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One typically goes to Costco for a good bargain. This is true for buying bulk items, Kirkland brand items, and the iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda deal at the food court. Your Costco membership does grant discounts and deals on big-ticket items, too, so you might spend a few hundred bucks on an appliance when needed. Most of us are not on the hunt for a luxury item within the warehouse retailer — but if you are, know that it’s possible to buy a $6,399 3-pack of wine there.
There are some amazing bargain wines at the warehouse retailer, and this is a membership incentive for a lot of shoppers. However, the $6,399 three-pack of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon is not one of these bargains for most regular shoppers. Although Costco’s average shopper does fall in the middle to high income category, spending several thousand dollars for a few bottles of wine is still a shocking prospect for many who are simply looking to snag a $15 bottle.
Screaming Eagle is a Napa Valley-based producer best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon wine. It’s so exclusive, it is considered a “cult wine,” which means it is a highly sought-after, top-quality wine with unique features that set it apart from the average product. In 1995, the winery made a name for itself when wine critic Robert Parker gave its vintage a near-perfect score of 99/100. Screaming Eagle now has a waiting list to make direct purchases, so the fact that this exclusive wine can be purchased at Costco, alongside other high-end bottles, is pretty incredible.
Is the $6,399 3-pack of Screaming Eagle a good deal?
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Many users on the r/Costco_alcohol subreddit were surprised by the wine’s price, and some reported that they had seen it in their stores. Multipacks of older vintages were reported at $7099. At $2,000-$2366 per bottle, what could justify this price tag? As one user commented, “I suppose that’s a deal for [the] mega-rich.”
As outrageous as it sounds, it might actually be a good deal for those who can afford it. For starters, Screaming Eagle is owned by a billionaire, so we might assume millionaires and billionaires are his target market. The supply of Screaming Eagle is another contribution to its high price tag; most years, only a few thousand bottles are released, with a maximum of 10,000 bottles per vintage. So, high demand, low supply — the price tag checks out.
Users on the r/Costco thread are not convinced. Many comments echo the same sentiment: Even if they had that kind of money, they wouldn’t buy it. It’s a valid point, especially since you could buy multiple large household appliances or a decent used car with such a large sum of money. While wine collectors may argue this is an investment wine, it seems Costco shoppers aren’t buying it. So if you’re not a wine snob or collector with a lot of disposable income, the three-pack of Screaming Eagle, or any other luxury wine collection at the warehouse retailer, such as the Lafite Rothschild Wine 6-Pack, probably isn’t worth it. But Costco has wine for everyone — so you’ll be just fine sticking with a $23 bottle of Lohr Pure Paso Proprietary Red Wine.