Here’s a nice little Spanish red blend that is just bursting at the seams with fruit flavor. It’s a 2010 but tastes like it was bottled yesterday. The blend is equal parts Garnacha, Monastrell and Syrah, and it comes in at the awesome Costco price of $9.99. As far as under $10 bottles go, I …
Spanish
The string of Spanish gems continue with this bottle that rolls in at Costco for only $11.99. I knew my odds of picking a winner went up with the “single vineyard” marking on the bottle. And sure enough, this is an excellent wine for $12, besting most others in that price range. This is a …
I obviously had to buy this one. 93 point rated from Parker and only $10 at Costco. Plus I’m a huge fan of Toro wines since they generally deliver ridiculous value for the money. And this one follows suit, although I can’t go as high as 93 points. Medium to semi-full dark on the pour, …
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This wine is an absolutely steal for only $11.99 at Costco. I’m going back today to try to buy more. I enjoyed this bottle with two other people who also agreed that it drank like it cost $30-$40. If you are a regular reader of this site, this is why you buy wine at Costco, right here. Go get it.
Smells expensive on the nose, a little cinnamon and some spices. I thought the wine appeared a bit younger than 2009 when I poured it, and when you get into it more you realize we are drinking it at a perfect time. The wine is medium in body with ripe fruit, mostly red fruit with a hint of plum; strawberry licorice, some leather aromas toward the end. Tannins are juicy; a long multi-layered finish. A superb wine that I still can’t believe was only $12. This wine will go on our Silver Rated wine list as well as our Value Picks. This is an incredible buy right now at Costco. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 Points |
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Costco always turns up the heat with their wine selection during the holidays. I can’t remember the last time I saw such a big selection of different varietals of wine there in a long time.
Maybe it was due to the 90 point IWC review (note the sticker on the bottle), but this Spanish Crianza did not meet my expectations. The color is a dark purple and nose almost tangy, acidic and powerful in itself. That theme continued as this is a bold wine with almost grippy tannins and medium plus acidity that overpowers the small amount of dark fruit I tasted. It left me looking for more after a short tangy finish. I came back the next day and paired it with some Manchego cheese which helped the fruit come through more and it improved considerably. Goes to show you how a wine can improve with food, especially when they’re from the same region. There are better Spanish wines you can find for $14.99 (or less) at Costco, and if you hunt around you can find this for less elsewhere. Rating: 87 |
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Wine: Altos de Sueno Winery: Castillo de Maluenda Varietal(s): 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah Vintage: 2010 Region: Calatayud Appelation, Aragon Region, Spain Costco price: $9.89
As I write this, the South has settled into a cold, rainy streak. The rain seems to never stop, flooding trout streams and keeping wildlife bedded down. The waders and camouflage stay put up and the pajamas stay on….sometimes all day long. What I do love about this time of year is the comforts of soul food and red wine. From stews to roasts, Tempranillo to Bordeaux, the season offers a plethora of opportunity to tour the world in the comforts of home by pairing foods from one country with wines of another. Today – Spain.
It is safe to say that Spain has caught the eye of the wine world, and in recent years has taken the US market by storm. Some are coining it the “Spanish Wine Renaissance”, bringing a country rich in wine history back into the conversation after disappearing from world view for many years. The options are seemingly endless, with many years’ worth of wine exploration that await.
I paired this Altos de Sueno from the Aragon region of Spain with a venison stew made from a hunt from last year. The grapes in this blend (Grenache/Syrah) compliment and pair well with game meats and each bring out the nuances in the other. The wine comes off very young, moderately jammy, and probably in need of a little more time in the bottle. The nose and palate are vibrant with cherry, blackberry, licorice, and is super fruit forward. Mildly to moderately acidic. Candidly, I was not all too impressed on Day #1. What I did find most interesting is Day #2 – both the wine, and the stew, were phenomenally better! I expected that with the stew, but not with the wine. The “fruitiness” was still there, but was tamed and the palate much more well-rounded. Good everyday, non-pretentious wine. Going against the grain, I give it two ratings: Day #1 and Day #2.
Redneck Wine Guy Rating: 85/89 Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA Costco item number: 803597 |
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This is a great deal for $10.99 at Costco and really over delivers. The first thing I picked up was the bright cherry aroma on the nose along with the deep red color of the wine. The fruit comes through immediately and continues mid palate with medium tannins and just enough acidity to balance it out. It’s medium body allows the flavors to stand out without being overpowered. My favorite was the red fruit spice that took the wine home through the finish. Tasting it blind, it might fool you into thinking it could be a Bordeaux. I enjoy how these Spanish wines from the same region can be so different. — Adam L Rating: 90 Points |
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Anytime I see a new Spanish wine at Costco I’m immediately intrigued (especially at 15.5% alc). Among the pallets and pallets of wine was this unassuming, under the radar Spanish blend going for $11.99.
This wine is 40% Mazuelo, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha. Mazuelo is the name used for Carignan in the Rioja region of northern Spain. It’s also the third most planted varietal in Spain. Because of it’s strong acidity it’s most often used as a blending grape. The nose gives off an aroma of fruit and acidity. I was surprised that after a few minutes of air how the garnacha started to show itself and complement the strong acidity. In between the Syrah was well represented carrying the fruit through to a short, chalky finish. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the blend of these grapes. I’m curious to see what a little less Mazuelo and a little more Garnacha would do to this wine. Maybe next year… Rating 88 |
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I’ve been working diligently on the latest version of my French Wine Book, “Decoding French Wine: A Beginner’s Guide to Enjoying the Fruits of the French Terroir,” and I’m happy to say that this new second edition is live today on Amazon.com.
The Kindle version is only $3.99 and it includes information on major French wine regions including Bordeaux, Loire, Burgundy, Alsace, Rhone, Languedoc-Roussillon and Champagne. This book is short and conscise, written to help the beginner wine drinker become more familiar with French wines that may seem overly complicated and complex. |
I wanted to really make this simple to digest, and to help turn more people on to these amazing wines. If you’ve followed this site for a while, you know I have a tendency to review many of the French wines, particularly the 2010 Bordeaux because they are an amazing vintage. But I also look at many other French wines and regions, because the value is typically so great, especially at Costco. So here’s a chance to boost your knowledge and ultimately, your enjoyment, of these awesome wines.
Download a free sample chapter here.
Thanks for supporting this site.
Andrew, Editor
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I just came back from a high end Napa tasting at my local wine shop where I had some excellent Mountain and Rutherford Cabs. I opened this to have one more glass and was surprised at how well it stood up since my palate was dialed into more new world wines that cost much more than this one did ($12.99 at Costco).
The nose projects nice dark cherry aromas, a little chocolate and some earth. Palate and mid-palate this wine really holds up well. Rich flavors, more cherry, red fruit, licorice that is smooth and fruity. Finishes subtlety at first with a nice fruit kick that’s dry and lasting. This one tastes a few years older than it really is; a nice elegance at a favorable price. A good buy for sure. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 786005 |
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It’s Saturday, which means a lot of you are probably heading to your local Costco, and for $12.69, this is a label you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
This is Monastrell from the Alicante region of Spain, and it’s some of the best Monastrell I’ve tried for this price. Nose is spicy, with hints of tobacco and on the palate the wine is luscious with dark fruit, blackberry, plum, a little earth and leather. The finish is why I like Monstrell; it’s spicy and complete. The all around balance and execution of this wine is top notch and you’d be hard pressed to find many bottles of this caliber in this price range. For that reason, I’m naming it to the Bronze Rated and Value Pick lists. This is a real winner (and it scored 93 points from Wine Advocate if you’re a points person). CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 750941 |
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This Rioja is just perfect all around and a joy to drink. The timing couldn’t be better as the tannins have really softened and the wine just cushions in the mouth.
Great balance of every component. The nose is fresh, floral and a little spicy. Big cherry and rich red fruit flavors on the palate surrounded by those soft tannins. Drink after drink you want to go in for more. This leads into a stunning finish with hints of oak and spice that lingers for a long time. I misplaced my purchase notes on this wine so I don’t have a Costco item number or the price I paid. I believe it was around $15-$20 which makes this an incredible buy. Definitely grab this one if you see it, especially if you like big, juicy and finely executed worldly reds. A Silver Rated wine for me. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 Points |
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This is a lovely one for only $13.49. It’s big on flavor and lasting on the finish, making it a perfect food wine, or just an enjoyable experience on its own. A solid buy at this price.
It’s an ’09 so it benefits from a little time, which really makes right now a good time to drink it. I think it’s perfect timing but that won’t change in the next few years to come. Nothing special about the nose, and it leads on to the quality to come. In the mouth, this one is packed with red fruit, strawberry, hints of leather and then almost black licorice, which seems a little odd around the other red fruit. But really really nice. Perfect, through to the finish. Even better with some air time. Red wine fans looking for a great wine at a great price don’t need to look further. This is going on the Value Picks list, and I plan on grabbing a few more if I see them. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 91 Points *Value Pick* Costco item number: 369408 |
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An enjoyable big red blend from Spain’s Montsant region that is a fairly good bargain for only $11.59. This is still pretty young but drinks nice right now, fresh and clean.
The Bula is a blend of three varietals – 40% Mazuelo, 40% Grenache and 20% Syrah – so it’s my kind of blend and the wine comes together quite nicely. Floral nose, not as earthy as I was expecting. Very fresh again. Flavors of red fruit, spicy cherry, red licorice with a little mineral. Quick burst of spice on the finish. A very good buy for under $12, food friendly and a good crowd pleaser if you have a group. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 87 Points Costco item number: 734143 |