Title says it all, anyone here tasted this? Got an email offer today, looked at CT, not a single TN.
If 200 was an amount I’d spend on a bottle of wine (it’s not) that’s certainly one I’d buy.
Michael
An ITB friend of mine who represents the wine has tried it, and says it drinks exceedingly well at an early age. Not in the “oh, this is a subpar vintage, so drink up” sense. Rather, he said it’s a wine that “geeks” would really like. I have a lot of 09 and 2010 N Rhone, so this is a welcome addition so I have something to drink while those other guys come around.
I can also confirm that $199 is just about 10% above wholesale in my market.
I bought a 6-pack of it.
It’s great to have friends with wine like that. I’m happy to have a six pack of 11 Gonon St. Joseph for about the same price.
It’s not an obvious, blockbuster, “vintage of the century” Chave, so it won’t get as much youthful hype, but it’s the kind of wine I’d be happy to pull out after proper aging.
Thanks for all the replies. Chave seems like a bargain compared to Allemand now … ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
BTW, this was only a 1-day sale email offer for a local wine store so I had to decide sooner than later, so I did end up pulling the trigger. Lowest WS Pro price was $229 and MSRP looks like $299 so I guess it was a pretty good sale price even though it is quite expensive for a bottle of wine.
If anyone is curious, you can buy it online here (good only on 09/25/14):
You got a great deal with those Gonons, I paid $45 a piece for the 2011’s. 6 for $199 bring your bottle price to $33!
Joel,
I had the 92 Chave at the winery in 2011. Not a great vintage. Delicious wine. Your 11 will be vastly better at the same age.
Seems to be too late, but the 2001 H.Chave is an outstanding effort in a good but not great vintage.
Don´t think this is for drinking over the next 5-7 years, there is not a single H.Chave that can´t improve for at least a decade - and even the 1992 and 1993s are still fine (even very fine) today.
Sure a bottle or two can be tasted now if you´ve got a case … but it would be a waste to consume all bottles (too) young.
Lowest price in Europe in retail is 140-150 € - in Austria 200+ € … so 199 $ seems good.
Chave is a master of the “off” vintages. His “off” vintages display the Chave complexity, in both nose and palate, at a much younger age and consequently are great for early drinking while the other vintages gently sleep. The 1997 is a great example of this.
This is exactly what I thought when I read the initial post.
Well, not quite. 2009 Allemand was still under $100 for the Reynard. Last couple of vintages have bumped up to around $120. Still about half the price of Chave (in a weak year - 2010 Chave was more than that, 2011 is a “weaker” year, and I expect 2012 to jump back up for Chave to closer to $300).
Having said that, Chave is in a class of its own, and if the 2011 measures up, I think the value is there.
Was just half-joking as the OP was about Allemand auction prices was even higher than 2011 Chave. Kidding aside, apples to apples, got my 2011 Allemand Reynard for $125, Chave 2011 for $199. There is still a good gap, but quite smaller than it used to be…
Joel, I knew you were referencing the other thread 
Seems like the two wines have kind of gone up proportionally, maybe Allemand a bit more in percentage terms. Early-mid 2000s Allemand could be had for $70 or less, now it’s approaching double that. Kind of the same with Chave, though not quite double except in 100 point years 
You guys are out of my league. I have to be satisfied with 2011 Chave St. Joseph… and my 1982-1997 Hermitage.
The Chave St Joseph ain’t cheap!
Michael
No, it’s not, but I’ve embraced the fact that your brain makes wines taste better when you care about what they are.