It’s still on pre-order.
I’m not even sure the Rhone is Red to be honest…
I couldn’t figure that out either. That would suck to think you were getting a rouge, and end up getting a blanc. I did one of those mystery wines maybe 10-12 years ago, and have never done one again.
I haven’t gotten an offer from Garagiste in weeks, if not months. I don’t remember unsubscribing but I’m not complaining.
Same with me for a couple of years, just stopped. Must be the negative karma from my posts about not getting a wine for several years, but they finally substituted a new vintage.
Depends entirely on the blanc. I can think of some Condrieu or Hermitage Blanc I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on for the price I paid on MW#91.
Here’s the entire missive:
Dear Friends,
Collectors and Rhone enthusiasts have been waiting a long time for a Mystery Wine such as this - wine from this region is scarce enough as it is.
At this $?
I think we should begin…
We interrupt your 2010 Brunello/Barolo scouring to remind you of another 2010 that caused the same rush to craziness a year ago:
2010 in the Rhone.
Despite the Euro crash, prices on 2010 Rhone wine continues to escalate and this classic, meaty, rugged and tannic “association” vintage is primed to deliver the type of investor/drinker returns reserved for very few growing seasons (1990 comes to mind). While the global stock markets may be shifting away from the bull run of the last five years, in my estimation, Rhone wine from 2010 will not be part of the drag down.
Question:
How do you look for safe vinous investments - those for your basement retirement account (and also for your gullet)?
The Answer:
Convince one of the most famous producers in Europe to part with a tasty tidbit from one of the top vintages of the last twenty years.
(oh yeah - instead of paying $100+ like everyone else, we want to pay $50-60 and we still want 2010 - not 2006, 2008 or 2011).
You know where this is headed…
Mystery Wine.
How did we get here?
This offer has been over a year in the back and forth - today’s storied house has no need to care about us or about offering their wine at a discount and/or about such triviality as Mystery Wine.
What I didn’t count on was their allegiance.
They were already daily readers of the Garagiste scribe and have been customers for a number of years (they keep a stash of wine in the US and drink it when they travel here). Even still, we have never offered their wine - their national importation is ridged and cemented and their tariff card is also painfully high - too high for most of us to consider.
Not to be dissuaded by the little details, we kept the discussions going for many months and the result is today’s highly improbable Mystery offer for one of their lauded 2010 examples.
Deep breath.
What I can tell you:
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We’ve never offered a wine from this producer before (it has nothing to do with Louis Barruol).
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This wine is from the 2010 Rhone vintage - arguably the most desirable campaign since the last widespread “association” vintage(1990)
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It is the exact same wine, cork, label, bottle, etc as what is on the world market as I type this (actually, our bottles are arguably better with this level of original/library provenance - never moved from the Rhone).
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The average $ in the US is around $100 and up to $130-150+. I just checked again and I can only find one listing under $100 (even from “flash email offers”, most are actually closer to $110-130 (the “suggested retail $” from the winery is in the $120-150 range).
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The winery is nearly certain that this is the lowest $ ever offered on the wine (even in France or the rest of Europe) - their cellar door retail $ a quite a bit higher than this.
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There are no sub 90pt scores from any of the major US critics and/or from any community TN - not one (they do not want me to be more specific than that but I argued to at least give you that fact, which is a huge fact as it shows widespread acclaim). The US critic pool includes Tanzer, Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast et al.
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Commensurate with its high cost, this wine should age for a long time, at least another decade (with ease) and probably longer.
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This is not from a modernist - it is not a high alcohol, massively oaked “monster” example - it is a classic, gritty, ageing wine with captivating aromatics that are so pure, they pierce the senses. As a Bordeaux analogy, it is closer to a hybrid of Montrose and Palmer than Pavie.
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The vineyard and specific parcel this wine hails from would be considered one of the finest of its type.
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In 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Blue Danube moves in stride with satellite orbits as well as our own perception of Hal and his influence.
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If I’m going to play second fiddle to first, does that mean fourth is equal to third?
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If third is equal to fourth, then surely ten should relish nine?
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“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” - Isaac Newton
Get ready Melisa…
This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with the finest original/library provenance available - it is not via the grey market.
ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at the (incredible) Mystery tariff.
On your mark, get set…GO!
FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 48/person until we run out:
2010 Mystery Wine #91 750ml (Rhone) - $59.81
(compare at $100-130)
I have yet to figure out their new system for ordering, so I just stopped. Oh well.
When I read it, I assumed red - particularly because of the comment about Montrose/Palmer/Pavie and alcohol content. However, though I was intrigued, since I don’t trust him any more, $60 was just too much to pay for a mystery Rhone where all that I knew for sure is that no critic has given it less than 90pts. Given all of the high scoring wines from the Rhone for under $50 let alone $60, it would have had to score at or above 95pts to make a blind purchase at that price, something that I would jump on. Could be a nice winner but too much risk for me.
I guess I made the assumption that its a red based on the allusion to Montrose, but who knows. Maybe its a lesser known luxe CNDP or something that fits the various requirements. But maybe its not a red.
I guess on the bright side, Rimmerman probably must have liked it, in order to offer it, so its not likely to be a gooey style Rhone.
I still passed.
fify
Does anyone really believe Rimmerman is only offering wines he personally likes?
Caveat Emptor
Just a thought: what if Jon Rimmerman offered Maison Ilan that he purchased from Premier Cru? “Should be arriving soon and available for shipping in Mid-May.”
Trifecta!
Perfect Storm! 
My guesses on MW#91 based on clues “traditional producer,” “$110-130,” and “no sub-90 scores”:
Possible Northern Rhone
Sorrel Hermitage La Greal
Thierry Allemand Cornas les Chaillots (or Reynard?)
Domaine Jamet Cote-Rotie
Domaine Rene Rostaing Cote-Rotie La Landonne
Possible Southern Rhone
Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas Le Claux
Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de La Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Chaupin
I’d be happy with any of the above. Am I off base on any of them?
Is this an April Fools prank? Why would any importer or distributor let any of those wines go to Garagiste at that kind of discount? The day Jamet needs to get closed out as a mystery wine is the day my dog will start talking to me.
Or Allemand. And I have bought 5 of the eight listed in other vintages from Garagiste years ago, and I know they have sold 7 of the 8 at least.
Do any of the clues at the end ever make any sense, even after the wine is revealed?
The clues are as useful as when he writes this: “ALL HAVE (NOT) ARRIVED and will (not) do so shortly”
A bunch of mystery wines were just shipped. Will be interesting to see what they are. Some Rioja, some Italian. I’m only buying one bottle of these sorts of things now, for fun, and expecting little.
I avoid everything he sells from Washington State - they’ve all been syrupy and nearly undrinkable to me. I still have a bunch of mystery Boudreaux Merlot and Cab, and some Den Hoed that I will have to bring to dinner parties with people I don’t like. Expensive meh.
I’m now on the far end of the bell curve on my Garagiste purchases, buying only producers I know well. I’m really happy with my cases of 1994 and especially 1995 Felsina CCR. I’ve sourced some great bottles of Nicolas Joly Savennières, Simon Bize, Galardi Terra di Lavoro, L’Oustal Blanc Naïck, and Tribut Chablis there. I also look forward to the annual allocation of Belluard Gringet Vin de Savoie Le Feu. Those purchases alone make them a worthy retailer for me. I’ll leave the mystery wines to the gamblers.
Curious as to whether there was ever any progress on that east coast warehouse teased in the NY Times story a couple years ago. I haven’t bought anything in a few years but might dabble in this or that if there was somewhere nearby-ish where I could potentially put my hands on things.
Perfectly said. +1 on this