This bottle is a bit of a surprise that a few readers alerted us to over the past few weeks.
It was just three months ago when we reviewed the latest vintage, also 2023, of the Kirkland Premier Cru Chablis. It is always a favorite but the newest vintage was really stellar, pulling down a solid 92 points from us.
And now Kirkland brings in a basic, or village, level Chablis, with a lot of similarities to the Premier Cru. Let's unpack this one.
The winemaker is the same, Pierre Brissy. The vintage is the same, 2023. The text on the back label is virtually identical. It looks similar in the glass with similar mineral characteristics. Both 12.5% alc.
Where it's different is the price, $14.99 for this bottle compared to $21.99 for the Premier Cru. Also, the complexity. The Premier Cru brings some extra punch, more depth, and a stronger finish.
All that to say, the "little brother" here isn't a bad wine at all, and a nice buy for $15.
This wine pours a pale yellow in glass, citrus fruit on nose; crisp acidity, medium in body, clean with no oak; flavors of green apple, lemon, and orange peel; good finish.
There's lots to like here, and Chablis fans will not be disappointed. Depending on your budget, it might be worth the extra few bucks to step up to the Premier Cru.
But if you're looking for a crisp, clean, food friendly, summer wine in the $15 range, this should be towards the top of your list. A welcome addition to the Kirkland wine portfolio.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points
Costco item number: 1952527
Availability: We buy our wine in Costco warehouses around the Atlanta area. The best way to locate wines near you is by using the new Costco mobile app and searching with the Costco item number we listed above.
Alc. 12.5%
Paul says
It might be worth stepping up to the Premier Cru Chablis- except it doesn't seem to be available.
Joe Roberts says
good luck finding the Premier Cru------it's been sold through several months ago. I have no idea what production volumes Kirkland wines have, but my view from the bleacher seats is that the Premier Cru has been in short supply for at least the last several vintages. The Costco store I buy from primarily sold through their allotment in two weeks or so and I was lucky to grab a few more bottles.
So does this explain the appearance now of the non-classified Chablis?? It's possible that Kirkland lost access to a chunk of Premier Cru acreage and had to scramble to get this village-level juice. Actually it's quite good, and on a QPR basis, perhaps better. Darn good Chablis wine for $14.99 I would say.