Community Tasting Note
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DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 92 points
May 1, 2020 - Medium ruby in color. Quite light. Nose of bing cherry, cranberry and rose petals. Oak is almost non-existent. Dry, medium plus acidity, medium plus tannins, medium alcohol. The amount of extract is significant. It feels full bodied, yet airy. Great vintage for Barolo, the fruit and structure reminds me of 2010. The grip is still potent. This wine can age 20+ years. It's still a baby.
Get passed the label. This not only looks, smells, and tastes like Barolo; it is TRADITIONAL Barolo. Outstanding QPR.3 people found this helpful 2,093 views
5 Comments
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Neecies commented:
5/30/20, 5:03 AM - After reading all the comments, I'm convinced that not all '15 Kirkland Barolos are created equal. They probably bought several lots; no way the bottle we opened last night is a 20 yr wine. Soft, almost flabby, fruit forward, almost no grip--tastes like American fruit, cheaply made. Haven't posted a TN yet but think I just wrote it!
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DoubleMagnum commented:
5/30/20, 6:07 AM - It could be but I'd doubt they would not blend prior to release. Given the volume, I'd lean towards case or bottle variation. Have you had any other 15s? It is a ripe vintage, but the claws were out for me, both times I had this wine. Best thing to do is blind it against same vintage, similar price point wines. Thanks for the comment.
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Neecies commented:
5/30/20, 3:16 PM - I go the other way (plus I've seen massive variation in other Kirkland bottlings). Blending would be wasted effort--the average Kirkland buyer is not your average Brand Name Barolo collector, more the kind of unfussy person who drinks whatever they bring within 48 hours. The kind of difference you and I are talking about, they wouldn't notice. They either like it, or they don't.
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DoubleMagnum commented:
6/1/20, 11:02 AM - I was thinking another issue that could contribute to your experience is shipping. That hasn't been smooth in the recent past with the virus situation. Storage as well. A combination of the two, maybe.
I don't really buy that much Kirkland wine to notice bottle variation. I do buy a couple of bottles of some releases that peak my curiosity but I don't think I have much interest to buy more than that. Hope your next bottle is better. Cheers! -
Neecies commented:
6/1/20, 12:35 PM - The wine didn't show any of the issues that would involve shipping or storage. It just compared to Piedmonte Italian Barolo as Gallo Hearty Burgundy once upon a time compared to Nuits St. George. Re Kirkland and different lots, I once drank a surprisingly good Kirkland Argentine Malbec at a party, and a month or so later bought a few bottles myself. Same label, same vintage, but there was a time lag. Not at all the same wine in the bottle. And shortly thereafter at another Costco in another state I saw Kirkland Malbec, same vintage--everything alike but the printing/graphics on the label. Didn't buy it, but it's safe to presume the inside was as different yet again as the outside. And that's the proof I can offer about different lots. I mostly avoid Kirkland wines--I do large tastings in my neighborhood and bought every Kirkland wine available for that. No winners in that group, though I've very occasionally tasted a good one at someone else's home. And a Margaux that was in the first issue of Kirkland wines period was remarkable.