My perspective from SG - where as Henry says they can be quite useful.
They are generally quite reliable and I haven’t had any issues with provenance, quality through them.
Their marketing is very aggressive and can leave a sour taste though - especially when they stridently insist that all 5 wines in one of the 3 daily emails they send is the “LOWEST MARKET PRICE!!!” and “BUY OR REGRET”. When a quick WS search proves this to not be the case, then the qualifiers come out like “for the local market” or “in this pack size”. Notably also I think their model doesn’t have a dedicated AM for each customer. I end up cc’ing all their local sales staff every time I send an email because I don’t know whose lap it’s going to fall in. The one guy I had built a rapport with in SG left last year too unfortunately.
Lead time for wines to end up in your account can sometimes be suspiciously long too - 4-5 months for wines that are ostensibly available on the market - which leads me to suspect some wines are offered on spec rather than out of their own stock (usually the minority though).
But on the other hand, I’ve gotten some great wines at great prices through them over the years. Offerings are quite wide since they aren’t really tied to the traditional market-limited agency model I believe. Their bonded storage in Bordeaux is the cheapest I’ve seen in the industry as are shipping costs to Asia. And if you’re looking to sell, their cut is only 5% (as opposed to 10% at BBR, BI etc).
Overall a positive experience with them if one discounts the marketing text.
Thanks. That’s interesting info and backs up what I felt - a legit business, just a bit more direct on the sales pitch (but of course all vintners push wine as hard as they can, some just do it a bit less overtly.)
Keen to get opinion from folks who have tasted Bordeaux vintages of the last 10 years widely.
What are some more of the more red fruited Bordeaux with delicate oak treatment? I don’t want to compare everything to Burgundy but sort of in that direction.
Totally agree that vintage plays a big role. But to say there aren’t chateaus that have style closer to what I described also can’t be true. Eg I would say Palmer is closer to what I described vs say Cos. Caveat is I say that based on 3-4 vintages where I have tasted both.
Hi … I know exactly what you’re looking for. And this made it even clearer. But it’s not what most estates are seeking.
You do find more of that character in Haut Medoc but at least to me, it’s more of a vintage characteristic than a stylistic desire at most estates. Maybe Cantemerle and La Lagune are in your wheelhouse.
Of the cooler styled vintages, 14 offers some nice wines es, especially in the Left Bank.
Curious what vintage and price would you backfill VCC? Unless you are looking at a more classic vintage it will be hard to beat the price/quality this year ~$325
What makes you say this about Canon- what turned you off on value when you tasked it? It’s a $200 wine IMO as the changes are very noticeable and effective.
I’m not Riku but I suspect its the relative pricing of 22 to 16, 18, 19. I personally found that a little off putting - its still ‘decent’ compared to 2020, which if WK and JL being in agreement that 22 is superior to, its fine, but at the same time I just dont get why 16, 18, 19, are so low in contrast
Sorry not tracking. In the States, the ‘22 is cheaper than ‘16, ‘18 & ‘20 (and basically the same
Price as ‘19). I have not tried the ‘19 as I couldn’t be in EP (obviously) but I am not arguing against backfilling and/or buying. I was just curious on Riku’s aversion since they are all similarly priced Vs much more expensive. Simply curious.
Now compared to a ‘11 or ‘12 then yes it’s more expensive but they are not even close to the same quality of wines - and yes I buy, own and drink all of these vintages.
The 2022 Canon was cheaper at some places in the US; it’s not anymore. The cheapest US price I see is $160, which is a little more than the 2018 ($125 at one, but $140 elsewhere) and 2019 ($148), about the same as the 2016 ($160), and quite a bit less than the 2020 and 2015. The earlier vintages may be less at auction; I can’t tell.
Yeah, there’s the inherent tension… what runs out first - consumer’s demand to backfill, or trade’s ability to afford to hold stock while it waits for consumers to run out of cheaper QPR options…
