This Kirkland Brunello has been one of the most talked about wines among our readers and now that I finally found it at my local Costco, I can jump into the conversation and state that I’m in complete agreement, and this is clearly one of the best buys in Costco stores today. If you’re a fan of Italian reds, you already know Brunellos rarely come in this price range ($24.99) so it’s even more impressive to find one at that price that is really good too.
Brunello is made from the Sangiovese grape which is the powerhouse Italian red varietal that you find in many popular wines from Italy including Chianti, and Super Tuscans where it is often times the primary blending ingredient. I’ve had my fair share of Brunellos, having sampled quite a few when we were writing our book on Italian wine, and had I tasted this blind, I most certainly would be pegged it for a Brunello costing much more.
On the pour you can see slight signs of a little age settling in around the rim as this wine was aged in oak for 36 months. Color is medium to dark, and the body in the mouth is on the medium to medium plus side. That’s part of what I love about Brunellos; they pack in a lot of flavor but the package is light and delicate.
I just let the wine breathe for an hour in a few glasses and now I’m back. Aromatics have improved; earthy, touch of perfume; red fruit flavors, rich and deep, sour cherry, cranberry, a little mint; tannins are still a bit tight and would age this wine nicely over time if you laid a few down, which I might do for fun. Finish really sticks, and is the highlight of the wine in my opinion. This one stays with you and is awesome with food. We enjoyed it with homemade meatballs and spicy red sauce and it was perfect.
I’d certainly recommend trying this wine, and if you enjoyed it as much as I did, you might want to buy them up because I don’t think they’ll be around long with all the buzz surrounding it.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92-93 points
Costco item number: 1001151
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)
Jack
Monday 1st of February 2016
5 days after your review, there is none of this wine to be had in Georgia. Some left in Florida and other than that it's gone baby gone. The manager at my local Costco said the item number is scheduled for deletion which means it won't be coming back. I managed to grab a couple of bottles and it is now a myth - at least until a year from now
Editor
Tuesday 2nd of February 2016
Wow, thanks for the info. I don't think I've ever seen a Costco wine cause the frenzy this Brunello did, ever since it first popped up on people's radar in Dec. I'm still sitting on two myself. A classic case of "if you see it buy it"
Joe Roberts
Saturday 30th of January 2016
Speaking of "resupply"---- since we are all Costco shoppers, here's something good to know: on the shelf sticker that shows the price of the wine there will sometimes be a big star type symbol (which I am not able to reproduce here), but do look out for it. The star (*) indicates that the product will not be resupplied----- there is no more of it available at this time.
It's useful to know when you find a nice wine and want to know whether it will continue to be available or whether you need to stock up for the cellar now.
Editor
Saturday 30th of January 2016
This is a great point and I'm actually in the middle of an article about this and other pricing secrets at Costco that can tell you more about the wines you see in the warehouse. Stay tuned, it's almost ready to publish.
Bob
Thursday 28th of January 2016
Well, I found the Brunello at the Costco near Newark, Delaware. 38 bottles when I arrived, 26 when I left. They will not be resupplying when it's gone.
Pat
Wednesday 27th of January 2016
what kind of oak??? Do you know who they sourced the from grapes? They has been a-lot of fake Brunello, so its good to know its from a reliable source.
maxi
Wednesday 27th of January 2016
address near Montalcino, I don't taste a lot of vanilla, so technically should be traditional Slovenian casks. I was trying to investigate the origin, but wasn't able to, nothing more in import documents then on the bottle. But it taste legit, and I would only hope costco checks they suppliers.
Editor
Wednesday 27th of January 2016
Hi Pat, I'm curious myself about both questions but there's not a lot of info out there that I could find on this wine. It certainly tastes like a real deal Brunello to me. I just bought 3 more in case they disappear. For your reference, here's a photo of the back of the label.
Jeff
Tuesday 26th of January 2016
This wine could/should be a contender for wine of the year. It is that good. We were able to begin enjoying this here in Colorado before the Christmas holiday. Get some and then buy some more to put in your cellar.