Now that summer is here, it’s time for the influx of white wine reviews because I truly enjoy whites with the hot weather and much of the summer cuisine we cook around the house. Last week I reviewed the Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay, which I found to be a well assembled wine but not exactly to my …
Top Pick
If you walk into Costco and have $20 to spend on wine you’d be served quite nicely buying a bottle of this Chianti. This is a splendid Italian offering that was $18 at my Costco. It’s just an elegant wine, perfect in so many ways, that is an incredible find in this price range. I’m …
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 …
I obviously had to buy this one. 93 point rated from Parker and only $10 at Costco. Plus I’m a huge fan of Toro wines since they generally deliver ridiculous value for the money. And this one follows suit, although I can’t go as high as 93 points. Medium to semi-full dark on the pour, …
This is what Barolo is all about. It doesn’t come cheap but then few things of this quality do. This bottle was $59.99 at Costco and it truly overdelivered in terms of what I expected from a nice Barolo. As many readers know we are working on a book about Italian wine (coming out late …
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This wine is an absolutely steal for only $11.99 at Costco. I’m going back today to try to buy more. I enjoyed this bottle with two other people who also agreed that it drank like it cost $30-$40. If you are a regular reader of this site, this is why you buy wine at Costco, right here. Go get it.
Smells expensive on the nose, a little cinnamon and some spices. I thought the wine appeared a bit younger than 2009 when I poured it, and when you get into it more you realize we are drinking it at a perfect time. The wine is medium in body with ripe fruit, mostly red fruit with a hint of plum; strawberry licorice, some leather aromas toward the end. Tannins are juicy; a long multi-layered finish. A superb wine that I still can’t believe was only $12. This wine will go on our Silver Rated wine list as well as our Value Picks. This is an incredible buy right now at Costco. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 Points |
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This is a lovely Chardonnay at the great price of $14.99 at Costco – a real bargain for a California Chardonnay of this caliber. This is an extremely food friendly wine, with just the right amount of fruit, spice and oak to complement just about any meal.
Nose is bright, lots of lemon and citrus scents, smelling more like a Sauvignon Blanc. But then the nice body and Chard characteristics take over, and you get some vanilla and stone on top of the citrus fruit. Really well balanced between these elements. The finish brings just a touch of oak, which works great. This is a winner all around. Great price, Great wine. This is what buying wine at Costco is all about. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 Points Costco item number: 35512 |
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This is an awesome, highly approachable, drink anytime, Pinot Noir. I love Pinots because you can pair them with just about anything, and in the summertime, when the whites start blending together, a Pinot is always the solution.
This bottle is $17.99 at Costco, and it is a fantastic Pinot in my opinion. It’s as smooth as smooth gets. I usually hate using the word “smooth” to describe wine but in this case, it tastes near perfect. This wine is fresh, opening up with red berry flavors with some vanilla, a little pepper, subtle tannins and a lasting finish. I enjoyed this bottle with a spicy veggie stir fry and it was absolutely perfect. I’m a big fan and plan on adding a couple to the cellar. I’m also putting this on our Silver Rated wine list, which typically doesn’t see many wines under $20. And if you didn’t read my review of the Firepeak Chardonnay, it is also a big time winner. This is a winery to remember. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 Points Costco item number: 345740 |
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Neyers is a super dependable winery. I can’t think of a bottle I’ve had from them that disappointed so I was excited to see the Chardonnay at my Costco; especially during the summertime when I’m looking for good white wines. Price was $24.99, so my expectations were high (plus I love Carneros wines), and this wine delivered.
It is signature Carneros from the start. The nose is a good mix of floral aromas surrounded by a little citrus and oak that carry through to the palate. In the mouth, this is rich and layered, starting with a touch of citrus flavor and moving to a buttery (but not too much) and creamy finish with subtle oak notes. I get turned off by Chardonnays that overdo any one of these elements, but this bottle hits them all just perfect. A real treat, and a solid addition to our Bronze Rated list.. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 91 Points Costco item number: 681700 |
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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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This Rioja is just perfect all around and a joy to drink. The timing couldn’t be better as the tannins have really softened and the wine just cushions in the mouth.
Great balance of every component. The nose is fresh, floral and a little spicy. Big cherry and rich red fruit flavors on the palate surrounded by those soft tannins. Drink after drink you want to go in for more. This leads into a stunning finish with hints of oak and spice that lingers for a long time. I misplaced my purchase notes on this wine so I don’t have a Costco item number or the price I paid. I believe it was around $15-$20 which makes this an incredible buy. Definitely grab this one if you see it, especially if you like big, juicy and finely executed worldly reds. A Silver Rated wine for me. CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 Points |