I’m also offering a perception rather than data, but there are wine refrigerators and then there are cellars with 5,000+ bottle capacity. More of the former are great, but if you want to regularly drink 20±year-old bottles that you purchased on release, you need the latter. As wine appreciation has diversified socially and geographically, more and more wine lovers live in homes without cellars. And certainly, I don’t know many people my age (vintage 1989) with an underground cellar and the volition to buy wines and forget them for thirty years. I am doing that (my line is that my mid-life crisis will consist in drinking the bottles I bought as a student), but I’ve also made it my career. These days, most millennial wine drinkers have never even tasted a mature wine: if producers don’t hold wines back, they will never have the opportunity, and what seems to me an important part of wine culture will rapidly be lost.
I don’t particularly mind one way or another, but would think it’s funny to claim the reason is to release the wine only once “mature”. Mature for those wines is not 6 years post vintage. AFAIK, the only producer to ACTUALLY release only once mature is Ampeau! Nonetheless, if it means less of those bottles are immediately hoovered up by label-validation-seeking restaurant patrons then it probably does more good than harm 
!
Thanks for your response, William. I think you may be underestimating the proliferation of off-site storage; of course, I may be over-estimating it. 
One thing we absolutely agree on, however, is the apparently-dwindling patience of the average wine geek. Although I am firmly in the “your wine, do what you want with it” camp, I will admit that my stomach nonetheless simultaneously turns when I see grand wines routinely being opened far “before their time.” Only so many wines can achieve a certain kind of greatness, so it is somewhat unfortunate (in my mind) when I see such wines opened before they are allowed to reach that point in their maturation process. Of course, the occasional infanticide is an exception to all of that, but I think you know what I mean. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Prolly a good thing for me. I’m like a crack addict. The only limit to my hitting the crack pipe for more wine is my limit on off-site storage. My facility is 100% booked. I have no more room. And with a hurricane scare every 3-4 years, and every other one knocking out power, I’m not storing at home again, except for a regular size wine fridge.
Didn’t know there was a set plan for Rayas. Good to know the pain. How about the 2010 ?
Totally agree that 6 years old is a terrible age for Burgundy.
I think restaurants would love to buy slightly aged wines straight from the winery. It looks much better in a list than newly released vintages. Unless you understand wines well that is.
I agree with Freddy Mugnier as well as with the postings above, but
- top Burgundies are not mature before 12-15 years of age, better with 20y
- the price at the domaine will certainly rise over time (and I do have a good cellar of my own)
- I will not be able to afford Musigny then - neither at the domaine, far less in any restaurant
So it´s more a punishment for private customers with own cellars, and a good additional income for producers and restaurants.
I would rather see (close to) mature wines at affordable prices in restaurants - for instance a Chambolle Village 2007, not only 2016/17 -
2010 is already released (I think this spring) - don´t know if everywhere.
But my warning is: it won´t be fully mature before 2025-2028 … better drink 2008, 2006, 2004 and older now …
However I don´t understand why the 2011 hasn´t been released before the 2010 (in terms of maturity), but the goal seems to be “10 years after the vintage” for all RAYAS-cuvées (Rayas, Pignan, Fonsalette) as well as for Chateau DES TOURS Vacqueyras (which is the most ageworthy wine).
Robert - I can see it making a difference to those customers who currently have a direct cost/wholesale plus mark-up allocation for those wines. I can count on the fingers of one thumb the number of people I know who are lucky enough to get Rayas and Mugnier in that way ! Even for most of us hunting for apex-predator allocations these wines are quite rare or unobtainable. If the domaines hike their prices for late releases I would think it makes a difference to 1% on this board, which is of course already less than 1% of the general wine appreciation crowd.
It’s nice that business is so good that they can afford to sit on inventory for an extra year or two. That’s a lot of money tied up that otherwise would have represented cash in the door.
I’m sure in many cases it is a sincere desire to release a wine nearer its prime. But when so many people are doing it, you have to wonder if it doesn’t reflect a soft market.
I really hope that’s what’s behind this. That would be excellent!
releasing the 09 here now I believe. Personally I’m on the 90’s vintages and 2001.
From Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras 2011 should be available, Rayas 2010 at least(somewhere) in Europe and Asia … all according to WS.
La Pialade 2014 as well.
But I don´t know about the US.
Ch. des Tours Cotes-du-Rhone and (Domaine des Tours) Vin des Pays 2015 are in the market.
That’s right, they held back the 09 a bit longer for the US, releasing this year to coincide with the Martine’s anniversary.
Funny - so it doesn´t only depend on the ideas of winemakers, but also on anniversaries of importers …
the US-clients might be extremely happy about that …
HDH just offered Ex-Chateau 2011 Latour at $3400 for 6. Arrives early 2020.
So much for my speculation about a softening market.
I think it was Emmanuel who wanted to hold it back, and the timing is a happy coincidence. I don’t know if that’s the case here, but certainly a lot of French winemakers seem to have the perception that Americans drink their wines too young—something that is also the case in a lot of French restaurants in France, of course.
The 2009 Rayas wines are so far from being ready that I don’t think anyone will miss not having the bottles, as long as they get them eventually.
My only problem is the late releases I suspect will b heavily marked up. Also I noticed Mugnier Amoureuses jumped in price once the Musigny was held back. The Amoureuses then became the top dog.
I guess I am one of the few who find this insulting as a consumer. The idea of telling me that I am not smart enough to know how to consume a bottle of wine that you sold me, that the f***ing wine has to be protected from potential customers is, to me, ridiculous! Maybe the experience i want from that bottle is as fresh as the day it is bottled, maybe I like unaged potential. Don’t dictate to me my enjoyment. It smacks of elitist bull!!