Fast Facts:
- 2021 Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France ($17.69 @Costco in California – Item #1494198)
As a person that has spent the bulk of his career in the wine business, I often get asked to name my favorite wine. It is a bit like being asked to name your favorite child. But if pressed lightly (no starch please) I will name Merlot from Bordeaux. This rendition from Costco is SO recongnizably a Merlot dominated Bordeaux that if was love at first sniff.
Our Wine of the Week (WoW!) is a blend of Merlot (76%) and Cabernet (24%) breaks with convention for the left bank of the Gironde river, where these grapes were born. You see, conventional wisdom expects wines from the left bank be dominated by the wine grape Cabernet Sauvignon and those from the right bank by the Merlot grape.
But all we care about is that it works!
Saint-Julien is one of the most reliable and underrated village appelations in the Haut-Medoc district of Bordeaux. It may suffer in popular esteem because unlike Pauillac to its immediate north, and Margaux a few miles to the south, there are no “first growth” properties (think of this as the all-star team if unfamiliar with the term) within its boundaries. Perhaps this partly explains the high QPR on this wine.
Tasting Notes:
The wine pours a rich, deep ruby in the glass with a nice clear rim. Classic Bordeaux aromas of black fruits, forest floor and mocha. In the mouth it has flavors of dark berries, coffee, raw white mushroom and some eucalyptus notes. Medium bodied-with light tannins. Finishes dry and long with some herbal notes. Would pair well with traditional Thanksgiving fare – and since this bottle is ageworthy – it could be for the 2024 holiday, or 2025. If you can’t wait, a decant of an hour or two would be a good idea. Bonus: a nice sane 12.5% ABV.
Long time readers will know that we recommend a series of wines in the lead up to the holiday season. And you may be wondering why we refer to this wine as a “secret” wine. Well the reason is that some people will pooh-pooh the wine because of its Kirkland Signature label. My advice to deal with the wine snobs among us? Decant the wine and pour it blind.
Noted wine author Jancis Robinson has this to say about Saint-Julien: “(it) has been the commune for wine connoissuers who seek subtlety, balance and tradition for their red bordeaux…they embody all the virtues of fine, long-lived blends of Cabernet and Merlot grapes.”
If that description has you enticed, you should get to your nearest Costco since this one is likely to sell out quickly, and who knows when it will come around again. And maybe pick up one of their pumpkin pies while you’re there. Tis the season!
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!
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