Reviews

We were happy to hear readers buzzing about the 2023 vintage of this Kirkland bottle arriving at warehouses, but reports were mixed. The inaugural vintage of this wine showed up exactly one year ago, and we rated it a nice 91 points; it hit so much of what we want from a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru. […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2023-kirkland-signature-saint-emilion-grand-cru-bordeaux/

(credit drwinkler) The 5.8-hectare Clos des Goisses walled vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ has been called the greatest vineyard in Champagne.  Located just above the Marne River and planted with vines since the 16th century, it is incredibly steep (30-45% gradient) with very poor soils that barely cover the deep chalk bedrock. Its south-facing orientation combined with the gradient and a pure …

Hard to believe that it’s been nearly two years since I last caught up with the wines of Vecchie Terre di Montefili, the Greve in Chianti producer who has winemaker Serena Gusmeri leading the cellar. During our most recent catch-up, I got to sample their (spoiler alert!) stellar 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva (so not quite […] This article was originally …

We have a stunner on our hands here. What a wine. This popular Kirkland offering has always been good but it’s getting a nice bump up with this vintage. Let’s stack good news on good news. Last year, we were happy the price was staying the same as the 2022 vintage at $22.99. But now […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2024-kirkland-signature-stags-leap-district-cabernet-sauvignon/

Joy Sterling (credit: drwinkler) Located 13 miles from the Pacific, this 300-acre estate (164 acres in vine today) was founded by Audrey and Barry Sterling in Green Valley in 1976.  They were pioneers of the Green Valley and played a key role in establishing it as an AVA within the Russian River Valley. Today, their daughter, Joy Sterling, who grew …

My latest article for Cristaldi & Co. is now available, in which I delve into selections from Tuscan producer Vignamaggio. These guys are making some fascinating reds (priced to match), most of the best of which are not being made with Sangiovese (Cab Franc geeks, bring your wallets!). The article is free to peruse, but […] This article was originally …

It is a little surprising to see the newest vintage of this dependable Kirkland Cabernet arrive in stores in July. The previous 2023 vintage just landed in October, but we’ll take it. This is a solid wine year to year, and this vintage is no different. More of the same greatness, but get this…the price […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2024-kirkland-signature-columbia-valley-cabernet-sauvignon/

Winemaker Paul Gerber and Assistant Winemaker Kalissa de Kok are crafting sparkling wine the Champagne way in Franschhoek. Read my review article on Substack. Source : https://i-winereview.com/blog/index.php/2025/12/18/superb-cap-classique-sparklers-from-colmant/

Sick of seeing my name on stuff lately (in which case, why are you here?… I mean, stop hate scrolling and go do something productive already)? Well, then you’re REALLY going to hate the Summer 2026 issue of Tasting Panel magazine, in which my byline appears not once, not twice, but five freaking times. Including […] This article was originally …

An interesting wine here with a massive Costco discount. $13.00 off the standard price of $32.99 makes the final price a nice $19.99, not bad for a wine from Stags Leap. We tasted and reviewed their Rutherford Cabernet just a few months ago, that also came in with a huge discount, and we really like […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2023-reputation-stags-leap-district-cabernet-sauvignon/

Hartford Family Winery focuses on single vineyard bottlings of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel, most from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards located in the Russian River Valley. The winery was founded by Don and Jennifer Hartford in Forestville in 1994. Today, Hailey Hartford Murray, daughter of Don and Jennifer and granddaughter of Jackson Family Wines founder Jess Jackson, is President …

Andreola‘s Stefano Pola wants you to know that Prosecco’s main ingredient—Glera—is not a grape that should be dismissed as somehow ignoble. “Considering that from a single grape variety we can create a Brut and Extra Brut, and considering its versatility with food, this is not a smaller grape variety,” he told me during an online […] This article was originally …

We heard the new vintage of this bottle was out there, but it took a few weeks to arrive near us. Glad it finally did because we were getting concerned we’d miss it. This is the third vintage of the Kirkland Vacqueyras, and it’s a bottle we hope sticks around. Like the Cotes du Rhone […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2024-kirkland-signature-vacqueyras/

Today, Spain’s Torres family has winemaking operations on three continents, and we previously visited them in Spain and Chile but, strangely enough, not California. Finally, a few months ago Mike Potashnik and I met up with Marimar Torres and her daughter (and General Manager of Marimar Estate) Cristina at their winery in the Russian River Valley. In this article, we …

The 2022 harvest marked the 25th anniversary of when celebrated Sonoma winemaker Merry Edwards founded her eponymous brand. To mark the occasion, Merry Edwards (the brand, not the woman, now with Heidi von der Mehden leading the cellar, who worked alongside Edwards for five years during the transition) released an anniversary Pinot Noir. From my […] This article was originally …