There's been a bit of a debate going on among readers about the new bottle design for the Kirkland Champagne. The new bottle is shorter and wider (pictured on the right above), and some people have found it to taste differently than the original one.
So I thought it would be fun to go side by side with the old and the new, look at the similarities and differences, and then do a side by side blind tasting with a few friends to see what everyone thinks.
As long time readers will know this is one of my favorite wine buys at Costco as I've found this to be very solid, real French Champagne for the unbeatable price of $20. It has allowed me to drink Champagne more often because it's so far below the usual $50 entry point for most good bottles of Champagne. Or you can opt for the French Cremants, like this one, and they can be good but it's just not the same as the real deal, at least for me.
So let's get into comparing the old and the new formats of this wine. The good news is the price has stayed the same at $19.99. Again, a great price point for real Champagne.
The description of the back label is interesting. The old bottle is pictured on the left above, new bottle on the right. At first it appears they are saying the same thing just in a different order. It's important to note here that the same producer is listed, Manuel Janisson of Verzenay, France.
The tasting notes listed on the label are slightly different though. They both play up the citrus character of the wines but the old bottle mentions gingerbread, orange and peach and the new one mentions lemon, brioche, green apple and apricot.
Alcohol is the same; importer is the same. Cosmetically I think that covers most of the similarities and differences, so let's open them up and see what we've got.
I served them in the same glass, same temperature, blind to four different people. Pictured above you can see a side by side comparison of the color of the wines. Again, the old bottle is on the left, new one on the right. We all agreed they look exactly the same.
Taste-wide, we also agreed that they are the same wine. A couple of times one of us thought we picked up more sweetness in one than the other, but then on the next taste it could flip the other way. Maybe we were hoping to pick up on some differences? I don't know, but in the end, all of us concluded that it was the same wine poured from both bottles.
It was a super fun experiment as it is always a fun night when the Champagne is flowing. It just puts everyone in a good mood and that's why I can drink it almost anytime. In the end, I'm happy we still have this great Champagne from Costco for $20. If you're a bubbly fan and enjoy the Kirkland Prosecco, or other sparkling bottles from Costco, I highly encourage you to give it a try, especially around the holidays and the New Year.
Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below. Is it the same wine, or slightly different?
-Andrew, Editor
judson vaughn says
Andrew,
I haven't seen the new bottle of Kirkland Champagne yet, but I like the new shape, and I most definitely would have done the comparison test, so you saved me the trouble.
Another note about the Kirkland Champagne. A few years ago, with six friends, I did a blind tasting with the Kirkland against the Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label.
Guess what?
Five out of six preferred the Kirkland and every single one of them were sure they were choosing the Veuve. And all of these people were regular champagne and high-end sparkling wine drinkers.
Since then I've done the same blind tasting several times, and each time the Kirkland won, but not by as large a margin.
So you can bet that we've got a couple of bottles of Kirkland in our rack – with one right next to a bottle of 2006 Veuve La Grande Dame Rose.
Cheers!
Editor says
That’s pretty incredible for a Champagne that you can score for $20. Really cool to hear. It’s always one of my favorite buys and I rarely leave Costco without a bottle or two in the cart. Thanks for sharing
AC
Arthur says
The old bottle had a real champagne cork, the new a composition cork and the new bottle shape is too wide for my standard size wine rack. At the Costco price point, it would make sense to get a new wine rack. We consume a lot of champagne and I've always felt that most recognizable brands of non-vintage champagne are about equal in quality though variable in taste and character. The Janisson Costco product fits well into the mix. I have never had a "real" Janisson champagne and would love to see what they produce for their own label. Dom or Krug it ain't but it's pretty good. And by the way, right next to the Kirkland is a Schramsberg Mirabel rose sparkling wine. Same price, normal bottle shape and possibly a poor man's Laurent and Perrier Brut Rose (that also comes in a funny shaped bottle).
Arthur says
Correction-my last old style bottle had a composition cork as well!
Gerry says
the new bottle is really different wine to the old, if you ask me. The new one tastes similar, sure. But it seems the bubbles were natural in the old, and added co2 in the new bottle. The result is a completely different mouth feel, and left me scratching my head how someone can say they don't notice any difference. Where I was a fan before, I am no more. To me, all the classy feel of champagne has gone with the new bottle.
Arthur says
The traditional method of champagne production does not allow adding carbon dioxide. I believe it would be illegal for a producer of champagne (French sparking wine from the Champagne region and bearing Champagne appellation) to augment carbonation. It is highly unlikely that Janisson, a highly respected producer would jeopardize its business in this way.
Jonathan says
I'm not sure I agree. Though I haven't done a blind, or even side by side, tasting, my wife and I served the new bottle (which I didn't realize was "new") at a family holiday party and were disappointed that it wasn't as we remembered. Then we had one of the old bottles at my brother's house about a week later and thought this was the Kirkland Champagne we remembered. Because we had brought one of the new bottles, we then noticed the difference in shape. One would assume that all of the "new" bottles are identical, but maybe there are some quality control issues.
Editor says
Thanks for sharing Jonathan. I think this will be an ongoing discussion.