Chicago Wine Geek
Chicago Western Suburbs
Wine Labeler
Posts:3670
 | | 02/20/2008 9:23 PM |
| When I got hooked on this insidious habit about 7 years ago (maybe longer) I got caught up in the cult/ratings quest. I signed up for the waiting list of all the high end wines. Never made it to Marcessin, Bryant, or Grace. But finally made Abreu, Colgin, Harlan, and yes, even SE with the 2003 vintage (see my previous posts that try to derermine if I was the ONLY one who went from waiting to mailing for SE that year).
I dropped Harlan with the 2004 offer. Just too much money and I only got more than one bottle if the RP score wasn't outstanding.
I dropped Colgin with the latest mailer, just too much $$
Now what to do with SE.....
I bought my 3 pack of the 2003 with the flawed logic of, "How can you wait 7 years on the waiting list of the most sought after CA cabernet and not buy when you finally get an offer?" I never wanted to go through the hassle of flipping. I want to drink this stuff! With other wine folks! But someone on the other board was looking for 2 bottles of the 2003 for a friends BD and I PM'd them and they offered me $900 each. Done. No hassle and I got to drink one of mine for free. I was in the position to almost afford/justify the purchase of the 2004 3 pack and did.
But now....$750 each???? The only way I would do this if I was completely confident that I could get $1500 a bottle for one somewhere down the line. And this isn't the reason that I started collecting/drinking wine. I am not someone that can drop this kind of cash without blinking like some on this board. To me, the whole point of haveing a few SEs in the basement was to pop them with friends or board members that had never tried (I still haven't ever tried them).
All said and done, I might still buy them but only if I can admit that it is stupid for me personally to spend $750 on a bottle of grape juice.... | | | |
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R8der
Livermore, CA
Barrel Filler
Posts:1082
| | 02/20/2008 10:28 PM |
| Well Chicago Wine Geek, I admire the fact you want to have these bottles to open them with others.
The only reason I've tried SE was because David N was gracious enough to open not one but TWO bottles at a tasting at his house a couple of years ago. As evidenced by my post above....I don't think that I'd have ever tried this wine if not for the generosity of others. That's why I love this board! | | | |
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Vine
Milwaukee, WI
Grape Fermenter
Posts:676
| | 02/21/2008 4:08 AM |
| Posted By rickym13 on 02/20/2008 1:56 PM
i really don't blame se for rasing the price to $750....i wish they kept it at $300-$500 but.
just got email from one of the store and saw the prices of 1st growth and they are more than eagle...can't really compare apples to oranges but these are the prices i got from premier cru:
'05 haut brion @ $800
'05 latour @ $1100
'05 margaux @ $1000
and they make thousands of cases.....
Economically speaking that's a very good point.
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Randy Wigginton
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5492
| | 02/21/2008 8:57 AM |
| | My point above is that when SE was available on the mailing list for <200, it was still relatively affordable, and it was possible to share the wine with others if you were on the mailing list. However, at >$500/bottle, it becomes economically challenging to share wines (I ain't Bill Gates or Sergei Brin). The wine enters another territory (in my mind at least) where it is purely a trophy. How many people buy Le Pin or Petrus and figure they will share some at an offline? Probably very few. | | | |
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Al_ksyrah
Barrel Filler
Posts:1044
| | 02/21/2008 9:14 AM |
| Actually, most of the high-end wines I buy I assume I'll likely share at an offline. But my family isn't into wines very much since most of them are far more pragmatic than I.
-Al | | | |
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R8der
Livermore, CA
Barrel Filler
Posts:1082
| | 02/21/2008 5:25 PM |
| Posted By Randy Wigginton on 02/21/2008 8:57 AM
My point above is that when SE was available on the mailing list for <200, it was still relatively affordable, and it was possible to share the wine with others if you were on the mailing list. However, at >$500/bottle, it becomes economically challenging to share wines (I ain't Bill Gates or Sergei Brin). The wine enters another territory (in my mind at least) where it is purely a trophy. How many people buy Le Pin or Petrus and figure they will share some at an offline? Probably very few.
Well, I don't buy wines THAT expensive, but the most expensive bottles I've opened to date have all been to share with others. I purchased a Williams Selyem vertical a few years ago, the most expensive wine I've ever purchased, with the express intent to share them with others, and I did so with friends from Vinocellar this past fall.
The only time I've opened a Kistler Pinot was to share with a winemaker friend. Same with the few bottles of Rochioli Little Hill and West Block that I've opened. Hell, I've never had half a bottle of 4-Barrel to myself because I only open these bottles when friends are over! Come to think of it, I can't imagine opening a special bottle and NOT sharing it with friends. These wines were meant to be shared with those who can appreciate them! Chris
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kpak
Alaska
Wine Thief
Posts:2958
| | 02/21/2008 5:37 PM |
| | Like Chris, my most expensive bottles have been saved to open and share with wine-loving friends. And there are some that won't be ready to open for almost 10 years, so we all better stay healthy! | |
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits...
ps - friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon. | |
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R8der
Livermore, CA
Barrel Filler
Posts:1082
| | 02/21/2008 9:35 PM |
| Posted By kpak on 02/21/2008 5:37 PM
Like Chris, my most expensive bottles have been saved to open and share with wine-loving friends. And there are some that won't be ready to open for almost 10 years, so we all better stay healthy!
So lets see....calendar of 2018....trip to Alaska....check! Chris
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tanglenet
Oakland, California
Wine Bottler
Posts:3187
| | 02/21/2008 10:15 PM |
| 2018?
I'm already wearing turtle necks, vests and coats to stay warm as well as throwing comforters on the bed. If I make it to then, I'll be getting a fur implant. | |
TN posted on Cellartracker
"I drink no more than a sponge." François Rabelais
www.tanglenet.com | |
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kpak
Alaska
Wine Thief
Posts:2958
| | 02/21/2008 11:01 PM |
|  With global warming, it should be almost tropical here in 2018... | |
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits...
ps - friends don't let friends eat farmed salmon. | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5104
| | 02/23/2008 8:20 PM |
| Posted By SFbaybum on 02/20/2008 4:44 PM
That said, I agree with Jimmy that current economic factors could lead to the secondary market drying up, and if it dries up it makes the $750 release price that much weaker.
Yes. But the final point of note is that those who have been buying on the secondary market who are used to paying $1,000-$1,500 will find that their Holy Grail wine is now a bargain at $750. The secondary market might dry up, but those shifting from secondary to primary buyers are going to make out "like bandits" relatively speaking. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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winebrat
Sacramento, Ca.
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2326
| | 03/04/2008 7:40 PM |
| I am with Bressler on this. I have had every vintage and 92 was the best, although I really did like 94 as well. The 04 I have only had a taste of at last years "Taste of Oakville" at Mondavi and I was not impressed in fact I tasted it 3 times next to Ghost Block and I like the Ghost Block better FWIW. With all that said I still bought 04 and now 05.
On another note If need be it will still be worth more if I choose to flip someday(For Now atleast). Right now an entire veritcal is worth about $32k at a particular auction house. I have 2 unbroken sets and a few singles andI really am thinking of flipping at least 1. I have never purchased a bottle of wine with the intenet to sell, but the time may now be here. $64k is a nice boat or a boat load of 05 Burgs and 96 Krug. | |
"Everyday is worthy of a glass of sparkling wine" - Andrea Immer MS | |
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Ron
Grape Sorter
Posts:217
| | 03/09/2008 4:34 AM |
| At $750 this is still a bargin when at retail you'll have to pay ~$1,500. I'm still waiting to get on the list and at $750 I'd buy a full allocation. Compared to most of the first growths, this is siill a great buy!!! Count me in! | |
"Wine is Food"---Baccus | |
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Chicago Wine Geek
Chicago Western Suburbs
Wine Labeler
Posts:3670
| | 03/10/2008 9:53 AM |
| If the link still works from my email today and it allows me to buy, I just might. With every intention of flipping one, if not both. Interesting.... Link still works, I can still buy 2 bottles. Email was sent on 2/19. Maybe more people are passing... | | | |
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Chicago Wine Geek
Chicago Western Suburbs
Wine Labeler
Posts:3670
| | 03/22/2008 11:20 AM |
| | Bought the 2 pack when I saw that they were going for about $2,600 on WC. | | | |
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Al_ksyrah
Barrel Filler
Posts:1044
| | 03/22/2008 12:43 PM |
| Yep, it was a no-brainer. It's also the reason you should probably expect the release price to continue to rise.
-Al | | | |
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