Theres so little in there that its a 100% match with half of Oakville. #50 was very specific.
If the guesses are right and Cam left enough clues for it to be relatively high conviction. Why is this so much cheaper than lot 75? Is it simply the size of the lot? I’m a happy case buyer of lot 75 and I was about to talk myself into double dipping, but I think I can hold back. I realize this is the deadest of dead horses, but wouldn’t they put their excess into overture and then bulk out something else? They’ve got so many wines in the portfolio and the cash from this can’t have moved the needle. With that said, I don’t know what else fits.
As I have pointed out many times before, all of these discount sellers, including Cam, take some creative license with their descriptions of their NDA wines and sources….I’m not suggesting they are lying or purposely including false information in their sales pitches, but I think it’s foolish to 100% believe every word as gospel…..
well, as Mikko pointed out, Lot 80 fits with half of Oakville. and ya it was a leap to auto-associate 50&80, but that’s why I’m here lol
I want to again express my appreciation for Cam’s communications and shipping. The orders have shipped and arrived well, with warning and updates. The automatic holds for summer are perfect too.
Good wines and great service, what’s not to love?
Many thanks.
Exactly !!
I have a healthy degree of skepticism also. I do think every word he says is technically gospel (or at least he doesn’t intentionally include false info), but it sometimes depends on interpretation. For instance:
What is $300++ price point? Have a few retailers sold older vintages at that price when people were chasing the wine and production might have been smaller?
What constitutes Legendary status for brands and vineyards? A lot of interpretation allowed there. Same for world-class winemaking and facility.
What is meant by consistent 95-100 point scores from major critics? Does that mean it’s happened several times or nearly every time? How strict are the ratings from the defined “major critics”?
And we can keep going. I feel the 100% NFO is unambiguous. Not sure how much wiggle is allowed with Oakville CS. It obviously meets the definition of being called CS, but does Oakville labeling mean every drop has to come from Oakville grapes? I don’t know those rules.
If CAMX is selling at $20/bottle, that mean it was acquired at a price significantly below that to allow for profit. I find that interesting. Slap a famous label on it and it sells for $300. Put a generic label on it and it sells for $10-15.
Despite all that, I am confident this is a very good (and perhaps great!) wine. You will lose customers fast if you dramatically over sell something and burn them. The whole business is based on repeat purchases and word of mouth spread.
Cam X Cellars has now been fully updated. Thanks Mr. Cam X Cellars dude!!! ![]()
Maybe it’s just me but I can’t see any motivation for Opus One or Eagle types to sell anything to a negociant who is dropping clues where they possibly in any way may be identified. Sure give it away to Trader Joe’s or Costco where they don’t have a risk of these types of conversations. Even then I bet they would discreetly move it out of the winery so the buyer/bottler has no clue where the source was, they just know it’s good for blending. These wineries just don’t need the 20k.
But did you buy it? Yes, you probably did. Regardless of where it is from, this is what we know:
Made for a $300+ price point
100% Estate Oakville
100% NFO
Bottled as-is from the winery
I read that as $$$$$$$$$ for only $.
In.
Cash is good for businesses. Inventory is not.
Robert, I hear what you’re saying, but if it’s inventory that will just cost them money going forward and they will likely never be able to liquidate with their label without destroying relationships with loyal customers, they may as well get something for it. Cam has spent some time developing his reputation for being discreet, even with hints. For all I know, the winery approves his description as part of the deal. Moving it to some other liquidation source runs a big risk of loose lips.
Those of us here playing the guessing game are a tiny, tiny fraction of even the wine market. It’s not going to be common knowledge to the general high end buyer who takes a 6 pack from the list every year or orders it on a list at a restaurant. Most of them want nothing to do with a wine without a label and a known pedigree, if for no other reason than ego. And, we still haven’t nailed it without a doubt. Very few of my wine acquaintances know anything about CAMX or follow the brand and those are people somewhat focused on wine buying for value.
The winery has excess inventory they know they can never move with their label on it and will cost them money to store. Take the $20K and the rest is a loss (whatever their margin cost to produce it was) but it’s all off their books and they move on. Maybe they strategically work to sell off excess juice at a higher price point in the future. But, it’s probably hard to sell to some rando negociant at say $50/bottle and they can’t sell it with the source attached. It’s probably very hard to move $75 (profit added) based on trust. Cam swoops in and says for ~$12/bottle (my made up number), I’ll have this stuff off your hands immediately after bottling.
There just isn’t much premium market value on wine with a generic label. And that fact calls into question the whole aura around wine collecting and drinking on a more philosophical level.
FWIW, I too was thinking along your lines until I started working it through in my head. The winery can not ever move the wine even 20% below what their list customers paid without destroying their future. They know how much they sell of older vintages and it probably dwindles the older wine is for California wines. The market is very soft currently. Dumping it discreetly for $12/bottle is the least worst option.
Where do you get $12/bottle? If Cam is selling for $20/bottle, it’s hard to imagine him paying more than $7/bottle in barrel. $5 seems more likely.
Cam X has had over 400 orders since yesterday morning……
Just saying…. ![]()
I’m starting to wonder what ~350 cases means. I know he holds back for the bottle shop, so there might be a lot of this. I know how we used to check for inventory, but the new site only lets me put four cases into my cart and I doubt that’s all that’s left.
So in the interest of science I bought another case to see if the number dropped from four. It did not, but now I’ll have a much needed extra case of $20 Opus science wine.
Thank you for your sacrifice! For science of course.
IIRC the description of 34 included a note that the winery was new to the bulk market and just wanted it out the door - might suggest that they haven’t done a lot of detailed research into a lot of the specifics once it’s out the door.
Email wording on 34 is roughly what I recall:
Other than providing a few production details during pricing negotiations like 100% new French oak and “we have over 80 bucks a gallon into this wine” , the head of winemaking was no help either, just sent over the NDA after we agreed to a price and said, “please sign this”
I doubt that you will regret that! ![]()
Correct!
They don’t need the 20K. They just need it gone!
The Price isn’t important as long as you they don’t have to hassle with TJ’s or Costco, etc. No Headaches…..
Hence, our OPPORTUNITY! ![]()
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Anyone know why my referral discount code wouldn’t work on this? It hasn’t been able to work on any order that I have tried since I have received it…