Unveiling Lazy Bones: The $7.99 Paso Robles Cabernet Franc That Drinks Like Luxury

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Finding exceptional wine values under $10 feels like discovering buried treasure, and the Lazy Bones Paso Robles Cabernet Franc 2023 is exactly that kind of remarkable find. Available exclusively at Trader Joe's for $7.99, this bottle consistently delivers quality that belies its modest price tag.

What makes this wine special starts with its pedigree. Crafted by the Miller Wine family, who have been producing Trader Joe's exclusives for over 15 years, this Cabernet Franc benefits from serious winemaking expertise. The Miller family owns some of Central Coast's most prestigious vineyards, and while we can't confirm which specific vineyard sources were used, their experience and connections clearly translate to quality in the bottle.

The wine itself showcases classic Cabernet Franc characteristics with a California twist. Dark fruit flavors of blackberry, plum, and blueberry mingle with hints of dried strawberry and oak spice. Most impressive is the tannin structure—present enough to provide authentic varietal character and food-pairing potential, yet remarkably smooth and sweet rather than harsh. This creates a versatile bottle that works beautifully for casual sipping or alongside burgers, tacos, and other outdoor dining favorites.

Even the label stands out with its artistic flair reminiscent of 1890s France. Longtime fans might notice the evolution from previous vintages' black-and-white nude figure to this year's more modest, full-color rendition—a small change that doesn't diminish the bottle's eye-catching shelf appeal. As summer approaches and outdoor entertaining season begins, this Cabernet Franc deserves a spot in your regular rotation. Give it a try with your next casual meal and taste for yourself why we're so impressed by this overachieving budget wine.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, welcome Domain Dave.
Again CheapWineFindercomAnother wine review for a wine
we wrote up on theCheapWineFindercom website.
Three times a week we writethem up and three times a week
we plug in the microphone andhere we are.
This is a age 799 Trader Joe'swine.
It's a wine that's been aroundevery several vintages.

(00:25):
I know we did the 2020 vintageand before that we did a couple
too.
It's the Lazy Bones, paso RobosCabernet Franc, 2023.
It's from the Miller Wine family, who have been making Trader
Joe's wines for at least 15years.
They used to put the CentralCoast Wine Warehouse this is one

(00:47):
of their divisions on the label, but they've kind of gotten
away from that and they're justgoing with the parent company
and they are legit.
They own a couple of the bestvineyards in all the Central
Coast and not that I know ifthis one is.
This is Paso Robles, where thegrapes come from, and they own

(01:08):
the French Camp Vineyard, whichis highly regarded, and I have
no clue and I doubt it.
If any of these grapes camefrom there, I could have, but I
doubt it.
And the label says cellared andbottled by and cellared and
bottled by means they bottled itand kept it around for a little
while.
Doesn't mean they made it atall, but I imagine some port

(01:31):
part of them did.
One thing I want to mention isthe label.
It's got a kind of a always hada black and white, um, nude
woman lying on a bed holding apetting a cat, and the bed had
blankets on it, very stylized,just a few lines to suggest

(01:55):
everything, um, but she wasnaked in there, you know, and
you know she might have been aplumber from what we could tell.
But this one is now in fullcolor and one of the blankets is
now covering her butt up.
So, um, I thought that wasfunny.
It's a very attractive.
It looks like something fromfrance in the 1890s.

(02:16):
I mean it's uh, it does have anice look to it.
So the label can hold its own.
With retail wines twice theprice or higher, it's a nice
label.
Cabernet Franc is the parent ofCabernet Sauvignon, cabernet
Sauvignon, cabernet Franc andSauvignon Blanc were were made

(02:40):
it at some point how you do thatto grapes, I don't know, but a
long time ago and they madecabernet sauvignon and, uh,
cabernet frac is also the parentto merlot and carmenier, which
are all um bordeaux grapes.
Carmen are not so much anymore.
But there you go.
So this is an old grape andit's usually used for blending,

(03:03):
though in in Lower Valley it isits own singular grape and in
California it can be its ownsingular grape too, and it
usually adds a dark flavor, adark color and a structure.
It's got tannins.
Cabernet Franc will havetannins.
I know in California andelsewhere tannins are usually

(03:24):
softened a lot because tanninswork best with a food wine where
you're going to just drink itwhen you're having a meal,
because then it bounces out, thefood bounces out, and if you're
sipping it tannins can be alittle bit rough and dry.
And here it's got tannins, butthey're sweet, they're smooth,
they they know how to deal withthat.

(03:44):
So this is a sipping wine butit's got tannins, but they're
sweet, they're smooth, they knowhow to deal with that.
So this is a sipping wine, butit's definitely a wine that you
know.
Feel free grabbing.
You're putting burgers on thegrill or anything else, pork,
you know anything.
This would work really wellwith that.
This is a nice food wine.
Take a sip.
It's got dark flavors.

(04:08):
You're talking about blackberry.
You're talking a little bit ofspice.
Maybe some plums, someblueberries, some.
I picked up some drystrawberries, some oak spice.
It's a darker wine but it sipsreally nicely.
It's $7.99.
If you're looking for a reallegitimate red, you want red

(04:29):
with some body to it and it'snot, uh, not been neutered.
I mean this is still nice.
Um, this is still a CabernetSauvignon, and for $7.99.
Usually when it goes under 10they kind of round them off to
be to be more palatable to morepeople.
But this is a Cabernet Sauvignon, I mean Cabernet Franc, talking

(04:51):
about the kid it just drinkswell, it's a nice wine.
It's way smoother and richerthan you would think it would be
, and especially smooth and richfor an eight dollar wine is a
really good thing to say aboutit.
I'll take another sip and we'llwrap it up.
So there you go, you got it'sgot a nice label.

(05:19):
But no, no girl butt on it.
Uh, but it is a really nicelabel.
It looks like artwork and it is, I guess.
It tastes smooth and rich, justin time for outdoor patio
drinking.
This is a nice wine.
This would go with a Chipotlebowl.

(05:41):
I mean, this would really gowell with that.
I'm thinking that maybe I couldhave that, because it doesn't
matter what you're having inthere, it would just sip very
well Tacos, burgers, all thatstuff.
It would go really well.
So that's it for me.
Domain Dave ChiefWineFightercom.
This was the Lazy Bones PasoRobles Cabernet Franc 2023.

(06:02):
It's made for exclusivelyTrader Joe's, but it's a
first-rate wine company thatmade it for them, who have
really good vineyards.
So I don't know if any of thevineyards were involved, but
they have contacts everywhere.
I mean, that's one of thethings If you didn't use their
vineyards, they used goodvineyards from friends.

(06:24):
So that's it for me.
Domain Dave cheapwinefindercom.
Like us, we like your podcast.
You will push the button, ithelps, and I'm talking to you.
In a couple of days it'sgetting warmer and the wine's
flowing.
So, adios, keep it cheap.
Bye-bye.