Trust their storage conditions for an '05?
They do have a climate-controlled cellar in the back for the expensive stuff. Now that they are doing auctions, I wouldn’t make the assumption that they have had these since release. I would ask them for specific provenance on the bottle.
They also have a big temp controlled storage room in a side building. It’s never warm in the store. I also have really never noticed any tendency towards advanced aging in the many non-auction bottles I’ve purchased there. But 05 would seem to be at the old end of what they would have been the original purchasers of and still have in-stock so, as Poppy suggests, ask.
Thanks, they have 43 btls in stock so sounds like its not a auction lot but I’ll ask. Sounds more like something that’s been sitting there since release and not moving real fast because of the price tag.
It’s also possible that Wally’s just acquired the wines from Roy Welland.
I currently have open a recently bought 2006 Groffier Chambolle Les Hauts- Doix which is in great condition. The importer label on back cites it was imported specifically for Wally’s, so I am inclined to think it has been there since release.
That usually means (in California) that it was brought in grey market after release. I am guessing that might be a recent arrival. Groffier’s importer would never put “Wally’s” name on the back label. But you will see Wally’s, Winex, K & L amongst others do quite a bit of grey market importing because it’s legal in California.
Ah, thanks Thomas, that is good to know. In that case I have no other experience w/ Wally’s… I’m not a frequent buyer from them and haven’t opened any other bottles recently bought.