Kirkland Signature Rutherford Napa Valley Meritage – Make Mine A Meritage Wine #8

Bulk Buy!

49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec from Napa Valley, California.

Available exclusively at Costco for $13.99.

From the bottle:

“The Napa Valley, Rutherford AVA is known for its unique terroir of volcanic-influenced soil laced with gravel, sand, and loam. This classic Cabernet-dominated Meritage is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Malbec from select Rutherford AVA vineyards.

“Deep, concentrated, black cherry notes are surrounded by ripe black currant, cinnamon and sweet oak spice. The lifting acidity frames the rich fruit and the classic ‘Rutherford Dust.'” — Winemakers Marco DiGiulio & Zach Long

14.6% Alcohol”

We’re eight wines into our series on Meritage, and it just keeps getting better. Today’s wine is as close to a sure thing as I’ve tasted, garnering a Bulk Buy rating for both the 2009 and 2010 vintages. At a price of $13.99 it really can’t be beat, but don’t dally — this wine always go fast at Costco, so if you see it, buy a bunch! Based on our experience with the last two vintages, I’m pretty confident it’ll just keep getting better in the bottle for the next 1-2 years.

The 2011 Kirkland Signature Rutherford Napa Valley Meritage opens with a very nice aroma of black cherry, licorice and cola. Tasting the wine reveals lots of juicy, ripe fruit and a super smooth texture featuring dry, sweet tannins. It also has some wonderfully integrated oak adding licorice and spice notes. As always those signature Rutherford dust notes appear on the excellent, long finish. Extremely tasty and sure to improve over the next couple years, buy a few bottles and open one every 6 months to watch it evolve!

Wine in the “Make Mine A Meritage” series:

• Lyeth Meritage 2010 – Make Mine A Meritage Wine #1
• Hahn Winery Central Coast Meritage 2010 – This ain’t no second class Bordeaux.
• Dry Creek Vineyard Sonoma County Meritage 2008 – Smooth Drinking Ahead!
• Fox Run Vineyards Meritage 2010 – Proof the Finger Lakes offers a lot more than Riesling.
• Arrowhead Red Meritage 2008 – It’s easy to fall for this Meritage from Niagara.
• Dry Creek Vineyard The Mariner Meritage 2008 – Splice the mainbrace!
• Estancia Reserve Meritage 2009 – Sweet oak and rich fruit wrapped up in a smooth package.
• Kirkland Signature Rutherford Napa Valley Meritage 2011 – A Sure Thing!
• Chateau Ste Michelle Artist Series Meritage 2008 – A Work of Art
• Arrowhead Spring Vineyards Meritage Reserve 2008 – A blackberry patch in a bottle.
• Franciscan Estate Magnificat Napa Valley Meritage 2009 – Magnificent Magnificat.