Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis

While not as inexpensive as it used to be this is still big time Burgundy at a bargain price, the Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis.

100% Chardonnay from Burgundy, France. The wine sees no oak and is aged in stainless steel for 12 months.

The Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis is available for $19.99 at Costco. Very few Premier Cru wines are available under $20, with most costing $30+. It is imported by Misa Imports.

From the bottle:

Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis is made with Chardonnay grapes sourced from the finest Premier Cru vineyard sites. The Kimmeridgian soil, a blend of limestone and clay, gives the wine a distinct minerality. The wine is aged 12 months in stainless steel tanks and has flavors of lemon citrus and white floral notes with a refreshing lifting acidity.
Odile Van Der Moere, Winemaker

13.5% Alcohol

Today we are revisiting this Chablis Premier Cru wine, a designation in the Burgundy region that normally carries a much higher price. Not to the level of the Grand Cru wines, these wines are nevertheless very high quality with strict controls on vineyard sites and maximum yields. A relatively cool climate, south facing slopes that get lots of sun and the unique limestone and clay soils dotted with seashells all create a fabulous recipe for growing high-quality Chardonnay grapes.

Unfortunately, the price on this Kirkland Signature bottling has gone up steadily over the years. It started at just $14.99 for the 2014 vintage and now with the 2018 vintage it is priced at $19.99. We still rate it a 9 on our Taste scale but that increasing price means it has fallen to just a Recommended Buy rating as it’s not nearly as good of a bargain as it used to be.

The 2018 Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis begins with a quite a pleasant aroma of lime and green apple plus a little grapefruit and tangerine and maybe just a touch of lemon cream.

Tasting the wine shows it to be really delicious with tons of rich fruit and great acidity. It’s crisp and very pleasing in the mouth with lots more lemon, apple and pear as well as tart fruit flavors of pineapple and grapefruit.

Some chalky minerality leads into the tart, crisp and long finish. This is a great example of how good unoaked Chardonnay can be and a rare chance to try a Premier Cru Chablis under $20 (albeit just under)!