2023 Stags' Leap Winery Merlot Napa Valley

We've seen a few bottles from Stags' Leap Winery in Costco over the years, which is great because they are consistently very nice, and this is our first time seeing their Merlot.

Earlier this year we tasted and reviewed their Sauvignon Blanc as well as their Petite Sirah, both lovely 90+ points wines for us. We've also visited the winery a couple times, and really enjoyed the property as well as their wine portfolio.

Retail price on this bottle is $40 and it's $39 at Wine.com so Costco's $29.99 is a good discount. We did find an online retailer selling it for $26.98 which might be the best price around.

It's worth noting too that this wine is a blend made up of 87% Merlot, 11% Malbec and 2% Petite Sirah.

In the glass, the wine is deep purple with dark fruit, fresh herbs and baking spice on the nose; full bodied with a nice velvety texture; fresh and lively; flavors of blackberry, plum and black cherry; notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, mineral; finishes super dry.

There's a good bit going on with this wine; really enjoying the multiple layers and each taste seems a bit different.

Maybe the best showing of the wines we've tasted at Costco from Stags' Leap Winery. A good bottle to add to our Top Picks list.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 points (a Costco Wine Top Pick)

Costco item number: 236216

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. 14.5%