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You could do a lot worst for $9. I thought this one was just fine for what it is, a low priced Bordeaux Superieur, with a few years in the bottle. It’s a decent everyday drinker with a meal. Nothing more.
Ripe fruit on the nose; flavors are pretty mellow, a bit of cherry, red fruit; finished up with a little leather, perfume, dry and quick. This is a decent wine if you want to mindlessly sip and eat a hamburger off the grill. If you start to think about it too much, you might not like it. But still we’re only talking $9. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 85 Points Costco item number: 722031 |
French
I’ve been running this site for several years now and it amazes me how it’s grown over the years. The idea for this site originated from a simple blog post I made about buying wine at Costco for a now defunct website that I used to maintain with some friends. That article generated 50X the …
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Another good Bordeaux option from Costco at $11.79. A Cru Bourgeois priced this low is a rarity. The wine is very nice after a little air. I could tell after the pour that there was something nice hiding in the bottle. But it took a good 20-30 minutes with occasional swirling to bring this one to life.
Nose was interesting, almost had a little cinnamon to it; in the mouth the wine felt a little dry and tight at first. After some time with it, the flavors mid-palate really began to open up. This wine accelerates and decelerates rather quickly. But it’s a fun ride. Mostly Cabernet in the blend, the flavors are really nice. Juicy red fruit, leather undertones, lots of spice and a little of that cinnamon on the close. This was a fun wine to review, and a solid pick for under $12. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 718340 |
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Really a delicious Bordeaux from a great vintage and at a great price. You don’t often see Saint Estephe bottles dip in that low $20 range (this one was $23.49 at Costco), so I was a little skeptical. But right after the cork came out, I coud tell this was a winner.
It’s just what you want from a low priced Saint Estephe: ripe fruit on the nose, a little subdued at first, but then it opens up into a mouth-coating wine, good balance with full red fruit, strawberry, and spicy cherry flavors. A little leather on the close brings the flavors together and the finish goes on and on. A great buy for Bordeaux fans, especially at this price. I really enjoyed it. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 664666 |
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It seems like a bunch of these under $15 Bordeaux have hit Costcos lately. And that’s great for those of us who love these wines. 2009 and 2010 were both very good years, and these rather inexpensive Bordeaux drink far better than their low price tags might lead on. This one was $11.59, and it’s very nice at that price.
This wine is a simple, straightforward Bordeaux. Definitely a solid buy for the money. I’m excited to try more of these Bordeaux hitting stores. And will of course keep you posted. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points Costco item number: 721314 |
This wine was a big disappointment for me. I’m a huge Chateauneuf fan and always look forward to cracking these open, but this wine was not up to par. I would advise readers to steer clear of this bottle. I reviewed the 2009 vintage of the same wine and did not particularly enjoy it at that …
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This is a guest post from Marshall, a reader in Atlanta. (There are a lot of these Bordeaux under $15 hitting Costco stores. 2009 and 2010 were good years, and these wines are fantastic bargains. I have a few reviews on them coming soon):
This was a great experience after getting off to a negative start. This was my first time with Chateau Le Pey and my only piece of advice is LET IT AIR for at least 30 minutes! I initially opened the bottle and let it air for about 15 minutes while eating dinner. The taste was bitter and not up to par with my standards at first. I walked away again after about half a glass and came back in another 20 minutes hoping for a better experience. This time I was pleasantly greeted with a sweet fruit flavor that was not previously present. This was a great value for $11.99 and I would definitely purchase again on a night when I have time to let it air for a good 30-45 minutes before drinking.
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A simple, palatable but not incredibly interesting Kirkland Bordeaux. Since it is only $8.99 at Costco, there’s not too much to complain about. I found it to be more enjoyable than many other $8.99 bottles, but also a little one dimension.
The wine offers some good earthy and spice scents on the nose; then opens into nice dark cherry flavors, a little black licorice, some tobacco and pepper. Finish is simple, a little dry but not overly dry. This is a good wine priced just right. You certainly won’t feel as though you overpaid (and may not feel you underpaid either). CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 Points Costco item number: 666695 |
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Just a lovely wine all the way around, and a must buy for Sauvignon Blanc fans, especially for $14.79 at Costco. Sancerre is in France’s acclaimed Loire Valley and almost every wine I’ve tasted from here has been excellent.
Big citrusy nose, almost like you’d expect from a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but in the mouth it takes on a life of its own. Flavors of lemon, lime, grapefruit, maybe some apricot, all very palatable. A good dose of acidity as you expect from these wines. Lovely on the finish. Super food friendly, probably moreso than the New Zealands. I really enjoyed this one. Nothing I would change, and it’ll join our Silver Rated wine list. Don’t let the label and lack of description turn you away (shameless plug: if you’d like to learn more about the wines of France, check out my pocketbook primer on the subject: Decoding French Wine). CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 91 Points Costco item number: 685573 |
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If you like Malbecs from Mendoza, you really need to explore those from the other side of the world too, notably Cahors France. This is a beautiful Malbec that is awesome on its own and could pair with almost anything. For $14.99 at Costco it is also a very fair priced wine.
Fruity nose, a little floral and it gets peppery if you inhale enough. Great medium body feels perfect in the mouth. Has perfumy scents before it opens up into spicy cherry and red fruit flavors. Highly acidic and tight, this one attacks the lower jaw muscles as it leads into the spicy finish. A really nice wine at this price. Very different from its cousins in Mendoza. This is how the French do Malbec and I really enjoyed it. Spring this one on your wine snob friend; then tell him what it is and how much it cost. Adding to our Bronze Rated List. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 685676 |
Once a year we assemble the Costco wines we rated the highest over the past 12 months. From glancing through the list, I think it’s safe to say that we found a lot of great wines at some fantastic prices. Our series in September on high end Costco wines provides quite a few placements on this list, but that’s not to say there weren’t some big bargains as well.
As always, it’s going to be hard to find many of these wines since Costco moves their inventory so quickly (but I’ve seen at least 3-4 of these still available at Costco stores near me). So keep an eye out. These are all winners. Click on the label to read our review of each wine.
Thanks for another fun year.
— Editor
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This is a nice Chateauneuf at a pretty good price ($39.89 at my Costco). It’s not a knock-your-socks off wine like I recently found in the (much more expensive) Beaucastel, which if price is no object you should definitely buy. But if you’re looking for a Chateauneuf on the lower end (and $40 is the lower end), the Chateau La Nerthe is a good pick.
This wine is purply dark ink color in the glass, nose is lively with earthy, spicy nutmeg scents. On the palate the wine feels great, it’s light and fluffy with softer tannins. Flavors of red fruit, a bit of strawberry into a spicy ending. Good food wine. All around solid wine. Not a bad buy at $40, but you could probably find other Rhone wines in the $20-$25 that would taste similar. But I’m still giving it 90 Points. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 482702 |
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Wine Spectator just released their top 100 wines for 2012. Here’s a PDF of the list.
A reader of our website suggested we try to list which of the wines from the list were available at Costco. I thought it was a fantastic idea. But given the different selection of wines in Costco stores around the country, I thought it would be best to ask for help from all of our readers.
If you see any of the wines on the list, please tell everyone what you found and where on the Costco Wine Blog Facebook page. Also, please list price, and of course any tasting notes if you’ve already opened the wine.
I’ll start by listing a few of the wines from the list that I’ve seen at Costco stores in Atlanta in the last few months (in some cases different vintages).
#51 Bodega Norton Malbec Mendoza Reserva 2010 (my review of the 2008 vintage)
#58 Perrin & Fils Vinsobres Les Cornuds 2010 (my review of the 2007 vintage)
#92 Altamura Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009 (my review of this wine. Scored it a point ahead of WS)
So keep an eye out next time you hit your local Costco, and please report back anything you find. I plan on hitting a few more stores to see what I can find.
— Editor
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You don’t find a lot of Cru Bourgeois in this price range ($13.89) so I was looking forward to seeing what this wine was all about. Plus the mix of 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon with only 1% Petit Verdot was interesting. But this one came together very nicely. A solid Bordeaux for the money, and at $14, a great overall offering among sub $15 bottles.
Nose is fresh and lively, especially it being only a 2010, more of a medium body, but full on flavor. Loads of red fruit, strawberry, cherry and red licorice. Finishes up dry and spicy. This is an excellent Bordeaux buy at Costco. It seems like we’ve seen quite a few of these lately, so let’s hope it’s a trend that continues. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 235122 |
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A stunning value for only $6.99, this is a ripe and juicy, Merlot dominated Bordeaux that’s a must buy if you see it on your next trip to Costco.
The grapes are sourced from Chateau Le Gardera and are 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in French oak for 12 months. The wine is fresh on the nose, showing a little hint of spice, medium in body with cherry and plum flavors. Tight tannins lead into a dry finish. I would never guess this wine could be scored for $7. It’s nice all the way through and probably one of the best value Kirkland wines in recent memory. A good addition to our Value Picks list. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points *ValuePick* Costco item number: 595394 |