If you’ve been following along on our journey through all 24 of the Costco advent calendar wines, then you know it’s been a bumpy ride. There is a lot of variation in quality and style this year.
The Wine Fairy tasting team (me and my wife, Sarah) are using a very informal (non-blind, non-mathematical, go-with-your-gut) scoring system for these cheapie half-bottles. So far we’ve assigned letter grades from “A” through “F” and all points in between.
Now, there are just three bottles left. One of them is sweet and one is sparkling. So that means that we are on the final still, dry wine of the Costco Class of 2025: The Maison du Lac Sauvignon Blanc.
Scrolling through all the photos on my phone (do people have photos of things other than wine on their phones?), Sarah remarks that she thinks the whites have been stronger overall than the reds.
I have to agree. And so it is with cautious anticipation that we uncork this varietally labeled white Bordeaux.
The Label
From the producer: “Masion Du Lac Sauvignon Blanc bursts with fresh fruit and citrus aromas. It’s a dry and elegant wine with a lively personality, featuring subtle after flavors that contribute to its crisp and refreshing finish.”
The Tasting
A green ‘n clean Sauvy B with explosive aromatics–at least by France’s standards. Pale lemon in color with pungent notes of gooseberry, boxwood, cypress, citron zest, and starfruit. It’s dry, high-acid, and citric in style with a light body and modest alcohol (11.5%). Flavors of lemon, tart green apple, and green citron dominate the palate, along with light pyrazines (banana peppers). A medium-short, pleasantly tangy finish with a hint of white pepper and pine needles.
Masion Du Lac doesn’t have the mineral persistence of excellent Loire Valley Sauv Blanc, nor the textural richness of traditional Bordeaux Blancs that are blended with Sémillon. It’s a bracingly fresh, uncomplicated wine. (“Sauvignon Blank,” Sarah quips–while still reaching past me to pour herself a refill.)
I don’t need a Sauvignon Blanc to blow my mind, though. I just need it to have sufficient oomph, and to scratch that corner of my brain that’s oddly addicted to the smell of cut green peppers and cat pee. And so, Maison du Lac was a welcome guest in Maison du Wine Fairy.
A final aside: One of the frustrating things about the Costco advent calendar wines is that if you like something you’ve tasted, you probably won’t be able to buy it separately. But in a few rare cases, perhaps you can! The Warehouse Runner app is reporting that a full-size (750 ml) bottle of Maison du Lac has been spotted in some Costco stores (Item #2002505, retail $9.99).
Cool! Assuming it’s the same wine, ten bucks is a ridiculous price for a French Sauvignon this fresh and aromatic and food-friendly. Buy it all, serve it to your friends, tell ’em it’s Sancerre (just kidding).
Bottle: Maison du Lac Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc (2024) – France
Costco Wine Advent-ure Calendar Number: 22
Grade: A-
Finish the bottle? Absolutely.
I’m tasting all 24 wines in the 2025 Costco Wine Advent-ure calendar! See previous reviews here.
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
Leave a Comment