Wine Review: The Amazing and Affordable 2001 Lindemans Pyrus
17.5 winehiker points*
Last month, my friend Kim passed along a personal wine recommendation to myself and to my friend Vindu. Vindu was the first to respond, saying:
Kim and Russ,
Finally found the 2001 Pyrus in my local Trader Joe’s today. Bought a bottle, cracked it open. OH. MY. GOD. It’s the most awesome $8 red I have ever tasted. Smooth like a Bordeaux blend, yet complex and with a nice warm finish. Low acidity, just pure grape perfection.
I’m going back tomorrow for a case. At least.
Vindu
Having tasted a fair amount of wine in the company of both friends, I figured I didn’t need to be told a third time. In fact, Vindu’s palate often appears to be similar to mine in that he tends to like many of the same flavor and body profiles that I do, plus he and I tend to vote the same group picks at tastings.
I high-tailed it over to Trader Joe’s after a recent local hike. You never know how fast word can spread, and I wanted to make sure I got at least one bottle before this $8 gem was all gone. I arrived at the Los Altos store, scanned the wine aisle, and though I did find some Lindeman’s wines, I didn’t find any Pyrus. The help staff made a call on my behalf to the Sunnyvale store where, sure enough, they had about 18 bottles on hand. A few minutes later, I walked out of that Sunnyvale store with 4 bottles of promise in my hands.
The 2001 vintage of Lindeman’s Pyrus, from the Coonawarra region of Australia, is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, and wholly drinkable right out of the bottle. It’s violet color in the glass is pleasing, and so are its immediate berry, cherry, and slight tobacco aromas. There’s even a slight hint of gold in the wine’s color, suggesting that the wine has aged nicely.
On balance, this wine is solid, with a mildly spicy sweetness and an acid/tannin structure that rocks steady. While smooth in body, presumably from the presence of the Merlot, it’s texture on the tongue is not entirely stellar, though it’s mighty close. With the Pyrus’ moderate fruit complexity, rounded balance aspects, medium-full body, and crowd-pleasing finish, I’d say that this wine is an excellent one to tell your friends about.
Thanks, Kim!
But you might just want to keep the Pyrus to yourself as a very well-made and affordable bottle of Bordeaux-style wine for everyday drinking. You better hurry, though — the way my buddy Vindu is buying this stuff, it’s flying off the shelves at Trader Joe’s.
Yep, Vindu has four cases already. And incidentally, Vindu’s got a friend in Australia who laments the current price of the 2001 Pyrus in the Land Down Under to be over $40 a bottle. Good enough reason to stock up now.
$7.99 at Trader Joe’s
Disclosure: I purchased a case of this wine myself from Trader Joe’s. At this price, how could I not?
Also see guest author Vindu Goel’s follow-up post, Pyrus vs. Pyrus: Is the Lindemans Pyrus 2000 better than the 2001?
*Rated on the 20-point Davis scale.
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October 29th, 2006 21:49
Russ ain’t kidding. This is by far the best $8 wine I ever tasted. I brought a case over to a friend’s wedding reception recently, and it was very popular. The bride’s father was especially fond of it.
If your local Trader Joe’s doesn’t have it, ask them if they can order it. That’s how I got the four cases. Enjoy!
November 2nd, 2006 09:37
I agree on this wine. Something must have gone very, very wrong in Lindemans marketing for this wine. It really seems like it was intended to sell for at least three to four times the “closeout” pricing. I have seen it recently at Trader Joe’s in California, and prior to that, at Beverages and More. It is a real bargain. I am going back tomorrow for more!
November 2nd, 2006 09:42
I think the crafty folks at Trader Joe’s just know how to cut a deal, and they buy big. Vindu and I were speculating that Lindemans may just be trying to clear out inventory and saw a way to penetrate another slice of the American market. The 2001 Pyrus may just be a teaser prior to future Lindemans shipments to the States at more “conventional” prices. But I wouldn’t put it past Trader Joe’s to make similar deals with Lindemans or elsewhere. Thanks for your comment, JD.
January 5th, 2007 21:22
My dad picked this up at the local wine shoppe for New Year’s dinner. Wow!!!!! What a great wine. He went back the next day to buy a case!!!!
January 7th, 2007 17:29
And the accolades go marching on! So here’s another tip: 2004 Bogle Petite Sirah, $7.99 at Albertson’s. Rich blueberry silk tannins in a wine that’s drinkable now through the next five or so years.
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