeking gems.
Two clues had my spider senses tingling that this might not be a decent wine.
First, the label. I’ve said it before and it bears repeating: the more “clever” or colorful the label, the worse the wine. Of course this is not always true.
But I just know wine marketing folks who are given a bad wine have little else to work with aside from price and quirky labels. I can’t blame them.
- 2007 Novella Synergy Blanc, Paso Robles
- Rating
- 75
- Clint says:
- “Avoid”
- The Wine
- Synergy Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli and Pino Grigiot
14.0% alc.
$4.99
Trader Joe’s - The Winery
- EOS Estate Winery, Paso Robles, CA
- Category
- Wine reviews
The next clue was using a wine region to market the brand, instead of the actually winery itself.
In this case it is the well-known Paso Robles region. You would never know this wine is produced by EOS Estate Winery unless you look at the tiny fine print on the back label just above the standard government warning. Yes, they are that proud of this wine.
At $4.99 I’m not expecting miracles, though I’ve encountered several decent wines at or around this price point.
The nose is not pleasant.
The wine itself has strong mineral overtones, and an extremely unrefined quality.
Harsh would be a good word. I did not enjoy it in the least, and would strongly advise against this one.
Hopefully my luck gets better!
Clinton StarkCo-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Fan of Napa (and Diet Coke)
Clint co-founded StarkSilverCreek and writes about social media, arts, wine, indie film, and his trusty Droid. An aging ice hockey player, he tries in vain to direct Loni in SSC videos. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Clint is a Silicon Valley and new media entrepreneur. From the early PC clone days in the 80’s, to the explosion of telecom and networking in the 90’s, and now to social networking, Web 2.0 and software-as-a-service, Clint has successfully built businesses and start-ups into multi-million dollar operations. Recently as VP marketing he spearheaded the launch of a $110M company. But that was then.
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For all of Mr. Stark’s complaining about the label I am surprised that is the basis of his argument against this wine. If Mr. Stark would care to look at every label from the Eos winery, which is located on the 46 to the east of Paso Robles, not flaunting the region-they are just there, he would see that they all share the same quality of not flaunting the winery and incorporating the female/angelic figure in some way. The reason for not pushing the winery is simple, the Novella series is exclusive to Trader Joe’s, as is common practice for many California wines; house labels for house wines and exclusive labels for exclusive brands.
This wine in particular pairs well with a meal and needs to be decanted and allowed to breath for about an hour. A gourmet vegetarian pizza with gorgonzola makes a fine pairing as does a baked chicken meal. Is it amazing? No. You want amazing get the Synergy and pair it with seasoned roasted lamb. But it does the job just fine for $5 when you are sharing a beach house in Carlsbad with your out of town family and you want something to sip on with your gourmet pizza so you can give them the California experience.
This is a great wine. I love it and would drink it anytime. Do not listen to the ridiculous and illogical argument Stark makes.
Clever. But, please, you can call me Clint.