Dave 
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5774
 | | 09-08-2007 10:55 AM |
| When I started buying wine again in 2005 I signed up for a lot of mailers. Or as Guapo would say, a plethora. Little did I know then how hard it would be to drop them!  I was shut out of many, many lists. To my surprise, on almost all, I have either been added to the list (less than 3 year wait) or have found generous souls willing to share.
Here is what I've kept (14) and what I have dropped (61). I need to keep cutting, but it gets harder. My advice to others - don't start.
Current mailers
Alban Vineyards
Abreu (1 bottle)
Araujo
Aubert
Bressler
Carlisle
Kosta Browne
Rhys (no Alessia)
Ridge Monte Bello
Rivers Marie
Schrader
Shafer Hillside Select (1 bottle)
Sine Qua Non
Quilceda Creek
Dropped mailers
A Donkey and Goat
Alcina Cellars
Anomaly Vineyards
Arietta
Baile
Blankiet
Brewer-Clifton
Carver-Sutro
Clos Pepe
Core
Copain
David Arthur
DuMol
Gemstone
Robert Foley
Harlan
Harris Estate
Hartford Court
Hestan
Hourglass
Hundred Acres
Jones Family
Karl Lawrence
Kapcsandy
Kongsgaard
Ladera
Larkmead
Linne Calodo
L'Angevin
L’Aventure
Levy & McClellan
Littorai
Match
Maybach
Melville
Merus
Neal Family
Outpost
Paul LatoÂ
PaxÂ
Peay
Peter Michael
Pisoni
Radio Coteau
Ramey
Realm
Revana
Samsara
Sea Smoke
Siduri
Stolpman
Tablas Creek
Tensley
Turley
Saxum
Scholium Project
Villa Creek
Vineyard 29
Walter Hansel
Williams Selyem
Wolf Family | | |
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wineismylife
Arlington, TX
Master of Wine
Posts: 12532
| | 09-08-2007 11:45 AM |
| The more you cut the easier it gets in my opinion. Now those damned Premier Cru, K&L and Wine Library emails will kill you though!
Out of your keepers here are the only ones I've kept:
Aubert
Bressler
Kosta Browne
Sine Qua Non
Quilceda Creek
| | | Joe-----Wine is like potato chips around me...if it's open, it's gone. | |
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baron45
Grape Destemmer
Posts: 56
| | 09-08-2007 11:48 AM |
| your Dropped mailers list is better than others' current list.
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Dave
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5774
| | 09-08-2007 12:11 PM |
| baron, there are some great wineries on the dropped list. Â Joe, I might be able to do the following (you are still the man): Â Alban Vineyards
Aubert
Bressler
Kosta Browne
Rhys (no Alessia)
Ridge Monte Bello
Rivers Marie
Schrader
Sine Qua Non
Quilceda Creek
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Winegeek
San Francisco
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1533
| | 09-08-2007 01:31 PM |
| Wow - good job! I would have found it tough to drop several of those - especially Littorai. But who the hell is Paul Lato?
Richard | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts: 13785
| | 09-08-2007 01:46 PM |
| Dave, you are a very strong willed wino. I applaud your efforts!
I'd drop the KB if I were you, but that is just me.
I'm only really actively buying the following lists myself --
Peay
Match (cut back to 3 this year)
Bressler (cut back to 3 this year)
Littorai
Dehlinger
Radio Coteau
I am still waiting to get on Sine Qua Non. I'm on Brewer Clifton, but am loathe to start buying now only because it means another mailer to worry about and that I am not supposed to be buying any more wine until I get my storage unit in the next 5-11 months...
I've ordered recently from K-B and Rivers Marie, but those will either be cut completely or will be drastically cut back on going forward.
Everything else I have ever ordered from has been dropped (I think). | | | www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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jason
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts: 6914
| | 09-08-2007 02:03 PM |
| Dropped off a ton of lists once I started ITB. I could get many of the wines wholesale, plus I wasn't making as much money anymore. I also had a major palate adjustment and lost most of my interest in the pursuit of new world wines.
The only lists that are actively purchased off still:
Sine Qua Non
Shafer Hillside Select
Bressler
Switchback Ridge | | | |
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love_cab_chard
Master of Wine
Posts: 12714
| | 09-08-2007 03:33 PM |
| Araujo Estate Wines
Bressler Vineyards
Colgin Cellars
Kosta Browne Winery
Neal Family Vineyards
Outpost Wines
Peay Vineyards
Philip Togni
Quilceda Creek Vintners
Radio-Coteau Wine Cellars
Rhys Vineyards
Ridge Monte Bello
Rivers-Marie
Robert Foley Vineyards
Sandler Wine Company
Sine Qua Non Wines
Switchback Ridge Cellars
Turley Wine Cellars | | | |
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Dave
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5774
| | 09-08-2007 04:44 PM |
| Pool Boy, Pool Boy, you Parker lemming you.  Winegeek, dropping Littorai was one of the harder ones. I bought a ton of the '04s and won't regret buying a single one. I wouldn't be surprised if that one pops back on someday. Still, cutting California pinots was job one.Â
Paul Lato is a small producer in Santa Maria. I really liked his '03 Pinot and Syrah. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5223
| | 09-08-2007 04:55 PM |
| Posted By Dave on 09/08/2007 4:44 PM
Paul Lato is a small producer in Santa Maria.ÂI really liked his '03 Pinot and Syrah.
So did Parker. So the lemmings are no doubt filling up his list right about now. | | | Beta testing a new signature. | |
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Dave
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5774
| | 09-08-2007 05:07 PM |
| Parker was sort of lukewarm on the '03s (90/91). He raved about the '05s. | | | |
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dgoerisch
St. Louis
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 402
| | 09-08-2007 05:07 PM |
| I've also cut most of my CA pinot mailers...unfortunately for my bank account, my tastes have changed toward Burgundy.
Current mailers
Alban Vineyards
Aubert
Bressler
Peay (whites only)
Saxum
Shafer Hillside Select (first year)
Switchback Ridge (sort of...have purchased Alohaj's allocation the last two years)
Quilceda Creek
Dropped mailers
AP Vin
Copain
Dain
David Arthur
DuMol
Harris Estate
Kistler
Loring
Martinelli
Neal Family
Paul Hobbs
Pax
Peter Michael
Pride
Radio Coteau
Red Car
Roar
Salinia
Sea Smoke
Turley
WH Smith
Williams Selyem | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts: 13785
| | 09-08-2007 06:27 PM |
| Posted By Dave on 09/08/2007 4:44 PM Pool Boy, Pool Boy, you Parker lemming you.  Winegeek, dropping Littorai was one of the harder ones. I bought a ton of the '04s and won't regret buying a single one. I wouldn't be surprised if that one pops back on someday. Still, cutting California pinots was job one.Â
Paul Lato is a small producer in Santa Maria. I really liked his '03 Pinot and Syrah. Hey I ain't no lemming! I don't even read anything Parker writes...seriously! Bah! I've had about 3 or 4 KB wines over the past year and, aside from the 4-barrel I had a couple of years ago (I think someone (scottj?) brought one to a DC Crü outing at Corduroy), I have been disappointed. It's not bad wine (ok, well, the rose I have here sucks, but I have only tried it once), but it is a little thick and syrupy for me. Maybe I am not letting them sit long enough, or not decant long enough or I don't know what. I have a case and a half of the KB stuff now and I'll just have to wait and see how it develops. | | | www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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tanglenet
Oakland, California
Wine Bottler
Posts: 3397
| | 09-08-2007 10:35 PM |
| As of right now, here are my active lists:
Littorai
Walter Hansel Winery - don't need to buy off list, but I do
Radio-Coteau
Sea Smoke
Freeman
WesMar
Merry Edwards
Karl Lawrence
Peay Vineyards
Kosta Browne
Sojourn
Bressler
Rhys
Match Vineyards
Windy Oaks Estate | | | TN posted on Cellartracker"
I drink no more than a sponge." François Rabelais | |
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Dave
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5774
| | 09-08-2007 11:58 PM |
| Posted By Pool Boy on 09/08/2007 6:27 PM Posted By Dave on 09/08/2007 4:44 PM Pool Boy, Pool Boy, you Parker lemming you.  Winegeek, dropping Littorai was one of the harder ones. I bought a ton of the '04s and won't regret buying a single one. I wouldn't be surprised if that one pops back on someday. Still, cutting California pinots was job one.Â
Paul Lato is a small producer in Santa Maria. I really liked his '03 Pinot and Syrah. Hey I ain't no lemming! I don't even read anything Parker writes...seriously! Bah! I've had about 3 or 4 KB wines over the past year and, aside from the 4-barrel I had a couple of years ago (I think someone (scottj?) brought one to a DC Crü outing at Corduroy), I have been disappointed. It's not bad wine (ok, well, the rose I have here sucks, but I have only tried it once), but it is a little thick and syrupy for me. Maybe I am not letting them sit long enough, or not decant long enough or I don't know what. I have a case and a half of the KB stuff now and I'll just have to wait and see how it develops. Let's just say that as your biggest fan, I can't help but read your posts on the other boards. I thought that might get a rise. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas (pretty fall colors here)
Master of Wine
Posts: 11293
| | 09-09-2007 10:14 AM |
| I've cut down the amounts purchased because I just don't need that much wine anymore. Bressler, QC and Shafer HSS fill up my holes for cabernet especially since the QCs are starting to mature a bit.
If any of these decline to keep me on their list at any time so be it.
Aubert
Bressler
Kosta Browne
Peay
Quilceda Creek
Shafer HSS
others that are maybes
Radio-Coteau
Littorai
Kongsgaard | | | |
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mountainman
Mammoth Mountain
Wine Addict
Posts: 6195
| | 09-09-2007 12:23 PM |
| Every season I am tossing more mailers. The ones that I spend the most money on:
Aubert
Kistler
Kosta Browne
Shafer HSS
Quilceda Creek (after 2005's, I'm going to re-evaluate)
I buy a minimum/negligible amount (what many spend at a wine store/I don't have one here):
Bressler
Match
Hansel
Peay
Williams Seleyem
Brewer Clifton (re-evaluating soon)
Sloan (depends on future pricing)
DuMOL
I guess by next season, I'll be rid of 3 of the above.
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Budman
Philly Suburbs
VinoCellar.com Extraordinaire
Posts: 23705
| | 09-09-2007 12:39 PM |
| TJ - the 06 KB rose dopes indeed suck!!! Only one of the 5 bottles I consumed was any good. I finished my last bottle last night, and almost dumped it. I will NOT be buying their rose in the futures. I do, however, LOVE their pinots. | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts: 13785
| | 09-09-2007 02:16 PM |
| Posted By Budman on 09/09/2007 12:39 PM TJ - the 06 KB rose dopes indeed suck!!! Only one of the 5 bottles I consumed was any good. I finished my last bottle last night, and almost dumped it. I will NOT be buying their rose in the futures. I do, however, LOVE their pinots. Finally somebody agrees with me about the current Rose release by KB. I thought I must be losing it. As for their pinots, I really need to just insert it in to a blind tasting one of these days. I am loathe to open a bottle for now as I expect to not like it. Maybe I need to let these all sit a lot longer and pop them later. I tend to like Pinots with a few years on them anyway (ideally 5 minimum), but I drink them too early.
I am a total fan of Littorai though. Next opportunity, I'll be buying more.
| | | www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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Drew
Sammamish, WA
Wine Bottler
Posts: 3355
| | 09-09-2007 11:16 PM |
| I'm in maintain mode, personally. I've tried to rearrange the budget to buy more WA wine now that I'm up here (Betz, Cadence, etc.), and that's generally from local sources/impulse buys. I find myself in Healdsburg once a year, so I've been able to keep up on Rafanelli, and a few others.
Active
A.P.Vin
Bressler
Rochioli
Quilceda Creek
Turley (I only buy the Old Vines, Juvenile and Hayne PS... fencing the other 30 bottles) | | | |
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