All right Costco wine fans, here we go with our annual look back at the wines we tasted throughout the year that we rated the highest. This generally means they hit 91 points or above.
It’s always fun to revisit this list from year’s past, so here’s last year’s list, and here’s 2019. Reviewing those brings back some memories of past bottles we loved, many of which we haven’t seen again.
I thought 2021 was a pretty good year for Costco wine. We found quite a few winners, a lot of value and some interesting boxed sets along the way.
I need to put out the standard disclaimer that a lot of the wines we list below are not going to be available. This is more a fun list, to look back in the past rather than a present day shopping list. But as we like to say, you never know what you’re going to find.
Often times bottles that disappeared months ago make a surprise re-appearance. So put these on your radar, keep an eye out and scoop them up if you do come across them.
And remember this is an interactive list. If you tasted some memorable Costco wines that we didn’t mention here, please put them in the comments. Our goal with this site, and the community we’ve built, is to find and share great Costco bottles that we all find at great prices.
Cheers, and thanks for following us. AC
2014 Covalli Barolo
Interesting that this was the first bottle to hit the list for this year. It’s also the most recent bottle (in its latest 2015 vintage) to hit the list as well as you’ll see when you get to the bottom. So despite what I just said about not finding these wines, this one is out there right now. We loved both the ’14 and ’15 vintages equally. The story here is the price, $15. For real Barolo. Enough said. 91 points [read our review]
2016 Jim Barry Lodge Hill Shiraz
Beautiful Aussie Shiraz that was at Costco for $14 at the beginning of the year; haven’t seen it since which is a bummer. This one moved fast and with good reason; it’s just a delight to drink on every level, and super elegant. 91 points from us [read the review]
2016 Pagodes de Cos St Estephe Bordeaux
Chateau Cos d’Estournel is one of the top estates in Bordeaux (and a personal favorite of mine) but to buy their premier first wine you’re looking at $200+. This is their second wine that Costco carried for $49 and it offers a nice taste of this legendary property. Excellent juice, not inexpensive but if you’re swimming upstream this is a good way to go. 93 points [read our review]
2018 Ridge Three Valleys Sonoma Red Wine
While we’re on the subject of my favorite producers, here’s another one on that list, Ridge. Ridge makes a lot of great wine (Montebello from a good year is about as good as it gets), but their Zins are world class. This is a Zin dominated blend that Costco carried for $20. Most of Ridge’s wines are $30+ so this was a nice find. It’s a great wine that we rated 91 points [read our review]
2016 Les Allies Chateauneuf-du-Pape
My first time tasting this $30 Chateaneuf and it was delicious. Drinking great right now with room to run in the cellar. I wish I had picked up more of these. Rhone wine fans will find a lot to like here. 91 points [read our review]
2018 Kirkland Signature Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
Always a favorite that we are on the lookout for, this is also consistently one of the best Kirkland bottles in the portfolio. Historically, we’ve rated it 90+ points, and we put this new 2018 vintage at 91 points. A clear standout for Kirkland wines in 2021. [read our review]
2017 Joseph Phelps Freestone Pinot Noir Sonoma
Amazing price at Costco on an amazing wine. Retail is around $60 and Costco had it for $34. Granted that’s not inexpensive but this one drinks so nice. As I said in the review: “This bottle is pure elegance in Pinot Noir and I just couldn’t get enough.” 93 points for this one and a big thumbs up [read our review]
2013 Casa de Santar Reserva Red Blend Portugal
An interesting red blend (50% Touriga-Nacional, 25% Aragonez, and 25% Alfrocheiro) from Portugal that caught me off guard for $14. What a wine and a great representation of the immense value you can find in Portuguese wines today. 92 points [read our review]
2016 Kirkland Signature Barolo
One of the few bottles to make this list back to back, the Kirkland Barolo continues to shine. The inaugural 2015 vintage was amazing, and this one followed suit. Such a good buy at $20 and an easy 92 points from us [read our review]
2018 Kirkland Signature Suscol Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Speaking of inaugural vintages, here’s a very welcome new addition to the Kirkland wine family. Holy smokes this one came out of nowhere, and delivered. It sold super fast, so I’m hoping Costco realizes the winner they have here and gives us further vintages. Fingers crossed, 91 points [read our review]
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne Yellow Label
It had been a little while since I tasted this Costco staple Champagne, and I wanted to freshen up my perspective a bit. This is probably the most recognizable bottle of French Champagne on the market, and it delivered just what I hoped. Super tasty. Costco’s price is $48.99 which is about what you will find it for elsewhere, so nothing special there. But for special occasions, this is always a solid bubbly choice [read our review]
2018 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
Another Aussie Shiraz hits the list. This one was really a standout. Costco’s price was $26, and while it’s not as inexpensive as some others on this list, from a quality to price perspective this is in a league of its own. Also, #41 on Wine Spectator’sTop 100 of 2020.91 points for us. [read our review]
2019 Kirkland Signature Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon
Back to back 91 point ratings from us on another favorite Kirkland wine. If you’re a Stag’s Leap fan, this bottle is a no brainer. Super solid wine for $24 which is unheard of for this premier Napa sub region. [read our review]
2011 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904
Long time readers know how much we like this wine. We have a cellar full of past vintages. A lot of times we get asked for recommendations for fairly priced cellarable wines. This would be at the top of that list for me. It’s super tasty right now, but can go the long haul. Costco’s price was $54.99, which is starting to creep up. 94 points. [read our review]
2018 Di Arie Break Away Zinfandel
This one comes to us from the Sierra Foothills for $12.99 which is about half of retail, and it drinks like it costs way more than that. Really a fun wine that we enjoyed, rating it a solid 91 points. [read our review]
2015 Covalli Barolo
And that brings us full circle, back to our most recent highly rated wine, and the latest vintage of the wine we started this list with. The price stayed the same at only $15. And the quality stayed the same too. A big time value buy here. [read our review]
And that brings this list to a close.
That was clearly the largest number of bottles we’ve ever included in this list, so it was no doubt a good year for wine we found at Costco in 2021. I hope that many of you were able to find some of these winners too.
Keep an eye out for any that might still be lingering in stores, or for that surprise guest appearance. And again, let the whole community know in the comments below of any bottles that stood out to you over the last year. Thanks for following the site.
