COSTCO vs TRADER JOE’S vs TOTAL WINE

Today’s video focuses on Chablis; for me, it’s the purest example of Chardonnay from anywhere in the world. I’ll taste three examples of Chablis AOC or sometimes called village-level Chablis. The wines are from three of the largest wine retailers in the US. I picked up a bottle from Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Total Wine. All three wines are priced around $15 per bottle.

A bit about Chablis: it’s an outlier in Burgundy, resting at the far northern end of the region, not all that far from Champagne. Chablis at the village level offers some of the best values from all of Burgundy. It’s typically plentiful, accounting for around 75% of Chablis’s total wine production. Grand Crus and Premier Crus are some of the greatest wines in the world, but that’s a topic for another video. All Chablis must be made from 100% Chardonnay; most at the village level see little to no time in oak barrels. The region is famous for Kimmeridgian soils that help to impart a unique crispness and freshness to the wines. Many village-level Chablis have some aging potential, but most are at their best within 4 years or so from the vintage.

First up is the 2024 Laboure Gontard Chablis, which is sold through Total Wine & More. It’s priced at $15.97 per bottle. At Total, wines ending in “7” are not offered at a further discount. 

2024 St. Céline Chablis, exclusive to Trader Joe’s. In most locations, the wine is typically available year-round. It’s priced at $15.99

2023 Kirkland Signature Chablis, exclusive to Costco, is typically found in the laydown bins. It’s a seasonal wine available for a limited time. The price is $14.99

My order of preference was Kirkland Signature from Costco, Saint Celine from Trader Joe’s and then Laboure Gontard from Total Wine.

#chablis #chardonnay #winetasting #burgundy #winelover #costco #kirklandsignature #traderjoes #totalwine #2024 #2023 #lululemon #masterofwine #bobpaulinski

Chapter Markers:
00:00 – 01:26 Background on Chablis
01:27 – 03:51 Laboure Gontard Total Wine
03:52 – 05:42 St Celine from Trader Joe’s
05:43 – 08:19 Kirkland Signature Costco
08:20 – 10:17 Final Assessment Chablis AOC

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