This $20 Kirkland cab has no business being this good. I honestly wasnt expecting much but am pretty damned impressed. Dark fuschia in color, with cassis, and powdery red fruits. On the palate, this legit screams Rutherford to me. Deep and powerful but light on its feet, with cherries, black fruits, minerality…and yes…a really nice ‘dusty’ note (honestly). Very impressive wine and very reflective of the region. I’d put this up against $75 cabs and fully expect it to steal the show. My new go-to weekday cab.
Hey Rich - I just replied in the Costco thread. I was so surprised to read this - I see these Kirkland wines at the store near me in Florida but usually pass them by. For $20, I will pick up one of these and try it.
This was the first one I’ve tried and was really, really impressed. I was completely ready for a boring/typical cheap napa cab…but this one actually had a sense of place and some complexity to me. For $20, this was a huge win in my book.
So how is it that you get this kind of value from premier AVA’s like stag’s leap for so cheap? Is it that big a AVA that they have an overabundance of fruit that costco can swoop in and buy 100 tons? With what the prominent wine growers charge for thier brands, it seems odd that there is any left over and for so little. I cant see anyone making SL shiners.
When we visit the in-laws in FL, i go to the ABC up the street and they have a house brand called “Block xxx Reserve” where they always have California AVA specific bottlings of various varietals. Usually a good value play though some can show typical characteristics of too young a wine. Still, stags leap for $30, Howell mtn for $40, sonoma bottlings for $20-25, etc is a QPR goldmine. I dont mind wading through an occasical oaky or fruity bottle here or there to find some good ones.
This spring, i picked up a couple Stags leap AVA bottling for like $30 and it was tremendous. Delicious cassis and rich cocoa but no vanilla/dill.
Apologies for the thread drift. Jon - I have seen those bottlings at ABC in Florida too. In NJ, if you have a Gary’s wine nearby, they also have similar “Block X Reserves” from Napa and a couple of the ones I’ve tried have been great QPR’s.