I enjoyed the current 2016 vintage of this Kirkland classic perhaps more than in year's past. It is again an absolute steal to be able to grab a Pinot from Sonoma's famed Russian River Valley for only $12.99. The price continues to be the main selling point here for a decent bottle of Pinot but I thought the quality this year was a bit of a step up.
In my review of the 2015 vintage, I called out it's one dimension, and this year's wine does remain rather simple as well, albeit a little more interesting. Again, this is not the killer Pinot you want to whip out at a dinner party to impress your guests and pair with your amazing meal. Rather, for an every day Tuesday wine to sip on with some food and enjoy a glass while cooking, it's not a bad pick at all.
Ripe berry fruit and subtle spice on the nose; the wine feels great in the mouth, soft with a little tannic bite; fruit is predominately red, lots of cherry, raspberry and cola notes; a little oak and a touch of sweetness in the finish. Overall, a fair buy from Russian River, especially at the price.
The winemaker is listed as Anthony Austin on the back of the label, and with a quick Google search you'll learn he is the veteran winemaker at Sonoma Coast Vineyards. The lowest end Pinot they offer is around $40 and it climbs up from there, so you can roughly infer that we are getting the influence of an experienced producer on a low priced wine.
I'm a fan of this one. Let us know what you think in our new Costco wine forums.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 87 points
Costco item number: 555512
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA
Alc. 13.9%
Joe Roberts says
I am always a fan of this wine. Every time a new vintage roles around a case or so goes in to my cart. By some this would be called a "feminine" or French pinot---- not complicated just the bright flavor of sour cherries and even a little tannic tartness at the end---- excellent food wine. It does not pretend to be a "fruit bomb" the way some of the $50 pinots do. I'll take this one any day of the week.
Michael Routen says
Just a minor correction to your word choice in the second paragraph:
"I called out it's *singular* dimension, and this year does remain rather simple as well..."
A common misconception is that the meaning of "singular" is along the lines of "single" or "one dimensional", but it actually means special or unique.
Cheers!
Editor says
Thanks for the note, change has been made to the story.