TN: NV Prisoner Wine Company Saldo (USA, California)

[Daniel_S]

Some background on this TN. A few years ago my partner decided that I should taste wines blindfolded to test the theory that one could not guess if a wine was white or red. When I was able to guess too well it morphed to tasting the cheapest of the cheap wines and trying to figure out what they are. It sometimes yields surprises that we never expected and it’s still an ongoing thing.

Over the holiday weekend after I was forced to taste a Stanford Governor’s Cuvée Brut, which tied Apothic Brew for the worst wine I have consumed since taking TNs. So I made a trip to BevMo to buy several bottles, including a bottle of Cook’s to remind ourselves what it tasted like, plus a few more to turn the tables against him. Given that I had a coupon and needed to make the basket over $75 to use it, this wine was picked up.

I’ve had The Prisoner before and thought it wasn’t awful and just overpriced. Was expecting this to be along the same lines. Instead it broke a new record for me. This is the worst $20+ bottle of wine I have consumed that was not flawed.

• NV Prisoner Wine Company Saldo - USA, California (7/4/2022)
  Tasted from a PnP. Dark purple-garnet in color. First thing on the nose is sulfur. Then I think Hostess Cherry Pie. After a few minutes I get sweet fake vanilla, cedar, sweet bramble, artificial cherry pie filling, and black peppercorn. This does not have the nose of a quality zin, but rather a $4.99 Central Valley red blend from BevMo.

Thick bodied, sweet, and tastes manufactured. Sweet and smoky cherries, candied blueberries and blackberries, sweet oak spices, and an unnatural level of black pepper. Tannins feel very forced and dissipate with the finish. Finish is long with black pepper, green herbs, and sweet artificial blackberry and blueberry flavoring. There might be some forced minerality, but it is so overwhelmed by the sweetness that I can’t decide what’s there.

No real tech sheet here, but this is Non Vintage blend of Zin, PS, and Syrah. The PS might lend itself to some of the smokiness, but this is far removed from any quality zin. This just tastes totally manufactured. Let’s be real, this $30 bottle of wine tastes like it is a cheap red blend from the grocery store.

If this is the flavor profile you like, I urge you to seek out much higher quality wines from Ridge, Bedrock, Turley, Once and Future, Elyse, or many of the other quality Zin producers.

Day 3 update: We decided to put the cork back on the bottle and leave it on the counter. Some of the finer nuances are gone, the sweetness is a bit lower, but the 15.5% alcohol is way more pronounced. (70 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

[John_Glas]

Some background on this TN. A few years ago my partner decided that I should taste wines blindfolded to test the theory that one could not guess if a wine was white or red. When I was able to guess too well it morphed to tasting the cheapest of the cheap wines and trying to figure out what they are. It sometimes yields surprises that we never expected and it’s still an ongoing thing.

Over the holiday weekend after I was forced to taste a Stanford Governor’s Cuvée Brut, which tied Apothic Brew for the worst wine I have consumed since taking TNs. So I made a trip to BevMo to buy several bottles, including a bottle of Cook’s to remind ourselves what it tasted like, plus a few more to turn the tables against him. Given that I had a coupon and needed to make the basket over $75 to use it, this wine was picked up.

I’ve had The Prisoner before and thought it wasn’t awful and just overpriced. Was expecting this to be along the same lines. Instead it broke a new record for me. This is the worst $20+ bottle of wine I have consumed that was not flawed.

• NV Prisoner Wine Company Saldo - USA, California (7/4/2022)
  Tasted from a PnP. Dark purple-garnet in color. First thing on the nose is sulfur. Then I think Hostess Cherry Pie. After a few minutes I get sweet fake vanilla, cedar, sweet bramble, artificial cherry pie filling, and black peppercorn. This does not have the nose of a quality zin, but rather a $4.99 Central Valley red blend from BevMo.

Thick bodied, sweet, and tastes manufactured. Sweet and smoky cherries, candied blueberries and blackberries, sweet oak spices, and an unnatural level of black pepper. Tannins feel very forced and dissipate with the finish. Finish is long with black pepper, green herbs, and sweet artificial blackberry and blueberry flavoring. There might be some forced minerality, but it is so overwhelmed by the sweetness that I can’t decide what’s there.

No real tech sheet here, but this is Non Vintage blend of Zin, PS, and Syrah. The PS might lend itself to some of the smokiness, but this is far removed from any quality zin. This just tastes totally manufactured. Let’s be real, this $30 bottle of wine tastes like it is a cheap red blend from the grocery store.

If this is the flavor profile you like, I urge you to seek out much higher quality wines from Ridge, Bedrock, Turley, Once and Future, Elyse, or many of the other quality Zin producers.

Day 3 update: We decided to put the cork back on the bottle and leave it on the counter. Some of the finer nuances are gone, the sweetness is a bit lower, but the 15.5% alcohol is way more pronounced. (70 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker

Now I like that not giving up on a wine! Interesting how many users on Tracker like this wine which anything by these guys is going to be just too sweet!

[Daniel_S]

I am always shocked about how much “love” for these macro wines like this on CT.

Given how much I paid for it, giving up was not an option. It deserved a fair chance before I trashed it.

Even something like Stella Rosa Black deserves a fair chance. It made a really good pancake syrup after we determined it was too manufactured and sweet to drink.

[Chris_Crutchfield]

I love the other CT review for this wine that praises it for being “varietally correct”.

[John_Glas]

I love the other CT review for this wine that praises it for being “varietally correct”.

At least no one has gone over 92 points so far!

[Arv_R]

The packaging looks likes something from the cranky neighbor who hangs out in his garage all day, with cookie tins labeled ‘metric nuts’.

[Mattstolz]

I like the medium bodied note under yours. lol

[B_Davies]

70 seems a bit harsh for this I would consider this a 75 which by WS definition makes the wine drinkable. No doubt, I agree with your statement there are better Zin’s but tried a few Saldo’s today I would consider them all “okay” but not undrinkable.

[John_Glas]

70 seems a bit harsh for this I would consider this a 75 which by WS definition makes the wine drinkable. No doubt, I agree with your statement there are better Zin’s but tried a few Saldo’s today I would consider them all “okay” but not undrinkable.

I am usually about 78 to 81 on these types of wines. I would drink them if it was served to me but for the amount of great washington state wines I will be drinking this week they are easily forgettable wines for the money.

[B_Davies]

70 seems a bit harsh for this I would consider this a 75 which by WS definition makes the wine drinkable. No doubt, I agree with your statement there are better Zin’s but tried a few Saldo’s today I would consider them all “okay” but not undrinkable.

I am usually about 78 to 81 on these types of wines. I would drink them if it was served to me but for the amount of great washington state wines I will be drinking this week they are easily forgettable wines for the money.

I mean I also had it sampled out by a vendor today so I didn’t have to pay for it. It’d be different I suppose paying full retail… but I feel like that’s what you’re dealing with the PWC in general.

[Scott_Brunson]

So 70 to 100 point scale?

[John_Glas]

So 70 to 100 point scale?

Now 60 to 100 scale. MN wines would then fit into that scale.

[Scott_Brunson]

So 70 to 100 point scale?

Now 60 to 100 scale. MN wines would then fit into that scale.

Come to Florida .
(Don’t walk too close to ponds)

[Marc_Hauser]

I am always shocked about how much “love” for these macro wines like this on CT.

Given how much I paid for it, giving up was not an option. It deserved a fair chance before I trashed it.

Even something like Stella Rosa Black deserves a fair chance. It made a really good pancake syrup after we determined it was too manufactured and sweet to drink.

Why does it surprise you that one of the best-selling SKUs in the country would generally get positive reviews on the average? That doesn’t surprise me at all. There’s a reason this wine sells so well. Just because it’s not your taste, and perhaps not the taste of the average user on WB, is not reflective of the average. The fact it sells so well is.

[Daniel_S]

70 seems a bit harsh for this I would consider this a 75 which by WS definition makes the wine drinkable. No doubt, I agree with your statement there are better Zin’s but tried a few Saldo’s today I would consider them all “okay” but not undrinkable.

I am usually about 78 to 81 on these types of wines. I would drink them if it was served to me but for the amount of great washington state wines I will be drinking this week they are easily forgettable wines for the money.

I mean I also had it sampled out by a vendor today so I didn’t have to pay for it. It’d be different I suppose paying full retail… but I feel like that’s what you’re dealing with the PWC in general.

I could not finish a glass on either of the days I tasted it. FWIW Meiomi is my definition of a 75 - I could drink a glass or two of that if nothing else is available. Something about the whole tasting was very off putting and was building up. If I was spit tasting, the factors that turned me off may have not have manifested.

Given the scale of production and now being a NV - it is possible I just had a bottle from a bad batch. I am fully open to revisiting it in the future, just not on my dime.

Why does it surprise you that one of the best-selling SKUs in the country would generally get positive reviews on the average? That doesn’t surprise me at all. There’s a reason this wine sells so well. Just because it’s not your taste, and perhaps not the taste of the average user on WB, is not reflective of the average. The fact it sells so well is.

I know that it really shouldn’t - it’s the perception in my mind that CT is more geeky/snobbish than sites like Vivino.

And I totally understand why this sells so well from both the food science and marketing aspect.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

I am always shocked about how much “love” for these macro wines like this on CT.

Given how much I paid for it, giving up was not an option. It deserved a fair chance before I trashed it.

Even something like Stella Rosa Black deserves a fair chance. It made a really good pancake syrup after we determined it was too manufactured and sweet to drink.

Why does it surprise you that one of the best-selling SKUs in the country would generally get positive reviews on the average? That doesn’t surprise me at all. There’s a reason this wine sells so well. Just because it’s not your taste, and perhaps not the taste of the average user on WB, is not reflective of the average. The fact it sells so well is.

Without trying to speak about quality of the Prisoner:

The sales could also be reflective of the amount of square footage of facings this wine has in retail across the country.

Comparing sales “success” of brands that have a tidal wave of support, in samples, schwag, discounts, trips, etc. behind them with any other wines is like suggesting that sales of Miller Lite demonstrate that, while it may not be to the palate of WBers, it’s still good beer.

[Marcus_Goodfellow]

I am usually about 78 to 81 on these types of wines. I would drink them if it was served to me but for the amount of great washington state wines I will be drinking this week they are easily forgettable wines for the money.

I mean I also had it sampled out by a vendor today so I didn’t have to pay for it. It’d be different I suppose paying full retail… but I feel like that’s what you’re dealing with the PWC in general.

I could not finish a glass on either of the days I tasted it. FWIW Meiomi is my definition of a 75 - I could drink a glass or two of that if nothing else is available. Something about the whole tasting was very off putting and was building up. If I was spit tasting, the factors that turned me off may have not have manifested.

Given the scale of production and now being a NV - it is possible I just had a bottle from a bad batch. I am fully open to revisiting it in the future, just not on my dime.

Why does it surprise you that one of the best-selling SKUs in the country would generally get positive reviews on the average? That doesn’t surprise me at all. There’s a reason this wine sells so well. Just because it’s not your taste, and perhaps not the taste of the average user on WB, is not reflective of the average. The fact it sells so well is.

I know that it really shouldn’t - it’s the perception in my mind that CT is more geeky/snobbish than sites like Vivino.

And I totally understand why this sells so well from both the food science and marketing aspect.

Kind of wondering if the current iteration has a measurable amount of 2020 fruit in it. While I do not enjoy the Prisoner at any point, I do usually understand why some enjoy it and could probably drink a glass if I wasn’t a completely spoiled diva.

[Marc_Hauser]

I am always shocked about how much “love” for these macro wines like this on CT.

Given how much I paid for it, giving up was not an option. It deserved a fair chance before I trashed it.

Even something like Stella Rosa Black deserves a fair chance. It made a really good pancake syrup after we determined it was too manufactured and sweet to drink.

Why does it surprise you that one of the best-selling SKUs in the country would generally get positive reviews on the average? That doesn’t surprise me at all. There’s a reason this wine sells so well. Just because it’s not your taste, and perhaps not the taste of the average user on WB, is not reflective of the average. The fact it sells so well is.

Without trying to speak about quality of the Prisoner:

The sales could also be reflective of the amount of square footage of facings this wine has in retail across the country.

Comparing sales “success” of brands that have a tidal wave of support, in samples, schwag, discounts, trips, etc. behind them with any other wines is like suggesting that sales of Miller Lite demonstrate that, while it may not be to the palate of WBers, it’s still good beer.

That’s a very fair point. Marketing and access to distribution go a long way towards sales. The product still needs to be broadly appealing (see, e.g., Zima), but I agree that it’s a combination of factors that drive success at that level.

[rsmithjr]

I had the 2019 Saldo and thought it was good…

[Gabe_Berk]

I’ve had it a few times. Seems like a manipulated wine, but it wasn’t horrible. I can see why a lot of people outside the Berserker world would enjoy it. $32 seems like highway robbery for a NV California blend of what likely is majority Lodi Zin/reds.