Do you have a Costco nearby? If so, do you walk around the cases of wine they offer wondering if any of these $10 specials are worthy of consumption? Yeah, me too.
I bought four of these beauties from my local Costco booze store at the $10 mark. I took the next few days giving them a taste and now a review. In order of good to better they are:
- Bogle Petit Sirah 2013 – $8.99. Dark purple in color with black current jelly, white pepper, and a slight vanilla hint on the nose. Medium bodied with some nice
firm tannin. Finishes well, but a bit lighter than I remembered, which might make it even better than past vintages. Tannin gives way to fruit with time. The flavors mellow into a soft fruity wine after an hour or so. Well worth the money. TScale: 88 points. (Wine Enthusiast 91 pts, Mar ’16) At this price, this wine is a steal. Perfect for Wednesday night or weekend grilling. Buy it up.
- Gerard Bertrand Fitou 2011 Grenache-Carignan – $10.99. Interesting dark ruby red color. Nose of clay (I’m from Kentucky so I get the smell of clay at times) and blueberries. Some herbal notes als
o peek out. A good medium body and a moderately long finish leaving you with a slightly bitter taste of red apple. Fitou (pronounced fee-too) is a sub-appellation of the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. A lot of wine comes out of this area, most is so-so. I find this example better than most I have tried. TScale: 89 points, another good wine at this price. (91 pts Wine Enthusiast Aug ’14)
- Odfjell Amador Estate Selection Cabernet Sauvignon, 2103 – $9.99. One of a few Chilean cabs I’ve t
ried in recent months, this one is a good example of a South American wine at a very good price point. This wine displays what I call the “South American” nose which yields scents of wood, green herbs, and red cherries. It is a densely-colored dark brick red. The wine doesn’t drink like a thick cab at all, however. It has a medium body and finish displaying hints of green tannin which tickle the
roof of your mouth. Tart, but not too tart, I get some red berries and a bit of grilled asparagus and wood smoke. All of these things mellow into a nice, soft drinker with some time. TScale: 90 points. This is a cab for daily drinking that you can actually afford. (87 pts Wine Enthusiast Mar ’16)
- Shannon Ridge High Elevation Petit Sirah, 2014 – $9.89. The winner of the shootout is this dandy of a petit sirah which released at $23 a bottle. Young and tight, it is inky
dark purple in color. Blackberries and Dr. Pepper come through the nose. Initially, it has a bitter bite, but that fades in a few minutes. Not too heavy, it still has a full-mouth feel and a long tart finish. A bit grippy, a bit tannic, and a bit tart, but somewhat complex at the same time showing some plum and vanilla notes. This is a sub $10 wine that could cellar a few years! But if you choose to drink it now, give it a few minutes or decant. TScale 90+, this is a wine that will buy again and soon. (2013, Wine Enthusiast 91 Editor’s Choice Mar ’16)