Salt and Pepper

Hey y'all!

Paul and I will be trying wines from different stores, this week we went to the generally reliable Costco. We had been told that we were able to buy alcohol without the need of a membership card. Turns out it was more complicated than that. We picked out the wine of the week, went to the register, turns out we needed a "pass" from the membership counter so I left the wine at the register (Paul was filling up his truck with cheap, cheap Costco gas, with the only membership card we have between us...). I had to stand in line behind a family with many kids, once I got the pass it turned out I needed cash which I didn't have (Paul also had all of the wine cash with him). Finally when I got back to the register the wine was gone....so I had to go back to the wine section in the back corner of the store. Finally paid and had to wait for Paul in the cold.

(What a sob story- Paul)

Unfortunately, the wine didn't pay off. This week's wine is the 2011 Napa Valley Meritage by Kirkland Signature. Meritage (pronounced like heritage) is simply a word for a Bordeaux-style blend, which is generally a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot (sometimes Malbec is thrown into the mix as well). This name was created to give California wineries a label they could use to denote the wine they made to be specifically in the Bordeaux fashion and set it aside from the rest.

It felt like we were cracking fresh pepper directly onto our tongues. Probably pass this one up the next time you're out buying pallets of instant ramen at Costco.

Sight

Not cloudy, very dark, but not dull
The color is deep and concentrated, almost opaque
Deep ruby red color, colorfast, doesn't lose any color on the margins

Nose

Moderate-strong aroma
Spicy black pepper dominates any other aromas that may be present
Smells like Dr. Pepper (23 flavors, bitches!)
A little bit of red fruit flavor shines through, hard to put a finger on exactly what it is

Palate

The first thing we noticed when we tasted the wine was a kind of dirty feeling and aftertaste. Already off to a bad start.
The tannins are a bit subdued and flat, yet still somehow manage to be unpleasant and command a presence in the mouth. Acid comes in strong at the end and is not to be underestimated.
I wish you could have seen Alejandra's face when she took the first sip:
Bottle of Kirkland wine?
10.99.
Her grimace?
Priceless.

The body is weak and lean, the the draw is mediocre at best, and the only thing we could glean from the flavors other than overbearing black pepper spice was a hint of cherry.
Simple and straightforward, but not a particularly strong tasting wine. It's difficult to focus on the flavor when the mouthfeel is so pronounced.

Scenes from our glamorous tasting

Rating 5/10

I'm going to drink the rest of the bottle, because I'm a cheapskate, (in fact, drinking this as I'm writing and it's been open a few hours it tasted a little better) but I'm not going to be buying it again. Maybe turn it into a sauce for chicken and pasta. Kirkland, you betrayed our trust.


Cheers,
(Just for you, Christian)
A&P