So I generally don’t like shipping wine across the country. And, with so many good retailers in the NY tri-state area, there’s no need to go elsewhere. But, I’m noticing the 2016 Barolos seem to be dribbling out in small quantities with high prices. Wines like (for example) Elio Grasso, Cogno’s Ravera, Vajra’s BdV and the F Alessandria line-up seem less available and (much) more expensive. Are the Italians playing games on the releases? Or, did less come into the US because of all the tariff BS? Anyone know? Am I imagining things?
I’d guess that it’s all the hoopla over the vintage and that the wines have moved out.
The E Grasso Gavarini got 98 points from Monica Larner and 96+ from Galloni. The Frat. Alessandria Gramelore got 97 points from WA. The Cogno got 99 points from Wine Enthusiast and 97 from WA. The Vajra got 98 from Larner and 97 from Galloni.
There’s no Trump tariff on Italian wine, and one was only threatened this summer and then it wasn’t put into effect.
Here on the East Coast at least, Vajra single vineyard Barolo release was delayed significantly vs normal. I’m just getting the bottles I preordered on the East Coast tomorrow, and I have just started getting some other offers for the 2016 Vajra from east coast retailers.
Elio Grasso has been out for a while and there, I think it’s just selling through.
Fratelli Alessandria releases in the fall and is just coming out now physically, as far as I know.
I do wonder in some cases if less wine is making it to the channel, less so these wines and more wines like Burlotto and Bartolo. If you look at quantity of these wines in Cellartracker, it’s dramatically below where it was over the past few vintages. Where all this wine is, that I don’t know.
normally it’s more to do with your local distributor and when they are ready to take the wine in.
If the wineries don’t need the working capital, wine that can age would probably do better in their cellars from an ROI perspective than selling the wine for Euros now and being charged by their banks for the privlege of holding onto it (i.e. negative interest rates). Maybe they’ll sell their long-lived wines only when they need the cash and not before?
Anecdotaly, it seems to be a combo of slightly less inventory and way more demand. Multiple retailers told me they were unprepared for how much interest there was in the 2016 barolos, they were caught off guard on staffing and inventory. Two noted new Asia-based buyers buying from them as well, a new development…
- I pre-ordered a lot of Brovia through a retailer months ago, who said “no problem!”. And then they said they got such a tiny allocation. And then they said they got 3x more demand than they expected. And I got a bit less than I expected, had to scramble and other from new retailers.
- I saw Brovia sell out instantly in the UK. I saw it sell out instantly in other US retailers as well. I do now see some inventory out there, however (mentioned on another thread)
- Another retailer said I would have 2-3 weeks to figure out whether I wanted to buy their Grasso, because they get alot/not in demand. It was gone the next day!
- 100 pointers gone quick! (Via Nuova, Le Vigne, Monvigliero, etc.)
- Vietti Rocche/Ravera hung around for two weeks and then poof