We've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest vintage of this wine and even more interested to see how it tastes having come off a rather mediocre vintage in 2022.
Readers were reporting it was out in stores, and it finally made its way into a warehouse near us this week.
A few key similarities with the prior vintage: price staying the same at $19.99. Winemaker is again Alison Crowe. All notes and details on the back label and Costco placard are the same. Alcohol up slightly to 14.5% (from 14%).
And that's where the comparison to the prior vintage ends.
We've tasted quite a few vintages of this wine, and up until the last vintage we were seeing consistent 90+ points every single year.
2022 89 points
2021 92 points
2020 90 points
2019 91 points
2018 91 points
2017 90 points
2016 90 points
2015 91 points
2013 90 points
Obviously we were hoping for a bump up from the prior years 89 points, and 2023 is known as a strong year for Napa Cabernet, so things are lining up.
And that's exactly what happened as we got into the new 2023 vintage. An absolute delight to drink and a clear step up from 2022.
This wine pours a deep ruby in the glass with an expressive nose of red and dark fruit, earth and cedar; red and dark berry fruit continues on the palette with a bit of bell pepper; notes of vanilla, espresso, and pepper spice; full bodied, lengthy tannins, layers of depth; perfect finish.
We're back in business here, and going a solid 92 points this time around. Great wine, just what we love from this bottle.
If you enjoy this style of wine, and have the budget and desire to explore, we really like the Ghost Block Cabernet that we were surprised and thrilled to find at Costco. Hopefully it is still lingering around out there for anyone who is interested.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 points (a Costco Wine Top Pick)
Costco item number: 866663
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 above.
Alc. 14.5%
RobR says
How come you never publish pictures of the actual wine? You only show pictures of the bottle or the Costco price badge. It would be nice to actually see how dark or how a light or what shade the wine is in the glass.
Editor says
Hi Rob, sometimes we do like below: https://costcowineblog.com/kirkland-signature-10-year-tawny-port/
It’s something we can try to do more of when we think it adds value to the story of the wine. Thanks for the recommendation.
Matthew Pearlman says
great suggestion and it does add value in your Tawny port review
EngProf says
The Kirkland 2023 Oakville cabernet did not do it for me. To my taste, the $10 Kirkland Alexander Valley (Sonoma) cabernet was better. Perhaps the 2023 Oakville cabernet needs aged.
Al V says
Interesting point. Which vintage of Alexander Valley are you referencing?
EngProf says
Replying to Al V,
Shame on me for failing to include the vintage. I no longer have the empty bottle and did not pay attention. I went back and got more (2023) but this second bottle, while good, especially for price, does not taste as great. This suggests that the first bottle may have been 2022 vintage. Andrew just posted a review on the 2022.
FWIW, the Ribera del Duero "ARDAL" 2018 sells for $25 and is an excellent wine to my taste.
Tim Davies says
The Costco Wine Blog continues to be an invaluable guide to Costco wines. The reviews are excellent and align with some of my favorite wines. I appreciate this tool that allows me to find savings and top picks at my local Costco store. I also enjoy finding wines that I may not have been my first choice but they have been very nice wines. Spyland was an example, great savings, QPR as well as an enjoyable wine The Kirkland wine descriptions help to set my expectations and buy more Kirkland wines as a result. Thank You.
Editor says
Thanks for the kind words Tim and happy to hear you enjoy the site and reviews. The community we’ve built here of like minded Costco wine fans always amazes me. That makes it all a lot of fun too. Cheers.