Reviews

Zurab Gvaladze(credit drwinkler) Zurab Gvaladze comes from a winemaking family in the municipality of Bagdati. His father was an agronomist for the Soviet collective farm in this area; the family has a 35-year-old vineyard.  And his niece Baia Gvaladze and her siblings make wine nearby at another vineyard and winery in Village Obcha called Baia’s Wine.  I visited Zurab and …

This is straight up a super solid wine at a great Costco price. Certain to be a hit for fans of wines from Washington State’s Columbia Valley. There is a subtle difference though to this wine that wasn’t apparent at first. About 4 years ago we reviewed a similar wine, branded North 46 from Washington […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-north-46-cabernet-sauvignon-columbia-valley/

Gorgeous and seductive, with a rich core of kumquat, melon and lemon verbena. The opulence is balanced and integrated with a fresh beam of acidity that cuts through, plus salted herb notes. Honeyed at the edges and delicious through the long, well-meshed finish. Roussanne and Clairette. Drink now through 2030. 415 cases made, 100 cases imported. Source : 65594a55221e68400f8133e17ec2ff58

John Bouwer(credit drwinkler) South Africa’s St Helena Bay region seems an unlikely place to find a vineyard.  It’s very dry with fine, sandy soils that require a 4×4 to navigate.  Located very close to the Atlantic, the winds can be ferocious, and ravenous birds devour grapes as they ripen. However, the weather is marine-influenced, growing seasons are long, and two …

This bright white is light on its feet, with a nice mix of Asian pear, grapefruit pith and white blossom notes that show an underpinning of minerally stone and saline character, ending with a silky finish. Drink now. 4,100 cases made, 3,000 cases imported. Source : 39a6b8ee10e83ebbdf65a2ac6af6f2ad

This wine is a smoking deal and is fast becoming one of our favorite Kirkland wine buys. It’s not that it’s an insane wine. It’s the price to quality ratio that is special; in the case of this bottle, it’s really hard to beat. This remains a 87-88 point wine; it’s landed in that range […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2022-kirkland-signature-bordeaux-superieur/

Silky, open and generous, with raspberry coulis and smoked mineral undercurrents showing great harmony and length. Offers grilled alder in the backdrop, with intriguing spice and brown bread notes. There’s a winey, smoky edge to the smooth finish. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2029. 3,000 cases made, 510 cases imported. Source : c6f2d968cc04f392e554e6d6f2bd3d85

The post “Built from Nothing” (Domaine Bousquet Recent Releases) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. Last October, when I met up with Domaine Bousquet‘s Anne Bousquet in NYC’s Baires Grill for what seems to have become an annual catch-up on their new releases, I realized that there waws one question that I’d never asked her. Bousquet has a lot of …

A suave red, with a sense of poise to the integration of ripe black currant, black cherry, Earl Grey tea leaf and dried mint flavors, backed by limber tannins and a subtle, minerally underpinning of smoke and loamy earth that echoes on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031. 15,000 cases made, 1,500 cases …

Succulent lemon curd, mandarin orange and orange zest flavors are fresh and bright, with a juicy thread of acidity. Offers hints of buttery pastry, fresh ginger and nutmeg on a polished frame, with a long, expressive finish, where a toasted, salted almond detail lingers. Drink now. 4,469 cases made. Source : 00949085f82799bc1ca09a002aa7c9ba

A stylish red, with good verve and lovely integration. Aromas and flavors of crushed marjoram and pine, violet, milled white pepper and paprika are enmeshed with taut, fine-grained tannins and a core of ripe mulberry, plum sauce and black olive flavors. This keeps its energy through to the bright, mineral-driven finish. Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. …

We ran into a huge corner stack of these bottles on a Costco visit this morning and we are posting out of cycle because wanted to get this live as fast as possible given this substantial discount that ends on 1/26. This is a Carneros Pinot Noir actually owned by Gloria Ferrer who produces lovely […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2019-windvane-carneros-pinot-noir-estate-grown/

Credit: DRWinkler John Seccombe (shown here) and wife Tasha started this boutique winery in 2012. They source fruit from throughout the Western Cape and make the wine at the Gabrielskloof cellar near Bot River.  John attended Stellenbosch but moved to the UK and studied winemaking at Plumpton College in Sussex.  After making wine in France and England, he and Tasha …

Lovely aromas of bergamot and lemon thyme pave the way for a suave-textured and juicy display of cherry, pomegranate and red currant flavors, which ride a gentle wave of minerally acidity onto the clean, precise finish, with subtle herbal notes folding in. Drink now through 2032. 1,415 cases made, 500 cases imported. Source : c3f8b58a9691223e56f8d0899bf48f65

The New Year is really off to an amazing start with some of the new Costco wines we are finding, and this one is certainly among the best of the bunch. This is an Haut-Medoc with the Cru Bourgeois designation, which is usually a good sign. When you find the right ones with these markings […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2019-chateau-larose-trintaudon-haut-medoc/

A succulent version, offering clementine, mango and apricot flavors that are juicy and fleshy, with hints of grilled pineapple, fresh lemon zest and lemon basil on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 1,400 cases made. Source : 49a3b605a01c343b478902f5d7a38122

Sleek and silky yet keenly structured, with a simmering backbone of mineral-tinged acidity framed by raspberry, cherry, forest floor and savory tea accents that build toward the dynamic finish. Drink now through 2034. 899 cases made. Source : d45c2fcc4d7b729f83a6a429486d01a9

The post Old Vines, New Steps (Pedroncelli Recent Releases) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. “Old vines are great, but they’re, well, old.” Late last year, I had the pleasure of catching up (via Zoom) with Julie Julie Pedroncelli, who (after her father officially retired at the age of 90) is now President of Pedroncelli, a stalwart fixture on the …

A slightly late arrival on this one; we were expecting it to arrive in December as we’ve seen with past vintages. But glad of course to see it didn’t go anywhere. This Gigondas from the Kirkland label is always a good buy, at a rather unheard price point ($13.99) for this region. And we are […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2022-kirkland-signature-gigondas/

Peach, apple and bitter citrus flavors work in tandem with the bright acidity to achieve personality and harmony in this juicy white. The texture verges on oily, and this finishes long. Drink now. 3,300 cases made, 600 cases imported. Source : 4515edb0f0e88344cacd07beca3e9eaf