Despite the pandemic raging on we return with the fourth edition of our Costco ‘Kirkland Signature’ Wine Report. Costco sells more wine than anyone in America. While they might not have the range of wines that other retailers can boast, you know that you won’t experience a large mark-up with wines from Costco. While Costco has a well-crafted, albeit a bit small collection of wines of the world, most of the wines at Costco are sourced from wineries, rather than from a private label. Over the past ten years Costco has created their own label of wine under their ‘Kirkland Signature’ mark. Their wines, like all Kirkland Signature products, deliver serious value and have transformed the American wine market. We have been purchasing Kirkland Signature wines for more than ten years, and in general we have found these wines to show solid value and in some cases, good aging potential.
Given that Costco is based in our home state of Washington, it seemed appropriate to publish a wine report covering all currently available Kirkland Signature wines. We procured these bottles over several Seattle area Costco locations. This year the reviews were solely done by Owen Bargreen and Tan Vinh, writer for the Seattle Times. Our individual reviews were shared after all of the wines had been reviewed and similar to last year’s report, many of the wines showed similarly to our respective palates.
One thing that struck me is how good the NV Prosecco has been for the price. It is very hards to find a Prosecco in this price range, as in most grocery stores La Marca Prosecco costs $13.99 at the store and delivers the same level of quality. You are essentially getting two bottles of Prosecco for the price of one.
Similarly, you could easily argue that there is not a better value in Champagne than the NV Kirkland Signature. The new NV blend might be the best one I have tasted since I have been doing this report. The care and level of commitment that you find for this $19.99 bottle of Champagne is just second to none.
I was surprised that I recommended all of the white wines, and after examining my notes I found that the wines tasted very similarly to how they did last year for me.
With regards to the red wines, a few were definitely substandard even at a low price point. My feeling is that the white wines by Costco offer slightly more consistent value. The 2020 ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc is one of the better values you will find in New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and similarly the 2019 ‘Sonoma County’ Chardonnay is value that is very hard to find at this price point.
With respect to their red wines, the $6.99 Cotes du Rhone Villages would be killer to enjoy by the glass but you get insane value by purchasing the entire bottle. This wine has plenty of complexity and ripe red and dark fruits with great acidity. Try to avoid the 2019 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Cabernet Sauvignon which although inexpensive wouldn’t even make a good sangria.
NV Kirkkland Signature ‘Asolo’ Prosecco ($6.99)- This NV ‘Asolo’ Prosecco says it is sourced from ‘prime’ vineyards across Veneto. Greenish in color, this delivers good weight with shades of sweetened peach, lychee, and sweetened and salty brioche on the palate. This finishes short and is best enjoyed over the next several years. Try this in a mimosa. Drink 2021-2024- 88 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
NV Kirkkland Signature Prosecco Rose ($6.99)- A new wine in the Kirkland Signature collection, the really good Prosecco rose offers a lot of sparkling wine that is pretty much unparalleled at this price point as most Rose Proseccors this good would be more in the 15 dollar range — or more. Faint red rose petal tones combine with ripe red raspberry and green apple on the nose. The palate is soft and inviting with salty undertones alongside sweetened nectarine and Golden Delicious apple tones. Extremely easy to drink really difficult to find a Prosecco Rose that even crosses this price point at this quality. Despite its obvious shortcomings do you not enjoy this wine at this price? Drink 2021-2024- 88 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
NV Kirkland Signature ‘Brut’ Champagne ($19.99)- Crafted by Champagne house Jannison, which is a grand cru site located in Verzenay. The ‘Brut’ is a proprietary blend of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pretty nutty undertones combine with green apple, and lemon blossom on the nose. The palate offers plenty of weight with shades of baking spice laced pear, Challah bread and shades of kumquat. Drink 2021-2026- 91 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Grave’ Pinot Grigio ($5.99)- The 2020 ‘Grave’ Pinot Grigio weights in at 12.5% and shows off highly faint hay and kumquat rind tones aromatically. The palate is soft and shows good mouthfeel with layers of pink grapefruit and orange blossom. A bit out of balance with its unusual kiss of sweetness, this delivers serious value considering the price point. This is nothing I would buy but I can’t help recommending considering the price. How can you not recommend a palatable wine at six bucks. Drink 2021-2024- 86 RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Pinot Grigio ($12.99, 3L box)- Made from a cardboard box, this says it is at 12% alcohol. My guess is it comes off considerably higher. Very delicate pear and green apple notes mark the palate alongside very little acidity and shades of Lemonhead candy. Despite its shortcomings, this is a serious value at the amount and quality of wine at the price. Keep in mind of the bottle price that makes which makes this nearly impossible not to recommend. For people that enjoy sweetened, nondescript white wines, this is cheaper than some bottled waters. Drink 2020-2023- 85 RECOMMENDED
2021 Kirkland Signature ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99)- The 2021 Kirkland Signature ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc is nothing short of a killer value for the price. Crated by Tracy Haslam of Ti Point Vineyard in Marlborough as this weighs in at 12.5% alcohol. The nose is herbal and shows bright green bell pepper and dried herbs with gooseberry tones. Fresh and vibrant with great acidity, this might not have the best feeling of weight but delivers plenty of lip-smacking acidity with its lemon zest and melon tones alongside a great veil of tension. Drinking marvelously now, enjoy over the next several years. I don’t know you can’t recommend this wine considering the price point. Drink 2021-2023- 89 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Premier Cru’ Chablis ($19.99)- The 2019 ‘Premier Cru’ Chablis was crafted from different vineyards in Van Ligneau and Vaugiraut. At 13.5% alcohol, this aged for 12 months in stainless steel before bottling. Made by winemaker OdileVan Der Moere. Crushed wet rock and bright pear tones combine with shades of nectarine on the nose. This shows good weight and is nicely textured but offers slightly less in terms of bright acidity than the 2018 bottling. At the same time, this wine is a sure bet for any Chablis lover that craves value in a market that offers very little decent deals. I do prefer the past two years editions. Drink 2021-2028- 90 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2020 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Chardonnay ($7.99, 1.5L)- The label unfortunately makes it unclear where the wine comes from, although it notes that it was cellared and bottled by Dc Flynt MW Selections’ in Modesto, California. This edition comes off slightly better than the last vintage, with less cloying notes alongside orchard fruit flavors. While exceedingly cheap, I think you can do better in the 7 dollar Chardonnay range without suffering a headache the next morning. Drink 2021-2024- 83 NOT RECOMMENDED
2020 Kirkland Signature ‘Sonoma County’ Chardonnay ($9.99)- A touch cloying and sweet, the 2020 Kirkland Signature ‘ Sonoma County’ Chardonnay delivers very forward and sweetened ripe fruit flavors that deliver at this price point. Soft on the mouth and not overly oaked, this actually reveals nice texture. Finishing short and showing a good veil of tension, this easy to drink Chardonnay is best consumed over the next few years. How do you not recommend this easy to drink bottle? Drink 2021-2024- 87 RECOMMENDED
2020 Kirkland Signature ‘Cotes de Provence’ Rose ($8.69)- A new wine to this program, the wine is a blend of mostly Grenache (35%) and Cinsault (28%) with smaller portions Syrah, Tibouren, Uni Blanc, Vermentino and Mourvedre. Made by winemaker Olivier Sumiere, this delivers nutty and earthy undertone that collide with pretty guava and red raspberry on the nose. The palate is soft, medium-bodied and very inviting with mouth-watering acidity and plenty of texture. Seriously good now, this will provide drinking enjoyment for another five years. Considering the price at top Provence Rose, this is a downright killer value at under nine bucks. Drink 2021-2025- 89 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2020 Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Village ($6.99)- A really good value under seven dollars, this 2019 ‘Cotes du Rhone Villages’ was made by Patrick Lesec. A blend of Mourvdre, Syrah and Grenache, the wine shows off high-toned guava and orange rind tones that combine with white pepper dusted bacon on the palate. The palate is very fresh and energetic with serious tension and lovely garrigue notes alongside a core of fresh, medium-bodied dark fruit flavors. You would be hard pressed to find this value under seven dollars as this delivers quality that for most estates that would come at twenty to thirty dollars. While this says 14.5% my guess is it rings in at closer to 15%. This might be the most gratifying wine considering the price of this tasting. Drink 2021-2025- 90 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2020 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($7.99, 1.5L)- The label does not display the sourcing for the wine and only says DC Flynt MW once again. The wine borders on communion wine, as the wine says that it weights in at 13% alcohol but comes off more like 15-16%. Sweetened figs and oak chips fill the nose. The wine comes off saccharin driven as this is so poorly made I wouldn’t make Sangria from it. Don’t serve to your worst enemy. Drink 2021-2023- 75 NOT RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.99)- The Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley was produced and made by winemaker Glen Hugo. The wine comes off a bit hot with sweetened chocolate and overripe black fruits that mingle with loamy soils on he palate. Jammy and lacking balance, I would like more classic Napa character at this price. Having reviewed hundreds of Napa wines this year I honestly wouldn’t drink a glass of this wine. While they advertise Rutherford dust on the label there isn’t an inkling of that in the glass. Drink 2021-2025- 86 NOT RECOMMENDED
2020 Kirkland Signature Malbec ($6.99)- Sourced from Mendoza and made at the well-known Broquel winery, the 2020 Malbec is forward and polished with ripe red currant flavors alongside chocolate, blackberry compote and tar tones. It is hard to find an Argentinian Malbec that delivers this much quality at under 7 bucks as you usually see this in the 12 dollar range. Drink 2021-2025- 89 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Kirkland Signature 10 Year Old Tawny Porto ($16.99)- Formerly made by Foseca Guimarens, this 10 year old tawny is now crafted by Kobrand producer Via Nova de Gaia. The nose is very pretty with orange embers and ripe red raspberry coulis with bright red plum tones. The palate is fresh and viscous with silky tannins that line a core of rum raisin, chocolate covered caramel and bright red fruit flavors. Really delicious toe njoy now, this has a long life ahead of it. I love the value here as it is very difficult to find a 10 year Tawny at this price. Drink 2021-2028- 90 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Older Wines
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘K Vine Evergreen Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Soft and approachable this is delicious wine to consume in the short-term. Drink 2021-2024- 89 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Russian River Valley’ Chardonnay- Soft and a bit lean, this delivers serious value for the price although I would enjoy more weight considering the varietal and the vintage. Drink 2021-2025- 87 RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir- Straightforward cola and red fruit notes make this highly uninspired and generic but still offering some value. Drink 2021-2025- 85 NOT RECOMMENDED
2018 Kirkland Signature Gigondas- Forward and delicious red fruits collide with tar and garrigue notes on the palate. Really nicely textured this is delicious wine to savor now. Drink 2021-2025- 90 RECOMMENDED, LOOK FOR NEXT YEAR
2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Reserva’ Rioja- The 2016 ‘Reserva’ Rioja offers soft red fruits with a polished texture and terrific mouthfeel. Bright red cherry and orange rind tones combine with smoky undercurrents. Drink 2021-2025- 90 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2018 Kirkland Signature ‘Riserva’ Chianti Classico- Very approachable with refined tannins the red fruit driven ‘Riserva’ marries bright red fruits with burnt orange, tobacco and tilled soil tones on the palate. You are basically getting a wine at half-off with the Kirkland Label. Drink 2021-2025- 90 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Soft and approachable this delivers soft black overripe fruits that come off slightly cloying with hits of caramel which makes this very confusing. This is labeled at 14.5% alcohol but this is obviously more than one percent higher than that. This is really out of balance. Drink 2021-2025- 87 NOT RECOMMENDED
2019 Kirkland Signature ‘Signature Series’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Made by famed Washington winemaker Gilles Nicault, this delivers ripe black plum and leather notes that combine with black cherry compote and plenty of finesse on the palate. Really enjoyable now, enjoy in the short-term. Drink 2021-2027- 90 RECOMMENDED