I received an email today with an allocation for Modicum. These are Thomas Keller’s private label wines that he sells in his restaurants. I don’t remember signing up for this, but it might have been something I did during covid as I seem to remember them releasing some wines that had been destined for the restaurants back then.
The wines aren’t cheap. The 2018 St Helena Red is $220 / bottle (sold in 3 packs) and the 2018 Rutherford red is $270 / bottle (sold in 3 packs). They also offered a “Hestan” 2017 red for $100 / bottle, sold in min 6 packs.
There is virtually no info is given on the vineyard sourcing or winemaker, other than I think it’s blended (at least in part) by the French Laundry somm team. I’m curious if anyone has tried these or knows anything about who makes them or where they source from.
I find it crazy they are charging this much for essentially mystery wines, other than the fact it’s got Thomas Keller’s name behind it. You can get a lot more info on the sourcing for Cam X or other NDA wines than you can these.
I bought a bottle of the St Helena randomly at auction for $35 a long time ago. Nothing interesting or memorable about it. It should be criminal to charge $220 for that.
I had an opportunity to taste through 07 - 15 and nothing really stood out. Those vintages are sourced from two top properties in Napa and pricing reflects the pedigree of where the wine comes from. Not sure about sourcing for 2018 but I’d assuming they are what I think they are based on “Rutherford” and “St. Helena”.
Cult/highly coveted estates. Essential to collections when Napa Cab was an appreciating asset.
However, it does look like the 2018 is from different sourcing than the earlier stuff.
From the TFL IG: Our St. Helena is made with grapes from three unique vineyards within the St. Helena appellation, from the western hills to Spring Mountain.
And from the western hillsides, the 2018 Rutherford vintage has the deep scent of mixed berry pie and sweet exotic spice, and a full and round mouthfeel with notes of black-plum and blueberry on the palate.
When any good offered for sale is of unknown origin except to insiders, my first instinct is to grab my wallet. My second is to run away. I might miss a good deal now and then, but the information asymmetry strongly favors the seller.
Wonder why the few reports above are so lackluster if the fruit is from a top vineyard. In any case, Keller’s name will help sell at least some of this.
If you Google Modicum wine there are references to earlier vintages being from “an organic vineyard above the Auberge du Soleil hotel in Rutherford.” Looking at the Vinous map of Rutherford, the only vineyards I see that are really above Auberge are Sloan, Hall Sacrashe, and Snowden. And of those, the only one I’d say is truly a “cult / highly coveted estate” is Sloan. So that would be my guess for the Rutherford source (at least the earlier vintages).
But it’s pretty insane to have to guess the source of a wine being sold for near $300 / bottle. It’s one thing to charge these crazy high prices, but at least tell the consumer exactly what they’re getting, just like Keller will say his beef is from Snake River Farms (for example).
Similar story with wines like Tusk, that don’t give any vineyard sources other than Oakville and Pritchard Hill. Maybe there is something in the grape contracts that prevent them from naming the vineyard? But also, if it is from Sloan, is Modicum really similar quality, or is this just leftover barrels, like Cam X or De Negoce would offer?
During Covid they sold the sparkling, which I believe was Keller’s personal blend of Schramsberg for $50 a bottle. Was pretty tasty stuff and I believe it’s available by the glass at FL.