Kirkland Signature Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon - Punches Above Its Price Point

Our latest Costco pick! Plus learn the difference between Napa Valley and Napa County wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa County, California.

The wine is available exclusively at Costco for just $14.99, which is two dollars more than previous vintages. It is cellared and bottled by DC Flynt MW Selections, who produce a number of the Kirkland Signature wines for Costco.

From the bottle:

Napa County has a well deserved reputation for being the perfect place to grow Cabernet Sauvignon. Kirkland Signature Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits dark blackberry aromas and flavors intertwined with savory spice and vanilla.

Alison Crowe, Winemaker

14% Alcohol

Interestingly, counties in the U.S. automatically qualify as regions for wine labels. This is why you sometimes see wines labeled as Sonoma County, for example, which encompasses 17 different AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). Napa County, like today's wine, is not all that common to see and does not mean that the wine was produced in the actual legal appellation of Napa Valley, which is just a sub-portion of Napa County (although it could be). More likely is that the majority of the wine was sourced outside of the actual Napa Valley AVA but still within the larger Napa County.

The last time we reviewed this wine was the 2015 vintage and when we first popped open this 2017 I have to say I was a bit disappointed. However, as is often the case, a little bit of time to breathe makes all the difference in the world.

The 2017 Kirkland Signature Napa County Cabernet Sauvignon begins with quite an attractive aroma of blackberry, spice, ripe plum, a little vanilla, a hint of a nutty note and a bit of bell pepper. Tasting reveals a really solid Cab that is not sweet at all and full of dusty fruit layered with spice and cocoa. Smooth, fine, slightly chewy tannins and good acidity lead into the dry, medium-long finish featuring some lasting oaky spice and tobacco notes.