2015 Kirkland Signature Barolo

 

2015 Kirkland Signature Barolo

Vintage: 2015

Region: Piemonte, Italy (Barolo DOCG)
Winery: ???

Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo

Price: $19.99

Rating: 92 Points

My Rating: 92-94 Points

The Review: Happy official fall! Today's wine is an absolute steal but is definitely not for the faint of heart. Barolo is strangely enough not very well known in America but is one of, if not the most, prestigious wine region in the world. It's one of those regions where you're unlikely to find a good example for below $50, so finding something that is well-rated for $20 is quite the find! 

Barolo is made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape- the pride of Northwestern Italy. These wines are absolute tannin bombs, which when executed well can result in mindblowing texture and depth. When executed poorly, Nebbiolo can seem abrasive (you may have experienced this drinking a young Cab Sauv. It can sometimes seem harsh or astringent). Luckily though, you won't find a "bad" wine that has Barolo on the label. The region is so renowned that producers and laws all keep the quality in check. These wines are also famous for their extreme aging potential. Traditionally, you wouldn't even think to touch a Barolo wine before it's aged 20 years, sometimes up to 50. These days though, Barolo producers are working to make their wines more approachable at younger ages.

Today's wine, the Kirkland Signature Barolo, proves that Costco is all too capable of releasing stunners under their private label. The actual producer of this wine is unknown, so we can't explore the actual vineyard at all sadly. 2015 was a stellar vintage in the region and the wines are technically still a few years away from entering their drinking window, but some of them are able to be enjoyed now with ample decanting. I would recommend decanting for at least 2 hours (if you don't have a decanter, uncork the bottle a day in advance). This will allow the tannins to soften some and essentially serves as "hyper-speed aging." If you have a wine fridge, it could be cool to buy a few bottles and see how they evolve over the years.

The aromas of this wine were classic. The nose was filled with cherry, dried leather, dried earth, dried herbs, and some tomato leaf. It kinda sounds weird now that I'm typing it out, but if you end up trying a Barolo, I think you'll get it. It just smells like Italy... somehow. The taste presents a lot of red fruit- cherry (a lot of people will describe it as a candied or artificial cherry flavor) and some currant with the huge burst of initial acidity. These are followed by notes of baking spices, herbs, and even a savory tomato characteristic. It has a medium body, a medium-long finish, and very very very very firm tannins.

If you like big reds, I would absolutely say you have to try this wine (or any wines from Barolo). They're very exciting, incredibly complex, and KILLER with a steak. If you're into aging wines, this one will only improve with age (hence my range of scores). And if $19.99 is too much, Trader Joes has the 2015 Corte Rossa Barolo for $12. I currently have a bottle, I just haven't gotten around to opening it yet. And if Barolo is just too much (which is fair), I'd encourage you to try wines from Barbaresco or Alto Piemonte. These regions are also Nebbiolo wines and are usually slightly more approachable and a little cheaper.

drink what you like,

db