Antinori is one of the biggest names in Italian wine, and they offer many different levels of wine with some of their bottles running up into the several hundreds of dollars. This is one of their lower priced offerings (the lowest perhaps), and with that Antinori name behind it, the wine is a standout in its price range.
I have a special place for Antinori in my wine history as I was lucky enough to taste the 1998 Antinori Solaia several years ago, which went down as one of the most delicious and special wines I had ever had. Granted it's worth a few hundred bucks (and even more now), but it was worth every penny and it raised my bar for fine wine. I have sought out Antinori wines ever since.
This entry level Antinori is only $12.99 at Costco, and hits stores right on the cusp of the Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, another fantastic Italian bargain buy at Costco for the same price. Between the two you really can't go wrong, but I may prefer the Allegrini by a hair.
This wine starts with a musty, very Italian wine nose, which we typically refer to as "library book." It's a simple wine in the mouth, yet satisfying for the price. Medium plus in body with good acidity, the wine is ready to be enjoyed right now. Cherry, red fruit, Nibs flavor with peppery spice into an ultra dry finish.
This bottle clearly drinks above its pay grade. Costco's price is really good too. It's on Wine.com for $25 but closer to $15-$16 elsewhere online. I think this is a tremendous value buy and one I plan to stock up on. Great wine for pizza night or mid week meals. Chianti fans will love it. Plus 90+ point ratings from the critics just about every year.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points
Costco item number: 799299
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 13.5%
Mark says
I have "sought" out, not "seeked" out......
Editor says
Thanks, updated.
David Mallonee says
Got excited because this one of my favorites. Ran to local Costco (Brookfield, CT) but it was priced at the normal $17.99
Editor says
That’s a bummer. Not quite the same buy.
John Slater says
Just joined your blog. My biggest complaint about Costco involves their Kirkland wines. I'll see a good rating in Wine Spectator but the wine is not available at my Costco store in Hudson, Ohio. Is their any rhyme or reason as to when Kirkland wines become available. Any suggestions about how I can get these Kirkland wines.
Editor says
Hi John. It’s really hit or miss on the Kirkland wines. I usually look at our older reviews here: http://costcowineblog.com//category/kirkland-wines/
Whenever we posted the review is likely when that wine hit Costco stores. And then we hope that they stay on the same schedule, which they often times do.
Then again I saw the ‘15 Kirkland Chianti reappear at my store this weekend and we last saw it (same vintage) last July. So you never know...
Hope that helps. We also try to report on the latest Kirkland wines too as soon as we see or hear about them.
Gene says
Availability ....
Apologize for expanding the thread, and would appreciate direction to a different thread that would be more appropriate. Really enjoy the blog, read all the reviews and have snagged a few really good wines. I live in Washington and shop at various Seattle area locations. However, for wines that I am interested in, primarily Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, approximately 50% don't show up and 30% have come and gone before the review comes out. You guys need to drink more wine.
This review (January 22, 2020) is linked to the 2015 ALLEGRINI PALAZZO DELLA TORRE review dated December 1, 2019. Followed up and was told that this was available in 2 Costco locations in Seattle, but has not been around for about 6 months. hmmm
"This entry level Antinori is only $12.99 at Costco, and hits stores right on the cusp of the Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre, ...." In retrospect, I recall the Antinori for being around for some 3 - 4 months), and a few stray bottles may remain. But this also indicates the wine was available here 3 - 4 months before the review?
The 2015 Kirkland Chianti was great for the price. Not much showed up in this area, and what did went FAST. Same for the most recent Kirkland Toscana, which I missed.
Q. Any guidelines on Review date to availability?
Q. Any suggestions for getting inventory / availability in other Costco locations?
Q. It appears that distribution / availability differs by region. Are there any regional discussion groups in the forum?
Appreciate any comments or direction.
Editor says
All good questions and points Gene. I know many of our readers feel the same way. The short of it is that I don't really have a great answer.
We are consumers just like you and have access to the information and availability that we see around us in the Atlanta area. I can only review and write about the wines I find at the 6 or so Costco stores around me. But the availability is going to vary greatly nationwide, and even worldwide. We have readers in Japan find wines we review that neighboring states don't have. I really don't know all the ins and outs of how they distribute. It varies widely across stores even in Atlanta that are 15 minutes away from each other.
Part of being independent is that we are just that, independent. But I see that as a huge advantage so we can write about and say whatever we want. I value the freedom of this blog to be honest and truthful because that is what I would want if someone was writing all of this.
I will say, I buy the wines we review and publish within 7 days of when I purchased the wine (on average). And that's hard to do as this is just a hobby. We do this for fun and try our best.
I did start the forums hoping that people would add comments on what they find in their regions and in their stores. That seemed like the best solution, to crowd source this. But I haven't had the adoption on the forums that I hoped to see.
Again, I know it's not a great answer, wish I had a better one, and maybe that will come with time as we feel this thing out a bit more and it continues to grow. Appreciate your comment and for following the site, and I hope that more of our reviewed wines turn up near you. Andrew
Marc says
I am a frequent Costco shopper for many years and just found this site the other day. I wish I had found it long ago!
I found the 2016 VILLA ANTINORI TOSCANA today in Costco North Ft Worth/Alliance Texas. $12.99. Grabbed a bottle and will give it a try!
Regarding availability, I suspect wine is no different than many other products at Costco. It just depends on the store. I usually shop at two Costco stores, Southlake, TX and Ft Worth/Alliance. The stores are probably less than 20 miles apart, but there are things I can get at one store and not the other (including wines). I would recommend checking with the management of your local store and seeing who is in charge of their wines and get to know that person.