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(CostcoWineBlog.com would like to introduce its newest contributor, Michael S.) Did I mention that it is $7.99? I’ve had more than my fill of $19.99 French blends that are far less food friendly than this sub-$10 Bordeaux. I don’t know Sarah but now I want to meet her, give her a hug and offer thanks for making good French table wine affordable.
Rating: 87 points Costco item number: 680633 |
Other Red
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This is a ripe and vibrant Merlot from Washington State that I think is an excellent bargain at Costco for only $9.99. It has a great, smooth mouthfeel compliments of its blend that contains small parts of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. I’m a big fan of Merlot dominated blends like this, and this one proves you can get a lot in a bottle like this under $10.
Flavors are black cherry with some ripe blueberry mid palate. The tannins are soft and juicy, leading to a smooth ride all the way through; finishes up dry and lasting with some tobacco, a little pepper. This is a nice package, not trying to do too much. It results in a very approachable wine that I think most fans of red wine would find to be a good buy. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 Points Costco item number: 753996 |
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I enjoyed this one with a little skirt steak on the grill and it was a superb combo. I love these Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux and particularly the ones from the awesome 2010 vintage. This bottle at Costco was $16.99 (which I think it a very competitive price after a quick online search), and I felt it was about mid-pack given the aforementioned specs.
It’s predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with small parts of Petit Verdot and Cabernet France. On the first pour the nose just jumped out of the glass with loads of peppery spice, but after a few hours the wine settled a bit. In the mouth this one is medium in body and stuffed with fruit flavor; lots of dark fruit, plum, sticky and dry which made it awesome with steak. This is definitely a food wine. I’m a fan at this price point. It’s a solid wine for the money; just not anything too over the top. About what I expected. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 724744 |
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I’ve been working diligently on the latest version of my French Wine Book, “Decoding French Wine: A Beginner’s Guide to Enjoying the Fruits of the French Terroir,” and I’m happy to say that this new second edition is live today on Amazon.com.
The Kindle version is only $3.99 and it includes information on major French wine regions including Bordeaux, Loire, Burgundy, Alsace, Rhone, Languedoc-Roussillon and Champagne. This book is short and conscise, written to help the beginner wine drinker become more familiar with French wines that may seem overly complicated and complex. |
I wanted to really make this simple to digest, and to help turn more people on to these amazing wines. If you’ve followed this site for a while, you know I have a tendency to review many of the French wines, particularly the 2010 Bordeaux because they are an amazing vintage. But I also look at many other French wines and regions, because the value is typically so great, especially at Costco. So here’s a chance to boost your knowledge and ultimately, your enjoyment, of these awesome wines.
Download a free sample chapter here.
Thanks for supporting this site.
Andrew, Editor
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(This is a guest post from Adam L from Southern CA. He sent me a note about this wine and I thought everyone would benefit from reading his notes. I have yet to see this bottle at my Costcos but I am keeping an eye out) The wine was impressive from opening. Dark fruit aromas immediately greet you almost daring you to let it breathe more. I tasted flavored of dark berries and spicy cherries. The finish was smooth, supple and spicy finish. Tannins were minimal as was the acidity (which were coincidentally the drawbacks in my opinion). I wondered why the wine was priced the way it was ($18.99) considering the varietal, winery and country of origin, but after tasting, it was well worth what I paid for it. Normally I’m a fan of big California cabs and spicy Spanish Tempranillo’s. For those who want a dark fruit and full bodied wine, without firm tannins and acidity, (along with a good amount of fruity and peppery spicy, this one should be considered. |
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Reviewed by Redneck Wine Guy
Here’s the setting – the last night of vacation on the South Carolina coast. My family decided for a night-in watching a movie, and I decided to do the farthest from it. Why sit inside on a perfect beautiful night at the beach when you can enjoy the last moments of mindless existence before returning to the real world of endless e-mails and voicemails. I popped the bottle of aforementioned vino, and after doing the sniff, pour, swirl, swish, taste regime I proceeded to pour a big glass and head out for the shore. As you may have guessed, I was engaged in some self-questioning and doubt….should I really have proceeded with this plan, on a hot and muggy night, with a glass of Zinfandel? The other imbibers on the beach were toting beers, frozen cocktails of various incantations, and a few bottles of far-too-chilled whites. I was the lone guy on the beach with not only a red, but a zinfandel with the hue of octopus ink. |
Upon first steps I thought I should have done the same – a cool Cuba Libré with a lime wheel would have been a spectacular choice. But nay, instead, a glass of full-bodied red. Well, I can attest that the evening decision was an amazing experience – solitude in nature with a glass of wine that improved and proved itself as I meandered along the sandy beach, collecting shells, and taking some pictures so I could share with my family what they were missing.
A word of caution – the boutique and tasting notes of this wine are very much closed upon first opening. While no wine should be solely judged upon first corking, this one especially falls into that category. Give it some time – wine, along with life, should be enjoyed slowly and given time to expose all it has to offer.
After some walking, swirling, and sipping what was first a mediocre bottle I began to see why this family has been in the wine business since 1895. Zinfandels usually fall into one of two categories – good/great or really bad. Drinkable vs. non-drinkable. This is a perfectly drinkable wine – the nose and taste of black cherry are well pronounced, a hint of ripe blackberry in the middle, with a spicy yet rounded finish of toned-down peppercorn. I’d also throw in that there is a subtle taste of fresh chewing tobacco, but only a certain segment of the reading population would appreciate that side note! The mouth feel is jammy and coats your tongue, but not enough so to turn away the average wine drinker.
Overall, a good value Zin that you can be proud to serve to your family and friends. Scouring the internet I found pricing between $17 – $26. Personally, I think anything over $20 is a little steep for this one, but give it a while in the cellar and a breathing period once opened and I imagine you’ll get your value for the price. After my evening experience, no matter the price it’s a hell of a better value than a cheap can of beer would have been!
-Redneck Wine Guy rating – 90
Costco item number: 57059
Price at Costco: $18.99
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It’s Saturday, which means a lot of you are probably heading to your local Costco, and for $12.69, this is a label you’ll want to keep an eye out for.
This is Monastrell from the Alicante region of Spain, and it’s some of the best Monastrell I’ve tried for this price. Nose is spicy, with hints of tobacco and on the palate the wine is luscious with dark fruit, blackberry, plum, a little earth and leather. The finish is why I like Monstrell; it’s spicy and complete. The all around balance and execution of this wine is top notch and you’d be hard pressed to find many bottles of this caliber in this price range. For that reason, I’m naming it to the Bronze Rated and Value Pick lists. This is a real winner (and it scored 93 points from Wine Advocate if you’re a points person). CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 750941 |
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It’s a real treat every year when these Kirkland Chateauneufs hit the shelves. You just can’t get into this region for the price that Costco offers ($20) and the wine this year is superb as always.
This is a Rhone blend consisting of 58% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 13% Counoise-Vaccarese, 4% Cinsault and 2% Muscardin-Mourvedre. Don’t let a few of the less familiar grapes deter you. This is a solid Rhone red at an unbeatable price. Here’s my review of the 2010 (which was a great year), and this year stacks up about the same. An easy Silver Rated wine for the site. Perfect dark fruit and berry flavor, spice that hits your nose as you take each drink, young juicy mouthfeel that would only get better with a little more age, and a finish that’s near perfection. This one could run for a while in the bottle and it might be kind of a fun experiment to drink it again in 2-3 years. If it’s still around I might try to snag some for the cellar. Great wine. A red wine lover’s dream at this price. Must buy. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 Points (a point up from last year) Costco item number: 777662 |
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Really enjoyed this one and a beautiful execution of Carmenere at a Costco price of only $13.99.
Fresh and vibrant nose, then blueberry and dark fruit combine with chocolate flavors on the palate. Finish retains that fresh fruit, dry, chalky and lasting. Getting a little stone/slate on the finish too as a little time passes. A fun one for a change from the usual varietals. Give it a shot with some hamburgers off the grill this summer. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 736192 |
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A nice mountain Cabernet that I found for $33.99 at my Costco. This wine took a while to open up. It was super closed up at first and I was a little worried. But as an hour or so past, it started to show its true colors and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It’s blended with a few other varietals so the final make up is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, & 2% Petite Verdot. Quality Napa nose, dark as could be in the glass, the wine definitely ramps up to a great finish. Flavor is dark fruit, blueberry, black currant, black licorice and black berry. Definitely a little stickiness to the finish which is great. Dusty and dry on the close too, which demands a red meat dish. A good wine at a fair price. I’m a fan of the mountain wines so will gravitate toward them a bit more. If you’re looking for more of the juicy Napa Cabs you might want to stick closer in the valley. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 123399 |
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I just realized this Rhone bottle from Kirkland was a Villages, which is even better. At $6.99 this is the steal of all steals for readers who enjoy their Rhone reds.
It’s signature Rhone all around, with the depth and richness I would expect from a bottle that cost at least twice as much. As regular readers know, I love these wines, and truly believe they offer some of the best bang for the buck in the entire world of wine. Here’s a perfect entry point for any doubters. This wine is comprised of the classic Rhone varietals, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, and they come together beautifully. Nose is spicy, earthy, and then just massive fruit on the palate. Jammy dark fruit, blackberry, blueberry, a touch of chocolate, maybe some red licorice; which leads into the clean, slightly spicy finish. Here’s your everyday red wine. Stock up. It’s a bargain at this price. And a good BBQ wine for the summer. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 Points Costco item number: 887774 |
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A solid red blend from a consistent producer. This is a nice big rich wine that’s fruity, meaty and accessible. Great food wine and a good buy all around for $13.99 at Costco.
The blend consists of 60% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Grenache, 2% Malbec, 0.5% Cinsault, 0.5% Mourvedre. I’m a fan of the Indian Wells Merlot, so having the Merlot dominate is fine with me. I actually completed a recent Napa trip where I saw more and more Merlot based red blends from many of the big and small guys. The Merlot really helps give it the richness for the other grapes to round out around. Nose smells young, fresh, floral. Big red fruit flavor, cherry, strawberry, raspberry; forest floor aromas and turns a little spicy toward the finish. Finish is dry and lasting. This wine tasted almost exactly like I thought (and hoped) it would. A good buy at this price. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 708779 |
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I really enjoyed this one. The minute you smell this wine you can tell it’s a winner. At $23.99 it’s a good buy for right bank Bordeaux (Merlot based blend) fans, of which I seem to be becoming more and more of myself. And 2010 was a blockbuster year in Bordeaux.
Again, the nose is what gets me. It immediately reminds you of a high end Cab or Merlot, even one from CA. Floral, graphite, finesse and on the palate you get some excellent dark fruit, black cherry, black licorice and pepper; tannins are still a tad tight leaning me to think this one would get better in the years to come. Strong, lingering finish. I had intended to grill a steak with this wine but didn’t get properly prepped and I missed out. Fun food wine, nice execution all around and a good price from Costco on a big Bordeaux year. Highly recommend. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 91 Points Costco item number: 695716 |
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This is a hodge podge of different varietals, most of which I believe come from the Geyser Peak Sonoma estate, but I’m not certain. It definitely has Merlot, Cab and Syrah in the mix. It almost has so much going on that everyone will find the taste appealing. And it’s not a bad buy at $11.99 at Costco.
Kind of mushroomy on the nose, fruit forward on the palate. Flavors of cherry, dark fruit, black licorice and a little vegetal on the finish. A bit of spice thrown in the mix as well toward the close. This is the perfect wine for novice wine drinkers who visit your house. They will love it. Now as I get a little snobby, I will try to admit that if I went to someone’s house and they served this, I would enjoy it too. It’s that kind of wine. Easy to please, almost everyone. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 87 Points Costco item number: 753741 |
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This bottle is a reader favorite and it seems to swing in and out of my Costco without any regular schedule. But if you see it buy it. This is a heck of a good bargain for only $11.79. Seldomly do you see Barossa wines this inexpensive.
And what a perfect time to drink this one. It’s just right, with a little time in the bottle to mellow out. The heavy pepper you get in many Australian wines can sometimes turn me off, but this wine is soft, with hints of pepper on the close, and overall is packed with vibrant red fruit flavor. I enjoyed it through and through, particularly after a bit of air, as the wine opened up. This doesn’t at all taste like a $12 bottle. I’d highly recommend scooping some up if you see them. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 650452 |