A solidly satisfying Southern Rhone bargain from Costco, the Kirkland Signature Gigondas.
85% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre from Gigondas, Southern Rhone Valley, France.
The Kirkland Signature Gigondas is available exclusively at Costco for $14.99. The wine is made by Guillaume Gonnet, whose family winery is Domaine Font de Michelle. It is imported by Misa Imports.
This blend of old vine Grenache and Syrah grapes are grown in the Grand Cru appellation, Gigondas, on some of the highest limestone vineyards. Established in the Southern Rhone Valley, this wine has fruit that is full bodied and rich, with silky, fine tannins; the terroir helps to keep the balance and freshness in the wine. This is a complex wine displaying notes of cherries, cassis and blood orange, with a long, lingering finish of liquorice and pepper. GUILLAUME GONNET, Winemaker
15% Alcohol
Gigondas is just to the northeast of the Chateaneuf-du-Pape region in the Southern Rhone Valley and offers a lot of similarity to that renowned region, usually at a lower price. It's great to see Costco continue to expand their Kirkland Signature label with wines like this one. (Also see our review of the Kirkland Signature CdP.)
The Gigondas rules allow for a maximum 85% Grenache plus a minimum 15% Syrah or Mourvedre and a maximum 10% of other Rhone varieties except Carignan. No oak aging is required. Costco doesn't indicate if this one spends any time in oak but if it does I'm guessing it's minimal.
The 2018 Kirkland Signature Gigondas begins with a very nice and very appropriate aroma for southern Rhone – black cherry and black olives with a bit of an earthy, funky note and a little garrigue.
Tasting the medium to full-bodied wine shows juicy and tart berry flavors with a bit of earth, white and black pepper and more. With good balance and structure, this a really tasty wine.
It ends dry, long and savory with tart fruit and some lingering licorice. It does show a bit of heat on the finish but that's not a surprise given the alcohol % is up to 15% with this vintage. Overall this is pretty nice and quite easy to drink.
You can also find more of our favorite GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) blends here.
