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Reviewed by Michael S Combine a very good value wine at Costco with a $2.00 discount and you’ve got one tasty treat. First, my bias disclaimer: I’ve been very impressed with Columbia Crest’s H3 line of wines over the years. They’ve offered one of my favorite Merlots and their Cabernet Sauvs have been quite nice. …

Read More about 2010 Columbia Crest H3 Chardonnay

   I was intrigued when I found this bottle at my Costco.  A WA state Malbec from a producer I’ve had wines from, and enjoyed before, for $17.99.  I had to give it a shot, and I’m happy to report that I found this to be an excellent wine.

Nose was a little floral with some berry and a little spice.  In the glass the wine is really an light inky purple, looking a little younger than it turned out to be.  Flavors of black licorice, blueberry, tobacco and some cinnamon lead into a nice dry, long finish.  Very nice wine.

I’m about to fire up the grill and then will see how this pairs with some barbeque chicken and grilled veggies.  I’m glad I tried this one.  It’s a fun wine, a little something different, and a good buy at $18.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 850117

Read More about 2010 Waterbrook Malbec Reserve

     Not a bad buy for only $9.99 at Costco.  There are some aspects of this wine I found very pleasant, and it was a bit of a roller coaster since the wine changed quite a bit after a little air, and after warming up slightly from the (too cold) fridge temp.

I didn’t get a lot on the nose.  There are slight floral aromas surrounded by a notable peach scent.  The wine is a pale yellow in the glass.  Light in body with flavors of citrus fruit, apple, peach and some grapefruity tart.  Finish holds on to that acidity, more tart and wraps up rather quickly. 

In all, I really admire Bonterra’s organic growing practices and they produced a good bottle here for the money.  This is a good one for summertime.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 Points
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 294474

Read More about 2012 Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc

   Charles Krug is a good dependable name and I generally feel their wines deliver what you want for the price.  This white was $12.99 at Costco and it continues to be a good match of quality to price.

Almost see through in the glass, this wine is packed with lemon, peach, apricot and grapefruit flavors, bright and not too sour or tarty.  Nice through to the finish where the wine falls a little flat and disappears quickly after each sip. Still, not a bad buy, and it is a good versatile summer wine. 

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 Points
Purchased at Costco in Atlanta, GA:
Costco item number: 317024

Read More about 2012 Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

    Here’s a $10 winner at Costco.  What a beautiful Chianti for the money.  It’s a Chianti Classico, DOCG, single vineyard…everything you want to see on the label. Why it’s only $10 is beyond me.

I could tell on the pour and after a quick sniff this was going to be an enjoyable wine.  The wine looks bright and lively in the glass, not too dark, and it is relatively medium to light in body.  Nothing overbearing.  Nice fruit, red cherry, with a little tart to it, some cranberry perhaps, hints of strawberry and plum.  Sticky finish.  Pretty smooth character on this wine.

For only $10 this is your go to mid-week meal wine.  It’s light and easy, perfect for almost anything.  I’m going to add this bottle to our Value Picks list.  Enjoy this one.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points
*Value Pick*
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 819237

Read More about 2010 Basilica Cafaggio Chianti Classico

   Obviously a catchy label, and the story depicted is kind of interesting.  The wine is a tribute to the culture built by British convicts who were sent to live in Australia instead of facing a death sentence in Britain for committing one of 19 crimes.

Tastes like mostly Shiraz and it’s fresh being a 2012.  I’m not sure what other varietals are in here, but the wine is slightly sweet, light in the mouth, pretty one dimensional with light spice, and overall an ok buy for only $8.99. 

Sometimes the cool bottle houses a great wine (remember this fantastic Aussie wine).  Other times it dresses up a mediocre wine.  This one falls somewhere in the gray area in between, leaning toward the latter.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 Points
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 792283

Read More about 2012 19 Crimes Red Blend

   Not my favorite Cabernet and at $18.99 the price is a little steep for this guy.  It’s a decent wine, assembled from all over Napa “county” in a bad growing year, but it really doesn’t break through the muted dark fruit, black licorice and plum flavors to reveal any real depth or complexity; the wine finishes fast.  It feels really constrained all the way through, even after a few hours of air.

I would recommend passing on this bottle for $20 and look for a nice French Cotes du Rhone, or any Spanish wine in the same price range.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 Points (ok wine, too expensive)
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 413826

Read More about 2011 Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon Napa County

 

Wine: Marques de Caceres, Crianza

Winery:  Marques de Caceres

Varietal(s): 85% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta

Vintage: 2009

Region:  Rioja Alta
Costco price: $10.99
Reviewed by: Redneck Wine Guy

 

Spain has done it again.  I doubted, I waivered, I even hoped for an opposite outcome so I could break my attraction.  But yet again, another really great wine experience out of the next door neighbor to France, of which has produced some of the best wines of all time.  The bodegas (wineries) of Spain are continuing a steady march into positioning themselves as some of the best in the business, both cellar-worthy and everyday drinkers fit for any gathering or meal.

 

Wine and food culture go hand-in-hand.  To enjoy both Spanish wine and culture, I cooked up a batch of traditional paella.  When making paella give yourself plenty of time and plenty of wine – it’s a labor of love, but well worth it.  Paella is Spain through-and-through – chicken, sausage, and seafood blend together with the rice to create a well-balanced symphony of flavor. If prepared traditionally, meaning cooked outside over a fire pit (I did mine in a Big Green Egg), the smoky notes of the wood charcoal are what give the paella that unbeatable slap-in-the-face flavor that cannot be recreated on the stove and were a spot-on pairing with the wine.

 

The wine is a full-bodied dark, ruby red typically of Tempranillo based wines.  The nose is ripe dark fruits with a slight hint of tobacco and leather.  The mouth-feel is very well rounded, coating every part of the palate.  On the palate the dark fruits abound, along with slight spice, smoke, and noticeable yet not overbearing tannins.  This wine is a “Crianza”, meaning that it was aged in oak barrels for a year.  The oak aging lends to the smoky, toasted notes which again created a beautiful pairing with the food. The finish is long and not easily forgotten.

 

My parting thoughts – take time to enjoy a home-cooked meal that takes more than 15 minutes to make.  Uncork a great bottle of wine, make something that will be memorable, and enjoy with family and friends.  That is what life is all about!  Salud!

 

Redneck Wine Guy rating: 90

Costco item number: 10862

Read More about 2009 Marques de Caceres Crianza Rioja

   I find most wines from Mendoza to be at least a good bargain and this one certainly follows suit for only $10.99 at Costco.  This is a nice red blend, consisting of 45% Malbec, 35% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon.

And it’s an interesting combo.  The first thing that hit me, almost on the pour, was the smoky/wood.  There’s a big cigar cedar element to this wine, which is ok with me if the flavor can pull through, which it did.  Being an ’08 it’s had a little time to chill out.  There’s a nice blue berry component, a little tobacco; some pepper on the finish, a bit chewy.

Overall, I’m going to say it’s a nice wine for the money.  Certainly a little different package from Mendoza with the blended varietals, but I would recommend it, especially at this price.  You could enjoy this wine with a lot of different cuisine.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 774420

Read More about 2008 Bodegas Poesia Pasodoble Mendoza

   I was really excited to find this bottle at Costco.  What an interesting wine and perfect for me as I continue to work on my book about Italian wine.  Price at Costco was $19.99.

This is a Sicilian wine with the IGT designation.  The wine is comprised of 90% Nero d’Avola (the red grape of Sicily) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.  I have enjoyed many bottles of Nero d’Avola and I think they are one of the best buys for Italian wines around $15-$20 but I had never had a blend like this. 

Nero d’Avola typically exudes a nice herbal aroma and this wine showed much of that.  Lots of berry fruit on the nose, white pepper, spice and a little floral.  On the palate this wine is full bodied with a soft tannic structure and a good bit of acidity.  More ripe berry flavors, a lot going on, definitely tobacco and some black licorice; finish is a spicy, dry and sticky.

This is an excellent wine, and a good buy at Costco.  Pair this with a nice Italian dish with spice, red sauce and/or red meat.  I enjoyed it with basic spaghetti (cooking for the kids) and it was superb.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 825665

Read More about 2008 Orestiadi Ludovico Rosso Sicilia

  So I know this one is a little different than what we usually cover, but when I was visiting my Costco to pick out the wine I wanted to review for the site, I overheard a couple people balking at the $9.99 price tag for this one pint, nine ounce bottle of Chimay.  They clearly had never tasted Chimay.

Since Chimay Blue is one of my favorite beers of all time, and feeling the desire to spread its joyfulness to more people, I bought one at the great price of $9.99 and actually say down with the Redneck Wine Guy to enjoy and review for the site.  It started out a great night of beer drinking.  Here are our notes.

We picked up a lot of scents on the nose including caramel, honey, amaretto, clove and orange peel.  It’s amazing how much is on this beer.

The color was a light amber, honey color that was thick enough that you can’t see through. On the palate, we picked up noted butterscotch, caramel square, vanilla, molasses and white pepper aromas with a hint of All Spice.

Finishes full with the 9% alcohol kicking in on the back palate.  The beer really comes together at the end, rounding out what is clearly one of the best beer drinking experiences I think you can get. Highly recommended, and this price at Costco is very good.
– Andrew and Redneck Wine Guy

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 737727

Read More about Beer Review: Chimay Ale Grande Reserve Blue

  
How many times do you come across a decent Bordeaux for $7?   My answer is: “rarely, if not almost never”.   I had to use “almost” because of this 2010 Chateau Chantemerle. Costco’s buyers found a very decent merlot-based wine that quite nicely pairs with most foods.  You don’t want to drink this alone — it is an accompaniment wine.  

A combination of 65% merlot, 25% cab and 10% cab franc, this is a wine that you’d expect to drink in a French bistro with your meal.   It is both tannic and fruity with a dominant flavor of black currant.    There’s enough acidity to complement the food but with a smooth aftertaste.   I drank this wine over three days and found the second and third days superior to the first, so feel free to decant this wine or nurse it slowly over a few days.  Bon Appetit.
– Michael S


Costco item #:774452
Price:  $6.99
Rating: 88  (largely due to value)
Read More about 2010 Chateau Chantemerle Bordeaux

  This wine really changed a lot with air.  I was getting ready to write it up as one of my least favorite Kirkland offerings.  But after an hour or so in the glass it’s come around, albeit only a bit.  I’m a big Bordeaux fan, and frequently enjoy wines from the Medoc region, but most cost more than the $8.99 I paid for this bottle at Costco.  At that price, it’s hard to be too critical, but I wouldn’t rush to the store to stock up on this one.

I reread my comments on the 2009 vintage of this wine, and feel very much the same for this year’s wine.  Overall, the wine is just not that interesting and rather one dimensional. Nose is almost non-existent; in the mouth the wine opens up with a bit of dark fruit, blackberry, and black licorice flavors, leading to a dry and slightly spicy finish that wraps up quickly.

If you’re a Bordeaux fan like me and are looking to try an inexpensive bottle for fun, go for it.  Otherwise, I’d take my money and look for anything from Spain for $9.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 85 Points
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Costco item number: 666695
*KirklandWine*

Read More about 2011 Kirkland Signature Medoc Bordeaux

 

(This review is a guest post from Ryan at VivaItalianMovies.com)

 

I decided to go old school and sample a glass of this wine while viewing Roberto Rosselini’s 1959 drama Il Generale della Rovere, given the fact that both wine and film have regal-sounding names. But while the film lived up to the hype, the wine fell disappointingly short.

The nose was inviting, with hints of cherry. But the first mouthful was kind of blah, not fruity, slightly meaty but rather nondescript for a sangiovese. The aftertaste was suitably dry and chewy but didn’t reveal any interesting flavors.

I decided to try pairing the wine, priced at $17.49 at Costco, with some fusili with sausage to see if it fared any better. It held up nicely against the tomato sauce and hearty meat, but still failed to reveal any legs.

 

I really wanted to love this one. But while it’s a perfectly decent red wine, you can do better for the money.

 

Grade: 87

 

— Ryan, Viva Italian Movies

Read More about 2008 Vecchia Cantinia Leone D’Oro Vino Nobile di Montepulciano