In the shadows of the Cascade Mountain Range
in Washington state lies the Columbia Valley, home
to the Wahluke Slope AVA (American Viticultural
Area). With 5,200 acres of vines, it is the warmest
and windiest wine region in Washington. The
south-facing slopes, with well-balanced soils, produce a steady stream of very high-quality Merlot-based wines, and the 2008 vintage is true to form.
Winemaking
This wine was aged in a combination of French
and American oak barrels for 14 months, after a
warm fermentation. The vineyard lots chosen for
the Kirkland Signature Merlot were handled separately, followed by a careful blending regime that
allowed their diverse elements to create a unified
blend that highlights the best of each vineyard. The
final blend was lightly filtered, followed by several
months of additional age in the bottle to enhance
the multidimensional character of this Merlot.
The low rainfall of the Columbia Valley produces Merlot with a character defined by complex,
tightly packed tannins, bright acidity and ripe fruit
dominated by raspberry and black cherry notes.
The Kirkland Signature 2008 Columbia Valley
Merlot is deeply pigmented, with notes of cinnamon, spice box and blackberry-cherry fruit, and
overtones of black currant and cassis with hints of
mocha. This Merlot has excellent concentration,
depth and style, with soft, fine-grained tannins that
surround the supple, exotic fruit in the lingering finish. Drink now through 2013.
Did you know?
Last year the 2006 Kirkland Signature Columbia
Valley Merlot was ranked 13th among the top 100
value wines by Wine Enthusiast magazine.
Kirkland Signature 2007 Amador County Old Vine Zinfandel
Vineyards and vintage
Kirkland Signature 2007 Amador County Old
Vine Zinfandel is a classic and distinctive Zinfandel,
made with grapes from more than a dozen of
Amador County’s oldest and most venerable vineyards. Old Vine Zinfandel is made from vines at
least 50 years old, some of which were first planted
during the California gold rush of 1898 to provide
wines for the miners. These vines are head-pruned,
and thus grow close to the ground, and are dry-farmed. This produces low yields of grapes with
intense flavors and a wonderful selection of evenly
ripened, concentrated Zinfandel fruit that gives the
wine great complexity and depth.
Winemaking
Small-lot fermentation enhances the concentrated flavors and unique character expression of the
fruit from each vineyard block. The lots are then
blended together for greater complexity than if they
were blended at harvest. Oak aging then turns the
young wine into the magnificent elixir called Old
Vine Zinfandel.
Wine profile and taste
Kirkland Signature 2007 Amador County Old
Vine Zinfandel is deep red with a hint of purple; the
small grapes have had extra skin contact with the
juice, resulting in great depth of color. The concentration continues in the aroma, with scents of ripe
blackberry mixed with nutmeg, chocolate and white
pepper. Layers of rich berry and holiday spice notes,
and a beautiful structure with smooth tannins, add
up to a perfect balance and finish. Drink now
through 2013.
Did you know?
Amador County is located between San
Francisco and Lake Tahoe, in the Shenandoah
Valley AVA, which has a wide temperature swing
during the growing season: from 30 degrees F at 4
a.m. to more than 100 degrees F at 4 p.m. These
vines receive the perfect amount of stress, and ripen
from late September through mid-October.
Send wine questions to
kswineconnection@costco.com.
Annette Alvarez-Peters oversees
Costco’s national wine, spirits and
beer program.
