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The Rabble Paso Robles Red Blend 2020 Costco is $10.89 at Costco and between $15 and $20 elsewhere. The blend seems to be Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Tannat, Tempranillo, and Malbec sourced from “carefully selected vineyards in Paso Robles.”
The reason I say that seems to be the blend is that this version has a different label than the Red Blend on Rabble’s website. This label has a dragon knocking over the steeple of a church. The alcohol content listed on this bottle is 14.5% and the content listed on the website is 14.2%.
While it is true that the alcohol content rating only has to be in a percentage or two of the final rating and wines can change their labels whenever they wish, collect them all! But it occurred to me that this could be a special Costco bottling.
According to Buzzfeed, Costco is the largest wine retailer in the US with almost $4,000,000,000 in annual sales. It would make sense to create a wine, especially for them and it would give price advantages to Costco which accounts for the low price. This is all guesswork on my part but the different label could be a clue.
Rabble only uses grapes from sustainably farmed vineyards, uses sustainable practices in the winery, and plants a tree for every bottle sold. Their website shows that 117,000 trees have been planted in four states to date.
The technical notes for the last 2 vintages of Rabble Paso Robles Red Blend 2020 Costco are vague, but the 2019 vintage notes said this blend was aged with French oak 10% new and 90% neutral barrels, they did not specify a time frame.
Rabble Wines is a brand of O’Neill Vintners that is a certified B Corporation. A “B Corporation” is one that adheres to the highest accountability and transparency standards.
The Rabble Paso Robles Red Blend 2020 Costco Tasting Notes
The color is a nearly opaque cherry red with black highlights. The nose is dark berries, mocha, a little spice, violets, strawberries, and light spice. The Rabble Paso Robles Red Blend 2020 Costco is silky smooth with ripe tasty fruit and solid texture.
The Red Blend tastes like black cherry, blackberry, black pepper, exotic spice, and raspberry. The midpalate brings rough-edged spice (a nice change of pace), blueberry, a hint of vanilla, and tart cranberry.
The tannins are sweet and do not interfere with the flavor profile and the acidity gives this Red good length.
The Summary
- The Rabble Paso Robles Red Blend 2020 Costco is a tasty well-priced Red Blend that seems to be a Costco Bargain when compared with other wine retailers.
- There is a lot to like here, the bottle has an interesting label, the wine company looks like they take its responsibilities seriously and the wine is very enjoyable and versatile. Will pair well with comfort foods and sips well on its own.
