2017 Elk Cove Estate Pinot Blanc
I admit I’m a sucker for top wine lists. I have to look at them, and that’s what locked me into buying this wine. I noticed it was listed as the #5 wine on Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 wines of 2018 and I thought that was pretty interesting for an Oregon Pinot Blanc priced this reasonably.
That is, until I opened it and tasted the wine. It’s absolutely amazing and an incredible buy at Costco for only $13.99 (retail is around $19). Wine Enthusiast ended up awarding the wine 92 points.
The wine is light, see through clear on the pour with an aromatic nose of citrus fruit; it is medium in body and packed with flavors of pear, white peach and green apple. Excellent finish that is subtle and elegant.
This is a very nice effort all around, and a wine that caught us a little off guard. The label and branding looks to me like it would belong on more a generic inexpensive wine from Aldi. And I don’t always agree with the critics, but they picked a winner here, and I don’t care what kind of package this wine is wrapped in.
Fans of Oregon whites of all sorts will love this wine. Fans of other whites should give it a try too. I’ll be adding to the Top Picks list, and love the price to value ratio on this bottle.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points (a CostcoWineBlog Top Pick)
Costco item number: 194131
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 13%
This is one of my favorite wines @Costco also.
We will be serving it during the 2019 Holiday Season.
If you can get it I highly recommend their Pinot Noir. I have been picking up the 2016 from my local Costco for months. Recommend an hour decant or more. The wine has been best on day 2-3 for me.
I really like your wine blog. Unfortunately, almost none of the wines reviewed are available at the Northern Virginia Costco locations where I shop. I’m surprised that the selection is so different than what you have in the Greater Atlanta area.
I totally agree w/Kim. Would love it if you could coordinate w/Costco to print a list of stores where they ship these wines. Very few make it to Greensboro, NC or Winston-Salem where I shop
Also agree with Kim – would like to know if any in my area.
I live in San Diego. I did not see it when I was in my local Costco 2 days ago. You would think wine from Oregon would make it here – their pinot noir does.
I have had a prior vintage of this that I special ordered and loved it. Hoping it shows in in SD.
Elk Grove has been making excellent wines for a long time and not deserving of your deprecation. Nice to see Pinot Blanc rather than its (my opinion) lesser sister Pinot Gris from Oregon. Would that there were more.