An Incredible Bordeaux Wine Value at – Wait for It – $6.89

Fast facts:

• 2022 Kirkland Signature Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux, France $6.89 (@Costco, California, Item# 118548)

Bordeaux is the largest wine region in France.  It produces some 700 million bottles of wine in an average year. Like all wine regions, the style of the wine is heavily influenced by climate. Bordeaux has a cool marine coastal climate, with mild weather and no real dry season. Bordeaux reds tend to be a bit lower in alcohol and are slightly lighter in body, although climate change (namely warmer temperatures) are starting to change that. This wine is a pretty good example of the shift.

Stylistically, the wines of Bordeaux (which the British like to call claret) exhibit more nuanced flavors and less up-front fruit. Sophisticated and elegant, they pair well with game meats, roast lamb, or hearty beef stews. It consists of two major areas—the Left and the Right Bank. Both lie in the heart of the Gironde estuary and are further divided by its tributaries, the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers. While the Right Bank produces blends that are mostly Merlot dominant, the Left Bank produces blends that are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon dominant. This particular bottling is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot making it a bit of an anomaly given the location of Château Petit Freylon, the producer. That is their real chateau on the label of this wine.

Bordeaux reds are said to be terroir-driven. Terroir is a concise way to define a specific region based upon the soil, climate, and the collective knowledge of the generations of people who have farmed the land. When shopping for Bordeaux reds, keep in mind, French wines are all about the region and the blend, not about individual grape varieties. In fact, you will rarely find blend percentages listed on the label as they are on this wine. While some of the most expensive wines in the world come from Bordeaux, most are every day, affordable table wines.

Tasting Notes:

Nice opaque violet red color. Fruity and savory aromas and flavors of dried cherries, toasty oak and blueberry pie. Medium-to-full body with a complex, long finish showing satisfying notes of butterscotch, dark chocolate and licorice.   Supple and powerful with firm but rounded tannins. A solid, well balanced bottling that would fare well with a wide range of foods.  ABV = 14%

This is not the first time we have reviewed this wine. In fact, it is the third.  But it is the best vintage we have tasted.  The fact that the price has dropped a bit (it was $7.99) is a bonus.  The one thing that concerns us is the asterisk on the in store signage.  This usually designates that a product is going away.  Let’s hope not.  This is an incredible food friendly wine with an impressive QPR.

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.

Remember as alway, let us know if you find something you think we should know about.  We will give you a shout out in our review for “sniffing it out” for us.

Cheers!