I probably saw some type of thread like this a while ago, I think it was something like “What are you not buying…” I tried to look for it but could not find it. Anyway, since there have been a lot of buzz on recent offers and vintages coming in, I was just curious if this has affected any buyers here in the opposite direction, which is not to buy anymore. A few things to note.
This may sound like the usual rant (maybe 2% of it is), but it is also a genuine curiosity for me. There will always be the “I bought DRC (substitute Rousseau, Roumier, Munier, etc.) at $150 and stopped once it hit $200…” but that is the way in the past now. I am curious about more recent producers.
I get it, it is likely that these prices (particularly for Burgundy and N Rhone), will continue to rise. Believe me I get it. Not so sure about Bordeaux, Cali Cult, etc. An example of prices going lower is S. Rhone, 2018 vs 2019 Bordeaux so it is also “possible” for prices to go down from their highs.
For the people who will continue to buy, this thread is not really for you. I am genuinely happy for the people who can still afford the wines they like and support the winemakers that I have grown to love across the years. People have different limits and resources and that is just part of life.
Ideally this thread if for people who have had a significant investment in a certain producer, like 5+ years. This way, the changes in pricing has been been more pronounced. Optionally, it would be fun to see how long you have been collecting the producer.
I am more curious about people who have thrown in the towel in the past 0-3 years only. No use in going back to when DRC was a couple hundred bucks.
I also know that there are always new producers or other regions, but that is a separate discussion (personally I believe that this is not always the case).
I will group the wines in 2 categories. Totally threw in the towel and About to throw in the towel.
I will start. These producers pretty much make up a good chunk of the top 20 producers in my cellar.
Gonon (10 yrs - 2018 maybe last vintage depending on 2019 pricing)
Jamet (8 yrs - 2017 maybe last vintage depending on 2018 pricing).
Hudelot Noellat 1er Crus and Clos de Vougeot (8 yrs - 2017 maybe last vintage depending on 2019 pricing (bought only 1 bottle of 2018’s)) - will probably continue to buy their village wines.
Henri-Boillot Mouchere (7 yrs - 2017 maybe last vintage depending on 2019 pricing (did not buy 2018’s))
PYCM (6 yrs, 2018 maybe last vintage depending on 2019 pricing)
I don’t know Joel, so I will restrain myself from trolling him like the rest of you. But Joel – if you need a friend in SF to help you with any of those bottles, I’m here for you
It’s interesting to see some of these names… As someone relatively new to this game, there are some producers in there that I have drank/own and I view the price points as reasonable for what you get, but that’s probably a function of not having had the opportunity earlier to acquire these when they were cheaper. PYCM is a great example, and this makes me want to go buy several cases before it gets too out of hand.
I only have one name to throw in which is Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. They were the first wine club I ever joined, but after prices increased by 30-50% I dropped them after 3 years or so. I have thought about re-joining though because I do love their wine.
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gerund or present participle: whinging
complain persistently and in a peevish or irritating way.
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I am buying less wine than I did a few years ago by a lot. It is a combination of age (cannot really buy wines that need lots of age anymore), a wine cellar that is pretty full, tariffs (let us not forget that this is a big reason a lot of prices are flying) and wine prices generally. The one exception to this has been I have been buying a decent amount of 2019 German wines, but even here not yet nearly as much as I bought of 2015s and far, far less than I bought of 1990s.
Have I thrown in the towel on producers? Not sure. What happens to prices when the tariffs go away. But, there are a lot of wines I used to buy that I probably will not buy again because they take too long to age.
Tastes change – my interests have always waxed and waned like an accordion where for a stretch I will wonder why I have such a diverse array of wines when I really prefer to drink a specific few names. I then thin the herd (hopefully before wines age past their prime) remaining a buyer of a more narrow set of select names. Invariably a few years later I find a “new love” (or region) and miss the diversity of wine options making me wonder why I have so many bottle of so few names. Which then shifts my purchasing accordingly. And thus the cycle begins again.
Customer service – I enjoy the personal feel of interacting with wine makers, owners, etc who have a passion for their craft and love what they do. When a producer loses that personal touch, typically by selling to a corporation, they lose much of what made them special to me. When a formerly personal winery consistently can’t make time to host a tasting (we’re talking much more than a one-off incident) or simply coldly re-directs you to the cattle march of the generic tasting, I tend to change my purchasing. There are so many great wineries, as yet undiscovered by me, that I silently thank them for encouraging me to find new, passionate producers who now exhibit their once standard personal customer service.
