America For World Evangelism? I would be Anti.
Has anyone purchased their allocated gold medallion(s)?
Heathen.
Sorry, Jack - you are just to easy to get all worked up! 
So I’m going to drink mine, which means I have a problem? Hmm. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do with this stuff?
I resisted the urge to post the Flipper vid under your “I’m flipping but don’t call me a flipper” CC thread. Embrace your inner flipper, Jack. You’ll feel better if you admit it to yourself. It’s like, well, one of the steps in a 12-step program.
(FWIW - while I think flippers don’t serve an economic purpose to consumers or to producers, I got nothing against people flipping. But flipping while saying that one isn’t flipping, well, denial ain’t just a river.)
I think that every time I read a new thread about something from Sine Qua Non. I want to say “oh, yeah, Parker loves Sine Qua Non!”
Da big box.
Each to his own I say.
A buddy of mine bought a $500K+ house boat, last Spring. He says its an inexpensive model. He burns far more in gas in a weekend that a Scarecrow costs. But he gets the entire weekend out of it.
My nephew is on the pro bass fishing circuit. He spends more on crank bait (artifical lures) for a week end than I do good wine.
We all have our hobbies and budgets to pay for those. If someone wants to buy Scarecrow, good for them!
I’m just more wondering why say Scarecrow’s prices are taking off, but something like Kapcsandy, Maybach or Colgin don’t see the crazy demand with sometimes lower supply and higher average scores for previous vintages.
Is it purely the cool name and interesting packaging?
Why do you always have to ask sensible questions? I dont think you can think outside the box!
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haha 
I just think it’s an amazing case study for marketing…what do they have or what are they doing that differentiates them from the field.
I’ll take a hack whack at this one for you. On the particular wineries you listed:
Colgin - already had their day in the sun, stayed at the top of the heap for a long time. Maybe just not as sexy anymore, had a lot of recent winemaker turnover.
Kapcsandy - I could be wrong, but the 100-pt wine hasn’t yet been released. When it does, we’ll see what/where the secondary market it takes it. I live a few short miles from the vineyard, had the wines a number of times. While they’ve always been very well made, I’m hoping to try this one, as RMP has ‘missed’ on a few high scores for my palate lately.
Maybach - They haven’t hit the magic number yet and so far, as far as I can tell, outside of wine boards, their visibility/Q rating is still pretty low. And people in here love to knock stuff they can get (the old 'I wouldn’t want to be a part of any club that would have me) and thus far, Maybach has been available direct.
- They make great wine in tiny quantities.
- They have a great history with the vineyard property and do a great job of telling the story.
- (Feeding off of 2) They have done a great marketing job, selling the story of the history of the property, while tying ir to a quality product. I was half-joking about the label, but it helps them to sell the story.
As to their success ahead of similarly new-cult-potential wines? Better marketing. Not that others aren’t marketing well, but that they don’t have quite the romance to sell.
I think William is pretty much spot-on, and makes some good points about Colgin (that apply to the earlier cults). These places change winemakers, etc., and they (for lack of a better word - as I don’t mean it as a pejorative) mess with the success formula (even if the quality doesn’t change appreciably). I still wonder what will happen if/when the production of Screaming Eagle increases, as they utilize more of the property.
People tell me that the early Harlans & Screagles were much different than the wines they make now. Assuming them saw the bigger framed, higher brix & alcohol thing coming, they became the must have’s of the new style. Now that many have figured out the formula, on top of their higher prices and increased production, I wonder if they weren’t harbingers of their own demise to a certain extent.
If I am ever foolish enough to start my own label, and right now I still think I am, I’m going straight to the best fruit sources and offering them limbs, first-borns, etc - to get in. I believe the best wines are made from the best fruit - not the best technology. If you can establish yourself with a beautiful wine that represents some place unique that people like, then hopefully replicate it over years, you’ll have no peer.
But Maybach did get a 99 this time. Scarecrow made its name with a 98 on the first release. Is that the key now, a big score right out of the gate? What is Maybachs production vis-a-vis the Scarecrow?
I think that Maybach has higher production numbers…I think.
Right out of the gate scores were a big part of it I am sure based on the initial vintage of Scarecrow. BFD that anybody got anything less than 100 points in 2007.
I do think that racing out of the gate with a high-ticket high-quality wine is the start.
I think of something like Staglin. Now I really like Staglin wines. And I know there are certainly more expensive wines. (Though at that quality and production level, they are probably priced on par.)
But I see Staglin wines and can’t help but think “I was only paying $50 ten years ago” and they seem overpriced now, even though they probably aren’t (relative to their peers).
I think a big initial score is huge. It cements your class and people are much more willing to buy a few vintages before not liking something they overpaid for than admit it upfront.
Geez - on top of this my Turley wish list bill popped-up today. Oy.