Costco Kirkland Signature 2022 Napa Valley Red Blend Challenge (Napa vs. Bordeaux, Judgment of Paris)

Show Notes

Episode 144: Costco Kirkland Signature 2022 Napa Valley Red Blend Challenge  00:00

Hello! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

If you are new to our podcast, here is a quick orientation! Each week, we explore a different wine varietal or blend—like Pinot Noir or Grüner Veltliner or Bordeaux-style blends — and dive into what makes it unique, special,and worth learning about. Our goal is to help you expand your wine knowledge in a fun way that normal people can understand. We also taste and review 2-3 wines under $20 each, and share our scores and recommendations to help you find great wines without breaking the bank. So, thank you so much for joining us! And, we are proud to say that Decanter Magazine calls us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining.

So we are back once again to one of our best beloved and most searched episode series: the Costco Kirkland Signature Challenge where we choose a Kirkland Signature wine from Costco, taste it, review it, and compare it to other similar and similarly priced wines to see who wins. And, sometimes Costco wins, and sometimes the other guys do. 

Today, we are also sort of doing a Bordeaux-bargain episode as well because this Costco Napa Valley Red Blend that we are drinking is a Bordeaux-style blend, and we are comparing it to 2 other Bordeaux-style blends that are all reasonably priced. So we’re kind of giving you a two-fer. It’s like a Bordeaux bargain within Costco challenge episode. Mind blown.

And, in a few minutes, we are going to do a comparison between Napa Valley and Bordeaux to see what the similarities and differences are. Afterall, Napa Valley sort of has styled itself after Bordeaux in terms of focusing on the grapes that are grown and made into wine in Bordeaux, and, of course, there is the famous, or infamous, Judgement of Paris in 1976 at the International Hotel in Paris where Napa Valley wines were blind tasted against red wines from Bordeaux and white wines from Burgundy, and the Napa Valley wines won, which was a huge shock since French wines at the time were considered far superior wines.

Before we go there, though, let’s have a little refresher on Bordeaux-style blends. A "Bordeaux-style" red blend refers to wines made with a blend of grape varieties traditionally used in the Bordeaux region of France. The primary grapes in these blends are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, often supplemented with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and sometimes Carmenère.  

While true Bordeaux wines can only come from the Bordeaux region, "Bordeaux-style" blends are produced in many other regions worldwide.

And, because of climate change impacts, Bordeaux producers can now also include small amounts of different drought-tolerant grape varieties in their blends due to concerns about warmer temperatures. However, these additions are limited to 10% of the blend.

There is also a distinction between Left Bank and Right Bank wines in Bordeaux. The Bordeaux region is divided into two primary areas based on what side of the river they are on: the "Left Bank" and the "Right Bank." These terms are shorthand for the dominant grape varieties and wine styles each is famous for. Left Bank Bordeaux typically features Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends, known for their structure and aging potential, while Right Bank Bordeaux is predominantly Merlot-based, resulting in softer, more approachable wines.

And, this is interesting, but while Cabernet Sauvignon is often perceived as the dominant grape in Bordeaux, that is not entirely accurate. Merlot is actually the most widely planted grape variety in the Bordeaux region of France. I bring this up because in California, Bordeaux-style blends tend to be much more Cabernet focused than Merlot. 

Anyway, what you really need to know, and we have talked about this before, there are really two dominant red blends in the wine world, and you need to know which is which because they are pretty different in terms of taste. Bordeaux-style blends, which tend to be Cabernet or Merlot heavy, are one, and Rhône-style or GSM blends which consist of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre are the other. 

So, today we are going to be tasting and reviewing three Bordeaux-style blends, the Napa Valley Red Blend from Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand, and then one from France, though not quite in Bordeaux, and then a final one from here in the great state of Washington that I also found at Costco, and we are going to see how the Kirkland wine does in comparison to these other Bordeaux-style blends . . . 

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ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.ridgewine.com/about/explore/judgment-of-paris/#:~:text=Judgment%20of%20Paris&text=The%20judges%20were%20among%20the,wine%20came%20only%20from%20Europe. 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgment_of_Paris_(wine)#:~:text=The%20Paris%20Wine%20Tasting%20of,to%20the%20ancient%20Greek%20myth. 
• https://www.ridgewine.com/about/news/types-of-bordeaux-varietals/#:~:text=The%20six%20Bordeaux%20Varietals%20include,unique%20characteristics%20to%20their%20wines. 

Topic: How Do Napa Valley and Bordeaux Compare as Wine Regions? 12:35

Now, we’ll get to our tasting in a bit, but what I want to do first is answer this question: How Do Napa Valley and Bordeaux Compare as Wine Regions? It is a question that everyone wants to know! Amiright?!?

But really, we ask this question first because a lot of people are huge fans of Napa Valley wines, and second, as I mentioned before, because of the results of the Judgment of Paris. These two wine regions are among the most expensive and prestigious in the world. AND because the dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the wine world is in large part because of these two regions.

While both Napa Valley and Bordeaux produce red blends using basically the same grape varieties, the wines have distinct characteristics due to a number of factors, including climate, soil, and winemaking techniques

First, when it comes to climate and terroir, which is a fancy way of saying “the place where it is from” we can compare the weather and climate and the soils. From a climate perspective

• Bordeaux generally has a moderate “maritime” climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. This results in consistent weather patterns with lots of sunshine and rainfall, and that is said to contribute to balanced fruit with moderate ripeness.
• In contrast, Napa Valley's climate is warmer and more Mediterranean, with lots of sunshine and warmer weather. The warmer climate leads to riper grapes with higher sugar levels, ultimately translating to higher alcohol content in the wines.

From a soil perspective

• Bordeaux has pretty diverse soils, including gravel, sand, clay, and limestone, which vary significantly across the region, and which leads to a wide range of flavor profiles that are different depending on which side of the river bank the grapes are on. For example, the Left Bank's well-drained gravel soils are particularly suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Right Bank's clay soils favor Merlot.
• Although Napa Valley also has diverse soils, like volcanic, alluvial (sedimentary), and maritime (sandy and salty) the specific compositions differ from Bordeaux, and that influences the taste of the wine, the way the grapes grow, and so on.

Another place where the two areas differ is in winemaking techniques:

• Bordeaux is a place that puts a huge emphasis on tradition, and blending is considered a special and specific art form which is honed and passed down generation by generation to achieve the complexity and balance the winemakers want. Winemakers carefully select grape varieties and blending techniques based on their vineyard's characteristics, often employing specific practices passed down through generations.
• Napa Valley winemakers, while inspired by Bordeaux traditions, often embrace a more modern, experimental approach. This may involve varying the types of oak used, different fermentation techniques, and different blending ratios to create wines that have much more leeway in the way they are put together.

Blending is also different:

• For instance, the proportions of grapes in a Bordeaux blend are largely determined by the very precise expectations of the specific region they are from. The Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) regulations are very strict, and they dictate which grape varieties can be used and where, ensuring a specific style and quality associated with each region. 
• Napa Valleyproducers, on the other hand, have more latitude in their blending, and can experiment with different proportions of the grapes. Additionally, they cannot label their wines as "Bordeaux" due to the AOC regulations, often opting for terms like "Bordeaux-style blend," "claret," or the trademarked "Meritage".

As a result

• Bordeaux wines are known for their structure, complexity, and ability to age, and what is sometimes called "earth in a glass" which is a great way to link Bordeaux’s connection to terroir.
• On the other hand, Napa Valley Bordeaux-style blends tend to be more fruit-forward, with ripe tannins and an emphasis on primary fruit flavors and a tendency to prioritize ripe fruit flavors.

Which is better? That is impossible to answer because it is subjective and depends on individual preferences. The other thing that makes it difficult to answer is that the blends can vary a ton depending on the region and producer. My personal opinion is that cooler climate wines are more interesting because they are more subtle and less over the top - I just find California wines to generally be flavor-bombs, and that is not as compelling for me. But that’s just me. 

So, on that note, I think it’s time to learn a little more about the specific wines we are drinking today. Whaddya say?

ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://abcfws.com/all-about-bordeaux-blends?srsltid=AfmBOoqekO0w_wryPURngWSt0ralxlqCaVhEGRlN5gkd8n7rJi5Stjko
• https://thegrapegrind.com/all-you-need-to-know-about-bordeaux-a-regional-guide/ 
• https://www.bordeaux.com/us/Bordeaux-Magazine-US/Journal/Education/The-Art-of-the-Blend 

Bordeaux-style Wines We Chose for This Episode 19:54

As usual, all of the wines we have chosen for this episode are under $20, and all of them should be relatively easy to find because I bought two of them at Costco, and the third I bought on wine.com. In general, Bordeaux-style blends are all over the place - the tricky part is figuring out what kind of a blend a red wine is because sometimes they just say “red blend.” You want to look for the grapes in the blend, and you can look for naming like Meritage or Claret.

For this episode I really wanted to try some red blends that were similar in composition, clearly Bordeaux style, but came from different areas, so we have the Napa Valley wine from Kirkland, we also have a red blend from our home state of Washington, and a Bordeaux-style blend from France, but technically just outside of the Bordeaux region. This is a wine I actually bought for one of our Bordeaux Bargain episodes, but when I started to study it, I realized it was not truly a Bordeaux wine, so I saved it for this episode. 

The first wine we are going to drink is the 2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend as this is the key challenger today.  Costco has been coming out with this wine since 2014 when it was called a Meritage.

As noted on the Reverse Wine Snob site, it is cellared and bottled by DC Flynt MW Selections, and until the 2020 vintage the wine was made by Glenn Hugo, but the label no longer indicates who makes it. They also say that the wine has been creeping up in sweetness, which is not an indication of quality, BTW.

The blend in this wine is more Cabernet heavy. It is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, and both the Reverse Wine Snob and Costco Wine Blog have rated it well. 

The notes on the bottle indicate that is has notes of oak and cedar, so it is clearly oaked, but I really couldn’t find out much else about this wine, so let’s move on. 

The next wine we are going to taste and review and see how it compares to the Kirkland wine is the 2021 Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine, and I found it at Costco. I like to find wines at Costco that are not Kirkland brand to use in these episodes because I think it is interesting to see what other comparatively priced and similar wines at Costco taste like compared to the Kirkland version. 

This wine is from Columbia Valley in Washington, and is specifically from the Goose Ridge estates. The blend is also Cabernet heavy at 65% Cabernet Sauvignon 19% Merlot 11% Malbec 4% Petit Verdot 1% Cabernet Franc. What is also interesting about this wine is it is a very similar blend to the Kirkland wine, but is heavier in Cabernet and lighter in Merlot, but in both wines, those two grapes make up 83% and 84% of the blend respectively. So, it will be interesting to see the similarities and differences.

The winery says that the wines spend 27 months on oak, so more than two years, with 27% new French, 48% new American oak, and 65% neutral oak. Which adds up to more than 100%, so I am a little confused. As a reminder, new oak is going to be stronger in flavor than neutral oak, which is a fancy way of saying used oak, usually used 3 times or more, and really, neutral oak is used to create a richer mouthfeel because it will impart very little flavor. And also remember that American oak has a stronger flavor than French. 

Neither of these two wines is particularly high in alcohol either for a Bordeaux style blend, with the Kirkland coming in at 13.5% and this one coming in at 13.8%. As another reminder, higher alcohol generally equates to bigger body in the wine. So, based on the alcohol content, I am not expecting these to be really big bodied. This Market Vineyards wine also says it has zero residual sugar, so it should be really dry, but we’ll see how it comes across in the tasting.

The last wine we are going to drink is the 2019 Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend which as I said earlier is not technically a Bordeaux wine because it's not produced within the Bordeaux region, but it shares many characteristics with Bordeaux wines due to its grape varieties and it is right on the edge of Bordeaux. 

And, when I say it is right on the edge of Bordeaux, I mean it. It is less than six miles from the village of St. Emilion, which is a very famous village in Bordeaux. One of the websites I used for research noted that the “terroir is identical to right bank Bordeaux.”

Different from the other two, this wine is more Merlot heavy so it will be interesting to see how it compares, It is 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, so while it is 80% Cabernet and Merlot, the blend is way different than the first two which are more Cab driven. This wine is also higher in alcohol at 14.5%.

Wine Enthusiast gave this wine a 90 rating, but I also could not find out a ton of information on this wine, so I think it’s time to taste and see what we think.

If you have one of these wines or a Bordeaux-style blend, please drink along with us. You’ll get participation points!!! We’ll be right back. 


ARTICLES and LINKS

• https://www.reversewinesnob.com/kirkland-signature-napa-valley-red-blend 
• https://www.marketvineyards.com/product/2021-Derivative--Red-Blend 
• https://www.harneylane.com/all-about-barrels/#:~:text=Neutral%20Oak%20%E2%80%93%20refers%20to%20an,because%20of%20its%20prior%20use. 
• https://wineanthology.com/22304-chateau-michel-de-montaigne-2019?srsltid=AfmBOopip_WLnPSpWFguH5v7FPrMfuCuUuyGJkXJynhYTp44TfFVBzb1 

2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend, 2021 Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine,  2019 Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend Wine Tasting, Pairing, and Review 27:53

Wine: Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend
Region: California, Napa Valley
Year: 2022
Price: $10.99
Retailer: Costco
Alcohol: 14.5%
Grapes: 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot
Professional Rating: Costco Wine Blog 88, RWS 8

What we tasted and smelled in this Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend:

• Color: Almost opaque, ruby edges
• On the nose: Smoke, cherry, jammy, very sweet, fig jam, currant jam, dried currants, baking spices, cinnamon, black plum
• In the mouth: Super sweet, raisin, dried cranberry, prune, very jammy, smoke, cedar, very ripe, fruit forward, cocktail wine

Food to pair with this Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend: Salty foods, cheeseburger, barbecued baby back ribs, McRib sandwich, a rib dinner with mashed potatoes and cole slaw
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, with no half points, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 4/10
• Carmela: 5/10

But for people who love sweet, fruity Cab Sauv, you will like it


Wine: Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine
Region: Washington, Columbia Valley
Year: 2021
Price: $16.99
Retailer: Costco
Alcohol: 13.8%
Grapes: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 11% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc

What we tasted and smelled in this Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine:

• Color: Pretty, a bit translucent, shiny, a brownish tint to it on the edges
• On the nose: Spice, cinnamon, cherry, rose, flowery, dried flowers, potpourri bag, cherry cordial - cherry and chocolate candy, cedar, smoke, incense, black pepper, a touch of black licorice
• In the mouth: Smooth, soft, a lot of tannin, some cherry, grapey, grape juice, supple, approachable, very drinkable, some complexity, crowd pleaser, solid wine, a week night wine

Food to pair with this Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine: Medium-rare steak, red meat 

Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 7/10
• Carmela: 7/10

Wine: Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend (Click here to find this wine on wine.com. We may be compensated if you purchase.)
Region: France. Bergerac
Year: 2019
Price: $15.99
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 14.5%
Grapes: 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Rating: WE 90, WW 90

What we tasted and smelled in this Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend:

• Color: Deep in color, purple, some bubbles on the edge
• On the nose: Almost smelled like it had oxygen taint, earth, basement, mushroom, clay, plum, overripe, dark cherry, some funk, smells old rather than fresh, vegetable, black pepper, cayenne
• In the mouth: Tangy, sour, stale, maybe has some oxygen taint, prune, pepper and spice, not vibrant, pomegranate, lots of tannin, could be too young, may have needed to be opened and decanted for a while, seems flat and austere, may be an off bottle

Food to pair with this Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend: Red meat, stew,  


Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend Wine Rating: 

• Joe: 5/10
• Carmela: 5/10

Which one of these are you finishing tonight?

• Carmela: Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine
• Joe: Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine

COSTCO KIRKLAND SIGNATURE DID NOT WIN!

Taste profiles expected from Bordeaux-style Blends  47:14

• General 
  • Bordeaux reds are medium- to full-bodied with bold aromas of black currant, plums and an earthiness like smelling wet soil or pencil lead. Depending on the quality, vintage and what region within Bordeaux the wine is from, fruit flavors range from more tart fruit to sweeter ripe fruit
• Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend
  • Winery: Concentrated notes of black cherry and cassis supported by silky tannins and the spice rack notes of oak and cedar finishing with the velvety notes of rich plum. 
  • Costco Wine Blog: It pours a medium ruby in the glass; dark berry fruit, spice and earthy on the nose; flavors are black cherry, blackberry and plum, and they come together quite nicely. The finish is dusty and dry, maybe a little on the quick side.
• Market Vineyards Derivative Red Wine
  • Winery: Rich notes of dark chocolate-covered cherries burst from the glass in this 2021 vintage of our Derivative Red Wine.  Comprised of some of our best varietals, this wine imparts gorgeous soft floral notes, balanced with deep, smoky characteristics. Lush and bright, with a terrific acid balance, this wine hits the palate and lingers
  • Wine Stalker: The nose has a bright red berry profile with some smoke and cedar, and the lingering threat of mocha. Nothing complicated. It's light bodied for a Cabernet blend, has a surprisingly bright acidity and sweet tannin. The high acidity brings bright and tart cherries on the palate but beyond that it gets rather dark with blackberries, black coffee and cola. The finish is rather creamy and it lasts much longer than I could have imagined with blackberries and cola.
• Château Michel de Montaigne Bergerac Bordeaux Blend
  • Winery: A beautiful black dress in the lively reflections reveals a nose to the notes of red berries which will evolve towards black fruits. His freshness in mouth expresses himself by its flexibility in the aromas of strawberry and blackcurrant finishing on notes of licorice and chocolate with melted tannins. Attractive curvature and power.
  • WW: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of black fruit, licorice, and a mix of berry notes

Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 50:27

Ok, so, Carmela, it’s time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - and if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to follow or subscribe to our podcast and also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast app - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

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Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.

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