It's that time of the year again, when the Kirkland Russian River Chardonnay hits stores, and so begins the ongoing dialogue about this wine. I liked the 2012, but another of this site's reviewers felt differently. We both agreed on the '13 as I didn't find it quite as engaging as the '12. We've had several readers chime in on these wines as they are widely available in stores, and hard to pass up as the weather heats up, especially here in Atlanta.
So enough about the past, I've heard from several readers that this new '14 vintage is arriving in stores now, so it should be available nationally soon if it's not in your store already. I found it at three different stores in the Atlanta area (as I was searching for a few other bottles). We also enjoyed this on a perfect night and since I believe setting and environment plays a key part in wine enjoyment, I'll paint the scene for you a little. 82 degrees, slight wind, cilantro lime chicken on the Green Egg, kids flying drones in the back yard (no drones stuck in trees yet), good company. Pretty ideal I'd say.
And I really enjoyed the wine. It is similar as year's past, probably reminding me more of the '13 than the '12, and for $13 I don't think this is a bad buy at all. It's not the best Russian River Chardonnay I've ever had, but I don't think you'll be disappointed for the price.
Light aromas, quiet nose, pale yellow in the glass; stony, lemon, green apple, pineapple flavors with mineral, slight oak, butterscotch. The woodiness and vanilla/cream I tasted towards the finish calmed down after the wine sat out for a bit. My second glass was much more enjoyable than the first (but I guess that's the case quite often). A fair amount of acidity. I think the package came together quite nicely. I'm going 88 points this time, one point higher than the '13. I'm a fan at this price.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points
Costco item number: 789895
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 14.1%
Kelsey says
Which Atlanta costco do you find to have the best wine selection?
Editor says
The three I know best would go in this order, from best to worse selection 1. Sandy Springs, 2. Cumberland, 3. Kennesaw. Sometimes there's consistency between the stores but other times there's not.
Michael S says
I reviewed the 2012 version of this wine and was fairly disappointed. I agree with the Editor that the 2013 is a better wine and a better value. This is a cool-climate chard which tend to be have a lemony or lemon verbena nose and a fair amount of minerality. This wine is a very good representation of a classic Russian River chard. I only had one tasting and the wine was fairly cold, so I didn't get any vanilla/cream on my palate. It doesn't have much oak or butter; instead it is crisp, clean and well-balanced. If you like this kind of chard, this vintage is a good one to stock. Just know that it will be fairly different than a Carneros or Napa-style chardonnay.
Editor says
Great comments Michael. Thanks for sharing.
Ruben says
Yay! 2014 KS Chateauneuf-du-Pape are out at my Costco (Mtn View, CA) but in limited qty (4 cases). I have never tried them before in any of the vintages and you had good reviews on them, so I'm excited to try one (bought 3) this weekend. Is this a case buy you think at $19.99/bottle?
Editor says
Perhaps. I haven't tried it yet. Just went to two Atlanta area Costcos today in fact looking for it. I hope to find it soon. But in the meantime please post some tasting notes if you want. There's a lot of buzz out there about this one.
Ruben says
Wow, this '14 KS Chateauneuf is every bit as you described with the '13. I had no tasting reference so I was reading your review on the '13 as I was drinking this '14. The initial pour from the bottle gave refreshing red fruit, spice, dry but balanced acidity. As it sat longer in my glass, I could taste the dark fruit develop which made drinking this wine enjoyable over time. The tannins were soft but didn't linger very long. I wish I had bought a case or two. Will go back tomorrow to my Costco to buy what's left, if any, to enjoy over the summer. Now, I'm a big fan of this blend. Thank you.