Kirkland Signature 2011 Signature California Chardonnay

I’ve heard about the good values at Costco, and I recently bought a Costco membership. I’ve been impressed so far with the Kirkland Signature products, and a friend of mine kept telling me about the good values at the Costco liquor stores here. (Here in Minnesota, Costco has to have a separate store for alcoholic beverages due to state law.) The Costco I normally shop at does not have a liquor store, due to local laws (the city operates it’s own liquor stores and does not allow private stores), so I had to drive a bit farther to get to a Costco liquor store.

I noticed right away that their prices on alcoholic beverages are quite good. In fact, it was difficult to not buy too much at once. I especially couldn’t pass up the 1.5 L (Magnum) bottle of Chardonnay for $7.99. (Prices may vary due to local laws and taxes.)

I wasn’t expecting much, but I was hoping that it would be a decent low-end wine. After all, it’s only $4 per 750 ml.

After chilling the wine, I opened the bottle and poured. The nose was very promising, with some nice light fruit notes.

After the first taste, my wife and I were both very impressed. This wine is very well balanced with some decent complexity. On the palate, there’s some nice fruit along with some mineral and floral notes. There’s a bit of oak on the finish, but definitely not excessive at all. We are both very impressed.

I generally prefer red wines, and it takes a fairly good white for me to like it. I like this wine. It’s quite good, and an excellent value. I’m giving this wine a “Very Good” rating.

If you have a Costco store nearby that sells wine (either in the store or in a separate store), check it out. Depending on state laws, you may not even need a membership to purchase alcohol there. Unfortunately, some state and local laws prohibit Costco from selling wine.