Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux Review

The return of a red wine from a prestigious area of Bordeaux at a great Costco price. We review the latest vintage of the Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux.

62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot from Saint-Julien, Medoc, Bordeaux, France.

The Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux is available exclusively at Costco and still sells for $17.99.

Saint-Julien is a Left Bank appellation right in-between Pauillac and Margaux in the larger Medoc region of Bordeaux. This is an extremely prestigious area, with many bottles selling for hundreds of dollars. As such, this is a very low price for the area.

We haven’t seen this particular Kirkland Signature bottling since the 2021 vintage. At the time, we noted that it was a bit odd that the blend was primarily Merlot with only 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the opposite of most blends coming from this area that focus on Cabernet Sauvignon.

This new 2023 vintage reverses that and puts it in line with usual blend for the area.

The wine is still bottled by Maison Ginestet, a negociant with 350 partner Chateaux in Bordeaux, who also make the Trader Joe’s Diamond Reserve Pauillac. It is imported by Misa Imports.

From the bottle:

Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux

The Saint-Julien Appellation of Bordeaux is known for wines balanced with elegance and power. Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien unveils a wine of striking beauty: its deep, dark purple color hints at the richness within. Bursting with luscious black fruit aromas, this wine radiates a generous fruity character that captivates the senses. Layers of cocoa intertwine with vibrant fruit and spicy notes, creating an aromatic symphony. A true masterpiece for those who seek both boldness and sophistication in their glass.

62% Cabernet Sauvignon – 38% Merlot

Bottled by Maison Ginestet
13.5% Alcohol

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The 2023 Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux opens with a much different aroma than the 2021. It’s a bit shy at first but keep swirling and sniffing and it reveals pleasing dark fruit plus lots of other touches like baking spice, pencil shavings, mint, chocolate and licorice.

Tasting the wine reveals it to be smooth and juicy with good balance, and similar flavors to the nose. This is much more approachable right away than the previous vintage but it also has some firm tannins and nice aging potential.

It ends dry, juicy and surprisingly long and lasting on the grippy finish. It was similar on day 2.

You may also want to check out our recent review of the Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Saint Julien which also gets an 8 Taste Rating and is priced at $17.99.

Looking for more of the best wines at 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 French wines here.

Review Summary

Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux Review • Reverse Wine Snob

The return of a red wine from a prestigious area of Bordeaux at a great Costco price. We review the Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux.

Editor's Rating:
7

Pros

• 89-90 points
• Smooth and juicy
• A great price for a Saint-Julien wine

Cons

• Limited availability at Costco

And here’s our review of the previous 2021 vintage in case you still have a few bottles laying around.

The 2021 Kirkland Signature Saint-Julien Bordeaux opens with a bit musty but pleasing, Bordeaux-like aroma of ripe plum and other dark berry fruit plus green olives, licorice, mocha, mint, lots of cloves and some other oaky spice notes.

The wine tastes smooth with similar flavors to the nose plus some earthy and mushroom notes. It’s still pretty young and has a lot going on right now so it’s missing some cohesiveness but that could improve with a little time to age. This isn’t necessarily a crowd-pleaser at this point but it is good for those who enjoy Bordeaux wines. It gets better with time in the glass too.

It ends dry and long and was similar on day 2.