Kirkland Signature Gigondas – Authentically Good

A solidly satisfying Southern Rhone bargain from Costco, the Kirkland Signature Gigondas.

75% Grenache, 20% 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. Imported by Misa Imports.

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 80% 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 2016 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, meaty, funky note and a little garrigue. Tasting the medium to full-bodied wine shows juicy, tart, candied berry flavors, plenty of earth, white and black pepper and more. With good balance and structure, this a really tasty wine. It ends dry and long with lingering tart candied fruit with a bit of lingering green olive.