I’m curious to know how many $100+ US domestic pinots are out there, LIST, not after-market prices. When I started thinking about it, I figured it wouldn’t be that many. But then when I really got going I couldn’t believe how many I wrote down that were released at $100+ or at least close. Is it me, or could we see an unfortunate trend to this price point for higher-end pinot, cause I hope not! I’ve just started compiling, so please add to the list any that I’ve missed, which I’m sure is many. And please correct me if I erred any prices by accident. Another observation, a lot of Oregon pinot represented.
Williams Selyem Estate (formerly Litton Estate) - $100
Williams Selyem Precious Mountain - $94
Freestone Pastorale - $100
Freestone Quarter Moon - $100
Martinelli Blue Slide Ridge - $95
Peter Michael Clos du Ciel - $125
Peter Michael Le Moulin Rouge - $95
Peter Michael Le Caprice - $95
Peter Michael Ma Danseuse - $110
Kistler Cuvee Natalie Silver Belt – $90
Kistler Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine – $90
Kistler Bodega Headlands Cuvee Elizabeth – $90
Marcasssin - $?
Morlet Joli Coeur - $95
Rochioli West Block - $?
Lynmar Estate Quail Hill Old Vines - $120
Goldeneye Ten Degrees - $100
Elk Cove Reserve (Willamette)- $100
Cristom Signature (Willamette) - $100
Evening Land Summum Seven Springs (Amity Hills) - $120
Adelsheim Vintage 29 (Willamette) -$129
Chehalem Statement (Ribbon Ridge) - $99
Dobbes Family Estate Joseph Dobbes Cuvee Exceptionelle (Willamette) - $100
Penner Ash Pas de Nom (Willamette) - $100
Antic Terra Estate (Amity Hills) - $100
Domaine Drouhin Louise (Dundee Hills)- $90
Patricia Green Mysterious (Dundee Hlls) - $100
Beaux Freres The Upper Terrace (Ribbon Ridge)- $90
Adelsheim Zenith (Amity Hills) - $90
Thanks for catching our obscure little Mysterious bottling from 2009! From Oregon there are at least 2-3 Archery Summit bottlings you are missing, the Domaine Serene Monogram (I think this goes for $200-$250) and Grace which is right arounf $100. Ponzi has their Abatina right at $100. Can’t think of anything else but there might be some obscure stuff that competes in that +$100 territory.
Although they’re not current releases, you can currently buy the following direct from Arcadian, and the prices are barely up from their respective release prices:
2000 Arcadian Pisoni - $100
2001 Arcadian Pisoni - $100
2002 Arcadian Pisoni - $100
2005 Arcadian Pisoni - $95
2001 Arcadian Francesca’s - $100
When thinking about Cabernet priced over $100, many that come to mind justify that price by having well-known designates–BTK, or mountain vineyards in Rutherford & Yountville AVAs.
I’m not familiar with all Pinots listed, so am curious: any pattern or commonly shared vineyard/AVA traits to these specific offerings? Or are these price pioneers working off their own track record & brand to fetch these prices?
Didn’t realize there were that many producers - looks like 8 or 9 from California. This group is a bit skewed toward the more fruit-forward end (probably higer alcohol) of the spectrum.
Rochioli and Willliams Selyem (moderate alcohol wines) and Martinelli BSR (I believe this tends towards the mid to upper 14% range) are the only wines I’m familiar with from the $100 group.
The more subtlely-styled pinot producers such as Copain, Littorai, Windy Oaks and Rhys are topping out at $80. Some excellent moderate-range Pinots like Dehlinger, Kutch, Windgap, R-M in the $50 to $65 range. High end appellation wines from the top producers generally in the $35-45 range for the most part.
The elite-end trophy prices ($200-$5,000+) that are seen in Napa Cabs, Bordeaux and Burgundy have not yet emerged to my knowledge.
As Burgundy prices continue to escalate, we may see price pressure on the more subtly styled California examples that have held the line reasonably well so far.
Well I don’t know where Martinelli’s BSR clocks in now, but I attended a tasting of the '03, '04, and '05 in 2009, pitted against three Williams-Selyem pinots, and the BSR bottles were far above mid-14s. My notes show that, according to the labels, the '03 was 15.8, the '04 was 15.0, and the '05 was 15.7. It was like drinking lighter fluid. They were simply awful, no other way to put it. In fact, I thought the labels may have understated the alcohol levels. And they were panned by everyone at the tasting. Maybe they’ve turned down the volume since then.
I think the simple part here is that most wineries sourcing fruit aren’t close to approaching the $10,000+ per ton price for Pinot Noir. (Though I’d be interested in the average per ton breakdown on Precious Mountain-- Not a lot of fruit hanging there.)
Hardy, I agree the cost side of the equation is the simple part (although inefficient, consumer unfriendly marketing and distribution structures cloud the cost picture a bit in France).
It’s the “market frenzy” side (which can enable a complete disconnect between cost and price) that is impossible to predict. Hard to say who will be the first “Pinot Screaming Eagle” (but it’s probably coming). Easy for me to say that I probably won’t be participating!