This is the best $12 bottle of wine I’ve had in some time. I almost didn’t buy this because the label just looked a little suspect. I’m not sure why (and it looks better in the picture below), it just came off to me visually as a cheap bottle.
But this initial perception was way off base. Clearly an example of not judging a wine by its label. What’s even more surprising is that the retail price on this bottle turned out to be $50 from what I found on Wine Enthusiast, a fact I didn’t find out until after I was done writing up my notes on it.
Now it all makes sense. This is a higher end wine wrapped up in an inexpensive package, exactly what this blog is all about uncovering for readers.
Also in the Wine Enthusiast write up you’ll note the 94 points they awarded the wine, which is pretty insane for a wine you can buy for $12 at Costco. Decanter backed it up with a 92 point rating. Both a little high in my opinion, but nice to see the kudos.
By the way, if you want to get past the Wine Enthusiast pay wall that seems to have just gone up, just load the page and then hit Ctrl-A, or select all. This will actually copy all the text behind the pay wall. Then just open up a blank word document and paste it in. It won’t be pretty but all the details on the wine will be towards the top of the page.
Here’s that link if you want to try it.
The wine pours a deep ruby in color with dried cherries on the nose; spicy black cherry in the mouth with a touch of mocha; candied finish. This wine is drinking great right now.
This one really caught me off guard. I love Rioja, and was impressed from the very first sip. This is definitely an addition to our Top Picks list. Red wine fans should stock up for the winter months as you just don't find many wines this good priced this low.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 90 points (a CostcoWineBlog Top Pick)
Costco item number: 1362093
Purchased at Costco in: Atlanta, GA (Woodstock)
Alc. 14%
WineOrWhine says
Thanks for the heads up. I puchased 3 bottles last year at an Indianpolis Costco. I hope to see it again this year.
Andrew Jacobs says
That retail price is a bit suspect, but a quality Rioja Reserva is an absolute must-buy at $12. The non-famous wines you profile are rarely available at the Southern California warehouses, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Incidentally, if you find the 2015 Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz...jump on it. It's $9.99 and $20 off the retail price! My Costco's (Huntington Beach, CA) wine buyer tipped me off to this one. As a casualty of the pandemic they purchased the winery's stock, originally slated for restaurant and winery-direct sales that essentially disappeared as of March, at a steep discount which they passed onto Costco customers. This wine is absolutely singing right now. A few years of bottle age have allowed the tannins to fully integrate, and it's a wonderful example of 100% Shiraz. Medium-plus body and good dark fruit with a touch of oak and spice, but thankfully far from the stereotypical Aussie bombs.
Kathryn says
Thank you for your blog! Is there a way to search for the La Gitana in California Costco?
Andrew Jacobs says
For what it's worth, I've been told the wine buyers are unique to each Costco. There is of course plenty of overlap, but I'd recommend calling your local warehouse(s). The wine buyer will be able to confirm if they carry a particular wine, and they're always eager to take requests for wines to acquire. I'm based in Southern California and have not seen the La Gitana, but I will definitely be alerting the wine buyer.
Maria Jette says
This just appeared yesterday (Jan 19, 2020) at my Minneapolis-area Costco (St Louis Park). I would’ve looked right past it if I hadn’t recalled the name from Costco Wine Blog, and that was, I now see, 2 months ago! I’m pretty sure it’s because “gitana” is “gypsy,” and that brought several associations to mind at the time. Haven’t cracked it yet, but I did get 3...and am hoping I don’t love it so much that I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get back in time to round up a few more. 😏
Maria Jette says
I just picked up 3 of these yesterday (1/19/20) at a Twin Cities Costco. I agree about the label nudging something in the subconscious— wouldn’t have looked too hard at it, except that I recalled the name (La Gitana is “The Gypsy”—and it sent me down a mental rabbithole involving the opera Carmen). I wanted to try it before committing to more, and hope I won’t love it, and return in a couple of days to find it gone!
M in Portland says
I bought a bottle of the La Gitana at my Portland OR area Costco this past week and opened it last night - it was corked! I'm not a volume Costco wine buyer. Is this a pitfall of buying wine there?
Andrew Jacobs says
I'm so sorry to hear that! Such a disappointing moment...I've certainly gone through it before. As for Costco, I can honestly say that in a decade of buying wine from them I've never had a corked bottle. That's partially luck, but in general the provenance of their wines is top-tier. A compromised bottle every now and then is inevitable, but I would say that in general you shouldn't worry at all. Definitely bring the wine back as they have a famously accommodating return policy.
m. from Portland says
Thanks for the feedback. I'm happy to know that I just ran across an anomaly. I'll go back over and see if they still have more bottles on the shelves - I'd still love to give this one a try.