Just ran into this one in the nick of time to still get the healthy Costco sale price of $10.99, off the standard price of $15.99.  Then I rushed to taste it so I could get something out to you right away.  The sale price ends this Sunday (7/7).

The wine turned out to be pretty good, but not great in my opinion, so all that haste might not be worth it.  This is fairly priced at $10.99, but I wouldn’t go much more than that.  The first 2/3 was great, but I found the finish a little disjointed.  Other readers may disagree, so please feel free to share your opinion in the comments below. 

This wine pours light, see through ruby in the glass; it has an inviting nose that is floral, earthy and peppery.  In the mouth, vibrant flavors of wild strawberry, spicy black cherry and a touch of Dr Pepper.  So we’re looking good up until this point.

But the finish left me hoping for more with the wine just not coming together as much as I hoped.  I gave the wine some extra air, and it improved slightly, but it never quite came to a place where I’d recommend it. 

I love Willamette Valley Pinot so was excited to see the steep discount on a producer we’ve never reviewed. I almost stocked up but now I’m glad I didn’t.  For $10 (regular Costco price), I’d opt for the Firesteed Pinot if you still find that one near you.  It’s delicious, a solid pick for summer drinking and you don’t have to run to Costco over a holiday weekend to snag a sale price.

CoscoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 points

Costco item number: 1336755

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA

Alc. 13.8%

The post 2015 Westmount Willamette Valley Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

This is the first, and lower priced, of two Argentinian Pinot Noirs that I picked up at Costco and I thought it would be fun to drink them both and see how they fared and compared.

At $9.99, I hoped this might turn into a strong Pinot value buy, but in the end, it left me wanting a bit more.  Granted, there’s nothing wrong with this wine.  The nose is amazing; it’s fresh and juicy, but the wine got a little boring after the first couple of tastes, until I gave it a slight chill.

This wine pours a touch on the darker side of Pinot and has a racy nose of spicy cherry and perfume, reminds me of Nyquil. Chewy in the mouth, this is distinctively Pinot that is not from the US or Europe, so I like the fact it’s expressive of its terroir; flavors of black cherry, raspberry, cola with a peppery spicy finish.

The wine is a fair buy as an everyday drinker, primarily because it would pair with a lot of different meals, and it’s also really hard to find good Pinot under $10.  I’d recommend serving it slightly chilled, in between room temp and cellar temp, so maybe 62-63 degrees.  After my first small glass I put the bottle in the fridge for 15 minutes to see how it would taste and it ended up working better for me on my next glass.

Our next review will be another Argentinian Pinot Noir; this one cost a few dollars more so we’ll see if the extra dough equates to a more enjoyable wine.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 85 points

Costco item number: 1327065

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA

Alc. 13.3%

The post 2017 Aniello 006 Riverside Estate Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

Here’s the second Argentinean Pinot Noir we picked up from Costco to review on our last trip.  The first bottle, the 2017 Aniello we found to be just a fair, not great, buy at only $10.  This Verum Pinot is a few dollars more at $13.89 but we felt it was definitely worth the extra few bucks.

Similar in color than the Aniello bottle, both on the darker side of Pinot.  Berries on the nose with some spice; flavors are spicy cherry and strawberry, red licorice and dash of Dr Pepper.

The finish is nice and rather elegant at this price point; it’s pleasant and lingering.  This wine is nicely balanced all around and a solid choice for Argentinian Pinot.

You see from the Costco sign that Suckling went 90 points on this bottle two years in a row, and if you go back another year, he gave the 2016 vintage 91 points.  So this seems to consistently be a winner in his book at least.  Retail price is $20 too, so I love Costco’s $14 price.   

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 points

Costco item number: 896821

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA

Alc. 13.5%

The post 2017 Verum Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

There’s a lot to like here for Pinot fans looking for good buys under $20, which isn’t always easy to come by in the world of Pinot Noir.

I found this New Zealand (Wairarapa, North Island) for only $15.99 at my Costco, and it’s a wine I’ve never seen before so I thought it would be fun to review.

Costco’s price is pretty solid considering the wine usually receives 90+ point ratings from the critics and the retail price is closer to $25. Wine Enthusiast went so far as to award the wine 92 points. This wine has also been named one of the top 10 wines in the area in previous vintages.

I learned all of that after researching the winery post-drinking this bottle. I felt it was an 89 pointer, which is still a strong rating but perhaps the critics liked this wine a bit more. I do also like the fact it’s organic and bio-dynamically produced. Let’s get into the wine itself.

I thought it was a bit smoky with some burnt toast initially right out of the bottle. So I was expecting a mediocre wine but ended up being pleasantly surprised how it opened up. With a little air and a slight chill (just above room temp), that smokiness dissipated and cleared the way for a very delicious wine.

The wine pours a light see through purple; nose of dried red fruit with some spice; nice red fruit in the mouth, strawberry, Dr Pepper. I really like the mouthfeel here, it’s gentle and easy going. A fair amount of complexity and rather elegant. Good bite of acidity and spice in the finish. 

This one grew on me the more I consumed (as most wines do). But I think Pinot fans will be rewarded with this bottle. It’s hard to find solid Pinot in this price range. Enjoy with any cuisine.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points

Costco item number: 1224961

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA

Alc. 13.5%

The post 2015 Urlar Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

I’ve had quite a few readers write in to inquire about this new Kirkland offering and was anxious to taste it and report back. Good news too, we thought this was a delicious Oregon Pinot at a fantastic Costco price ($14.99).

The back label gives us a little insight into how the wine was made. I like that we’re seeing that more and more on the Kirkland offerings so we can do a little sluething and find out where these wines are originating from, and who’s behind them.

In this case the winemaker is listed as Sarah Cabot, who a quick Google search will tell you is the winemaker at Precept Wine, and who has a history in Oregon making top quality Pinot. Here’s a great little background story that I found on her that’s worth a read. Finding this wine for $15 from her seems like a bargain.

The wine pours a pale ruby in color, subtle nose with notes of spicy black cherry; this is a juicy wine in the mouth, medium in body and nicely assembled; flavors of cherry, licorice and Dr. Pepper; very elegant overall, especially considering the moderate price tag. Finishes up dry and lasting.

This is a solid Pinot Noir for the money, and a great Kirkland wine offering. Perfect for almost any cuisine or occasion. I’d considering picking up a few of these if you’re a Pinot lover, especially an Oregon Pinot lover like I tend to be, as I think these might move fast.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points

Costco item number: 975274

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA

Alc. 12.5%

The post 2017 Kirkland Signature Willamette Valley Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

This is the season when I frequently find myself at the crossroads of figuring out if I want to drink a red or a white wine. If the sun’s out, it’s white. Once it dips, it’s red. Or rosé if you’re in between. And then add some food to the mix and it gets even harder to find exactly what you want.

Enter Pinot Noir, another contender that always seems to fit the bill, at least for me. I can usually enjoy a good Pinot with a wide range of food, on a hot or cold day, or by itself. And this one from Erath is especially versatile and a wine that I imagine will appeal to many different palates.

The price at Costco is pretty good at $15.49. Poking around online, Total Wine carries it for $1 more and Wine.com comes in at $18. But $15 at Costco for a good Pinot like this seems like a fair price.

This wine pours a pale ruby color in the glass and is light enough that you can see through it. On the nose are aromas of earth, flowers, a little red fruit; in the mouth, flavors of cherry cola, spicy cherry and raspberry.

The wine is very light in body, simple and gentle. It finishes ok, with a little spice, maybe a bit quicker than I would have liked but it is still very pleasant throughout.

When I say this bottle will appeal to a lot of palates, I’m thinking across the red/white/rosé wine spectrum. Fans of huge rich reds, might find this one a little wimpy and thin.

But as far as Pinot under $20 goes, this isn’t a bad choice. If you walk into Costco and see this Erath Pinot next to the Kirkland Willamette Pinot which is around the same price, you might want to try them both to see what you like better. Me, I’d lean towards the Kirkland bottle.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 87 points

Costco item number: 5426

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 13%

The post 2017 Erath Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

It is really hard to find decent Pinot Noir around $10. We’ve found a few at Costco over the years.

The Firesteed Pinot is one that always comes to mind and one that pops up occasionally at Costco for only $10. I’ve seen this Westmount bottle back in stock too, and we thought it was just ok.

But generally, you need to get in that $15-$20 range to find something interesting.

This bottle kind falls in between for me. The price at Costco is great at only $12, considering retail seems to be around $20 and the wine is going for around $16 online.

The wine pours a pale ruby in the glass with cola and red berries on the nose. In the mouth, I picked up black cherry with notes of paprika and cinnamon. The wine finishes fast, with a quick hit of peppery spice and some oak.

I found the wine to be clean throughout but a little light on flavor. In this price range, I think it holds up decently, but I wouldn’t pay much more for it.

Look for the Firesteed to make another appearance if you’re on the hunt for bargain Pinot. Otherwise, it’s worth paying just a few dollars more and swimming just a tad further upstream with one of the Kirkland Signature Pinots, like this one from Willamette Valley.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 points

Costco item number: 1309478

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 14%

The post 2018 Cline Sonoma Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

The Baileyana Firepeak Pinot has historically been a favorite among our readers, who first turned us on to the wine about three years ago.

I’ve seen a couple more vintages appear in Costco stores around the Atlanta area, and finally got around to purchasing this new 2018 vintage so we could taste and review it once again.

Costco’s price on this wine is fantastic and it’s remained the same over the years at $17.99. Retail is around $30, and online you will find this wine going for $23-$24.

The other thing you notice about this wine is the consistent high scores, in the high 80’s, and low 90’s, every year. This is just one of those good, dependable Pinots under $20 that often times seem so hard to find.

It’s perfect for these summer months too when you want a red wine, but something that is not too big or heavy. Pinot always fits that bill for me.

Getting into the wine, it pours a medium ruby in color; dried black fruit on the nose, with a touch of anise; in the mouth, flavors of spicy black cherry, red licorice, and some blackberry. Nice contrast of red and dark fruit.

The wine finishes strong and sticky, with a touch of baking spice. This really is a delight to drink and a great Costco wine find.

We went 93 points on the last vintage we reviewed, which was very impressive. I’m coming in a little lower here, but it’s still an excellent wine, well deserving of 89 points, and one that I plan to continue to enjoy in the future. You should too.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points

Costco item number: 345740

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Woodstock)

Alc. 13.5%

The post 2018 Baileyana Firepeak Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

I’m continuing to taste through some of these Costco Pinot Noirs that I’m finding to hit the spot on warm Atlanta summer evenings. I’m still enjoying plenty of Rose and sparkling wines too this summer, but I’m on a bit of a mission to find a good dependable and affordably priced Costco Pinot.

Our recent favorite was the Baileyana Firepeak priced at $17.99. The RouteStock Pinot we are reviewing today was a few dollars more at $19.99, and I thought it was right alongside the Baileyana in terms of quality.

The wine pours a pale ruby in the glass; on the nose are black cherry, black fruit, a little spice; nice medium plus body feels great in the mouth; it’s certainly not a wimpy Pinot.

Flavors of spicy cherry, dark chocolate, cola with light tar notes; lovely acidity and herbal in the finish. This is another excellent Pinot.

I would recommend enjoying it just slightly chilled, especially when it’s hot out. I like these in between room and cellar temp, right around 60 degrees.  You can either pull it out of the cellar and let rise for around 15 minutes, or pop a room temperature bottle in the fridge for 15 minutes before you plan to open it.

Online the price is $23, so Costco is bringing in a little discount. It’s also worth noting that Wine Spectator went 91 points on this wine and named it as their #66 Wine Spectator Top 100 wines of 2019. You can check out our overview of which of the wines on that list are available at Costco.

Give this one a shot along with the Baileyana, and see which one you prefer. We really enjoyed them both.

CostcoWineBlog.com rating: 89 points

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Costco item number: 1411387

Alc. 13.7%

The post 2017 RouteStock 116 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

Next up is another Pinot Noir, and this is one that I had high hopes for. I’ve seen this bottle at Costco before, but it wasn’t until I turned it over and read the back label that I realized this wine is produced by the Drouhin family, known for superior Oregon and French Pinot.

Costco’s price is right on the money too at $14.99; retail looks closer to $20. And then further research showed a string on 90+ point reviews on previous vintages. I was really curious what we might have here while at the same time, kicking myself for not having purchased this wine sooner.

The wine looks great in the glass, a nice pale ruby; a bit of crushed flowers on the nose; flavors of black cherry, blackberry mixed with a little cranberry even; the finish is pleasant all around.

Overall, I found this to be a nice little Pinot. It’s fairly simple, straightforward and well presented, meeting my expectation of an affordable, entry level bottling from a well known producer.

We’ve reviewed a string of Costco Pinot Noir recently, ranging in price from $11 to $20, and I was trying to find what might be the best buy. And this bottle might be the one. I’m going 89 points as a rating, which matches the RouteStock and Baileyana, we tasted recently and enjoyed.

But with a price tag a bit lower, this Cloudline is a solid choice. Definitely a step up from the similarly priced Erath, and lower priced Cline. This is the perfect table wine for summer drinking. I plan to keep a few on hand.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points

Costco item number: 244389

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Woodstock)

Alc. 14.0%

The post 2018 Cloudline Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

It’s always nice to see the Kirkland Carneros Pinot arrive in Costco stores, and most importantly, to see the price tag continue to stay at $9.99, which is almost impossible to match for other wines from this premier region.

We’ve always really enjoyed this Kirkland offering, rating the 2016 vintage 89 points, and the 2017 vintage 90 points. As we’ve noted in prior reviews too, this bottle will move fast, so if it sounds up your alley, don’t wait to buy it if you see it.

I noticed this year that the winemaker is listed on the back label as Alison Crowe, who has a long history of making wine across many appellations throughout California. So I was curious as to what would be inside with this new vintage.

The wine pours a nice pale ruby in the glass with a nose of spicy cherry, a little Dr Pepper; in the mouth are flavors of cherry, red licorice and a little blackberry, a nice mix of red and dark fruit; the wine is medium in body, spicy into the finish, with notes of cherry cola and white pepper.

This is a very nice wine for the money and perhaps one of the best Pinot buys in Costco right now, in my opinion. We’ve tasted quite a few over the last month but for only $10, this bottle drinks on par with the more expensive ones we’ve posted about.

The last time we found a Kirkland Pinot this good was the 2017 Kirkland Willamette Valley Pinot and those disappeared from stores pretty fast. As far as California Pinot goes, this is very affordable and really enjoyable, not too descriptors that always go together.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points

Costco item number: 505074

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 14%

[We’ve been posting about a lot of new Kirkland wines this week, and they’ve been awesome. In case you missed it, check out our super in depth, Definitive Guide to Costco’s Kirkland wines]

The post 2018 Kirkland Signature Carneros Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

I’m going to continue grabbing different Pinot Noirs as I started doing over the past few months. This La Crema Pinot is a Costco staple and at least around the Atlanta area is pretty widely available. I hope that you are able to find it as it turned out to be a delicious wine.

La Crema is a dependable name and their Chardonnay is available at Costco too at about the same price ($16.39) as this Pinot which was $17.99. That’s a pretty fair price considering that retail is $25 and you can find the wine online for around $20. I’d really like to see it come in a little lower. $14.99 would be perfect.

This wine pours a medium ruby in the glass with a nose of rose petal and red fruit; in the mouth are flavors of cherry cola, plum, cranberry. This wine has nice acidity and a long lasting finish, with a little pepper and spice. I really love this finish the more I dig in as it hangs around longer than many of the other Pinots we’ve tasted recently.

This is an excellent Pinot buy at Costco and one of the better ones that we’ve found recently under $20. A good versatile summer red. We’ll be adding to our Top Picks list, and now I’m really looking forward to getting into the La Crema Chardonnay, hopefully soon.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points (a CostcoWineBlog Top Pick)

Costco item number: 54846

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

13.5% alc.

The post 2017 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

There was really no reason to choose this Pinot Noir. I’ve never heard of this winery, and primarily bought it so I could report back to you about how it turned out. Just a fun experiment, but man, once I tasted it I’m really glad I picked this one.

It’s not inexpensive at $24, but that’s off a retail price of around $37. You’ll notice at that link all the 90 point ratings, and Wine & Spirits gave the bottle a Best Buy designation. I wholeheartedly agree with the critics this time. This is really elegant and delicious Pinot at a pretty fair Costco price.

The wine pours a pale ruby in the glass and has a nice nose, vibrant aromas of red fruit and spice; beautiful mouthfeel, medium body; flavors of spicy cherry, cola, wild strawberry. Really a perfect finish.  More Burgundian in style.

This is a very delicate and elegant wine throughout that drinks like a much more expensive Pinot. While I went into this not knowing the Balletto name, I won’t soon forget them after tasting this one.

This is $24 well spent in the wine world in my opinion, and I would look forward to tasting more of these wines in the future. Such a pleasant surprise. We will add this bottle to our Top Picks list.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 92 points (a Costco Wine Top Pick)

Costco item number: 241654

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc.13.9%

The post 2017 Balletto Pinot Noir Russian River Valley appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

It’s been a little while since we last reviewed the Kirkland Russian River Pinot Noir.  I apologize for that; I really can’t believe it’s been about a year and a half and perhaps we missed a vintage or two.

This wine has always been pretty middle of the road for me; maybe that’s why I overlooked it, although I tend to buy all these Kirkland bottles when I see them so I can review for the site.

We reviewed the latest Kirkland Carneros Pinot a few months back, and frankly, I think it’s just a better wine that happens to also be at a slightly better price ($10 for the Carneros vs $13 for this Russian River).  Historically, the Kirkland Carneros starts to appear in stores around May timeframe.

But like all Kirkland wines, I go in expecting good things, or at least a fair representation of the varietal and the location at a good price.  More often than not, that’s exactly what these wines provide and sometimes you get a nice upside surprise.

The 2019 vintage of the Kirkland Russian River Pinot though leaves a little be desired, again.  I think it’s an ok wine, but not a great wine and it’s one that I wouldn’t buy again because there are better options out there.

The winemaker changed from our last review.  Previously the wine was made by Anthony Austin from Sonoma Coast Vineyards.  Now there’s a new name on the back label, Barbara Ignatowski, of Vintage Wine Estates and The Ranch Winery.  That’s about all the info I could turn up in a quick Google search. Let’s get into the wine.

It pours a pale to medium ruby in the glass with spicy cherry nose; flavors of black cherry, raspberry with a little Dr Pepper; nice mouthfeel but a little disjointed into the finish; the wine just doesn’t leave you wanting to come back for more.  Tried a decant but it didn’t do much.  The wine just wasn’t very interesting, and I love Russian River Pinot.

This marks back to back Kirkland bottles that we felt came up short.  We just reviewed the Kirkland Bordeaux Superieur that we also can’t recommend to readers. 

But not to worry there are plenty of home runs on our Top Picks list, many priced in this same ballpark that would make excellent buys right now.  Try to find some of those before they’re gone, especially those Riojas.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 86 points

Costco item number: 555512

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA

Alc. 14.5%

The post 2019 Kirkland Signature Russian River Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

Joseph Phelps is one of my top ten wine producers from California, and it is a nice surprise to see their Freestone Pinor Noir from the Sonoma Coast hit Costco shelves. 

You’ve probably seen their high-end red blend, the Joseph Phelps Insignia, hanging around stores too for $200, which is a very good price on one of Napa’s top bottlings.

This Pinot Noir is also not an inexpensive wine at Costco for $33.99, but that is a huge discount considering retail price is $60, and online it is around $50, even at K&L Wines who is always among the most competitive online.

This wine pours a pale ruby in the glass with grape jam on the nose; nice mouthfeel, medium in body, this wine is just classy all around.  Flavors of cherry and blueberry with lingering dark chocolate notes and a little spice.  Wraps up with a perfect, lasting finish.

This bottle is pure elegance in Pinot Noir and I just couldn’t get enough.  It also scored big with the mainstream wine critics, including receiving a huge 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.

If your wine budget allows you to extend to the $30 price range, this is a perfect pick, and nice choice for a special dinner or occasion.  Costco did a great job bringing this one to us for almost half of retail.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 93 points (a Costco Wine Top Pick)

Costco item number: 394681

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Perimeter) Alc. 14%

The post 2017 Joseph Phelps Freestone Pinot Noir Sonoma appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

Louis Latour is a powerhouse in Burgundy wine, and this is an interesting offering from them because it is actually grown outside the confines of Burgundy.

It’s a little tricky to navigate on the label, and the last time we reviewed this wine, a reader popped in with some good info.  This wine is actually from Coteaux du Verdon, in the Var IGP.  This is in southern France along the Mediterranean coast by Provence.

The area is actually well known for its Provence rosé varietals like Grenache, Carignan and Cinsaut as well as whites to include Vermentino and Viognier. 

But really what we’re getting here is some pretty good juice, handled by a top notch producer and at a really fair Costco price ($9.99).  For good, drinkable, everyday Pinot Noir, there’s not a lot to find in this price range, but we felt this one held up pretty good.

It pours a nice pale ruby in the glass and has a floral nose with red fruit aroma; the wine is medium in body with cherry cola and strawberry flavor rounded out with some pepper and spice; rather basic and easy going but pleasant throughout.

I think this is just what it’s intended to be: a simple, inexpensive Pinot Noir to pop on the table with a meal on a Tuesday.  Nothing special, but also nothing too shabby.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 87 points

Costco item number: 1021686

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Perimeter)

Alc. 13.5%

The post 2017 Louis Latour Les Bastides Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

It’s nice to see this Kirkland Pinot return to store shelves in the latest 2018 vintage.  This bottle is a reader and personal favorite among the Kirkland wine portfolio.

There are a few important things to note that are carried over from the prior 2017 vintage.   First is the price which has stayed the same at $14.99, which we think it totally fair for a wine of this caliber.

Next is the winemaker, Sarah Cabot, who also made the previous vintage.  Here’s a story we found with a little more info about her.  Given how much we enjoyed the 2017 vintage, when we saw her name on the back of the 2018, we figured we were in for more of the same.  And that turned out to be the case…

My tasting notes are very similar to the prior vintage, but in the end, I ended up enjoying this bottle a little more.  It’s a great Pinot buy for $15.

This wine pours a pale to medium ruby with juicy cherry on the nose; more cherry, and cola flavor in the mouth, with a touch of Dr Pepper, some boysenberry, little spice, a little oak.  The fruit is really vibrant and youthful and the wine is very pleasant throughout.  Clean through the finish. Just well made.

We went 89 points on the last vintage but I’m bumping this up to 90 with this new 2018 vintage.  I much prefer this to the current vintage of the Kirkland Russian River Pinot and it’s perhaps a slight notch up from the Carneros Pinot that we also really enjoyed recently.  Of the Kirkland Pinots out there right now, I think that this is the one to buy.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points (a Costco Wine Top Pick)

Costco item number: 975274

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 13.6%

The post 2018 Kirkland Signature Willamette Valley Pinot Noir appeared first on CostcoWineBlog.com.

It’s been a long time, more than six years, since we last reviewed the Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir.  But that was certainly not the last time we’ve tasted this wine as it is on my go-to list for value Pinot.  It’s just not always available at Costco so scoop it up when you find it.

When we last reviewed the 2012 vintage that we purchased at Costco for $20, we found it to be really good value.  Retail price on this wine seems to be around $24-$25. 

The good news on this 2017 vintage in stores now is that the price was down to $16.99, which totally caught me by surprise.  What a deal for this bottle.  Plus, Wine Enthusiast gave the wine a huge 94-point rating and listed it as an Editor’s Choice. Let’s get into what’s inside.

This wine is from Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County, and proudly states the certified sustainable farming designation on the front of the label.

The color is a pale ruby, very much on the pale side. It pours light but that’s not an indicator for what’s coming.  It’s the nose that gets you right away. The aromas are super vibrant; fresh berries, spice and earth.

Nice depth in the mouth with cherry, cola, strawberry flavors; toasty in the finish with a nice peppery spice and a little vanilla.

Excellent wine, and an amazing value.  So now the question is, how does this stack up to the other Pinots in Costco right now that we’ve reviewed?

Well, we’re going 90 points on this one, which is the same as the recently reviewed Kirkland Willamette Pinot although these are two different wines.  This Cambria bottle is ideal for fans of a more traditional Pinot.  The Willamette bottle is a Pinot ideal for fans of bigger red wines. Both great bottles, just a little different.

I enjoyed them both a little more than the latest Kirkland Russian River Pinot but still hold the Balletto Pinot Noir as the one to beat, albeit slightly upstream in price, but what a delicious wine.

Regardless of the nuances, every wine I just listed is a solid bet, this Cambria being among the top of the pack.  Explore and let us know what you like the best.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points (a Costco Wine Top Pick)

Costco item number: 45308

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 14.2%

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There are quite a few solid choices for Pinot Noir at Costco right now, and this new Kirkland Carneros bottle is among the better buys in our opinion. It’s hard to find Pinot from Carneros this affordably priced, and also this good. That’s what we hope (and have come to expect) Kirkland wines to deliver for us.

Thankfully with the arrival of this new 2019 vintage, Costco kept the price the same as last year at $9.99, and the wine is equally as good as it’s been in years past. Note on the placard below Suckling went 93 points on the prior vintage. We feel he’s always a little high but that’s a pretty big rating.

Quick history of our ratings for the Kirkland Carneros Pinot Noir:

2016 89 points

2017 90 points

2018 89 points

For this new 2019 I’m keeping my rating right at 89 points. It’s an excellent wine and so good at this reasonable price point.

In the glass the wine pours a pale purple and ruby; red berry fruit on the nose and it’s medium in body in the mouth; flavors of spicy cherry, cola, cranberry, then some dark fruit, a touch of blueberry. 

I always like a nice contrast between the red and dark fruit like this; good acidity throughout and a fair amount of depth considering the price point. Super lasting in the finish. Right on par with the 2018 vintage that had similar tasting notes.

Among the Kirkland Pinot Noirs, the $15 Kirkland Willamette Valley Pinot remains a tough contender and one of our recent favorites. At $5 less than that, this Carneros is hard to beat. We aren’t huge fans of the Kirkland Russian River Pinot, so would recommend opting for one of the prior two.

Or check out all of our recent Costco Pinot Noir reviews. This one from last month is dynamite too.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points

Costco item number: 505074

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 14%

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Here’s a fun Costco wine find that we were super curious about. 

You don’t see a ton of Italian Pinot Noir out there; plus this wine originated from Italy’s famed Piedmont region, where you also find a number of high caliber reds.

The price was great at $7.49 and the Costco placard proudly displayed the 92 points that James Suckling gave to the wine.  Since he often seems to skew two or three points higher than we do, we were hoping this one would come in around 88-89 points, and that’s exactly what happened.

The wine pours a medium ruby in the glass with ripe fruit and a little earth and oak on the nose; flavors are a nice contrast of red and dark fruit, black cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry.

The wine is medium plus in body with some earthy, rustic notes into the finish; good acidity.  A very nice wine all around.

It’s really hard to find quality Pinot Noir under $8, even at Costco, but this bottle might just be the one.  An excellent value with enough heft to satisfy fans of bigger red wines too. 

If you’re looking for a high value summer white wine for $8 at Costco, check out our recent review of the 2019 Zolo Chardonnay.

CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 88 points

Costco item number: 1542159

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 13.0%

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