Esteban Martin a $4.99 Wonder

Attention anyone with a Costco membership: Look for the red wine Esteban Martin. The price is $4.99, and the taste quality is worth three times as much. The 2021 vintage is so good! The Esteban Martin is a blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Syrah. The vineyards are from the Cariñena wine region of Spain in the province of Zaragosa. The Esteban Martin vineyards are at an elevation of 2000 to 2500 feet. 

Last week, my Costco store in Foster City had a good supply of this wine. Will the price jump to $9.99, which Costco indicates is the regular price?

2021 Esteban Martin Garnacha-Syrah

The Esteban Martin has the designation “Joven,” which translates to “Young.” The Joven designation means the wine has no aging rules and, once bottled, the wine can be released as the winery sees fit. See Spanish aging designations.

Tasting Notes

The combination of Garnacha and Syrah give this wine some excellent characteristics. There is blueberry and plum on the nose and palate. Because the wine is young, fruitiness abounds, but it is restrained and polished. It is a spunky wine. The wine has a decent finish, or aftertaste, despite the lack of age in the wine. If you are serving red wine as a picnic wine, this one is it. It is low in alcohol (13.5%) and moderate in body. The wine will pair nicely with sandwiches like ham & cheese, portobello, and a BLT. Hot Dogs and burgers are another great match. 

The back label indicates this wine should be served at cellar temperature, 58 to 60 degrees, to get the most enjoyment. I prefer that rather than room temperature – always too warm for reds.

The 2021 Esteban Martin Granacha-Syrah is not meant for aging. It has a screw top. Buy it now, drink it now, and enjoy it. This wine has an astonishing 92-Point rating from the esteemed James Suckling. That’s quite a rating for a wine that costs $4.99 at Costco. I am more in the 88-Point category. I like this wine for entertaining outdoors. People will find it enjoyable and I find the price enjoyable.