QPR, CdP, M-O-U-S-E

Fast facts:

• 2022 Kirkland Signature Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($19.69 @ Costco, California – Item #777662)

Missed me?  I am just back from a two week vacation in New England with four – count ’em! – four generations of wine loving family members (well, maybe three when you omit all of those stinking cute grandkids!) enjoying summer fare of steamed clams, boiled lobsters and regular visits to Legal Seafoods to sate our never ending craving for fried clams. The latter MUST be with whole bellies BTW. Other wise, just order the calamari ya’ piker.

But I was struck by how well served we were by our most recent post here when it came to pairing wine with seafood. Being on the east coast for a change, some 3K miles from the current center of the Vinopointers universe (I am a native New Englander donchaknow) I was grateful for how readily available Spanish Albariño was. Not to mention French Sancerre to keep my wife happy.  Which reminds me that I need to swing by my local Trader Joe’s and see if they have any of this aforementioned Albariño still on the shelves.

But I digress. This post is about a red wine, from Costco, and a high QPR Châteauneuf-du-Pape (not an oxymoron!) at that.

Speaking of Old World…

Among the “old world” offerings bottled under the Kirkland Signature label, this CdP is one of our favorites. It has been around for over a decade, and is consistently good.  It is not a massive, extracted version with intensely concentrated flavors.  Those tend to come with stratospheric scores from the top critics, and prices to match.  (Although the 93 points given the 2019 by Wine Enthusiast gives you some idea how good a value this wine tends to be.  That said, I think this 2021 should be scored more in the 90-91 point range.) Think of this wine as your “everyday” Chateauneuf.

It hits it right down the middle, to use a baseball metaphor.  Medium body, medium tannins, medium acidity and medium finish. But that doesn’t mean this is a simple wine.  On the contrary, it is a very elegant wine that would pair well with a wide variety of foods. And we think this is one that would benefit from a year or two of cellar aging, if you can be that patient. If not, at least give it some time to open up after pulling the cork. An hour should do, if you can wait that long.

About Chateauneuf-du-Pape:

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous wine region of the southern Rhone Valley. The wines come from the commune of the same name, which means “the new castle of the Pope.” That’s because in a time of great strife in the church, the Pope was sort of hiding out in France – and drinking lots of “sacramental” wine we think.  That’s the “recovering Catholic” in me talking.

The wines grow on a soil that is a mixture of large quartz stones and sandy red clay. The quartz stones are known as “galet roules” and are the most recognizable feature of the Châteauneuf vineyards. The softball sized galets roules reflect sunlight upon the vines, having a warming effect. A wind, known as the Mistral, whips up through the valley from the Mediterranean Sea and has a cooling effect, but the region is nonetheless quite warm and very dry, which helps explain why these wines from the old world, have much in common – stylistically – to wines from the new world.  They are often compared favorably to wines from California.

A great bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge bursts not only with rich raspberry and plummy fruit flavors but also dusted leather, game, and herbs. Herbs! Wine geeks – and the actual French – call this herbal melange “garrigue,” after the region’s scrubland of sage, rosemary, and lavender. They are all here in this bottling.  Again, not entirely dissimilar from the hillside wines of California.

 

Tasting Notes:

The 2022 vintage pours a medium ruby in the glass. On the nose, typicity with notes of spice, seasonings, meats and restrained fruitiness – red and black berries – from the Grenache. There’s a slight dusty chocolate to seduce.  On the palate, restrained tannins are kept in check by a noticeable acidity. Full bodied, quite dry. Shows lovely red and dark fruit aromas with characteristic earthiness woven in. The wine is medium plus in body with good structure and flavors of dark cocoa, black pepper, bright berries, plum and anise.  Nice balanced finish of baking spices, lavender and and black berry.  ABV =15%. Both the French and Italians will hate me for saying this, but this is a wine that pairs nicely with Italian fare with red and white sauces.

These sell out fast.  You’re going to want to snap some of this up next time you visit your local Costco.

Need More Wine Picks from Costco – or Trader Joe’s Even?

If your wine shopping excursions land you in Costco, prepare by grazing our most recent reviews of Costco wines here in our Lucky 13 list.

And if your shopping finds you at Trader Joe’s, you can find our Lucky 13 list of TJ’s wine here.

Happy hunting.

Cheers!