Napa on the cheap, we check out the latest vintage of the Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend from Costco.
58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot from Napa Valley, California. The wine is aged in oak for an unspecified amount of time.
The Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend is available exclusively at Costco for $10.99. Like many of the Kirkland Signature wines, it is cellared and bottled by DC Flynt MW Selections. Up until the 2020 vintage the wine was made by Glenn Hugo, the winemaker at Girard Napa and B.R. Cohn, but since 2020 the label does not specify.
Want to get an email reminder of the Kirkland Signature wines to watch for each month? SIGN UP HERE!
From the bottle:
The 2022 red blend is a traditional blend of classical varietals which combine to create a finely nuanced wine from the well-drained gravelly loams and silt soils of Napa Valley. This blend has the concentrated notes of black cherry and cassis supported by silky tannins and the spice rack notes of oak and cedar finishing with the velvety notes of rich plum.
14.5% Alcohol
It’s always nice to see the new vintage of this wine pop up in stores as we’ve enjoyed it over many vintages. The last couple vintages, however, the level of sweetness has seemed to be creeping up, which isn’t to our liking. Let’s check out how the 2022 fares.
The 2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend begins very similar to the 2021 with a pleasing and jammy aroma full of ripe black cherry and other red fruits plus some sweet spice, vanilla, cola, black pepper and a hint of cigar box.
Taking a sip reveals a balanced, smooth and silky medium-bodied wine that is thankfully a bit less sweet than last year’s rendition and also more complex. Easy drinking and satisfying, especially after it has some air, the wine features plenty of plum, cherry and assorted berry fruit plus some continued light touches of vanilla, cedar, sage and tobacco.
Some nice spice notes develop on the mid-palate and lead into the long finish. It was similar on day 2. We’re bumping our Taste Rating up a bit this year, making this vintage a great value.
2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend
And here’s our review of the 2021 vintage which was was 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
The 2021 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend begins with a very jammy aroma of ripe black cherry and other red fruits plus some sweet spice, vanilla, cola, black pepper and a hint of cigar box.
Taking a sip reveals a balanced, smooth and silky medium-bodied wine that’s definitely a tad sweet and also, unfortunately, lacking in complexity. In the mouth there’s plenty of fruit (plum, cherry and assorted berries) and some continued light touches of vanilla, cedar, sage and tobacco especially after it has some air.
Some nice spice notes develop on the mid-palate and lead into the long finish. This one just squeaks by with a recommended rating. It’s not distinctively Napa Valley but then again neither is the price. And all that said, it is squarely in crowd-pleasing category.
2021 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend
Looking for more of our favorite wine selections from Costco? Browse our multi-page listing of recommended wines along with more information on how to best shop the store!
You can also find more of our favorite red blends here.
Would You Like To Save This?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
We won't send you spam, unsubscribe at any time.
