We check out the new vintage of this 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 $17.79 at Costco. Very few Premier Cru wines are available under $20, with most costing $30+. It is imported by Misa Imports.
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.
Pierre Brissy, Winemaker13.5% 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.
The price on this particular Kirkland Signature bottling has bounced around over the years. It started at just $14.99 for the 2014 vintage and went up to $19.99 with the 2018 vintage. It seems to have moderated a little bit with this latest 2019 vintage, coming back down to $17.79.
The wine also has a new winemaker this time around, Pierre Brissy, who appears to be the winemaker for multiple Burgundy houses including his own winery. (Previous vintages were made by Odile Van Der Moere.)
The 2019 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. It is very pleasing in the mouth with lots more lemon, apple and pear as well as tart fruit flavors of pineapple and grapefruit. It doesn't have quite as much acidity and crispness as the 2018, but it does have tons of flavor and is a bit more round and smooth in the mouth.
Some chalky minerality leads into the tart, smooth 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)!
2019 Kirkland Signature Premier Cru Chablis
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