Kirkland Signature Series 2011 Mountain Cuvee Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

I have written in the past about the Kirkland Signature Series wines that are a step up from the regular Kirkland Signature wines. In general, I have found the Signature Series wines worth the extra cost and extraordinary values. Recently, I found the Signature Series 2011 Mountain Cuvee Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon but I held the bottle until I was ready to give it a try.

Tonight was the night! The bottle was opened 20 minutes ahead of time and I could not wait any longer. This wine has as much aroma as any I have tried in the past year with a nose of earthiness, cola and dark fruit. The taste does not disappoint with fruit notes of dark berries and cedar. But, I must say, the greatest attribute of this wine is the very long finish.

Since I recently praised a similar wine, Trader Joe's Platinum Label 2012 Reserve Spring Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the obvious question is "which is better?" The Kirkland Signature Series wine is a year older, has a higher alcohol content(14.9%) and costs more ($18.99 vs. $14.99), so is it better? We actually opened a bottle of each to compare. My opinion is that the Kirkland Signature series wine is better but I would rate both wines as 92 points. Both wines are excellent and you will have to try both to decide if the Kirkland Signature Series wine is worth the extra $4.

SC Wine Joe rating = 92 points

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