This is a rich high elevation red from the mountains just east of Yountville/Stags Leap in Napa Valley.  I typically enjoy the mountain Cabernets from around Napa, and the Atlas Peak wines are often among the more affordable, which can present opportunities for some good buys.  I prefer some of the surrounding mountains more, but this bottle was a pretty good find for $16.99 at my Costco.

It pours dark with perfume, earth and pepper aromas on the nose.  Once the wine gets going I immediately tasted Hershey chocolate bar/mocha, surrounded by dark fruit, blackberry, blueberry, a bit of anise and some smoke/campfire.  This is a dense wine, sticky and thick; peppery towards the finish; built for red meat and other hearty cuisine.

I was curious about the $16.99 Costco price on this wine as I’m pretty sure I have paid much more for past vintages.  Turns out the retail price is around $42, and you can buy it from Wine.com for $26.99.  So I guess that makes Costco’s price one heck of a big discount. I think $16.99 is about perfect for this wine.  At $42, you’re in a whole new realm.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points

Costco item number: 150291

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA