Anthony Gismondi: No great Costco wine bargains in B.C.
Credit to Author: agismondi| Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2020 19:00:21 +0000
I’m in Hawaii this week, taking a few days off before the wine season cranks up, beginning with the fast approaching Vancouver International Wine Festival that runs Feb. 22 to March 1.
Several events are already sold out, and if things proceed as per usual, there is little doubt most tickets will be long gone before we get to February. If you are planning on attending the 2020 edition, you best book your tickets today before it is too late. You will find complete information at winefest.ca
In the meantime, I have been reviewing several wines in the US, including the top-selling Kirkland Signature wines sold widely across the entire Costco chain in the United States.
You will find some of them in select stores in Alberta (and soon Saskatchewan), where the playing field among retail wine shops is level. No Costco outlets are offering wine in British Columbia because they do not qualify for a licence (not grocery, not retail) and even if they did, they are no licenses available in what is essentially now a closed market under tight government control — the same government that operates a chain of 197-retail stores.
I know, weird isn’t it? Perhaps they feel threatened by Costco’s highly-advanced retail model and super low wine prices. But that is a story for another day.
Costco Canada Liquor, as it is known in Alberta, lies within the regular Costco stores, but the entrance to the liquor section is separate from Costco’s main warehouse entrance to facilitate shopping at Costco Liquor without a membership.
It’s another one of those odd provincial liquor regulations, this time in Alberta, that joins a long list of Canadian liquor laws that make about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine.
You will find the Kirkland Costco brand across Costco stores in America. I share my thoughts on some of the current lineups because they are so affordable, and because many Canadians are holidaying in the U.S. The goal was to find two labels, one white and one red, that I could highly recommend, and I have.
Among the three whites, we tasted the clear winner was the Kirkland Signature Sauvignon Blanc Ti Point 2018 (New Zealand, $6.99 US). If you agree that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a no brainer when it comes to freshness and vitality, then you will be interested to know the Kirkland version is as good as it gets for the category. We love the citrus flavour core and the fresh, bright citrus flavours that finish with a robust mineral undercurrent. Simple, clean and affordable no reason to spend more. We tasted it against several well-known Kiwi labels, and it easily stood up.
The Kirkland Signature Chardonnay 2018 (California, $7.99 US) is a pleasant, easy-sipping Chardonnay that would be fun with spicy chicken dishes. On the other hand, the Kirkland Signature Pinot Grigio 2019 (California, $7.99 US), despite its impressive Italian Friuli appellation, is pretty ordinary stuff. It’s fresh enough and clean, but the tone is sweet and the body soft. Americanized?
The red wines produced a similar outcome. The clear winner was the Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Villages 2018 (Rhone Valley, France $6.99 US). Cotes du Rhone Villages wine, as its name suggests, comes from fruit grown on the slightly elevated lands near the towns or “villages” in the region. The blend is a classic mix of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre made by local French vintner Patrick Lesec. It’s all you could want for the money, with soft round black fruit aromas and flavours with a twist of licorice, spice and garrigue. The finish is medium-length with light dusty tannins. It is the perfect nothing more, nothing less red to serve liberally around the barbecue.
The Kirkland Signature Red Blend (Napa Valley, California, $11.99 US) was pleasant and comfortable sipping, but the price is more about the Napa moniker than the quality of the wine. The Kirkland Signature Malbec 2018 (Argentina, $6.99 US) is a relatively accurate representation of a Malbec, and fair value when served with grilled flank steak.
That’s it from dreamland. Our weekend wine picks are priced in British Columbia. Fasten your seatbelts and get out your wallets.
Quails’ Gate Chasselas- Pinot Blanc-Pinot Gris 2018, Okanagan Valley
$18.99 | 88/100
UPC: 778856117059
The B.C. summer favourite and No. 1 selling B.C. VQA white in the province is equally as delicious all winter, and you will find it on a lot of restaurant wine lists. Light and playful, this vintage is 60 per cent Chasselas (the first vinifera planted on the estate), 20 per cent Pinot Blanc, and 20 per cent Pinot Gris, all harvested and fermented separately in stainless steel before the assemblage. Fresh pear, gentle citrus, honeydew melon flecked with piquant, zesty pithiness and rise of acidity. A perfect pour for seafood sushi rolls.
Jim Barry Assyrtiko 2018, Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia
$57.89 | 92/100 (Marquis Wine Cellars)
UPC: 9314487767167
Peter Barry first tasted Assyrtiko in August 2006 while on holiday with my wife Sue on the Greek island of Santorini, the birthplace of the Assyrtiko grape variety. Unlike most tourists, he went directly home and set about importing the vine, running it through quarantine and finally planting it in 2012 at his Clare Valley property Lodge Hill Vineyard. The Assyrtiko is uncannily Greek despite its new-found home. The colour is straw pale. The nose is a magnetic storm of citrus blossoms and Meyer lemons with a squeeze of guava and honeydew melon. The mid-palate is fresh and stony with slate and more lime notes and a perfectly crisp finish. This is gulp-able. Attention local growers, we should see if these grapes could survive the winter. Perfect with halibut fish cakes and asparagus.
Lake Sonoma Zinfandel 2017, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California, United States
$25.99 | 89/100
UPC: 729188115565
We love the bright fruit here that permeates the savoury, smoky, bramble nose. The attack is a sporting mix of youthful, juicy, black cherry, blackberry flavours; Dry creek always offers up some floral undertones that lift the smooth low tannin finish. Ready to drink and perfect with roasted root vegetables and grilled baby back ribs.
Nielson Pinot Noir 2016, Santa Barbara County, California, United States
$34.99 | 90/100
UPC: 732099038694
The fruit comes off three dominant Pinot Noir growing regions in Santa Barbara County: Santa Maria Valley, one of California’s coolest AVAs brings the aromatics; Los Alamos, a slightly warmer site, brings the riper, darker fruit flavours; while south of Santa Maria Valley and Los Alamos, the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and its steep slopes add stony minerality and some austerity. It spends 16 months in French oak, but only three per cent is new. Look for fresh, brambly red fruit aromas that spill onto the palate with more dense, vibrant black cherry fruit flavours. All the blocks are harvested separately to allow for a wide choice of tastes and styles — a distinctive, delicious style that has turkey written all over it.
Culmina Family Estate Hypothesis 2014, Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley
$46 | 92/100
UPC: 827413000416
It is the brightest and purest edition of Hypothesis that I have encountered, with an abundance of fruit and acidity to carry it along for the next decade in the bottle. The blend is 45/33/22 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It’s a beautiful road map for others to follow because the purity of Okanagan fruit with a dusting of sagebrush is unique. The florality is off the charts, and it lifts the middle of the palate, giving it vibrancy and length. It’s just a baby at this point and very primary, but I have high hopes for this wine down the road. Buy and hold for the moment.
We like the acidity of medium weight reds to best a pair with pork and to take on this recipe, including the chimichurri sauce.
Château Canada Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Bordeaux, France, $20.99
Balsamic, earthy, soy, black cherry flavours finish dry. A medium-weight ready to drink Bordeaux made for pork.
Louis Latour Gamay Bourgogne 2017, Burgundy, France, $25.99
Red fruits with a splash of pepper, licorice, and black tea are built to take on this pork dish and its chimichurri garnish.
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