Marcassin

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#101 Post by **Joe Raymond** » May 14th, 2020, 11:23 am

Mike I would check the multiple threads about retailers getting it first before the individual people, pretty standard practice for them and other wineries from what I have read in the past about Marcassin. Eventually the release will show up in the snail mail.....

MikeHB · #102 Post by **MikeHB** » May 14th, 2020, 6:09 pm

I hear ya, Joe, but in this case the 2014's are in retailer and distributor's hands, before the 13's are being offered!

Matthew Brown · #103 Post by **Matthew Brown** » May 14th, 2020, 6:49 pm

A lot of restaurant allocations go out early, and with them closed the distributors are probably getting permission to put more out the their retail accounts. Many wines that were on fairly strict non-retail programs are going to see more retail presence in the coming months.

#104 Post by **Robert R** » May 15th, 2020, 8:43 am

Is there another less consumer friendly winery than Marcassin?

Jeff Leve · #105 Post by **Jeff Leve** » May 15th, 2020, 9:11 am

Robert R wrote: ↑May 15th, 2020, 8:43 am Is there another less consumer friendly winery than Marcassin?

How do you figure Marcassin is not consumer-friendly? They sell wines at a steep discount to the true market value. They have barely raised prices for years. In my book, that is consumer-friendly.

#106 Post by **T. Altmayer** » May 15th, 2020, 9:16 am

Jeff Leve wrote: ↑May 15th, 2020, 9:11 am
Robert R wrote: ↑May 15th, 2020, 8:43 am Is there another less consumer friendly winery than Marcassin?
How do you figure Marcassin is not consumer-friendly? They sell wines at a steep discount to the true market value. They have barely raised prices for years. In my book, that is consumer-friendly.

I have to agree with this. Their approach is quirky and unorthodox, but when I have reached out to them over the years, they have been prompt and courteous in their replies.

#107 Post by **Robert R** » May 15th, 2020, 5:23 pm

I guess we have different ideas as to consumer friendly. They do not answer my emails. Last communication was a year ago April when I was told they were working on the 2013 release. Crickets since then. No response to follow up emails over the past 13 months...nothing... Contrast that with other highly allocated wines MacDonald, Saxum, SQN, Cayuse that sell for considerably more than the member price and yet they are responsive and friendly to all inquiries. Just my observation...

idayan · #108 Post by **idayan** » May 18th, 2020, 1:00 pm

A buddy and I, both on list wrote emails and snail mail and no replies. Even asked contact at Aubert wines, as they are on the Marcassin mailing list and they haven't heard a thing. Strange?

David Kaufman · #109 Post by **David Kaufman** » June 5th, 2020, 3:04 pm

Any new news?

M. Eidelstein · #110 Post by **M. Eidelstein** » June 17th, 2020, 6:10 pm

Any updates lol

#111 Post by **b. c@stner** » June 17th, 2020, 7:30 pm

"Patience, young grasshopper" and "We will sell no wine before its time" comes to mind

#112 Post by **kyle.gellis** » June 22nd, 2020, 4:26 pm

Email and snail mail was unanswered. Local wine ship just got 13 Pinot and Chard in...interesting move.

#113 Post by **Eric Lundblad** » June 22nd, 2020, 9:14 pm

In my experience, it's std practice for Marcassin to sell to their various long standing itb accounts before offering to the mailing list. So shops/restaurants/etc get wine before mailing list folks. Given their situation, this makes sense to me. Sell to the itb accounts first...when that's done they can 'correctly' allocate all of the remainder (the majority of it) to their mail list. Also, given that they've always operated according to their own time table, waiting til after the corona madness, with the stock market fluctuations, and folks being out of work, etc, before offering to their list. But, take this with a grain of salt

Glenn P · #114 Post by **Glenn P** » June 23rd, 2020, 4:48 pm

Kyle, Can you tell us which wine shop received the Marcassin?

#115 Post by **markjchambers** » June 23rd, 2020, 5:05 pm

Twenty years ago, I mailed in a check for my wine purchases from Alban and Turley. Today, I go to their website and buy with a few clicks. You can't tell me that is less efficient and more expensive than what Marcassin is doing. People who sell jewelry n Etsy use e-commerce platforms and manage to make a go of it.
And whatever it costs them to run the business, including their web services, should be priced into their wines.

#116 Post by **Paul McCourt** » June 24th, 2020, 3:17 pm

This comes up all the time with them. It is just how they are, and obviously a take it or leave it scenario. I’m OK with them running their shop however they want to.

Selling and pricing a product are not my idea of what constitutes customer service from any business. So I disagree with that definition. Personally, I decided to leave it as I just don’t love their wine enough.

July 16th, 2020, 6:45 pm

Benchmark sent an email today selling the 2013 Pinot Noir for $200. I noticed on Wine Searcher there are several shops selling the 2013 Pinot for $195-$200. This appears low to me compared to what I remember for recent vintages. Its also interesting that the 2013 Pinot, to my knowledge, hasn't been released to the majority of the mailing list yet but they are on the secondary market for not that much hgher than prior allocation release prices. When I ordered directly from Marcassin for the 2012 Pinot Noir, it was $150 but tax and shipping brought the per bottle price to $181. However, the 2013 has lower reviews, Jeb Dunnuck 94 and Wine Advocate 94.

John Ammons · #118 Post by **John Ammons** » July 16th, 2020, 8:53 pm

William Anzalone wrote: ↑July 16th, 2020, 6:45 pm Benchmark sent an email today selling the 2013 Pinot Noir for $200. I noticed on Wine Searcher there are several shops selling the 2013 Pinot for $195-$200. This appears low to me compared to what I remember for recent vintages. Its also interesting that the 2013 Pinot, to my knowledge, hasn't been released to the majority of the mailing list yet but they are on the secondary market for not that much hgher than prior allocation release prices. When I ordered directly from Marcassin for the 2012 Pinot Noir, it was $150 but tax and shipping brought the per bottle price to $181. However, the 2013 has lower reviews, Jeb Dunnuck 94 and Wine Advocate 94.

Forget about the 2013 pinot, where is the 2013 chardonnay??

#119 Post by **Scott Jameson** » July 17th, 2020, 1:01 pm

William Anzalone wrote: ↑July 16th, 2020, 6:45 pm Benchmark sent an email today selling the 2013 Pinot Noir for $200. I noticed on Wine Searcher there are several shops selling the 2013 Pinot for $195-$200. This appears low to me compared to what I remember for recent vintages. Its also interesting that the 2013 Pinot, to my knowledge, hasn't been released to the majority of the mailing list yet but they are on the secondary market for not that much hgher than prior allocation release prices. When I ordered directly from Marcassin for the 2012 Pinot Noir, it was $150 but tax and shipping brought the per bottle price to $181. However, the 2013 has lower reviews, Jeb Dunnuck 94 and Wine Advocate 94.

What you're seeing is not the secondary market. Marcassin is selling to these retailers, as Eric Lundblad mentioned about a month ago, here viewtopic.php?f=1&t=159869&p=3016108&hi ... n#p3016108

I'm assuming the pricing is based on a typical retail markup. Had this been a 100-pointer, I wouldn't expect anything "typical" about the markup.

Bryan K · #120 Post by **Bryan K** » August 21st, 2020, 9:53 pm

Yes, I find it very strange. Jennifer Ginochio told me we we would likely get a letter in the fall of 2019. Still have seen nothing.

#121 Post by **EmilDyrvig** » August 31st, 2020, 9:00 am

Bryan K wrote: ↑August 21st, 2020, 9:53 pm Yes, I find it very strange. Jennifer Ginochio told me we we would likely get a letter in the fall of 2019. Still have seen nothing.

Well, glad to hear that (sorry

). I have not been at my home address for the past 6 months so have grown increasingly worried about missing out on my allocation due to not emptying my mailbox...

nvandyk · #122 Post by **nvandyk** » September 12th, 2020, 12:24 pm

I have an update per a conversation I had last night.

A friend is close with the family; John's health is the issue. He hasn't been well enough to write a release letter and other than the limited amount that they release to the trade (which requires neither the release letter nor the handling of consumer orders with all that it entails) they haven't released anything in a long time (three years, has it been?).

Being iconoclastic (which is what we love about them, after all, and the wines that come from that place) he doesn't want to release wine without writing a release letter.

Sincere hope that he recovers soon!

September 13th, 2020, 6:37 am

We all certainly hope John recovers quickly, and not just for the wine.

Andrew Dodd · November 13th, 2020, 10:44 am

nvandyk wrote: ↑September 12th, 2020, 12:24 pm Sincere hope that he recovers soon!

Thanks for the update, was wondering, also hoping for a speedy recovery!

November 24th, 2020, 5:48 am

According to CT, there are hundreds of '13' and '14 Chard and similarly, 465 bottles of '13 Pinot in cellars from Marcassin. Not thousands like the '12's so not a big distribution (30-40 cases) but curious if I missed something?

#126 Post by **Kevin Lloyd** » January 25th, 2021, 4:22 pm

Has anyone heard anything on how John is doing?

Steve M · #127 Post by **Steve M** » February 10th, 2021, 11:01 am

Really miss Marcassin Pinot, especially at winery pricing. Got an offer yesterday from a retailer for the 14 Pinot at $250. I paid $162 delivered for the 12 - my last offer/order was August 2018. And I bought the 12 Chard in August 2017. No letters or response to an email in 2019. I just wanted to be sure I didn’t miss their offer letter as my PO occasionally puts my mail in another P.O. Box.

Has anyone received an offer since these dates on newer vintages? I see the 13 Pinot and Chard offers on WIne Searcher...nothing after that vintage.
CT shows some people have these, but we’re they bought winery direct?

Rajesh P a r i k h · February 10th, 2021, 11:09 am

August 2018 was my last offer as well.

John Flick · #129 Post by **John Flick** » February 10th, 2021, 5:58 pm

Same for me

MikeHB · #130 Post by **MikeHB** » March 1st, 2021, 6:03 pm

August 2018 was my last offer. Steve M- while I know that CT shows, for example, almost a total of 1100 of the 2013 Chard (507 in cellars and 562 consumed), that is far short of the near 4,700 of the 2012 vintage; about a 77% difference.

Glenn P · #131 Post by **Glenn P** » March 31st, 2021, 11:27 am

Just heard that Helen Turley (my favorite winemaker ever) has retired and the Marcassin business has been sold!

#132 Post by **adam landa** » March 31st, 2021, 11:39 am

Wow! That would explain the extended silence as well. Nothing online about it. Hopefully news and an offer soon.

#133 Post by **Shay_A** » March 31st, 2021, 12:58 pm

Glenn P wrote: ↑March 31st, 2021, 11:27 am Just heard that Helen Turley (my favorite winemaker ever) has retired and the Marcassin business has been sold!

Wow. That’s pretty significant. Are you able to share the source that you heard this from? Regardless, this will be very interesting to follow.

David Kaufman · #134 Post by **David Kaufman** » April 7th, 2021, 7:45 am

Been scouring the interwebs for more info on the sale/HT retirement and coming up empty. Any new news to share among this group?

#135 Post by **b. c@stner** » April 9th, 2021, 3:36 pm

Ugh if true. Either way I guess a 2012 Chard on deck tonight I guess

#136 Post by **William Segui** » April 9th, 2021, 3:41 pm

David Kaufman wrote: ↑April 7th, 2021, 7:45 am Been scouring the interwebs for more info on the sale/HT retirement and coming up empty. Any new news to share among this group?

I've asked around to folks that would, should know and it was the first they'd heard of it.

Sebastian C. · #137 Post by **Sebastian C.** » April 9th, 2021, 6:34 pm

I assumed the Turkey retirement and Marcassin sales was an April Fools post.

David Kaufman · #138 Post by **David Kaufman** » April 10th, 2021, 1:25 pm

Sebastian C. wrote: ↑April 9th, 2021, 6:34 pm I assumed the Turkey retirement and Marcassin sales was an April Fools post.

That thought did cross my mind, but generally April Fools jokes land on 4/1 and he posted that a day earlier. Cruel joke if that was the intent

Adrian Huntington · April 12th, 2021, 11:10 pm

Glenn P wrote: ↑March 31st, 2021, 11:27 am Just heard that Helen Turley (my favorite winemaker ever) has retired and the Marcassin business has been sold!

I pulled a title and it still shows the Owner as Marcassin Wine Co Llc. Where did you here this information? I hope its not true, because I have always liked Helen and John. So what if they still use snail mail. The fact that they can release wine when they want too and desire is a great thing. The fact that Marcassin's wine prices have remained consistent is great. When you receive the wine, you can actually pop the cork without worrying if you have committed infanticide. If they did sell the winery, wine mailing list customers prices are going too go up and that is it for Marcassin. Only Helen Turley can craft Helen Turley wines. I hope John's health gets better.

Chris Peterson · April 17th, 2021, 5:24 pm

I texted a contact who works at Marcassin, and he told me to expect a mailer in about 4-5 weeks.

#141 Post by **Bruce Rudman** » April 17th, 2021, 6:52 pm

Let me say this- we opened a ‘12 Marcassin last night. Sublime is the word. I don’t care if they are eclectic, and I pray John’s Heath improves. I will patiently wait and buy my allocation. If any of those unhappy with the silence want to share their allocations, I’m in.