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2015 Slow Press California Cabernet Sauvignon

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I like my big cabs, even in the middle of summer. I like my little cabs too, and I’m finding more and more that the quality of these wines are increasing as new & different winemaking techniques are regularly being employed. This wine recently hit a few of the Costco clubs that I frequent, and […]

2014 Honig Cabernet Napa Valley

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I recently had the pleasure to sit down with a regional manager and representative of Honig Vineyard and Winery to taste a few of the winery’s current releases. While I enjoyed every wine that I tasted, I will focus on the Napa Valley Cabernet for the purpose of this review since it is the offering […]

2015 Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages

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Its hard to find a Cotes du Rhone Villages wine for under $10.  The obvious one that comes to mind is the Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Villages, which we love and that is priced at only $6.99 (we, like many of you, are eagerly awaiting the next vintage of that wine to hit Costco […]

2014 Seaside Cellars Pinot Noir New Zealand

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Ok, I know what you’re thinking. Another Pinot Noir review? Can’t she branch out and try something different? Sure, I could, but hear me out. This Pinot Noir is from New Zealand, received 90 Points from Wine Spectator, and is only $9.99 per bottle at Costco. Also, it has this cool “Cat in the Hat” […]

2014 Girard Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley

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Alright, so I've had this bottle for a while. I meant to review it shortly after I first bought it, but alas- it was overlooked in the sea of Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs that I've got stacked on the fourth shelf of my refrigerator. Be on the lookout for a comparative review of those in the […]

NV Tinazzi Opera Rosso

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A little bird told me that this wine was coming to Costco before it ever even arrived. The wine appeared suddenly at a couple of stores and sold out almost immediately. Then the following week, a few more cases were distributed, and then this week, seven cases to the Costco down the street from where […]

2014 Hess Collection Napa Valley Chardonnay

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This is one of those $20-$25 Chardonnays that shows a nice jump up in quality from those in the $12-$15 range.  And in the case of Costco, you can of course find a nice price that is closer to the latter. I found this bottle at my Costco for $15.99 but have seen it hit +$20 […]

2015 Albert Bichot Chardonnay Bourgogne Réserve de l'Orangerie

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Researching this wine proved to be frustrating. This may be a Costco-exclusive wine, although I am only speculating. Domaine Albert Bichot is a fairly well-known Burgundy producer with widely available wines. Costco has carried the Bichot Domaine Long-Depaquit Chablis previously, and some stores probably still have it in stock. This wine is 100% Chardonnay made […]

2015 Patient Cottat Sancerre Anciennes Vignes

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Having made a goal to explore new white wines this year, one area I've been avoiding is Sauvignon Blanc, which is a varietal I feel I got my fill of last summer.  However, when we're talking French Sauvignon Blanc, especially from Sancerre which lies in the eastern part of the Loire Valley, Sauvignon Blanc takes […]

2015 Kirkland Signature Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot

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This is the first time I've seen this red blend from Columbia Valley come in under the Kirkland brand label, and the price was right at only $8.99. A little note on the back of the bottle describes the wine and it's signed by the winemakers, Jeremy Santo and Emily Haines.  I always love when […]

2015 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

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La Crema is a well-known producer of “cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Gris” produced by artisan winemaking.  I was pleased with a recent flight of Pinot Noirs that I tasted through, and I can say the same for their 2015 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. I wrote “Yum!” on my tasting notes, which I don't usually […]

2014 La Crema Pinot Noir Tasting

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I recently had the pleasure to taste three Pinot Noir offerings from La Crema side-by-side, which for a wine nerd like myself is about the best use of time that I can imagine. I tasted the Sonoma Coast, Monterey, & Willamette Valley Pinots, all 2014, although I'm not sure if the Monterey & Willamette wines […]

2015 Daou Chardonnay Paso Robles

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The taste of different Chardonnays even from the same region and year can vary widely, so it's really a personal preference on the exact style and nuances that each person enjoys.  Me, I tend to like cleaner, less oaky, more fruit forward Chardonnays in the style of most Burgundies, particularly Chablis. It seems like many […]

2012 Chateau de Belcier Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux

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I'm always a fan of trying wines grown right beside well renowned estates and regions. Les Salles de Castillon lies in the far right bank of Bordeaux, adjacent to St Emilion.  Here's a map that will give you an idea where we're talking.  Buying in these areas that are close, but not close enough for a certain […]

2014 Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla

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I've tasted three or four past vintages of this wine, and this one might be my favorite.  At only $12.99 at Costco, which is a few bucks less than I've seen anywhere else, this is an insanely good buy for people who like their reds big and rich, but nicely balanced. Since I've been working […]

2012 Leviathan Red Blend

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This is a wine that I have seen at Costco stores near me for some time, and I just have never pulled the trigger, but now I'm glad I finally did. The trigger was one of you, a Costco wine customer who drove his cart up when I was browsing the wine aisle, and popped […]

2012 Joseph Phelps Insignia

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Joe Phelps' first “Insignia” was the 1974 vintage. The blend was 94% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley since this was a particularly good year for Cabernet. Each year the blend for Insignia changes based on the winemakers’ opinion of varietal expression. The 1975 vintage was predominantly Merlot, and in 1976 Cabernet […]

2013 Shea Wine Cellars Estate Pinot Noir

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It's no secret that I love my Pinot Noir, and because this is the perfect time of the year for red wine drinkers to imbibe in lighter juice, I decided to open up this recently-reduced gal a few nights ago in order to satisfy my curiosity. I say recently-reduced because the former price for this […]

2014 Vitiano Rosso Umbria IGP

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I recently reviewed an unoaked Chardonnay from Tuscany that I was at first excited about but then ultimately unimpressed with. Costco has been getting some interesting Italian red blends this year, mostly from Tuscany (Super Tuscans), and mostly good value wines. When I came across this 2014 blend from Umbria for $7.49, I knew I […]

2015 Le Bruniche Tuscan Chardonnay IGT

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I always get excited when new Italian wines appear in Costco. I love All Things Italian (what's not to love!?) but the wines hold a special place in my heart because they remind me of my first restaurant job where I began learning about and becoming interested in wine. Italian wine can get pretty confusing, […]

2015 Kirkland Signature Chateauneuf du Pape

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The Kirkland Chateauneuf might be the wine I look forward to the most every year at Costco.  It's not because it's typically the best wine.  In fact, last year was a bit of a bust. The reason I look forward to tasting these wines is because I think it's awesome that Kirkland offers a wine like this […]

2014 Baileyana Firepeak Pinot Noir

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I caught wind from a Twitter fan that this wine had hit stores around the Southeast, and I happened to be on my way to Costco shortly after.  I found it for $17.99, and I have to say, it's one of the best Pinots in this price range that I've had in quite a while. […]

2010 Chateau Bernadotte Haut-Medoc Bordeaux

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I've had a lot of luck with Bordeaux lately, finding great wines at not so exorbitant prices, and was interested to see what this bottle was all about that I found at my Costco for $21. It's an Haut-Medoc (includes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, in this case about equal parts of each) from a fantastic […]

2014 Senorio de Barahonda Campo Arriba Yecla

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We're putting the finishing touches on a book about Spanish wine, so over the last 12 months I've sampled quite a few different Spanish bottles from around the country.  Yecla is an interesting area in that it is among Spain's smallest wine territories (home to just 11 wineries), yet it's rather easy to find across […]

2014 David Bruce Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

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Somebody asked me the other day, “what’s the difference in… oh say, this wine here that’s $12.99, and that one that’s $29.99?  Is that wine better because it’s more expensive? Does it taste better?” I responded to this young lady, “Some wines are more expensive than others because of the quality of the grapes, where […]

2015 Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir

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For me, the Kirkland Russian River Pinots seems to always leave a bit to be desired.  On one hand, it's awesome that you can buy a wine from this region for $12.99.  You just don't see too many hovering in that price range, and it's really when you hit the $25+ realm when the real gems […]

2015 Oregon Acrobat Pinot Gris

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This is the third vintage in a row of Acrobat Pinot Gris that we are reviewing for your reading pleasure. You’re welcome. My recent review of Artezin Zinfandel mentioned that we should never assume that one wine vintage will be the same, or even similar as, the next. However, I would like to point out […]

2016 Kirkland Signature Cotes de Provence Rose

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Rosé season is upon us. If you didn’t serve a bottle with your Easter Sunday Supper, perhaps you will on Mother’s Day. For me, rosé “season” is year-round, and I always have at least one bottle chilling in my ‘fridge. It’s the perfect wine to serve with appetizers and salads, or while you wait for […]

2014 Château du Coudray Montpensier Le Grand Bouqueteau Chinon

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Chinon bottles are always a pleasant change of pace.  These wines are predominantly made with Cabernet Franc, although a small percentage can be allotted to Cabernet Sauvignon.  There's usually not a lot of verbiage on the bottle to identify the wines, which likely deters many people from venturing forth, and it's unfortunate because Chinon wines are quite lovely, […]

2014 Kenwood Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

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The Russian River Valley in Sonoma County is an ideal area for growing Pinot Noir. The Russian River provides a channel for the cool Pacific Ocean fog to move inland from the coast, creating ideal growing conditions for this finicky grape. Good quality pinots from this area are robust, fruit-forward, and more full-bodied than their […]

2014 Michael David “Petite Petit” from Lodi

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Earlier this year, I reviewed a Michael David wine called Freakshow, and I mentioned that most of the wines from this winery are outfitted with bright & eye-catching labels.  “Petite Petit” is probably the winner of the Most Outgoing superlative (that or Best Dressed) in the Michael David Winery portfolio.  The Burgundian-esque bottle is so […]

2014 Artezin Old Vine Zinfandel Mendocino County

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This Zinfandel has been in the wood boxes at Costco for a decent amount of time, and mostly overlooked by myself.  I tried the 2013 Artezin and was neither disappointed nor impressed, and so when I saw the 2014s (and subsequent 2015s) arrive, I was apathetic about it.  Here, folks, is a classic example of […]

2014 Kirkland Signature Mountain Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon

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I got wine-nerd-excited when this wine arrived in the wood a few weeks ago at my local Costco.  The reason being that I love mountain fruit Napa cabs.  The higher elevation vineyard fruit struggles on the vine, resulting in smaller grapes with more concentrated flavors that produce fairly tannic wines.  These are the kind of […]

2015 Paul Dolan Cabernet Sauvignon

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It's really hard to find solid California Cabernet for under $15, but this wine hit the mark for me all around, and I think it's a fantastic Costco buy if you see it in stores near you. When I'm looking for a big red in this price range, I almost automatically gravitate towards Rioja, Chianti Classico […]

2013 Kirkland Signature Chianti Classico Riserva

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Readers were asking about this wine for some time before it finally appeared back in the clubs.  This is another solid, good-value Kirkland Signature label wine.  $8.49 for a Chianti Classico Riserva is hard to find elsewhere. There are eight sub-regions within Chianti, and the Classico region is considered by many to be the best area for […]

2015 Bodega Piedra Negra Malbec Reserve

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I'm always on the look out for a good inexpensive Malbec to add to my go-to wine list, and I was hoping this bottle for $12.99 would be that wine.  But it came up a little short.  This wine is still very young and just too simple for me, even at the fairly reasonable price tag. […]

2014 Francis Coppola Black Label Diamond Collection Claret

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This is a Costco staple that seems to hang around in stores for quite a while, so I hope that many of you are able to find it, especially those looking for a rather simple, every day, affordable red blend, because this one fits the bill. I thought the 2013 vintage was pretty good, and this […]

2015 Complicated Chardonnay Sonoma Coast

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Here's a Chardonnay that seems to be in quite a few Costco stores around the Atlanta area, and it's a nice buy for $16. This wine is super food friendly, which is how we enjoyed it, paired with a moderately spicy stir fry (I typically enjoy a good Riesling with spicy foods, but this wine held […]

NV Gruet Brut

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This is an interesting bottle, and one that I wasn't sure what to make of while tasting it, and even now I'm still thinking about it, so I guess that's a good thing.  This is a sparkling wine from New Mexico, which is likely not the first place you turn to when shopping for a […]