I was first alerted to this exciting new arrival by a reader in Maryland last week, but a subsequent trip to Costcos near me turned up dry. This is the first Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero wine we've seen from Kirkland so I was the hunt, and finally found it last night.
On top of it just being a Kirkland Ribera, they had to send it over the top with the Gran Reserva designation, which I'll explain in a moment. And they did it for $12.99 which is astonishing. I'd recommend red wine fans buy this up while it lasts because I imagine this one will go fast.
Quick geographic overview that's important for understanding this wine. Ribera del Duero is an area in northern Spain known for producing excellent Tempranillo, which is the varietal that makes up 100% of what's in this bottle. Ribera isn't far from its better known neighbor, Rioja, with Toro on the other side - all of which produce excellent wines for the money.
A Gran Reserva designation is the highest classification in the Spanish system that mandates certain rules around how long the wine has been aged and how it's been aged by the winery before its release.
I love this as essentially you're buying a wine that's ready to drink now that's been stored in perfect conditions at the winery, ready to go at your kitchen table half way around the world from where these grapes were harvested six years ago. All for $13.
This wine was aged for 13 months in new French oak, then transferred to American oak for 25 months, before spending an additional 24 months in the bottle.
Definitely give this wine a decant for about an hour. It pours dark and opens up with powerful, spicy aromas; medium plus in body, soft and elegant as the tannins have started to mellow out; dark fruit flavor, blueberry and blackberry, more pepper and spice toward the finish, with dark chocolate and earthy notes.
This wine is a superb value, perhaps one of the best Kirkland bottles for the money we've found in some time. It's big, rich and elegant all the same time.
NOTE: in the fine print on the back of the label you can see that this wine is produced by Bodegas Vina Solorca, a well known estate in Ribera del Duero, whose lesser wines (non Gran Reserva) cost more than this one.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points (easy addition to our Recommended wine list)
Costco item number: 1169328
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 14.5%
Robert says
I was going to send you a picture after finding this in the local Costco. After trying the first bottle of two bought, I went back a few days later and bought the remaining five they had. There seemed only to be one or two cases total that passed through our Costco. I'm going to travel further to see if I can find a few more. A superb wine and spectacular deal. Like the Selectus that appeared a year ago.
Editor says
Way to stock up. It is a similarly great buy as the Selectus was, I really liked that wine: http://costcowineblog.com//2007-bodega-los-aljibes-selectus/
Scott Ferris says
Tantalizing. Sad to say Costco in SE Washington state doesn't carry this. No one in our Costco knows anything about it. This is not the first wine you have written about NOT available in the NW.
Maybe in GA.
Then again, there are 50 + wineries around us, with superb Cabs, Syrahs, Merlots, etc
SE WASHINGTON is an extraordinary location for wines.
Editor says
That's a bummer about the Ribera but I agree with you on the awesome WA State wines. I lived in Seattle for 10 years when many of these great places were coming to be. And they've only developed further in recent years. I'd love to be able to explore them more as you can.
Andrew
Robert says
The bottles I found were in Sequim, but I found none in Gig Harbor or Tacoma. So at least there was one case that made it to WA!
Art Rod says
I recently subscribed to costcowineblog after reading some of reviews that appeared consistent with my opinion for my "grape taste" acquired through the years - mostly steered towards cabernet sauvignon or tempranillo from Spain.
On review of Kirkland's 2011 Gran Reserva from Ribera del Duero, posted on 13 Sept 2017, it is one of the best tempranillos to surface at Costco in a long time. IMO, it is almost a crime to rate it just a 90. According to my taste, it it a higher rated wine, likely no less than a 93.
Editor says
Awesome, happy to hear you loved it so much.
Bill says
Which Atlanta location did you find this? I was at the Dunwoody location last night and they did not have any.
Editor says
I bought it last night at the Kennesaw Costco.
Joe says
I bought two bottles a week ago and finally got around to opening one yesterday. Holy smoke! Hands down, the best Kirkland wine I've tasted since the 2013 CdP. I agree with Art Rod - this is a 92-93 for me. I went back and bought an unopened case this morning at the Apex, NC store. The wood bin above contained ~30 bottles. Didn't see any more unopened cases below.
Giovanni says
Went to 2 local Costco's in No Cal to try and find this wine but unfortunately neither one of them had it. Wish I could find a case at a local Costco.
Art Rod says
I bought the last case at Costco Gwinnett (in Duluth / Atlanta area) so they may not have any. It is a dark Blue box. One below was filled with some other wine bottles.
I suggest walking nearby aisles and search them - look way up where they keep inventory. May need guy with forklift to come out .... but it will be worth it.
I f memory serves me, I may have read at their website that Viña Solorca produces 10k bottles (not cases) of Gran Reserva. But for Kirkland brand don't know.
Any Comments on cork? Though I am still learning (a novice), cork seems good quality.
Editor says
Cork looks of nice quality to me. Here's a picture of it
http://costcowineblog.com//wp-content/uploads/2017/09/img_1148.jpg
Martin says
Found 2 bottles at Des Moines Costco this evening. Shouldn't this wine improve with aging?
Editor says
It may improve with a couple more years but I felt it was in a very nice drinking window right now. I have a few more bottles on hand myself but plan to enjoy sooner rather than cellar.
Art says
I'm on 4th bottle (drank throughout last 2+ weeks). First three bottles were exceptional; fourth bottle not so much. 4th one likely a different (a significant break in) serial number. Could not check as prior bottles were already disposed. Variability may reflect more volume ..... so perhaps good news. Hopefully just a one time anomally.
On cork - I've kept them and mine are different to one shown in shared photo - has written: "EMBOTELLADO EN ORIGEN." Still think they are good quality corks but not exceptional to store forever. Hence, consistent with comment to drink in next couple of years.
Lynn says
Found this in the Chicago (Lincoln Park) store on Sunday 9/10 and bought only one (sigh) bottle out of the full bin. Read your review on 9/13 and went back the next day hoping for a few more bottles. Completely gone, without a trace, like it had never been there. I'm new to Costco shopping and this was definitely a reminder of your tip regarding fluid inventory.
Editor says
Sorry to hear it. Gotta move fast. We try to get our reviews out quick about wines like this to alert everyone. But it's hard to tell what will grab hold and disappear and what will linger. This one is moving fast.
Depp says
On the hype train with 3 bottles and drank one through Friday and last night. at Louisville Costco now to get another 4. Big and bold, last long, right amount of everything. Worth 30 bucks, or 93 at current price.
JC says
Obviously wine is subjective, but this is the best offering of any Kirkland bottle I've ever had. At $12 it's stupid good. I picked up 3 last week (in Louisville too) and didn't taste until last night...bad move. Should have tasted first night and went back to buy them out at this price. Thank you for your reviews...you do a great job.
Giovanni says
After looking for a couple of weeks, I found several cases of this wine at my local Costco last night. I bought 2 cases and can't wait to try it soon.
Doron Or says
Thanks for your review.
It is ridiculously good and at the asked price, its a day time robbery:
It is not far off the “Resalte Expresion” (https://www.vivino.com/wineries/resalte/wines/resalte-ribera-del-duero-9999) but at half the price!!!
Yes, its not a Burgundy nor a Bordeaux, of course, but for the price, nothing comes close.
Dano says
This wine is an absolute steal at this price, and sadly most of it is gone. Fortunately for me, I got 14 bottles of this 2011 Grand Reserva. I live in Hawaii and to find a wine this good at this price is extraordinary. An exemplary producer, Vina Solorca sells their lesser Tempranillo more expensively. I am on high alert for more of this beauty as I could put away three more cases for another five years, though I doubt they would last that long....Aloha!
Scott Omberg says
Was pleasantly surprised to come across this one in Baxter MN today. Bought 9 bottles but should likely have bought more, even without having tried it yet. I think they have about a case and half left. Will have one this week and make the 2 hour drive to get more if needed.
Editor says
Cool, hope you enjoy as much as we did. It’s nice to hear it’s still out there. That one is gone around here from what I see.
Art says
I also found and grabbed a few more bottles in Nashville a couple of weeks back.
We have consumed now close to a dozen bottles.
Interestingly, the cork of my two most recent bottles had a print that was different to the prior bottles' cork (see my comment on Sept 20).
The print on the cork of these last two bottles matches exactly the print in the photo shared by the editor on Sept 13th (see Editor's comment above). If the editor emails me in private, I can send the editor a photo of the two different cork prints for upload.
Why is this important? Two points. I think the editor is spot on in that this wine needs decanted (and likely for the time he suggested), especially bottles with the cork print he posted on Sept 13. It will be delicious after decanting. Kudos to the editor!
The second point is: different cork prints may suggest that this wine was made in volume so hopefully more cases of this wine will show up at Costco.
Editor says
Art
Thanks for all the info. This is super helpful and interesting to all of us in the Costco wine community.
Please send me the two photos and I’ll upload here. Editor @ costcowineblog.com/.
Thanks
Andrew
Editor says
Here is the photo of the two corks that Art mentioned in the previous comment.
The top one is what he found in his last two bottles and is also the same I found in my bottle.
http://wp.me/a4z7x1-1bz
Let us know which cork you’re seeing if you pop this one soon.
Scott says
I opened this one up two nights ago and decanted for an hour...very good. After 1.5 hours even better. Finishing up the bottle tonight it may have actually improved again. I sent a picture of the cork which is different than those already shown. Also, I had taken a picture of the sign that has the pricing and the writeup for this wine and noticed later that there was a date on the sign...9/22/17. So assuming this wine has been there for about a month and a half.
On a side note, on the last trip to Baxter Costco picked up a case of Concha Y Toro Casillero del Diablo that was on closeout for $4.97 per bottle. Solid wine for that price! They had a lot of it left as of last Sunday so considering going back for more.
Editor says
Scott
Thanks for the great comments. Here is the pic of the third cork that Scott shared with us.
https://wp.me/a4z7x1-1bA
I’ve tried past vintages of the Casillero del Diablo before and at that price I’d agree that’s a screaming bargain for a good everyday drinker.
v loy says
Purchased 12 bottles at the Memphis store yesterday and there were 2 left in the ben (Dec 6th), the manger said he had six more cases coming in tomorrow so production must have picked up.