Interesting thread about wines everyone has dropped due to pricing.
So I’ll ask a related, but different question:
What’s the last wine you will drop notwithstanding price increases? And why? How long have you been buying it?
My question pertains to wine you love that much, wines you intend to drink. Not a question about wines that you can sell for more in the after-market.
While I mentioned Mugneret-Gibourg on the other thread, the very last wine I would ever stop buying is Donnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese.
With little exception, I tend to drop them all once they break $150 - much better to just buy older wines w/great provenance whenever getting spendy like that.
Ridge Monte Bello.
Allemand. Though due to vintage character, and my age, 2016 may actually be the last vintage I buy.
With the caveat that if they sell out to Mega-ultra Conglomerate Winery, I’m outta there:
That.
This is one that I probably should have grabbed in 15 and 16, then called it quits. Allemand is that good.
Juge would have been on that shortlist, but then he just ups and retires.
Levet and Sociando have serious bandwidth to run before I check out. So does Plouzeau’s Franc de Pied. I’d go 2x on these wines. I’d go 2x on some Baudry cuvees. And I’d still go 2-2.5x on Gonon, but gracefully, I get them at a great price.
On new releases, Vieux Chateau Certan is the most that I have paid. It’s an exceptional wine and one of my top 3 Bordeaux, but given that the killer vintages need 20 years, this is a wine I stopped buying in 2014 for other reasons.
On the final call, it would be Levet. Maybe Les Journaries would be the last that I let go.
Whichever one passes my pain threshold last? If you’re asking which wine I’ll never give up on regardless of price: none. Painful? Yes, but once you go through the 5 stages of grief there’s always another wine.
Right now the one I worry about is Krug. Been drinking it for about 30 years. Said bye-bye to Salon a while ago and and I’d hate to see Krug join it.
I get it, Doc. I don’t buy much of it, but have had Krug Rose twice this year. Oh mama is that nice stuff.
Another vote for Ridge Monte Bello. Started buying futures with the 2001 vintage and have bought since, and bought a few vintages of the 1990’s. Being able to attend the component tastings as well as other events is a big benefit for us, as we are 1 1/2 hours or so away from both locations.
Ed
Krug and Dom
And my favorite Germans and Austrians could have massive price run-ups before I’d stop buying.
None. Stopped buying Ridge futures in 2002. At some point, you just move on. There’s absolutely nothing I have to have. The last few days we tasted through nearly a hundred wines that I’ve never tried before. There’s always something new on the horizon and life is too short to drink the same thing over and over anyway.
Spottswoode
I often ruminate on the psychology of comfort, that one thing or two that is part of your regular existence. Like that faded pair of jeans that fit just right. Make your ass look perfect. I live in a sea of change, stress, evolving trends, moving clients, and when I get home, having that thing that I just know I like, know how it tastes, well, that’s my 100. I also eat the same thing for breakfast, day after day, rarely without change. And been married to the same spectacular person for 23 years this June 8. There are some things that just hit you a certain way.
Sneaker guy posted this to the social media tubes:
I think most of us fall into ‘senior bargain hunters’ and a few ‘engaged explorers’. As our favorite Burgundy gets expensive, we find new producers that are up and coming rockstars, but the word hasn’t gotten out or buy more Cru Beaujolais, Spatburgunder, or the Willamette Valley. Hopefully it’s a long time before I’m priced out of Clos de la Roilette Cuvée Tardive, Patricia Green, and Vincent. Right now I’m pretty happy that I can still afford Georges Noellat. I love people like sneaker guy and Panzer that keep their ears to the ground. I love this site for the same reason. While I’m pretty sure I will soon be priced out of Noellat, there is currently no shortage of great wine: Who are the new up and coming Burgundy producers - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
While value is subjective and related to disposable income, For me, I agree with AlexS that it’s rare that I think something over $150ish is a good value. Anything I’m buying at those prices probably needs 20 years of cellaring, and at that price, I’m going to feel bad if I don’t wait until it’s at the apogee; it just gets absurd. I still will if multiple people I respect tell me it gave them all simultaneous and multiple orgasms when they opened it but the wine better cause something like this at the dinner party I bring it to:
None, cellar is full with ‘special bottles’ and new daily drinkers emerge at all times luckily
+1
There’s always some thing new and wonderful to try.
Kosta Browne or Cirq, because I value marital tranquility over QPR. Sheila loves them.
I understand the statement you’re trying to make, but you’re still missing the question. Which of what you presently buy would be the latest to go due to price increases?
Even if you’d give them up, or give them up pretty quickly, one would still be last.