12/31/2023 - bobbylion Likes this wine:

It’s going down. Should have drank it 2 years ago. Still enjoyable, but not at its peak anymore. Acidity is low - some oxidation. Old chard. Was great at peak.

Increasing my score on day two. Got better. Acidity is coming through, no fat. Oxidation wiff gone. Burgundian. Still, drink now.

2/23/2023 - mwneil wrote:

Coravined with Chateua Prieure de Beyzac 2018, this wine was light, light fruit and tannin, balanced, slowly opened up but needed more fruit, nothing special, drank with grilled loin lamb chops, have had better Cote de Bourgs, no reason to try another bottle but we do have half of this bottle left.

10/15/2022 - DoubleMagnum Does not like this wine:

Dull and lifeless. Guess this wasn't meant to age this long?

8/28/2022 - ccn wrote:

Entering nice drinking window. Tannins still present, but integrated. Medium length, good red fruit framed by very slight wood. Likely better in 5+ years.

6/19/2021 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine:

Rhone / Barossa Comparisons (London): Dark red. Spicy aroma. Really bright cherry fruit, luscious texture, but with a lightness and delicate touch of acidity. Mellow, earthy, spicy aftertastes. Exquisitely balanced. Interesting to taste after a 94 Hermitage. This was the lighter wine. Not decanted, but bottle opened for two hours in advance.

8/14/2022 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Interesting white with quite a mineral nose. Acid is very pronounced on the palate however. This needs some time in the cellar to come together. The structure needs some polishing which some rest time should provide. No doubt this will shine a year or two from now.

3/25/2022 - tanglenet wrote:

Opened not decanted and served chilled. Pale pine gold in color. Cold clean attack of lemon and lime fruit. Medium weight in body. Ends with a tangy and tongue coating lemon finish. Good + FYI these bottles are getting better with age

4/30/2022 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Red fruited, sous-bois, sappy, earthy, silky, bright, long.
Entering maturity but honestly, I don't see any rush to drink this.
Beautiful wine.

2/15/2021 - DDicaprio Likes this wine:

Don't agree with the harsher comment or two, it is after all $7.99 and its a basic and drinkable, non-offensive, low priced wine, so drink it for what it is and appreciate that it could be done at that price point. I used it for cooking and then didn't mind finishing a glass or two while the meal was being prepared, and was pleasantly surprised. Had sparkling that was less well made at twice that price, and this one is perfect for mixed cocktails. It serves a purpose for me and would repurchase without a thought.

9/9/2016 - Redguy wrote:

Moderately corked... and still better than many rosé.

2/1/2022 - skurtz Likes this wine:

Tons of mushrooms on the nose and palate. Smooth and silky. Strawberries on the palate. Enjoyed with Jim at the Village Green. This wine was paired with the duck spring rolls. 92/93

12/18/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Floral, herbaceous, less funky and less kirsch than in the CdP bottling. I like this slightly more this vintage. Alcohol not as noticeable but drink up in a cool winter night.

1/3/2015 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

15.5% alcohol in pinot? Too evident for my taste.

11/20/2021 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Dark fruited, medium bodied, high acid, not very tannic. Simple, young, serviceable. May improve with a little bottle age.

2/10/2021 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Medium lemon in color. Nose of ripe citrus, apple, butter, charred oak and a hint of sherry. Dry, full bodied, medium low acid, medium plus alcohol. It feels sticky on the palate. Somewhat cloying. The oak is a bit overwhelming and it needs more acid to balance out the weight. Decent length on the finish.
Better than the last two reds I've had from El Enemigo.

3/13/2021 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Is this a Barbera blend or a Ruchè blend? It feels light, body-wise and too tannic for Barbera. It drinks more like young Nebbiolo. Nose is basic red fruited. I don't think it gets any oak. Can't believe I'm saying this but, it may need some. Decant but I'd wait a couple of years too.

10/26/2019 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Pale gold in color. Lemon, wet stones and sea water on the nose. Dry on the palate, medium plus acid, medium alcohol, medium bodied, supple almost voluptuous mouthfeel balanced by the acid. Mid-length finish. Went well with sushi.

6/6/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Red fruited nose with some crushed rocks and some herbs. Dry on the palate, savory, with good minerality and brighter than 2019. Acid is definitely good this vintage. Feels more balanced than last vintage. Had it against the popular AIX bottling and this was just as good. Very good QPR.

1/1/2021 - fitzi wrote:

From 750, New Year's Eve. With the cork, a rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee emerged from the bottle. Poured a large glass, decanted half the bottle into an empty 375, left the remainder in the bottle, open, on the counter for 24 hours. Drank the glass slowly over the course of the evening,

The wine from the glass was a brambly mess, flat, flavors hard to differentiate, little aroma, no finish. The wine worsened over the course of the evening, if anything, and I wrote it off to either mild corkedness or just bad winemaking. This evening, out of a sense of scientific interest, I poured the remainder from the open bottle. Still largely dumb, this now came across as a very large-scaled wine indeed, with a nascent resurgence of the initial coffee, substantial depth, and a real finish. But inarticulate, so likely still a baby,

I'm going into such excruciating detail here because of the note posted a couple of days ago by Doublemagnum, to which I feel my experience adds useful information. Based on the second glass tonight, I'd estimate that, in this format, the wine needs something like another decade to develop into even youthful maturity, when it has the potential to be a very grand cru indeed. An interesting surprise, and I'll try to keep hands off the remaining bottles until at least 2025.

2/21/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Pale gold in color. Looks younger than I would expect after a decade. Citrus and stone fruit on the nose, some honeysuckle. Dry and luscious on the full-bodied palate, with medium plus acidity and notes of white nectarines, and oyster shells. Good minerality, well integrated alcohol and oak. The weight gives this a luxurious feeling that to me is very Meursault. The finish is savory, saline and long.

Bought this at the winery in Beaune in 2013. Glad I waited to drink it. It is drinking beautifully now.

3/28/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Medium lemon in color. The nose is ripe and of pronounced intensity. Notes of pineapple, papaya, passion fruit and coconut. I get no orchard fruits but maybe a little lemon. Some toasty oak as well. The palate is rich and clearly from a very ripe, tropical vintage, but it opens up. It is concentrated, lush, layered, mouth coating, textured, complex, and delicious. Dry, bright and almost endless finish.
This is for white burgundy drinkers who want to scratch the itch for a little bit of California chard in their wine. I’d love to put this on a blind with Sandhi and Liquid Farm and see all the head scratching.
Cheers & Happy Sunday!

7/31/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote:

Funk meets Classical, creates an album that fits in no other genre, so it gets shelved in the Jazz section, and lost for many, many, many, many years.....Until one day!

For you non-music loving winos, here is another analogy: This wine is like a hand cranked jack in the box, with a slow emerging cute little midget clown, sporting a 12" penis!

Barnyard nose, with ground white pepper, lots and lots of brett, liquid sex, and sweet funky blue fruit, followed by a gigantic 45 second firm, dry finish that goes on and on and on....

Must warn you! Drink this wine at the end the night. Because if you think you are going to drink a 15 dollar bottle of wine as an opening act to an evening of many other wines, you will most likely be disappointed by the rest of the lineup, unless you are drinking young, but awesomely expensive wines. Not to mention, that your tongue WILL BE bruised!

9/2/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote:

Good, without being too rich like a slutty Charonnay can be...Good acidity with hints of France in the bottle. I wish there was more France in the bottle, but glad it lacked California...Drink

3/14/2021 - lucagiupponi wrote:

It’s always hard to tell with Kirkland wines. Did I not decant it long enough? Is it too young? Or is it just bad? The tannins were just unbearable at opening, but after a few hours this opened up enough to enjoy it with a hearty meal. Very lean and acidic. At this price point I’d probably rather get a good Nebbiolo or Barbera though.

2/25/2021 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Pale gold in color. Nose of honeydew, kiwi, lychee, honeysuckle and elderflower. Smell sweet. On the palate, it is dry and wow... vintage must have been hot. Not for the alcohol, as I don't sense any heat but rather the body. This wine is quite "voluptuous" to put it nicely. Luckily there’s quite a bit of acid to balance it but it is FULL bodied. The nose is clearly Sancerre but the body is telling me Bordeaux. I would probably not call New Zealand on this but I’d have a hard time calling Sancerre had I been blinded on this. I swear there is Semillon in this. The amount of honey is substantial. Yeah. I would have probably called Entre-Deux-Mers. Finishes dry, mid-length. Not bad but climate is certainly changing things.

1/4/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

OK. The best way I can describe this wine is picture a natural Beaujolais that has been mixed with some tapenade.
It's as if Marcel Lapierre met Pierre Gonon and told him, OK, I'll take care of the palate and you take care of the nose.
Voilà!

11/26/2020 - F_&_M Likes this wine:

Surprisingly good, it's got a decent richness, softness, probably a little sweetness. Well worth the $45. Versus a $100 plus for anything better.

2/2/2021 - srh Likes this wine:

Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.

≈50 min decant into a plastic, cylindrical pitcher which was then capped; A miniscule amount of sediment noted; Private Preserve after Day 1

N: Fragrant straws, cherries, flowers (roses?), some minerals, poss earth;

P: Med body; Rndish entry with nice, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which init strengthens before VERY slowly evolving into a very LONG, bitter/swt finish which firms with its acidity rather than its basically resolved tannins. NOT a "sipper", this went WELL with the Grilled Grnd Beef & Sauteed Mushrooms, < so with the Mashed Potatoes.

// Day 2: Aromas ≈, P has held acceptably, POSS slightly < firm, though still better with the night's Grilled Pk Chops & Mashed Potatoes than it was by itself.

// Day 3: Aromatically < intense, P notably < firm, but that was positive, at least with tonight's Calzone (Sausage)/Marinara. I'm now wondering IF there's an incompatible pairing for this wine?!? 😉

// ∑: 12.7% ABV; My EXC-/EXC, trending towards the higher IF viewed as a low alch food wine, though even then a substantial # of folks (e.g., my relatives) are NOT going to enjoy its slender, acid driven, only subtly fruity, style. 😉 😕 [As of early Feb '21, wine-searcher still shows 6 sources from $56-$76].

Note: First tasted on 5/29/20

1/28/2021 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

The nose reminded me of my trip to Croatia. Plavac Mali was the grape.
This is an honest wine. Lots of cherry and blackberry fruit, bramble, a touch of baking spice and pie crust. Juicy and bright on the palate with soft and supple tannins. This is a big, forward wine but the acidity does help it tone it down. Vibrant through the gentle grip, lingering finish.
This is quite a bottle for a Kirkland wine. I rarely go for ripe, forward wines but I have to admit, this exceeded my expectations and I suspect it will be a party pleaser.

1/13/2021 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

After reading recent reviews I feel as if I drank a different wine. My experience was similar to three years ago. The nose was strangely muted. Just a hint of red fruit and leather. On the palate, it is fresh with suave texture, slight under-ripe berry fruit, medium-low grip and bright acidity but the aromatic complexity was subdued as I got none of the blood, iron ore or feral notes I expect from the appellation. I didn't decant but drank it over two days without major change. I'm starting to think this is not a phase but a bad batch.

2/2/2018 - Ryan D wrote:

Wow. Just wow. This is drinking magnificently right now. The nose, initially a bit muted, starts to explode from the glass. Xmas spices. Red cherry. On the palette, darker fruit and a hint of tar. Tannins have mellowed, but lots enough left to give this some structure. Perfectly balanced. Just plain deliciousness.

12/21/2020 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

Medium lemon in color. Citrusy nose with lemon curd, green apple, some white flowers and crushed rocks. I don't get the typical sea shells from the appelation but this is young, so that may be coming later. A bit fatter than I expected but not flabby, there's enough acidity to balance the weight. In summary, good amount of fruit, some aromatic complexity, nice minerality, very good density and a medium plus finish. Yeah, this is a buy for me at the pricepoint. You'll pay at least twice as much if you see Fevre or Moreau on the label. Very good QPR.

5/2/2020 - DoubleMagnum Does not like this wine:

An innocuous, fruit forward cab that lacks focus. It feels quite generic. Disappointing.

12/7/2020 - DoubleMagnum Does not like this wine:

Deep ruby in color. Dark fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, bramble, some tar and some cedar. Dry entrance on the palate, but the midcore is quite sweet. Acidity is low for this much fruit. A bit too ripe for me. There is a bit of grip, and alcohol is moderate. Sweet mid-length finish. Reminds me of the Columbia bottling I had a few weeks ago. Something needs to be done to control ripeness on these bottlings. All that sweetness overshadows everything. Unfortunately, not for me.

12/12/2015 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Very good vintage. Time has done well to this bottle. Really enjoyable.

10/29/2020 - DoubleMagnum Does not like this wine:

There is a green note on the nose that I find distracting. Also a burnt rubber note that reminds me of Chilean cab. Not impressed honestly. Feels cheap and generic. I would expect more from the vintage.

11/1/2020 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Deep ruby in color. Dark fruit. Blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrant on the nose. On the palate, it's definitely got the ripeness of Napa. A little residual sugar too, perhaps? Very primary both on nose a palate but there is a decent amount of fruit and the tannin is not aggressive but very noticeable. Acidity is somewhat obscured by the sweetness of the fruit but it is there. IMHO this the structure to gain complexity, it just needs some time.

11/7/2020 - Fractalage Likes this wine:

Quality.
But way too young.
My first Kirkland wine. I have been very reticent to buy this brand for wine, but this sucker was on par with what the Sangiovese quality could bring. It's a legit DOCG and tasted as such.
It needs 5 years though.
Several hours still left it lacking in openness.
Great earth! Dry and with a Brett like bite I really liked this wine.
Great cherry and strawberry with much earth.
After 10 years it will really spank.
My strong recommendation is to NOT drink now but cellar and try again in 5.

Left a glass undecanted in bottle for next day inspection.
This juice was much better. Great nose and great palate.
Based on this, if you drink this today, decant the day before.

5/31/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Ripe, alcoholic and almost too much to taste… Note I said almost with its jammy, licorice, chocolate and spicy character, the wine coats your palate, teeth and gums with layers of decadent fruit. There is a touch of heat in the massive finish.

10/10/2020 - rojoloco Likes this wine:

It had good ripened fruit flavors. Nice depth. Could not stop drinking it, until it was gone. Wanted another.

11/22/2017 - scw Likes this wine:

glad I drank it now. Very good. Cork wet almost to the top. Still lots of structure.

8/23/2020 - David J Cooper wrote:

Deep purple. Intense berry nose, rich dry blackberry, warm spice and some cassis. Dry berry flavours and a very dry balanced finish.

A world apart from the Chianti’s and Northern Rhone we’ve been drinking.

8/31/2019 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Hard to judge such a young wine but it definitely has potential. Everything pops, it's as if it were written in bold.
The nose is primary dark fruits with a good amount of blackberry, blackcurrant, cassis, along with toast, cedar and hints of espresso. On the palate it is dry, full bodied, with med acid, med+ tannins, velvety texture, and med alcohol. The notes of coffee, cassis and cedar pop on the palate as well. It is still very young and has a ton of potential for aging. I'd keep this at least 5 years before popping again.

9/5/2020 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

OK. At a lower price point, the Kirkland bottling kicked its butt.

7/24/2020 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

This wine feels like it has been hitting the gym for the past twelve years. It's gain a bit of muscle but it hasn't gained an ounce of fat! Crispy, mineral and chalky. This wine exhudes Chablis. Not 12 year old Chablis, but maybe 4? Very nice bottle. Went great with the saltier oysters, the Welfleet ones, from the platter we had.

5/30/2020 - dlduchon Likes this wine:

Still a bit of Mourvèdre bite, with less fruit. Fantastic wine. Good for more years but unlikely to improve.

4/8/2020 - Toddly wrote:

Unexpectedly bitter, lacked depth, body. Hard to find any classic cab franc notes in this one

5/1/2020 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine:

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.

5/17/2020 - DoubleMagnum wrote:

Full bodied, dark fruited. Like a CdP but still tannic 15 years later. The fruit is still present but the tannins are outshining it now. Given the elevated alcohol, I don't think this will age too much longer or gracefully. Not all wines live forever.

2/10/2020 - Stevey wrote:

Pulled from 13C and let sit vertical for 24h. Blackberry, fruit forward. Slightly disappointed as I expected greater complexity. Did not improve during 2 hours. Tannins have integrated, this wine has peaked. I don't see it getting better. Drink now.