93 Points for Under $10? Thanks, Costco!

Fast facts:

• 2016 Gaudio Reserva Red Blend, Alentejo, Portugal ($8.79 @Costco; California – Product #1756471)

I have to admit that a big reason I reached for this wine is that my wife and I visited this region (south of Lisbon, north of the stunning Algarve) this past Spring.  Oh, then there is the matter of the 93 points from Wine Enthusiast and the price!  We tasted no small number of wines from the region, and came away impressed not only by the quality but by the outstanding QPR.  Some of our favorite wines featured the grapes Alicante Bouschet and Touriga Nacional, the two grapes that comprise this red blend with 80% and 20% in the cuvee, respectively.  The back label of this wine also tells us that the wine spent 13 months in new French oak barrels.  Crazy!

But how does it taste?

Tasting Notes:

Rich fruits of plum and blackberry accompanied by smokey barbecue spices.  (So you just KNOW what you have to pair this wine with!) Hints of mint tea and pipe tobacco. Raisiny and oaky notes on the finish.  14% ABV.

The hot, dry region of Alentejo is home to not only world-class wines but is home to the world’s largest cork plantation. Here you will find rich and concentrated versions of some of Portugal’s best red wines. The region of Alentejo, is home to a range of some of the country’s most esteemed wines. Although it exists in the long shadow cast by the better known Douro Vallay, with a significant focus on robust red wines, Alentejo has solidified its reputation for producing intense and powerful reds as well.

Apart from having significant areas under vine, the region of Alentejo is also famously home to large cork plantations. In fact, more than half of the world’s cork production comes from the Alentejo region.

When it comes to the climate of the region, the intensity of the heat is moderated by the cool Atlantic Ocean, which significantly benefits the vineyards of the area. While the sun and heat ensure ripe, concentrated berries, the cooling ocean breezes allow for a balanced level of acidity in the wine.The diversity and size of Alentejo have seen the production of several types of wine. While the region’s warm conditions drive local producers to grow a vast range of red varieties, we tasted many equally good white varieties.

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!