I had mixed feelings going into this wine. I had heard good things, but was a little doubtful that it wouldn't deliver much for its $8.50 price tag at Costco. But long behold, this isn't a bad wine at all, and it turns out to be a pretty good value buy, particularly if you prefer more of the fruit forward style of Chards vs oaky.
Nice citrusy nose, fresh and lively; I picked up very subtle hints of wood but not much. Flavors of citrus fruit, pineapple, apricot and grapefruit with crisp acidity, and then a touch of butter, vanilla and cream toward the finish. I prefer this style of Chardonnay that emphasizes less oak/butter (but I know not everyone does). It really lets the flavors come through and produces a nice food wine.
At $8.49, this is certainly worth a try. If you like it you may have just discovered your value priced summer sipper. Michael reviewed the 2010 vintage a little while back for this site and shared similar sentiments, even rewarding that bottle with a 92 point rating (bonus points noted for value). I'm going to concur on many of the points, and still give this wine a very respectable 89 points. And this wine will be added to our Top Picks list.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points
Costco item number: 283743
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
(Extra note: from my experience, wines from Washington's Horse Heaven Hills, across the many varietals that are grown there, have almost always delivered. This is a great region that many in the know are aware of, and the price to quality is hard to beat. Keep an eye out for others from this area because Costco will bring them in occasionally.)
