Reviews

A little something different here in this Chilean Pinot Noir. We are always trying to taste and review new wines, and this one was right up our alley. Costco’s price is $24.99 which is very good considering retail looks to be $35+. And the wine pulled down a whopping 94 point rating from Wine Spectator […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2021-vina-ventisquero-heru-pinot-noir-casablanca-valley/

A gorgeous version of an off-dry style, offering supreme balance and energy. Kumquat, tangerine and persimmon notes reveal expressive floral perfume and build in concentration but not heaviness. The sweetness is offset by bitter white tea tannins and racy acidity. Smoke and flint hints linger on the drawn-out finish. Drink now through 2042. 2,100 cases made, 500 cases imported. Source …

Fragrant spice, floral and herb notes lace flavors of strawberry coulis and cherry glâcée in this bright, light-bodied red, with a touch of loamy earth and fine, taut tannins. Drink now through 2028. 16,700 cases made, 5,800 cases imported. Source : ec3b6d54ce19d189d31f7642d70a833b

Keto Ninidze(credit drwinkler) The woman behind this small family winery located in village Targameuli in the municipality of Martvili is Keto Ninidze, a former journalist. [She is co-author of the book A Gently Fermenting Revolution: Women in the Georgian Wine Business.] Ten years ago, she and her husband, Zaza Gagua, decided to leave Tbilisi and return to the home of …

Warm apple and quince are fleshy and round, infused with attractive spice notes and a quinine kick in this nicely concentrated Vouvray. Silky-textured and powered by succulent acidity through the savory, bitter lime peel–etched finish. Delicious, with a good balance of richness and freshness. Drink now through 2027. 8,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported. Source : 48b3d41599726c64630a84b187523194

An attractive version, with river stone and fresh floral details melding with red currant and raspberry flavors, all enlivened by fresh acidity. This unlocks additional layers of orange peel, rosemary and cassis and finishes with presence and length, adding subtle dark chocolate notes around refined tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2032. 30,000 …

This is an interesting new find at Costco that we’re sure many of you are anxious to hear an opinion about. We love seeing a Howell Mountain wine hit Costco shelves, and the $39.99 price tag isn’t bad at all for a wine from this premier region of Napa. This bottle looks to be selling […] Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2020-stipulation-cabernet-sauvignon-howell-mountain/

Distinctive and fragrant, with lemongrass, lemon verbena and sweetgrass notes complementing the Meyer lemon, yuzu and apple flavors at the core. Whiffs of honeysuckle, orange zest, litsea oil and candied ginger linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 5,602 cases made. Source : 14d29ac6339f0787de6d579838ba9642

Seductive and creamy in feel, with beautiful warmth to its notes of kumquat, chamomile and honeysuckle. Long, lush and well-knit, showing a kick of pink grapefruit bitterness. The finish is supported by wet flint. Drink now through 2035. 321 cases imported. Source : e2e46d234d16f2aa62dfb7744051bf11

Marelise Niemann(credit drwinkler) Marelise Niemann has long been recognized for her Grenache Noir sourced from bush vines grown in granitic soils in the Swartland’s Paardeberg.  However, with the 2022 vintage she has expanded her menu to include three additional, single vineyard Grenaches from different sites and soils:  Bot River (schist soils), Swartland’s Piekenierskloof (sandstone soils), and Swartland’s Riebeekberg (schist soils …

The post “Like a Memory of the Sea” (Ronchi di Castelluccio Recent Releases) appeared first on 1 Wine Dude. When describing what makes his family’s wines (and those from Italy’s Romagna in general) unique, Ronchi di Castelluccio‘s Aldo Mario Rametta keeps coming back to one thing: the soil. “The soil is like a memory of the sea,” he says (rather …

Royal Khvanchkara started out life in the 1870s as Kipiani, named after the Rachan nobles who started making a semi-sweet wine from Aleksandrouli and Mujuretuli grapes[1].  It was renamed Khvanchkara in 1927 when the Soviets expropriated the estate; they later built the Ambroulauri Wine Factory, which was again rebuilt in 2001.  Khvanchkara became very popular in Russia and was said …

This is sleek and well-knit, marrying sculpted tannins and a minerally underpinning of iron and smoke notes with flavors of blackberry paste, warm fig, green olive and rooibos tea. Tightly meshed through the racy finish. Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. Best from 2027 through 2035. 9,139 cases made, 500 cases imported. Source : 0c83222352970962e94b7af4b5981e95

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