2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend

An interesting trend we’re seeing is more of the Kirkland bottles arriving earlier in the year than they have in prior vintages. This is another example of a wine where we reviewed the prior vintage just 7 months ago.

The new (and very delicious) Kirkland Brunello came in a few months early. Toscana a little early for two years in a row now. Same with the Barolo.

It makes the “Costco Hunt” that much more fun. You never know what you might run into.

The Kirkland Napa Red Blend has been getting better with the past few vintages. And of course, the price staying the same at $10.99 is nice to see.

The past three years have produced the best versions of this wine in our opinion as you can see from this historical recount.

2021 – 89 points

2020 – 90 points

2019 – 89 points

2018 – 86 points

2016 – 86 points

2015 – 86 points

2014 – 86 points (the wine was labeled as a Meritage with this vintage, instead of red blend)

So after treading water for a few vintages, this bottle is starting to come to its own.

There’s a slight change to the blend, leaning a bit more on Merlot vs Cab. This year is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 9% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.

Getting into this 2022 vintage, it is very familiar; reminiscent in many ways of the 2022. 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.

We feel this is more of an 88 pointer compared to the prior 89. It’s a good wine but leaves a little to be desired on the back end. Still not a bad buy for only $11.

costcowineblg.com Rating: 88 points

Costco item number: 333110

Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Kennesaw)

Alc. 14.5%