Interesting side note - I've been on the list for several years now and I've never seen a mailer for this bottling; it's always been a tasting room only release. Wondering if this is a response to the tasting room being open less, tighter economy, etc.

Any idea if passing on this will affect your allocation of SVD pinots and chards. We just made the list after 6 years so don't want to jeopardize our spot. Our budget is pretty well shot though. I will probably call them Monday.

Posted By Greg Beall on 10-04-2008 09:33 PM

Any idea if passing on this will affect your allocation of SVD pinots and chards. We just made the list after 6 years so don't want to jeopardize our spot. Our budget is pretty well shot though. I will probably call them Monday.

I hope not, because I don't plan on buying any.

Found this on an eBob post, fwiw, which was lifted directly from a level 1 letter -

Level 1 = first letter to new member. You must buy something from this list to advance to level 2.

Level 2 = You must buy some wine from 2 of the 3 mailings each year. You can not skip any 2 mailings in a row or you are dropped from the list.

Level 3 = Folks longest on the list who buy all of their single vineyard Spring and Fall offers every time and some of the estate bottlings. They get the largest allocations and also special bottling offers others don't get. If you don't buy from a mailing, you drop back to level 2.
- - - -
Running commentary - That was from the chard SVD mailer, so not sure how it applies to a non SVD offering if it's your first mailer. I'm in level 3 and the "some of the estate bottlings" message was the same one I got after speaking to the office. The Level 3 offerings have been consistent for the last several years, with very little difference between level 2 and level 3 (believe it was just the Rachael's vineyard chard in SVD and a couple of west blocks) I haven't gotten any "special bottling offers" before, fwiw. I've had this wine in the past and enjoyed it, but recall more oak than the SVD's. I struggled with this one for a while, given the low price point, but decided to pass my alloc on to a good friend

I believe I'm at Level 3 now (although Rochioli referred to it as 1A and 1B, with me being at 1B). If they drop me back a level for not buying this wine, so be it. I need to cut back anyway, so they'll just be making my decisions easier.

Went in to order yesterday after finding a couple friends to split the order and found they are sold out.