This California Costco Is Home To Some Of The World's Rarest Wines
From grocery essentials to major appliances and clothing, Costco is known for having a little bit of everything. You can now add expensive alcohol to the list of surprising items that the warehouse giant carries — and we're not just talking about that $29,999 bottle of 50-year single malt Scotch the chain once sold at a Washington D.C. location.
The Burbank Costco Business Center (which primarily caters to business customers but invites all members to shop there) in North Hollywood, California, carries an equally impressive selection of rare wines, including Chateau Latour and Chateau Troplong Mondot. These range in price from $2,599 all the way up to $37,999. Like most products sold at Costco, these wines are available in sets of three or more, but that only partially explains the incredibly expensive price tags.
Costco famously offers affordable bottles of its own private label vinos (and we ranked the best and worst Kirkland wines in case you're seeking inspiration), but these rare wines are something else altogether. Generally, wine is priced according to factors like vintage, producer, and availability. This last factor is a real sticking point when it comes to rare wines, as decreased availability will naturally drive up costs.
Costco's selection of rare, expensive wines
Most people would scoff at the notion of dropping almost $40,000 on wine in one fell swoop, but that's the price tag for the Chateau Latour 30-Bottle Vertical Collector's Set on sale at the Burbank Costco Business Center (though it's worth mentioning that these bottles are currently listed as presale only). This limited-release collection features vintages ranging from 1985 to 2014, courtesy of the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France, where the Chateau Latour estate is situated.
The importance of knowing a wine's region of origin is illustrated by the concept of terroir. It states that the environmental features of a wine-growing region can have an effect on the quality of the finished product.
When compared to the Chateau Latour Collector's Set, the Chateau Troplong Mondot Vertical Set seems like a real bargain. Also a presale exclusive, this six-pack comes with 1988, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2016 vintages for a cost of about $2,600. This wine hails from the Saint-Emilion appellation of Bordeaux, France, and has been honored with a Premier Grand Cru Classé B designation, a special award given to the best quality wines produced in the St. Emilion region. These selections are just a small example of the type of high-end luxury wines that Costco features in at least one of its stores, although most of us will sadly never get to sample them.