Black Sears is the highest Vineyard on Howell Mountain but Robert Craig is the highest “winery” on Howell Mountain.
Total Wine has the Robert Craig Affinity for $52 not the Howell Mountain. The 2019 Howell Mountain is on the Total Wine website for $108 in a 6 lot.
No need to draw this out further, but again the link I posted clearly says “Robert Craig Cabernet Howell Mountain, 2019.” It is not the cuvee, it is not Affinity, it is the Howell Mountain CS. For whatever reason, here in S. Florida we can get this wine from Total Wine at a great price (although dN was an even better price!).
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Different vintage. Looks like RC has trouble moving all their wine. Its not the first time we see a shiner/semi-confirmed dN wine to appear at various retailers at the same time for large discounts from the claimed MSRP.
Ill still take #468 over that price all day long.
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You’re right. I’ve seen a number of RC wines online discounted 50% or so. I bought their '15 Howell Mountain merlot in 2020 for $49. I suspect that many high end wineries like them find that there just aren’t enough high rollers willing to pay $120 for a bottle. They eventually try to quietly dump the excess on the market without making their club members mad.
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EXACTLY!!
Creating a false sense of (artificial) scarcity is a common marketing technique.
Even dN does it. One example of MANY is, #32 was Sold Out? More than a half dozen times. Etc…
Go figure?
Remember, the universe is super abundant! 
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Missed the Tercero casemates deal, but your post prompted me to pick up a case anyway. I’m enjoying them very much - the Carignan and Cinsault are light-bodied and (red-) fruity, somewhat similar to SB pinot (in my experience), but with some earthiness, which I prefer. Lighter than I usually go for but I’m a fan - these are nicely-crafted wines. Looking forward to trying other varietals. If you like Southern Rhone and SB pinot, I think you’ll enjoy Larry’s wines.
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I got a case of the 478. Have only bought a couple dN cases this year.
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Any thoughts or guesses on this? My whites are running low and there’s nothing much behind them.
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Bill.
A bit stumped on specific source, Green Valley is up there with best regions in RRV for Chardonnay. It’ll need some bottle time to overcome shock. $189 delivered- use any points to shave that down a bit…Cheers, Tim
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Thanks, when I mean “running low” I mean that in a DeN way. I have red’s into the 2030’s but I’m going to need some whites for 2025.
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My first thought was Ridge, based on the copy and specifically “low intervention”, but haven’t done any research here. I don’t see a WE92.
This is why I love CellarTracker. This looked/looks enticing! But I currently have 62 bottles of Zinfandel in my cellar, and that will last me a long time… and backfill offer from Turley are coming 3-4 times a year. Maybe this would be really good value, but it would take up space I don’t have. Pass.
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I doubt it’s the Precision Wine. That doesn’t mention anything about single vineyard. Doesn’t mean it’s not, but usually a producer would try to highlight that. Ridge Lytton Springs is a possibility.
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Well 2022 Ridge Lytton Springs is 67% Zinfandel… so technically not a Zinfandel. And the Precision appears to be $20 bottle
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Exactly, I’d be disappointed by de Negoce providing $20 MSRP Zin to me delivered for $189/case.
And a “measely” 92 points for a Ridge Zin seems nearly impossible these days.
Just picked up my case of 472 “shiners.”
Generic corks…
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Doubtful on Ridge hypothesis…they manage their inventories well. My initial hunch was Mazzocco, which is just down the street from Ridge, has a ton of single vineyards, etc. Could also be Fritz as a long shot, no research done…
I truly need help for my gift case of Lot 416 Eola-Amity Hills 2022 Pinot Noir which was not bottled until Dec 2023 after seeing 100% François Frères cooperage from Burgundy. The recipient is in truly medical bad shape and wants to know can she open this now. Has anyone tried one of these bottles yet? Reaction? / Do I ask her to try waiting to at least late Fall to try? Yes, a sad, sad wine dilemma.
I apologize for posting this on another WB page also to be answered if possible.
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