Take a look at this little treat that arrived in Costco stores a bit earlier than normal this year. I’ve already had several readers write to me about it, and the reviews seem pretty positive. This has historically been a great buy at $19.99, far below most other wines from this premier region. Let’s take …
Kirkland Wines
Of all the Kirkland Signature wines I’ve had in the past year or so, this is among the ones I looked most forward to digging into (some of the KS Chateauneufs too, and the Signature Series Malbec was outstanding). 2012 was such a banner growing year for Napa and I figured the Kirkland Napa Cab for …
It was a pleasant surprise to come across this bottle from Costco’s Kirkland label. They’ve really expanded their reach to include a wider selection of wines from numerous prestigious wine growing areas around the globe. So I would advise to take note on your next trip to Costco. You might be surprised what you find. …
There are quite a few Kirkland Signature Series bottles available at my Costco right now that have really grabbed my attention. I just reviewed and loved the Signature Series Mendoza Malbec. During my most recent visit, I found this Oakville Merlot, along with two other Kirkland Signature Series wines I’m really excited about: a 2012 Napa …
This is one of those wines that just highlights why shopping for wine at Costco is such a pleasure. I’ve had several readers comment on the standard (non signature series) Kirkland Malbec which is about half the price of this one ($8.99 for the regular Kirkland Malbec vs $18.79 for Kirkland Signature Series that I …
How can you tell a good wine from an excellent wine? One of our tests is to take them on a marathon and see how they perform. In this case, we ran with two Kirkland Signature wines: the 2012 Signature Merlot and Columbia Valley Red (which is pretty close to Bordeaux blend, with cabernet, merlot …
Like McDonald’s McRib, Costco trots out its special Kirkland Signature 10 Year Tawny Porto every once in a while. However, unlike the McRib, this port is both a value and very tasty. Clear brick color, smoothly spiced with raisin, light cherry, caramel, some orange and smoke on the palate. It ends with a wonderfully smooth …
I’m a big fan of a lot of Napa’s mountain cabs -Diamond, Howell, Spring, Atlas Peak – and they typically carry with them a price tag starting at $40 and going up from there. So it was a nice treat to see the Kirkland Signature Series Mountain Cuvee at stores and priced at only $19.99. And …
Alright, here’s one I know a lot of readers have been interested in – the 2012 vintage of the always awesome Kirkland Chateauneuf. I’ve been anxiously waiting to get my hands on one of these given the amount of reader comments I’ve already received singing the praises of the current offering. And I’m a fan …
Editor’s Note: An interesting thing happened as we reviewed this year’s Kirkland Russian River Chardonnay. Two of us (myself and Michael) tasted the wine on our own, independently without each other knowing, and we came to two completely different conclusions. This is a first for the site, but I’m kind of glad it happened. This really …
The Kirkland Rutherford Meritage is consistently a good value as far as Napa red blends go. I think I’ve given them between 88-90 points almost every year, including 2011, which was a tough growing year. This year’s Meritage is a bit different, with a more dominant Merlot percentage in the blend, but I thoroughly enjoyed …
Merlots are a tricky wine, in general. They often lack the depth of the cabs and the spiciness of the syrahs. Too many winemakers have transformed this versatile grape into a soft and flabby wine when it can and should be rich, elegant and a great accompaniment to good food. Sure, it may not grab …
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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 |
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As the nights get colder in Southern California, sitting down with a bottle of red wine on a Saturday evening sounds better and better. I’ve had this Kirkland Napa County Cabernet on hand for about two weeks and decided tonight was the night to take it out for a spin.
As I poured what would be my first taste, the wine color was deep purple and it’s nose exhibited traditional black fruited currant flavors. Unfortunately, my first sip was disappointing. Maybe I expected more because the Kirkland brand has delivered some great value wines, but this one clearly needed some time to open up and figure out how it wanted to present itself. To those that pop and pour, beware. If you judge it right out of the bottle you will be disappointed. For those just getting into red wine, that brings up an important point. After being in a bottle a while, most wines need time to open up and let being exposed to air do it’s thing. Couldn’t be truer in the case of this wine. I decided to decant the bottle and forget about it a couple hours. Coming back to the wine and starting over gave it a second chance to impress. This wine has some good qualities, but they seem out of order. There’s a quick rush of black fruit which isn’t as ripe as I hoped and held it back. Before I could think more about the fruit, I was greeted with traces of oak and chocolate, soon to be followed by a surprising tasty dusty cocoa flavor that lingered momentarily (which happened to be my favorite part). This wine sells for $12.99 and I’ve seen it at a few Costcos. Give it a good amount of time and it will not disappoint in the end considering you don’t have high expectations. Rating 86 Points |
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This one is always a summer favorite of mine. At $7.79 this is a nicely made New Zealand style Sauvignon Blanc. For fans of these wines, this is exactly what you expect at a great price.
In my review of the 2011 vintage I compared this to the Kim Crawford and White Haven, two very nice wines that taste similar to this one for a few dollars more. The 2012 retains the same sub $8 price as the 2011, and it really hit me right on the super hot sunny day when I enjoyed it. Bright citrus flavor all over the palate; a lot of lemon and lime, and some apple and grapefruit. Finishes pretty quick with some tangy acidity. I’m going to add this bottle to our Value Picks list. As I said before if you like New Zealand Sauv Blancs, this is a no brainer. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 87 Points (same as last year) Costco item number: 301904 |