Costco Euro Box Review – European Red Wine Exploration Collection

Four highly scored European red wines in a wood box for just $34.99, we review the 2025 version of the European Red Wine Exploration Collection or “Euro Box” from Costco!

It’s a new Costco Euro box for the the holidays.

The last few years Costco has released a Grands Vins de Bordeaux Box Set, perfect for gift giving. Last year they also dropped a new “Euro Box” featuring red wines from four European countries. We liked it a lot and so we’re quite happy to see that they’ve released a new one for 2025.

The Costco European Red Wine Exploration Collection (aka “Euro Box”) is available exclusively at Costco for just $34.99 ($8.75/bottle). The four included wines come from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. They are imported by Tri-Vin and Webster Barnes LLC.

Here’s what’s in the 2025 box:

• The 2022 Esteban Martin Ulula Red Blend from Carinena, Spain.
• The 2023 Chateau Bel Air LaClotte Bordeaux from France.
• The 2021 Galasso Filari Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Italy. (Interestingly, the 2024 box had the 2022 vintage of this wine.)
• The 2022 Jose Maria Da Fonseca Artisanal Red from Alentejano, Portugal.

The first thing you’ll notice are the 90+ point scores plastered prominently on each bottle. Beyond that, however, on the surface this is a nice selection of reds from places that Reverse Wine Snobs can typically find lots of value.

Let’s take a look at each wine, shall we?

Up first in the Euro Box is the 2022 Esteban Martin Ulula, a blend of organically grown Garnacha and Syrah from Carinena, Spain. It was aged 3 months in oak barrels and is vegan friendly.

From the winery:

A young, fresh and joyous wine that has been lightly aged in oak barrels for three months. Bright ruby red in colour, it is both fresh and complex. Presence of toasted and spiced notes, as well as cocoa. Expressive and delicious, it has a well-structured mouthfeel and gentle tannins.

To drink on its own or perfect with tapas and Mediterranean cuisine, particularly with barbecued chops and rice dishes. Also delicious with chocolate desserts.

Region: D.O.P. Cariñena
Vine age: 20- 65 years
Altitude: 600-800 metres
Soil type: Gravelly and very stony
Agening: 3 Months in oak barrels

14.5% Alcohol

The 2022 Esteban Martin Ulula Red Blend opens with a pleasing, fruity, berry filled aroma with some added floral notes and touches of spice and milk chocolate.

The wine tastes smooth and features similar flavors to the nose with more spice and chocolate in the mouth plus a little black pepper. This is an approachable, easy to drink wine.

It ends dry and with decent length and was even a bit better on day 2 so don’t be afraid to let it breathe.

Up next in the 2025 Costco European Red Wine Exploration Collection we’ve got the 2023 Chateau Bel Air LaClotte Bordeaux. It is 100% Merlot from Bordeaux, France.

From the bottle:

Revealing ripe dark berries and a refined softness on the palate. An enjoyable medium-bodied experience.

13.5% Alcohol

The 2023 Chateau Bel Air LaClotte Bordeaux begins with a pleasing aroma of blackberry, plum and touches of baking spice, cedar and a little licorice. It’s a nice start.

The wine tastes smooth and balanced with nicely integrated spice and similar flavors to the nose.

It ends dry and long was was similar on day 2. This is really quite nice.

The third wine in the Costco Euro Box is the 2021 Galasso Filari Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It is Montepulciano from Loreto Aprutino, Città Sant’Angelo, Abruzzo, Italy and spends 4 months in stainless steel tanks.

From the bottle:

Classic, round and fragrant red wine, an intense ruby colour, with soft purple hues. On the nose, this wine is jammy, with red and black cherry notes and a touch of smoke. The mouth is fresh and young with chewy tannins body. Ideal with pasta and red meat, excellent with lamb skewers and any BBQ meats, but also with cheeses of various ages.

12.5% Alcohol

The 2021 Galasso Filari Montepulciano d’Abruzzo begins with ripe, jammy berry fruit with a touch of a nutty note and some blood orange and floral accents. It’s a good, intriguing start.

Taking a sip reveals the wine to be savory with similar flavors to the nose plus some added balsamic notes in the mouth. Smooth and medium-bodied this would be a good one to pair with pizza or pasta.

It ends dry, a bit tangy, a touch grippy and with decent length and some lasting blood orange. It was similar on day 2.

Rounding out the Costco 4-Bottle European Red Wine Exploration Collection is the 2022 Artisanal from Jose Maria Da Fonseca. From Alentejano, Portugal, it is comprised of 40% Aragonez, 38% Trincadeira, 12% Syrah and 10% Alicante Bouschet. It spends 4 months in oak.

From the bottle:

Artisanal. What distinguishes us is how we define the work that is done in our winery located in the heart of the region, South of Portugal. Equipped with 114 clay amphorae, keeps alive a rare and ancestral tradition. Artisanal red wine is a blend of Aragonez (40%), Trincadeira (38%), Syrah (12%) and Alicante Bouschet (10%) grape varieties with 4 months of oak ageing and a chocolate smooth aroma.

13% Alcohol

The 2022 Artisanal Alentejano Red opens with a bit subdued by pleasing aroma of blackberry fruit, touches of cedar and spice and a little vanilla.

Taking a sip reveals a smooth, medium-bodied wine with juicy fruit and good acidity. It features similar flavors to the nose and while it’s not super deep or complex, it is very drinkable. There’s nothing not to like here.

It ends dry and with good length and was perhaps slightly better on day 2. This is a tasty little blend.

This is a nice variety of solid wines that are priced well and packaged up perfectly for gift giving (or to enjoy yourself).

Looking for more of our favorite picks from Costco? Browse our multi-page listing of recommended wines along with more information on how to best shop the store!

You might also be interested in reading about the 2024 Costco Wine Advent Calendar.

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And here’s our review of the 2024 Euro box.

Here’s what’s in the 2024 box:

• The 2022 Fabula de Paniza Garnacha from Carinena, Spain.
• The 2022 Chateau Talmont Bordeaux from France.
• The 2022 Galasso Filari Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Italy.
• The 2022 Lagar da Ravasqueira Red from Alentejano, Portugal.

Let’s take a look at each wine.

Up first in the Euro Box is the 2022 Fabula de Paniza Garnacha. It is comprised of 100% Garnacha from Carinena, Spain. It was fermented in stainless steel.

From the bottle:

Intense ripe fruits, blackberries and black cherries

14.5% Alcohol

The 2022 Fabula de Paniza Garnacha begins with a fresh and attractive aroma full of dark berry fruit with touches of wintergreen, spice, violets and more.

Taking a sip reveals a fresh, juicy, jammy and tasty version of Garnacha that is quite easy to drink. It features similar flavors to the nose with a soft and smooth mouthfeel and perhaps a touch of residual sugar plus light touches of spice.

It ends with a dry, soft finish of decent length and tasted pretty much the same on day 2.

Up next in the Costco European Red Wine Exploration Collection we’ve got the 2022 Chateau Talmont AOP Bordeaux. It is a blend of 59% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux, France. A small portion of the wine is aged with French oak staves for 6 months.

From the bottle:

A deep cherry red color with a welcoming profile that is full of red berries, floral touches and hints of vanilla. 59% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc.

13.5% Alcohol

The 2022 Chateau Talmont Bordeaux begins with a rather harmonious aroma of cedar and other barrel room notes, black cherry, plum and a little spice. It smells like a Bordeaux alright!

Tasting the wine reveals it to be smooth, medium-bodied and quite easy to drink but with a good amount of depth as well. It features similar fruit to the nose with nice spice throughout and fine tannins. It is also harmonious when tasting.

It ends dry and a bit grippy on the long finish that has a little oaky spice at the very end. It might be even a bit better in a couple more years but it is drinking nicely now and was similar on day 2.

The third wine in the Costco Euro Box is the 2022 Galasso Filari Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. It is 100% Montepulciano from Loreto Aprutino, Città Sant’Angelo, Abruzzo, Italy and spends 4 months in stainless steel tanks.

From the bottle:

Classic, round and fragrant red wine, an intense ruby colour, with soft purple hues. On the nose, this wine is jammy, with red and black cherry notes and a touch of smoke. The mouth is fresh and young with chewy tannins body. Ideal with pasta and red meat, excellent with lamb skewers and any BBQ meats, but also with cheeses of various ages.

12.5% Alcohol

The 2022 Galasso Filari Montepulciano d’Abruzzo begins with lots of simple berry aromas and honestly not a whole lot else. Still, it’s a fresh and attractive start.

Taking a sip reveals the wine to be pretty soft, simple and fruity when tasting as well but it’s still a satisfying and easy drink. It’s also a good one to pair with pizza or pasta.

It ends dry and long and was similar on day 2. This one just squeaks by with a low 7 Taste Rating.

Rounding out the Costco 4-Bottle European Red Wine Exploration Collection is the 2022 Lagar da Ravasqueira Red from Alentejano, Portugal. It is comprised of 30% Touriga Nacional, 20% Aragonez, 20% Alicante Bouschet, 20% Syrah and 10% Touriga Franca and it spends 8 months in American oak barrels.

From the bottle:

Wine is all about sharing stories and tradition. The Lagar has always been the meeting point between generations and customs, where history insisted on being written, passed on and celebrated.

14% Alcohol

The 2022 Lagar da Ravasqueira Red opens with a pleasing aroma of dark berry fruit, lots of vanilla and a bit of mint and spice. It’s a good start.

At first sip it tastes a bit simple, but it’s got nice depth on the fruit, some fine tannins throughout and a smooth mouthfeel. Full-bodied and with similar flavors to the nose it continues to get better with air.

It ends dry and long with a bit of juicy fruit. It was just as good, or perhaps even slightly better on day 2. This is a very nice example of a Portuguese red blend and a good value.