South Carolina Wine Joe

Costco recently added 3 Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs at ou r local Greenville warehouse.  Here are short comments on each: Firesteed Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2017 The previous vintages of this wine were my favorite value Oregon Pinot Noir.  I purchased many bottles and even included Firesteed in a presentation I made about wines of Oregon.  My local wine shop told me that many customers bought the wine by the case.  In June 2017, Firesteed was sold to Vintage Wine Estates and Pacific Rim and company.  Therefore, 2017 was the first vintage Firesteed made from harvest to bottling by the new owners.  I am sorry to report that 2017 Firesteed Pinot Noir is a bland, one dimensional Pinot Noir and I will not likely buy more of this vintage.  I hope the new owners can improve with the 2018 vintage.  Costco is selling this for $12.99. SC Wine Joe rating = 87 points Averaen Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2017 Averaen is a newer winery in t...

I last reviewed Precept Wines Pendulum Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley five years ago.  It is back at Costco and as I have noted on some other Precept Wines, the 2016 version is a different blend of grapes from the 2011 that I last reviewed.  This bottle is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petite Verdot and 2% Malbec aged for 12 months in French Oak (30% new).  I sense vanilla and spice on the nose followed by tastes of black cherry, blackberry and chocolate.  The wine is medium bodied with smooth tannins.  This wine cries out for a piece of semi sweet chocolate to pair with the wine.  Costco is selling the wine for $12.99 and I recommend buying it at that price.  Wine Spectator rates it at 90 points and I concur. SC Wine Joe rating = 90 points.

Costco works in mysterious ways.  Last December, blogger "Costco Wine blog" posted that Scott Paul Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, a $39 bottle was selling in Atlanta for the unbelievable price of $16.99. The strange thing was that it was selling in the Greenville, SC Costco for $29.99.  The local store wine manager blamed it on the three tier system and said that the Georgia distributor must be offering it to Costco at a greatly reduced price.  It was clear that I was not the first customer to bring up this issue.  Surprisingly, today I found this wine at Costco for $16.99.  I can only speculate about what has happened, but after drinking a few glasses I can say this is the best wine buy I have found at Costco in a long time. Scott Paul Pinot Noir is sourced from four sustainably farmed vineyards in the Dundee Hills and Chehalum Mountain AVA's.  There are bright cherry and berry flavors and less black cherry than some Willamette Valley Pinot's.  The c...

When wine grape growing in Oregon began in the late 60's and early 70's, it was thought that Chardonnay would be the most successful white grape.  After all, Oregon had a climate similar to Burgundy France where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reign supreme.  However, at the time, Americans were in love with rich, buttery, oaky Chardonnay from California and the cool climate Chardonnay from Oregon could not compete in that marketplace.  Today things have changed and many Americans now want crisp, acidic Chardonnay aged in neutral oak or stainless steel.  This is leading to a resurgence in Oregon Chardonnay and many observers now predict that Chardonnay will overtake Pinot Gris as the signature white wine grape in Oregon. Oregon Chardonnay is now earning high scores from reviewers. At this time, there are only a few Oregon Chardonnays available in South Carolina.  A to Z Chardonnay is the most common and I recently found it in Costco for $13.99.  This wine is ag...

I last wrote about Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages in January 2017.  I reviewed the 2014 vintage and was not very impressed, rating it at 87 points. Annually, Costco brings out their wonderful Kirkland Cotes du Rhone Villages in the latter part of the year.  I always stock up, but by this time of the new year I have exhausted my supply and start to look for a substitute.  Costco seems to anticipate that and annually stocks Rhone wines from Lavau, Gerard Bertrand, or Famille Perrin.  In 2017, the Lavau proved a poor replacement but I have eternal hope. Lavau Cotes du Rhone Villages is a medium bodied wine made from 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.  There are familiar ripe fruit flavors, medium oak and decent finish.  I definitely like this much more than what I described for the 2014 vintage.  At Costco's price of $8.99, this is a wine I will buy until I find something better. SC Wine Joe rating = 88 points           ...