Just got my first offer…
2022 BOND Terroir Portfolio 5 x 750ml $3,375 ($675/bottle) Ships in Spring 2026
Allocation offered ~ one Terroir Portfolio
2021 Matriarch 750ml ($275/bottle) Ships in Spring 2025
Allocation offered ~ up to six bottles, presented in 3-Packs
Is this worth it? Super expensive…What do others think?
Depends on your goal…
If buying to drink, consider purchasing an earlier vintage on Winebid to see if you like the style before sinking a ton of money into a wine you haven’t tasted before.
If you’re looking for an investment, I believe there are much better options than buying direct from a winery at market price.
Depends on your preferences. Definitely try before you buy. To me these are superficial concoctions. Some very impresssive elements, but out of whack. I wouldn’t want to make or buy wines like these or any other of the Harlan wines I’ve had. To others these are genuine favorites.
Is it worth it? Sorry but that’s such a stupid question. So subjective.
Personally, at those prices, 6 bottle minimum, and 2022 being a spotty vintage in Napa, I’d look in other directions to sink 3k + in high end cab. A good option is getting some ready to drink bottles at auction as @Ted_R suggested.
I think Bond is one of the best wines coming out of Napa. Personally though they need 10 years before they are ready to start drinking. I would buy back vintages for the same price or less and enjoy!!
I don’t find the Bond wines to be all that compelling compared to similarly priced competitors. A step above Colgin but well below Bryant. YMMV
I wouldn’t buy any of them but if you have silly money then your calculus may be different.
That’s 1st growth Bordeaux territory. Crazy, imo, but if people are willing to pay …
Is the 18-month wait typical? I guess it’s sort of like futures, but usually futures are cheaper than the release price. So this is basically you’re giving them an interest-free loan for 18 months.
I think that’s how Harlan sells all their new releases.
It’s not an “allocation” if you can pretty easily find the wines at the same price elsewhere. I would buy an older vintage to try the style and then consider buying new releases. You’re not leaving anything on the table by not buying…
I’m more of a Roger Moore fan
Super helpful everyone…thank you!
I don’t know that I actually agree with the advice to try an older bottle. Harlan and Bond have both pulled back in style pretty significantly in the last few years. If you go buy a 2010 on WineBid you’re not going to get much insight as to whether or not you’re going to like the '22 IMO.
As others have mentioned I would try the wines first to see if they are your style. I think for the price the quality is not there, but then at that price is any wine? 2022 is a difficult vintage. I think there are wines of similar quality at half the price.
And it’s 20+ months!
And for $675 you can buy a number of fantastic bottles of something else.
Put that in a 2-year treasury note (i.e. guaranteed return) and you’ll have ~$3700 by the time those bottles are shipped.
Not even counting taxes and shipping I’d wager you could source better vintages with this cash at that time.
A quick search on K&L auctions shows that recent Matriarch bottles auctioned for $130-190 / bottle, and the “grand crus” for $350-450 / bottle
I’m a big fan of all 3 Harlan properties but not their prices. I’ve been able to drink many bottles over the years thanks to generous friends. The style is plush and vibrant without being “modern Napa”, they are a unique expression. We went to all 3 properties a few years ago and it was a delight.
I struggle to even purchase the Matriarch, Maiden or Penultimate, and their flagship wines are beyond my finances. I don’t think there’s a cost-effective substitute, but there’s also a massive premium for these wines. So for my money, I’d rather buy 3 to 5 really good bottles instead of these. And I guess Bond is the cheapest, so maybe 2 really good bottles? If I was looking to buy $675+ bottles, I could make a list of at least a dozen wines that I’d rather buy over Bond, although they would be different experiences.
I would look at Vine Hill Ranch. Bond sources some of their fruit from the VHR vineyards and the VHR folks are great to visit. Like their style, not over the top and prices are better