I didn't know much about this wine when I popped it in the cart; mainly just going on the notion that I like big reds from Washington State and for $12.99, this one seemed like it could be a good buy.
I also noticed the 92 point score from Wine Spectator that doesn't hurt either. A quick Google search later showed an online price closer to $18, so I like Costco bringing it in quite a ways below that.
The wine turned out to be really good too. It's a blend of 62% Merlot, 26% Syrah and 12% Malbec. It pours dark and thick in the glass with a nose of baking spice and blueberry pie.
The wine is bursting with fresh fruit, mainly dark fruit, blueberry, blackberry, jammy with dark chocolate and coffee; a touch of vanilla into the finish which is big and bold like everything else about this wine.
This bottle is perfect for people who like big wines but it's also assembled nicely enough to find appeal beyond that. If you like big fruit done right, than this is the bottle for you.
Washington State proves once again to be a great source for value wine buys. Definitely a good winter weather wine; pairs well with snow.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points
Costco item number: 945155
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 13.9%
Linda D. Garland says
This was a Holiday favorite for me this year! We served it many times to guests during Christmas 2019 &
everyone LOVED this vintage! BTW: We loaded up on several cases for our next social event in Feb 2020.
1000000% yum!
Richard says
Every time I read the blog then get to Costco there is not any of these wines available. Would be great if we could place an order here online for a hold to pickup at our local Costco.
Linda D. Garland says
Richard: I 10000% agree with you. The timing of these reviews often is done too late after most of the inventory is sold out in most stores. The key to success is to publish the reviews when the wine first comes in (on week #1) to the stores not at the end of the inventory cycle when the wine or vintage is sold out.
Editor says
Hi Linda. We try our best to review the wines right when we see them. It takes some time to get to Costco, buy the wine, taste and make notes, research the wines, take and edit photos then format the post and publish. I usually only post one wine ahead to keep them as fresh as possible.