Would you buy 2015 Rousseau Chambertin? And at what price ceiling?
Its a vexing question. I love Rousseau. My favourite Burgundy producer. The last time I purchased Rousseau in any decent quantities (2 1/2 cases) was 2010 vintage. Then my main source dried up. The prices started escalating. Not that they were exactly cheap back then but I noted almost doubling of prices with every vintage since. I purchased four bottles in 2012 and backfilled another four from 2011 vintage after a lot of soul searching. Then I gave up on Rousseau.
Now I can see an offer for $1700 for Rousseau Chambertin. Four fold increase compared with 2010 vintage. Looks insane.
But on wine searcher there are prices elsewhere up to $4000. Blue chip Burgundy is never going to get cheaper as demand exceeds supply significantly.
What would you do? (YES, its a first world problem)
At what price would you feel comfortable buying Rousseau Chambertin? Or feel uncomfortable but still splurge?
Do you have a price ceiling at which you would NEVER buy?
I’m not shopping in this price range, but one analogy is that I recently purchased a bottle of 2004 Monfortino for $495 (found for up to $1,800 on WS), even though I never spend more than $300 on a bottle and even that’s a rare 1-2x per year thing. I haven’t tried the Monfortino yet but would probably buy another one at that price if one was offered…
I don’t think anyone can answer that for you, but then I’m guessing you’re not expecting that either
It comes down to how much you love / crave Rousseau Chambertin. Yes, that price has AUD1000 of profit and tax on it, but as you’ve already seen it is quite “reasonable” compared to the ask in other markets. It’s probably also “reasonable” when you compare to La Tache or La Romanee or other benchmarks. If you have enough cases in your cellar to never regret not buying, don’t buy. Personally, for me that price is a “no”. But if it were me being offered Coche Corton Charlemagne at that price then I would buy a couple.
Buying it doesn’t mean drinking it. Opening it does. You can’t open it if you don’t buy it. Would you buy any DRC above the middle? Is Rousseau Chambertin better than those to your tastes? Find your comparison and establish a value equation. I have never had access to Rousseau. I bought a bottle of '94 Chambertin at a steakhouse for $80 when it was a current release. It was delicious. Good times. So what? If it scratches an itch and you have the means, you buy. Personally, I’d hesitate at this level, but probably take one or two.
Nope, but that’s a complicated equation each individual must consider and I understand why someone in very different circumstances than mine would back up the truck.
I’ve been lucky enough to experience a lot of great, mature wine. The price of that experience has spiked so much over the past few years that I have other experiences I value more for the similar cost asked, and the role of those wines has been taken over by much more affordable, pretty enjoyable juice and those experiences.
Flipping: I have not flipped any Rousseau yet. In the future who knows, but that would not be the main aim of purchase right now.
Wine Inventory: I have lots of Rousseau being my favourite producer and my access to a source which enabled me to buy in cases lots. I have lots of other Burgundy producers and Red Burgundy would be approx 28% of my total wine collection. So thee is enough Burgundy (with my current consumption) till I am 80. Most certainly I will be stopping my Burgundy purchases by 2016 vintage.
You got into Burgundy decades before me and those prices your purchased Rousseau look as insane as the current prices appear to your ilk. Same case can be made for First Growth Bordeaux too.
Not looking buying a case. Its max of two that is being offered. Other Chambertins/CdB have been snapped up. Oh, there is one bottle of CSJ for $800. Bargain price.
On the price factor, purely a personal decision. While these price escalations cannot go on forever, the fact remains that the general demand/price for a top wine when it was first released can follow that wine for quite a long time to some degree- and especially so in Burgundy. You certainly do see occasional serious market corrections in Bordeaux pricing, but I think supplies in Burgundy will ensure it does not happen to the same degree there. In short- I think $1,700 for the 2015 is about the lowest price you will ever see for that wine. I have not been offered the 2015, but I was offered the 2012 at release for $800 from a merchant that is not prone to taking excessive markups, so $1,700 for the 2015 sounds pretty good to me.
The problem for me is one of quantity. I hate to have less than 3-4 of a wine like that, and in most cases I refuse to buy altogether if I cannot get a decent parcel. I might make an exception for Rousseau Chambertin because while it does need some serious age to show its best- it is also pretty showy young and I have never had one that was completely shut down. So, I would consider it a safer risk for not opening at the right moment compared to some others. Still, I just cannot fathom only 2 bottles of something like that. With 3-4, or ideally 6, if you get the odd corked bottle or happen to open one at a closed stage, at least you have several to increase your odds of having the magical moment.
prices have gone up a little here in NZ for the 2015s, but it was around 12% over the 2014 prices.
I just think that price for Cham is either a massive jack up or 3rd or 4th tier pricing
Marcus - we’re lucky to not pay “retail” but cost-plus direct. AUD 1,700 doesn’t surprise me at all. Auction results are certainly up there, including here in NZ. Fortunately, the NZ importer is on the look out for auction bottles as they want to allocate only to real consumers rather than flippers.
