BEST CHAMPAGNE BARGAIN $20
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- Опубликовано: 27 дек 2023
- In this video, Bob Paulinski, Master of Wine discusses the Kirkland Signature Brut Champagne sold at Costco. For this video, the focus will be on one wine that delivers great value for the money.
In today’s market Champagne prices have surged. Yet, at staple at Costco has been the Kirkland Signature Brut selling for $19.99. This is something of an anomaly and the price has barely moved over the years. I first had this wine years ago and I was impressed for the money. Then, something changed, maybe a different supplier, in my view, the quality slipped. After recently retasting it, I’m back to being a fan.
Occasionally, the supplier partners for the various Kirkland wines will change. The current offering is linked to Manuel Jannison. I had to research this person. He’s not linked to one of the larger, better-known Champagne houses. It’s one of the newer sources in Champagne. From what I could find out, it’s a slick, modern, well-equipped wine making facility. Their market has limited reach.
This Champagne is made from Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pale color, nice fine bead of bubbles, lively, fresh, bright, it doesn’t have a pronounced autolytic note that’s found with wines with extended aging on the lees, there’s no indication of older reserve wine being used, but it’s refined, elegant, well made, citrus, apple notes with not a heavy-handed dosage.
Thoroughly enjoyable, credible, solid, Champagne. It doesn’t stack up with more premium Champagnes, but it’s better than many other $20 sparklers from around the world. And perhaps no other wine region relies on absurdly huge marketing budgets like Champagne, here you’re not paying for any of that.
#winetasting #champagne #kirklandsignature #costco #happynewyear #winelife #celebrate #bobpaulinski #masterofwine #wine
Bob, thanks for reviewing this wine. I am also a fan of Kirkland Champagne. I agree that it doesn’t rise to the level of Veuve Cliquot, but it costs only one-third as much-$19.95 against $59.95. My wife and I can enjoy one or two bottles per week without straining our budget. ❤️🥂
We’re aligned! Happy New Year!
Cheers Bob! Happy New Year! Perfect timing for a nice fiz! I’ve had this one, for 20 bucks it’s a solid wine, great with fried chicken! Nice acidity, nice set of primary fruits and the toasted note too. Look forward to upcoming videos!
Hi Carl, Champagne and fried chicken! MONEY! One of the best combos ever! Happy New Year!
Price is right on it but I've always described it as "definitely champagne" meaning that it really delivers the bare minimum with some regional distinction. An aside on Costco, the 2020 bordeaux just hit my location in LA and the prices are way up from the 19s. I bough 19 Haut-bailly for under 100. Not anymore. Everything seemed to be at market price, maybe a $5 discount.
Kirkland Champagne is built to a price point. I like it, it’s solid, a very good value, but it’s the entry into the Champagne category. As for Bordeaux, the classified wines are crazy with few exceptions.
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine7234 yeah the increases for 2020 and 2022 on classified growths are widely significant. Also, 2022 looks to be an excellent vintage but with lower yields which means that the prices when they hit the market may be even worse than indicated with the futures. When I visited Bordeaux last month they seemed happy with 2023 so far and the yields are back up.
Awesome video and channel! Love the costco and tjs wine reviews
Thanks for sharing that good word! Happy New Year!
I need to try this Champagne, I’m a fan of Veuve Cliquot but sometimes I don’t want to spend a lot and I’m sure it’s better than the similar priced sparkling wines from CA.
It’s solid for the money, but the style is not like Veuve Clicquot. VC is weightier in style, but for $20 it’s very good.
Im having a great time exploring value growers champagne, there was a customer oriented tasting here with ~75 different champagnes by 12 different importers.
Great fun to just pop a bottle for fun when it's 'only' 20 euros and can compete with more expensive big houses like Moët or Pommery.
Kirkland seems to be awesome value for people in the US
Grower is great, I love buying vintage blanc de blanc grower champagne for less than entry level Cliquot or Moet 😮🎉
@@RCTricking picked up some Pierre Domi bdb for NYE, great deal for the quality imo
Thanks for commenting. Sounds like a great tasting. I find grower Champagne to be all over the board. When it’s right, it’s very right, but sometimes the wines can benefit from a broader range of blending materiel. Last week, I was in the Netherlands, from some 20 euros Champagne, solid for the $.
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine7234 actually have a bit of a question if I'm not being too annoying😅
This Christmas I opened this marguet shaman 19 and it was rather rosé and had little mousse left after pouring in the glass, would this be oxidation or would this just be due to it being mainly pinot noir? It still drank amazingly with the grilled chicken but I've been wondering ever since hahaha
@@HALLOJUMBOwWas it the Rose’? If so, that wine is mostly Chardonnay with about 25% Pinot Noir. Excellent, small, eco-friendly producer. It may simply be the style for that specific wine. You’re referencing a very artisanal source. It’s a wine that I’ve not personally tasted.
Excellent value for this Champagne. Going to get a couple today. Thanks again Mr. Paulinski.
I enjoyed the one popped on the video. Drank more that evening, With Champagnr, time on the lees varies, can be as little as one year with a few months of added bottle age or it can be ten years plus. Of course, added time means added expense. Generally, it takes 18 to 24 months of lees aging to make a discernible difference in the wine, adding a creamy, richer tactile impression. With Cava, it can be as little as nine months.
I'm glad to hear that KS Champagne got it's quality issues sorted out. At the price point of 20 US$ one can't expect RM or Maison level quality, but having tried KS a few times in the past I was disappointed.
Now being in Hungary I am glad to see entry level bottle fermented sparkling wine starting at around 6-7 US$ and premium Brut Zero/Zero Dosage around 18--20 US$.
There are limited edition vintage ones north of 35 US$, but generally more affordable than in Asia. I have been seeing them featured in Decanter occasionally, so maybe they will make their way into the international market soon. Cheers & hope you have a great New Years!
It’s interesting that you had the same impression with the KS Champagne in the past. The value found in Hungary sounds appealing. Often value can be found where the many are not looking. I travel to Asia in a regular basis, transportation and taxation weigh heavy on the pricing. Best wishes for 2024!
Bob, thank you! This was another fun and helpful video. Based on some of you previous comments (to my YT comments), I was thinking I should avoid the Kirkland Champagne. I'm glad you revisited it and shared your thoughts on the current offering. Great to know I can get back to it and in time for NYE. I love the content about affordable, obtainable wine. Keep up the great work.
Hi Matthew, thanks for the good word. For $20, it’s worthwhile. More value videos are coming, people generally respond well to them. It’s easy to throw lots of money at wine, but finding gems at a good price brings an added level of satisfaction. Happy New Year!
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine7234 Great, I always appreciate your videos, value focused in particular. Thanks, Happy New Year to you too.
Totally agree on the analysis, except I probably won’t buy the Kirkland again (despite liking it).
We blind tasted against the $35-40 Nicolas Feuillatte and prefer the more brioche and reserve wine flavors in our Champagne if that’s what we want to buy.
I agree compared to other sparkling wines at $20 it can hold its own.
Fair enough. I usually opt for Champagne with more time on the lees and more reserve wine, but this one was rock solid. Happy New Year!
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine7234 Rock solid at a great price point is exactly what I need. Frankly, the $20 price point is already a splurge for me when it comes to something I'm drinking. It's a splurge I'm willing to make once or twice a year, but nearly doubling the price would be a no-go. That is just me though, to each is own....
@@matthewbykowski2353for sure, it is a splurge, but for me if I’m going to splurge I want (my version of) the full Champagne experience 🎉 Otherwise I just won’t buy anything and save 🤔
@@RCTricking I can't blame you for that approach. I certainly realize it makes it more special when you get to it. Happy New Year.
I cannot buy it here but it was still fun to watch the review of this wine 😊
As always, I appreciate the support.
Watching after a flight back from France. Air France serves what is consider to be absolutely bottom of the barrel of what could legally be called Champagne and this Kirkland blows it out of the water. I’d take this over Nicholas Feuillatte blue label (what I consider the cheapest and most common champagne available in most US markets).
One would think Air France would serve something better!
How does it compare to the cremants?
It’s much like a good Cremant de Bourgogne.
I tried this a few years ago and that must've been the dip in quality you mention. I remember it as harsh, unbalanced and not worth $20. Thought that Gruet made a better product at less cost. Perhaps I'll give this another try and see if it performs better now!
They’ve changed the supplier partner a few times over the years, some are better than others. It makes it difficult as a shopper since it’s a non vintage wine.
Picked up a bottle last week and popped it over the weekend. It was.... OK. Definitely better than what I remember. Incredibly acidic at first but mellowed over the course of the evening. Went well with the salmon we had. By the end of the night, both of us were saying "You know, this is good." So thanks for the push to try it again!
Interestingly, I'd never run across the "MA" producer designation on a bottle (have had NM, RM, and CM bottles before). Had to do some digging to find: "MA (marque d’acheteur): These are sold as their own but don’t they don’t produce it themselves."
@@DrBilly90210 MA is not a commonly seen designation. The Costco Champagne is built to a price point. It’s been $19.99 for years. I’m glad you found it to be better.
I've had this wine... in my hands! I'll sure give it a chance once I recover financially from my latest purchases. I'm particularly interested in gauging the lees level to your guess. Lately I'm blind-tasting a lot (with fairly good accuracy, although it's never good enough for me) and I'm beginning to work out the climates and winemaking practices as well as the grape varieties. Progress in wine is the most exciting thing I've ever experienced, honestly. Cheers and have a good one in Christmas, Bob!
I always appreciate your detailed comments. Someday, I’ll be saying, I knew that guy when he was making his way through his wine courses! BTW, you’ll never be satisfied with your tasting skills, you could be 99% spot on and you’ll focus on the 1%! Thanks for sharing the journey. Happy New Year!
@@bobpaulinskimasterofwine7234 gee, that kind of encouragement sure means a lot coming from you; truthfully, I'm honoured! You're so right about excess perfectionism, particularly in blind tasting 🤪 Cheers
@@juanmanuelmunozhernandez7032
Best wishes for 2024! 🍷
My friends rave about this. If you are willing to go outside Champagne, there are much more interesting Sparkling wines at this price or a little higher, so I don't see it as a particularly great value. It is the cheapest solid, but boring choice if you want real Champagne.
Your assessment is not completely different than mine. It’s well made and better than a few years ago. There are many other good options for the same money outside of Champagne.
I thought the Kirkland Champagne is good for the money.
Me too!
😊
Thank you.
Okay, I'm sold. Let's see if anybody notices.
Give it a go. Thanks for commenting. Happy New Year!