Example of highly allocated, yet inexpensive wines?

[R_Roberts]

Great thread. I was trying to think of some Northern Rhones to add to the list, but I can’t think of any that have remained “inexpensive”.

[Dav1d_Sawyer]

I would place some of Carlisle’s wines in this mix - not sure why I have not seen it mentioned before. Maybe everyone gets what they want? And what about some of Turley’s wines - their Juvenile and Old Vines Zins are usually in the $25 range or so and not EVERYONE gets them, right?

Cheers.

I was thinking the same! Carlisle comes to mind as the poster child for this in the US.

[Gary_York]

As is often the case, “inexpensive” is the hard part.

[PCLIN]

Julian Haart Kabi.

Someone said it’s harder to get allocations than Fourrier CSJ.

Getting difficult to get allocations for Cathiard L’Orme too.

[Russell_Faulkner]

Try getting Julian Haart 3* Auslese or any of the white labels.

[Bdklein]

Lewelling Cabernet.

I’ve seen them at multiple retail stores . Maybe unique to the NY area ?

[Bdklein]

Lewelling Cabernet.

I’ve seen them at multiple retail stores . Maybe unique to the NY area ?

[David_K2]

Lewelling Cabernet.

I’ve seen them at multiple retail stores . Maybe unique to the NY area ?

People tend to overestimate how rare and special their Cali wines are. Fact is, there are almost no U.S. wines that fit the criteria of this thread.

[R_Roberts]

[John_Morris]

It is definitely highly allocated

But what do you mean by that? There’s a big difference between a small-production wine and an odd-ball one that’s hard to sell so the importer and distributor don’t have much of it.

[Martin_Petersen]

Miani

When I see these, they are never very cheap.

Whites are starting at less than 40€ at my source, but I still haven’t made it beyond the waitinglist …

[Joshua_Kates]

Miani

When I see these, they are never very cheap.

Whites are starting at less than 40€ at my source, but I still haven’t made it beyond the waitinglist …

Thanks, if I am ever in Denmark? (And even, then, not really cheap.)

[Alex_N]

I’ve run into quite a few winemakers who have side (or investor funded) projects and can only afford to produce very limited quantities. It seems their model is to convince people they’re they’re “boutique”, extremely limited, mail list only, highly allocated (and therefore highly sought after), and hinting they’re something like the next cult or SQN. Most of the time I see they’re not established, the wine is good, but no wonder they’re struggling to sell a $30 quality wine for $60+, with accessories worth as much as the wine: extra thick glass bottles, tissue wrapping, custom printed corks, fancy expensive printed labels, wooden boxes, expensive stationary sent via USPS during random times of the year, etc.

[Jay_Miller]

Lopez de Heredia rosado. Barely any of the most recent vintage (2008) came into the Seattle area. my usual local retail source couldn’t get any (even though I buy a bunch of RLdH through him). Finally found a different source who got all of 1 case. One bottle per person limit.

Michael

How much was it? Two months ago $200 at auction, today over $300 and counting

That pricing seems whacko.

I don’t think the rosado is “allocated” in the sense that it’s produced in small quantities and there’s very high demand. I would guess the issue in Seattle is that there’s very little demand so the distributor only brought in a few cases.

The real problem is that you have a taste for a wonderful but really obscure wine.

And what’s weird is that prior to the 2008 release it just sat on the shelves. I bought it and a bunch of our friends bought it but there was very little demand.

[Ethan_Abraham]

Yes chambers had the 2000 for $21 8 years ago. Apparently it has gone over $150 at auction. A lot has changed in 8 years…

[Cris_Whetstone]

How much was it? Two months ago $200 at auction, today over $300 and counting

That pricing seems whacko.

I don’t think the rosado is “allocated” in the sense that it’s produced in small quantities and there’s very high demand. I would guess the issue in Seattle is that there’s very little demand so the distributor only brought in a few cases.

The real problem is that you have a taste for a wonderful but really obscure wine.

And what’s weird is that prior to the 2008 release it just sat on the shelves. I bought it and a bunch of our friends bought it but there was very little demand.

This item on this list surprises me as well. I don’t remember seeing it in stores often but when I did I never got the sense there was high demand. It just always seemed like something that was either not made in abundance or not really sold much in the states. The price was never anything real high.

[David_K2]

And what’s weird is that prior to the 2008 release it just sat on the shelves. I bought it and a bunch of our friends bought it but there was very little demand.

I remember seeing the 2000 on shelves years ago too. I guess it’s kind of a microcosm for how much the wine world has changed in eight years.

[Vince_T]

It is definitely highly allocated

But what do you mean by that? There’s a big difference between a small-production wine and an odd-ball one that’s hard to sell so the importer and distributor don’t have much of it.

It’s not an import problem - it’s production. It’s highly sought after even in Spain - You can buy it at the winery but only as part of a 6 pack (1 rosado + 5 Tondonia Reds)

[M_Mager]

And what’s weird is that prior to the 2008 release it just sat on the shelves. I bought it and a bunch of our friends bought it but there was very little demand.

I remember seeing the 2000 on shelves years ago too. I guess it’s kind of a microcosm for how much the wine world has changed in eight years.

I started drinking the Rosado back in the mid-2000’s, when the '95 vintage was on the shelves here in Seattle. My local bottle shop in West Seattle always had some stock on hand. Plenty o’availability. That situation continued all the way through 2010 or so, when the ‘00 vintage was in release. Then around 2011 or so, I was informed that they wouldn’t have another vintage until the 2008 was released. I bought up all that my shop had remaining, and the few bottles that they could still squeeze out of the distributor. If I knew then what I know now, I would have squirreled away a shit-ton more of those vintages. All at around $20/bottle. Ah, the good ole’ days.

According to the RLdH web site, they bottled more than 1000 cases of the '08 vintage. I get that it’s hard to argue that’s “small production”. Assuming they aren’t holding back on the releases, that wine is certainly going somewhere. But I’ve never been able to find any retail source, local to me or online, that had any of it for sale (other than re-sale auction sites, where the few bottles were being offered at silly high prices). Every retailer I found offering on line either didn’t really have it (and as just trolling) or claimed that the listing was in error. My conclusion was that it was being parceled out in small allocations, and rarely staying in the distribution channel for long. If that’s not the case, then where is it all at?

Michael

[M_Mager]

It is definitely highly allocated

But what do you mean by that? There’s a big difference between a small-production wine and an odd-ball one that’s hard to sell so the importer and distributor don’t have much of it.

It’s not an import problem - it’s production. It’s highly sought after even in Spain - You can buy it at the winery but only as part of a 6 pack (1 rosado + 5 Tondonia Reds)

I’ve chatted a number of times with one of the sales reps for the local distributor here for RLdH. She knows I’m always going to be asking about when the new vintages will be landing here. Trust me, the folks at the distributor are well aware that they could sell through much more of the Rosado if only they could get more. Not sure why they can’t, but I assume if has something to do with the politics between the bodega, the importer (Think Global) and our local distributor.

Michael