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This is a lovely Chardonnay at the great price of $14.99 at Costco – a real bargain for a California Chardonnay of this caliber.  This is an extremely food friendly wine, with just the right amount of fruit, spice and oak to complement just about any meal.

Nose is bright, lots of lemon and citrus scents, smelling more like a Sauvignon Blanc.  But then the nice body and Chard characteristics take over, and you get some vanilla and stone on top of the citrus fruit.  Really well balanced between these elements.  The finish brings just a touch of oak, which works great.

This is a winner all around.  Great price, Great wine.  This is what buying wine at Costco is all about.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points

Costco item number: 35512

Read More about 2010 Lincourt Chardonnay Courtney’s Vineyard

I’m a believer that many different types of wine can complement the Thanksgiving holiday. The variety of food with such varying characteristics means there’s not really any single home run wine that matches all the flavors.  I like to serve one white and one red bottle with the meal (at the same time, one glass of each per person), usually preceeded by a bubbly, Champagne or Presecco, while the meal is prepared.

With listing Costco wines, it’s always a moving target since the inventory moves so quickly.  But I found two wines we reviewed recently that I really enjoyed and that I think would be a good complement to the Thanksgiving celebration.  These were purchased at a Costco store in Atlanta, GA so I can’t say if you’ll be able to find them near you.  But keep an eye out.
– Andrew, Editor
 

  I really enjoyed the Baileyana Chardonnay so was thrilled to see the Pinot hits store shelves.  This is an $18 Pinot that drinks like it cost two to three times that.  It’s an easy crowd pleaser, with great mouthfeel and has enough vanilla, pepper and spice going on to jazz up almost any meal.  My review here.
  I’m a fan of most Carneros wines and this Chardonnay hit me right on all accords.  Rich, layered with touches of butter, cream and oak, but not too much.  In my experience Neyers has never produced a bad wine.  They are dependable, and for $25, this is a solid Chardonnay.  My full review here.
Read More about A Couple Thanksgiving Wine Picks from Costco

 

I’m not embarrassed about liking Merlot, even though I risk being excommunicated by some of my brethren.  As the French have proven, merlot at its best is the best. (check out the Petrus Pomerol, if you’ve got a $3,000 laying around)   Yes, California wineries abused this versatile grape in the 80s and 90s and Sideways drove a stake in its heart in 2004.  But merlot is a beautifully supple grape that balances beautifully and can transform a modest meal into a succulent supper….if it is well done. 

 

I was excited to discover a Napa merlot being offered by Cameron Hughes – a very versatile negociant whose bottlings are often carried by Costco.   CH reportedly produced 6500 cases of this merlot, so my hopes were raised further.  Even better, it is being offered at a very reasonable $11.59 (after a $3 discount).   I drank it with two meals over a period of two days, paired with a salmon salad and a humble hamburger.  In both cases, the merlot disappointed.  The nose was weak, if non-existent. The taste was all front-forward blackberry fruit with no discernible finish and a surprisingly high tannic quotient for a Napa merlot.  I took the two days to taste it out of concern that it needed oxygen, but I fear it needed CPR, rather than O2.   For the same money, Washington-based Milbrandt is producing some killer merlot at a similar price point and has been known to pop up at Costco over the years.  And the H3 Merlot is both readily available and a safe bet at Costco.  Keep an eye out for the rarely-sighted Milbrandt and take a pass on CH’s most recent offering.
— Reviewed by Michael S

 

Rating:  82 points

Costco item number:   818040

Read More about 2011 Cameron Hughes Lot 387 Merlot – Oakville

  As the nights get colder in Southern California, sitting down with a bottle of red wine on a Saturday evening sounds better and better.  I’ve had this Kirkland Napa County Cabernet on hand for about two weeks and decided tonight was the night to take it out for a spin.

As I poured what would be my first taste, the wine color was deep purple and it’s nose exhibited traditional black fruited currant flavors.  Unfortunately, my first sip was disappointing.  Maybe I expected more because the Kirkland brand has delivered some great value wines, but this one clearly needed some time to open up and figure out how it wanted to present itself.  To those that pop and pour, beware.  If you judge it right out of the bottle you will be disappointed.  

For those just getting into red wine, that brings up an important point.  After being in a bottle a while, most wines need time to open up and let being exposed to air do it’s thing.  Couldn’t be truer in the case of this wine.  I decided to decant the bottle and forget about it a couple hours.

Coming back to the wine and starting over gave it a second chance to impress.  This wine has some good qualities, but they seem out of order.  There’s a quick rush of black fruit which isn’t as ripe as I hoped and held it back.  Before I could think more about the fruit, I was greeted with traces of oak and chocolate, soon to be followed by a surprising tasty dusty cocoa flavor that lingered momentarily (which happened to be my favorite part).

This wine sells for $12.99 and I’ve seen it at a few Costcos.  Give it a good amount of time and it will not disappoint in the end considering you don’t have high expectations.
— Adam L

Rating 86 Points
*KirklandWine*

Read More about 2011 Kirkland Signature Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon

  This is a blended red from different California vineyards, hence the 815 label, and was $13.99 at my Costco.  A quick online search will show this wine for a dollar or two cheaper at various outlets, so the Costco price seems decent overall.  As for the wine, it is a subtle Cab, blended very well to create an easy drinking bold red.  The vineyards include regions such as Sonoma, Paso, Lodi and Lake County, all great areas, and each one brings a little something different to the wine. 

The nose is young, floral with hints of cinnamon; flavors of fresh cherry, blueberry, more cinnamon; the flavors come as kind of a quick pop and the wine settles into a slow smooth, dusty finish.  2011 wasn’t the best year for California, and I was told by winemakers on a recent trip to Napa to be picky about what to buy; but this wine seems to come together.  It’s a nice food wine, and an ok buy for CA Cabs overall.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 Points

Costco item number: 236764

Read More about 2011 Joel Gott Blend No. 815 Cabernet Sauvignon

Obviously the bottle is the first thing you notice here, and I have to give them marks for creativity.  I usually avoid cute gimmicks like this at all costs, but this one happened to be a Chateauneuf-du-Pape and at $23.99 at Costco I figured it would be fun to roll the dice.

The wine is light ruby garnet in color, floral nose , some violet, candy; medium plus in body. Flavors are dried plum, little vegetal, green pepper, scents of leather with spice and pepper, both getting strong into the close. A little dry and chalky on the spicy finish.  Needed some air to get going, but turned into a decent wine in the end. 

As a fan of Chateauneuf-du-Papes, I have to say I didn’t get that signature Chateauneuf flavor on this one.  Sometimes that happens in sub $25 Chateauneuf wines.  They end up tasting more like a standard Cotes du Rhone, which isn’t at all bad, just not what I was hoping for.   Overall, have fun with the packaging, but don’t get too pumped for the wine inside. 

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 85 Points

Costco item number: 753984

Read More about NV La Fiole du Pape Chateauneuf-du-pape

Liked this one. Beautiful nose of sweet dark fruits and a bit of spice, new world merlot type. Rich fruit on the palate, strawberry, dark chocolate, licorice, little sour cherry. Excellent mouth feel, really like the texture and feels extremely polished and well made.

Good finish, firm and silky tannins, this thing will have some good years ahead – some alcohol lingering. I have to note that I picked up a few of these bottles as Costco was selling them for $18. At that price point, this is an insanely good value.
90-91 Points

— TJ Cohen

Read More about 2010 Chateau Teyssier St. Emilion Grand Cru

 

Winery:  Tangent Winery, grapes from Paragon Vineyard

Varietal(s): 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vintage: 2012

Region:  Edna Valley, California

Costco item number: 458071
Costco Price: $9.99

I have to admit, not only am I a down-home, straight-from-the-backwoods redneck, but I am one that has grown to love white wine.  I liken it to that trusty can of cold beer in the fridge.  It does one hell of a job quenching a mighty thirst after a long day of yard work or couch surfing while watching football.  Vino blanco is in the same category – I think it might even be the unsung hero of the wine world.  Now, please do not call heresy on me because I have seemingly bunched all white wine into a stereotypical amorphous lot.  I can attest – there are some high dollar, high quality whites out there that will stand against any red, any day.  What I am referencing is the white wine bottle of everyday drinking quality that is hanging out in your fridge right now, beckoning you to pour a glass and allow your troubles to drift away. 

 

Generally, when I think of a good evening Sauvignon Blanc sipper, I robotically go straight to the wines of New Zealand.  Preconceived notion I guess, but I have come to associate one with the other.   However, when this Tangent Winery Sav Blanc came coasting along my way, I had to give it a try.  This wine is well balanced between tart, acidic, dry, and sweet.  No one attribute stands high among the others, which is a good thing when you’re in the mood for uncomplicated.  I immediately picked up on the nose and taste of a Granny Smith apple – tart, yet sweet.  This wine sparkles, and provides subtle hints of citrus fruit, zest, and pineapple.  The aftertaste does not linger, but once again, this is an uncomplicated white that does not layer.  With the alcohol at 13.5%, it may be a little strong on the booze, but after a hard day’s work, maybe that is what you’re going for anyway!  Sophisticated, yet carefree!

 

On a side note, this is an SIP Certified Sustainable wine.  What does that mean?  These folks are doing a great job by providing great wines while taking good care of the land, the environment, and the people of which provide this awesome grape.  Drink well my friends!

 

Redneck Wine Guy Rating: 89

Read More about 2012 Tangent Sauvignon Blanc Paragon Vineyard

I’ve seen this wine in the aisles at Costco for a while now, however the Australian label, screw top bottle, and price tag of just under $15 did a good job keeping me away.  Lately my taste has been for spicy, fruity wine, so what better to drink than a Shiraz, right?  After deciding that the screw top would not deter me, I decided to go for it.

It’s amazing how one’s preconceptions can really hold a person back from something.  The wine was dark purple, and had a bright, spicy nose that reminded me why I chose a Shiraz to drink in the first place.  As I usually do, I tasted a small amount and decanted the rest for about half an hour.  

My taste buds were immediately greeted with warm spices, cherry and plum flavors. It somewhat skipped the middle part, and finish was as if someone had pushed a button to deliver a quick tang that lingered ever so slightly.  

After some time opening up, you could begin to isolate its characteristics.  It’s not the most complex wine I’ve ever had, but imagine a medium bodied wine with a spicy, cherry flavor followed by a quick rush of acidity with a plum flavor.  All those flavors lingered in the tasty, but quick finish.

Drinking this Shiraz made me reflect on how people new to drinking wine need to ask themselves what characteristics they like in wine as opposed to just drinking varietals they like.  Although a Shiraz, the spice resembled a French Chateauneauf de Pape and fruit a Spanish Monastrell.  That being said, I highly recommend reading digging deeper into a wine’s characteristics and you may be surprised by a wine you didn’t know you liked.  Have someone with wine experience taste this wine blind and see what they have to say.  

89 Points
— Adam L

Read More about 2010 McLaren Vale Kangarilla Road Shiraz

 

(CostcoWineBlog.com would like to introduce its newest contributor, Michael S.)

What I look for from a value-priced Bordeaux is a smooth, balanced wine that makes steak sing, chicken celebrate, pork praise and tomato sauces shout “oh that’s SO good”!   Last year, I tried the 2009 Chateau Petit-Freylon Cuvee Michael and was underwhelmed.  So when I paired the 2010 Chateau Petit-Freylon Cuvee Sarah (presumably, she’s related to Michael) with a roasted tri-tip, the food gave me a standing ovation.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t for my cooking as much as this surprisingly accommodating Bordeaux with the unassuming price. Costco asks $7.99 for this easy drinking, well-structured Cab-based blend but the 25% Merlot gives the wines some subtlety that allows it to play nicely with a wide variety of foods.   It combines a little terroir with a good mouth feel, black cherry overtones and a gentle oak finish resulting in a Goldilocks “not-too-dry-not-too-fruity” harmony. It is just a nice integration of Bordeaux’s best characteristics.  

Did I mention that it is $7.99?  I’ve had more than my fill of $19.99 French blends that are far less food friendly than this sub-$10 Bordeaux. I don’t know Sarah but now I want to meet her, give her a hug and offer thanks for making good French table wine affordable.
— Michael S

 

Rating:  87 points

Costco item number:  680633

Read More about 2010 Chateau Petit-Freylon Cuvee Sarah

This is a ripe and vibrant Merlot from Washington State that I think is an excellent bargain at Costco for only $9.99.  It has a great, smooth mouthfeel compliments of its blend that contains small parts of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  I’m a big fan of Merlot dominated blends like this, and this one proves you can get a lot in a bottle like this under $10.

Flavors are black cherry with some ripe blueberry mid palate.  The tannins are soft and juicy, leading to a smooth ride all the way through; finishes up dry and lasting with some tobacco, a little pepper. 

This is a nice package, not trying to do too much.  It results in a very approachable wine that I think most fans of red wine would find to be a good buy.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points

Costco item number: 753996

Read More about 2011 Charles Smith The Velvet Devil Merlot

I always like a nice Montepulciano, so I was really looking forward to sampling the 2011 La Quercia Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, which hails from the eastern-central part of Italy. A quick sniff revealed hints of cherry and oak, and the first sip was tasty – light and fruity.

 

Not too fruity, though. This is a medium-bodied, well-balanced wine with hints of cherry and a crisp, pleasant finish. I found it complex enough to pair with a tasty plate of fusilli with bolognese sauce without it being overwhelmed. Having said that, I enjoyed it even more on its own later that evening when I kicked back for a viewing of Francesco Rosi’s Hands Over the City, one of several memorable Italian movies celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

 

At $9.99, the 2011 La Quercia Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is kind of a tweener price-wise, but I was pleased to find that it compared favorably with similar wines in the $12-$15 range. Definitely worth grabbing a few bottles.

 

Grade: 88

 

— Ryan, Viva Italian Movies

Read More about 2011 La Quercia Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

I never really considered buying wine at Costco to go along with the countless other items I’d eventually find in my shopping cart as I checked out.  As I began to drink more wine, I ventured into the wine section and found myself ogling the different wines they had in their distinctive wood boxes and stacked by the palate aisle by aisle.

In the past I was pretty much a Napa Cab guy, but the Spanish Tempranillo I bought opened me up to a wonderful world of new wines.

Since I live in Southern California, there are at least 8-10 Costco’s within an hour of where I work and live.  It’s amazing how you can walk into one Costco and find a completely different selection of wines than at a Costco 15 minutes away.  That being said, I do enjoy visiting the various Costco’s to see what they happen to have on display.

I noticed this wine about a month ago.  At $19.99, it checked the box of what I was willing to spend on a wine for this week, not to mention I was specifically looking for French wine.  As I normally do, I opened the bottle and poured a splash to taste as I decanted the rest.  The color was a very deep purple and the nose reminded me of a romantic, floral, light fruited wine that I was going to enjoy drinking.

At first taste, the wine was a little sweeter that I thought it would be with moderate acidity and tannins.  Mid palate you were greeted with flavors of plum and leather with a semi long finish.  After decanting it for about an hour, the sweetness subsided and plum flavors really took over.  I thought the wine would be a little out of balance, but after more time in the decanter it came together much better.  The wine doesn’t quite have the flavor of ripe fruit if that’s something you’re considering.

All in all, it’s a great wine for the price if you enjoy (or want to try) French wine that’s a little sweet, dark fruited with predominantly plum flavors and isn’t overly acidic or tannic (but not soft).  Rarely does a winery’s description describe a wine so well, so if you happen to find this one in your local Costco, feel free to give it a ride.

Overall 89 points for flavor and value.
— Adam L

Read More about 2011 Chateau Lilian Ladouys Saint Estephe

Here’s a Costco staple that I haven’t reviewed in some time.  This bottle, from winemaster Tuck Beckstoffer who rarely disappoints, is only $19.79, and it’s a solid California Cabernet in the always popular under $20 offerings.

Nose was tight at first, a little floral and pepper to note.  On the palate the fruit is just fantastic; ripe and pure blueberry, blackberry, cedar, a touch of green pepper.  I wanted to learn a bit more about the fruit and found the following line from the 75 Wine Company website: “…a blend from our Lake County vineyards, Mendocino fruit and Valley floor fruit from our beloved Napa Valley.”  Beckstoffer seems to own grapes everywhere and can really pick and choose how to make his wines to deliver great quality for the dollar.

Finish brings a touch of pepper, a little dry and very smooth.

This is a good buy and a solid California wine for the money.  It also seems to be pretty widely available at a lot of Costco stores so I hope you can find it.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points

Costco item number: 241276

Read More about 2011 Est 75 Cabernet Sauvignon