This wine was first spotted by readers in February, but it's taken until now for us to be able to find and purchase at a store near us. Glad we didn't miss it.
The new branding created a lot of excitement and early reports were pretty positive on the wine, with comparisons to years past.
The producer, Bodegas Eguia, remains the same, and we actually see the price come down slightly to $6.99 from a previous $7.89. The Costco item number (917056) is also the same as the prior years.
Looking at our ratings going all the way back to the 2010 vintage shows a consistent 87-89 points for this bottle across every vintage we've tasted:
2010 Kirkland Rioja: 88 points
2012 Kirkland Rioja: 87 points
2013 Kirkland Rioja: 88 points
2014 Kirkland Rioja: 88 points
2015 Kirkland Rioja: 88 points
2016 Kirkland Rioja: 88 points
2017 Kirkland Rioja: 89 points
2018 Kirkland Rioja: 89 points
2019 Kirkland Rioja, 89 points
The last few vintages have been particularly strong, making this a rather unbelievable find for only $7.
Moving into the latest vintage, we have a lot of what we liked about previous vintages once again.
Medium ruby in the glass, beautiful nose of ripe fruit, earth and oak; a pleasant mix of red and dark fruit flavors, predominantly cherry, blackberry and plum; spicy mid palate with notes of vanilla, anise, raisin into a dusty, dry finish.
We're staying strong on our rating from the last vintage with another 89 points. This is a remarkable buy in the Costco wine aisle, and hopefully the new branding attracts a few more curious shoppers to give it a whirl.
CostcoWineBlog.com Rating: 89 points
Costco item number: 917056
Availability: We buy our wine at multiple Costco warehouses around the Atlanta area. The best way to locate wines near you is by using the new Costco mobile app and search with the Costco item number we listed above.
Alc. 14%
Dean says
I have to disagree and would put this one at 85 points or less. Initially, it was OK, but after about 30-45 minutes in my glass, the nose changed to a strong chemical odor that really seemed off. Maybe I got a bad bottle, but I found it to be nearly undrinkable and not representative of a Rioja, even at $7.
Mark Nickel says
I have purchased almost every vintage Costco has sold beginning with 2012.
Before that a 2009 Vina Eugia (possibily from the same vintner)
I have found these wine to be an excellent value , however many of the earlier vintages (pre about 2020) need a couple of years, at least, in the "cellar" to smooth out tannins and improve complexity.
I usually get a couple of cases drink a bottle or two, then cellar the remainder.
Sorry to hear about Dean's experience but one bottle does not make a vintage.
Open another Dean!
I am finding the 2020 vintage to be very approachable and expect an even better glass from it after a few years in the cellar....?. although the Mura Family may now be producing this wine with the new techniques whereas the wine does not improve in the cellar. In all I think Costco's 87-89 ratings are quite fair and I would rate my cellared earlier vintages over 90.
Sante!