Ever since wine has come out of it’s post Prohibition/Depression funk there has always been at least a few wines that have created a cult-like following. Heitz Martha’s and Silver Oak Napa are two examples that were doing this as far back as the 70s and 80s. So as long as there is some excess money that meets small-production, super high-quality wines, you will see this dynamic. But I think the perfect storm of cult wines is close to over. Famous critics are being replaced by the internet community. The sheer multitude of new wines coming onto the market will muddle the ability to gain cult-traction and the era of cheap oil coming to an end may be the great profit destroyer in this business. Combine these factors and you will see less cult wines. I agree that what you will see is an era with a flatter demand curve, with a bevy of excellent small-production wines available. Not only will flipping prices be reduced over time (it is already underway,) but the time window in which a wine holds onto the “cult” moniker will be greatly shortened.
There is no way to predict which wines will become cults. Even cult winemakers are not able to transfer that status among their clients at will. So trying to position oneself to ride the next cult curve is almost impossible to do. My recommendation is to just find a handful of small production wines made by people you actually know and like that you consider really yummy, and then buy vintage after vintage over the long-term. I personally find it more interesting when I go into someone’s cellar and see 10 vintages of a handful of nice producers than a cellar with 30 different producers all in the 98-100 point range from only the best vintages.
You can start right now from scratch and build a nice portfolio of newer producers of excellent wines that have almost never been reviewed at all or have only been producing for a handful of vintages. If you catch em early you can get to know the winemakers personally over the next decade and develop a really great cellar crossing numerous varietals and even better, develop personal relationships with the people involved with those wines. Once you do that, points and flipping go out the window, and it all becomes something beyond just a commodity, or even wine.
Tom Seaver’s GTS Cab, with a winemaking team that have 100-pointers to their credit, could become hot soon. Cult? Who knows, but they’re doing everything first class.
Very true (and don’t forget Hanzell or Mt Eden). One big contributing factor that no one has mentioned is the newish ability for individuals to (re)sell wine. In the old days of the original, small production mailing list wines that Claude mentions, this wasn’t the case and prices remained pretty stable as there was no significant resale/flip market, which has added fuel to the fire. I believe that the secondary market has greatly contributed to the cult phenomenon and pricing.
While it may be a longer burn than some of the other wines mentioned, Sanguis is worth a look. Very talented winemaker that is willing to change things up in the SQN model.
I think people (who sometimes seeem rather crabby about it) missunderstand the concept of cult wines. Yes its price rarity trophy status points yadda yadda. Its fun to speculate about it just like its fun to speculate about junk bonds and sports. Terroir history and care of the vineyard don’t play a role because we (or at least I) are not necessarily talking about great wines. Some cults are great to some people. And sometimes its great to catch the wave to pay less for a wine u want to drink. Id love to have caught the sqn wave for instance. But I’ve had a few screaming eagles and I wouldn’t pay 500 bucks for it much less current release and yet I like to read about it and enjoy trying to guess which wine if any comes next. Cult wines in the us as I understand them are wines priced in the top tier with wait lists and people chomping at the bit to get on the list. And wines that resell for more than release price when they are released. The actual quality of what is in the bottle is not relevant in my mind…though that is not to say some cults aren’t great wines. I don’t think they all are or thatanyone is implying such a thing.
Can’t figure out how a 99-point initial vintage didn’t at least garner a little buzz–but it’s basically crickets for this wine. Perhaps if the '08 had scored a couple points higher…?
It is not a cult wine if I’m on the mailing list and can actually buy some.
That’s how I define it.
I’m with Groucho: I don’t care to be in any cult that would have me as a member.
I equate cults with people who made seriou$ money elsewhere, bought a Napa estate, hired the latest and greatest in winemaker, engaged the trendiest consultant, spared no expense in the vineyard or the cellar, hob-nobs with Marvin, and intentionally created the mystique. Plus, they look great in jeans and white starched shirts. They also drive nice cars. They may make great product but the mystique appears all important. Am I somewhat pejorative in my definition. Yes.
Maybe I drank the Kool Aid, but someone who works his dad’s vineyard, or makes wine out of his garage, or buys grapes from eighteen different vineyards, or leaves a high rolling Wall Street job to “volunteer” as cellar rat, or has low budget word of mouth marketing, or continues his law practice in the midwest but makes wine at a custom crush facility, or who answers emails while feeding his newborn at the dinner table, or who eats gopher,etc., is not making a cult wine. They may make excellent wines and many are in my cellar - but cult wine? No. That’s not my definition.
Maybach is probably already there in my estimation.
Someone mentioned Myriad, I think Quivet is just as likely from Mike Smith. Love his offerings under both labels, the guy is just so down to earth it makes it fun as well.
I’ve heard great things about Ovid, haven’t been able to try myself.
Epoch is well funded and as likely as any outside of Napa.
I love what Jean and Henrik are doing at Alpha Omega, but I’m not sure they’re ever going to count as a cult wine because their production levels are higher. I can see a waiting list for ERA though quite easily.
Here’s a new one for a few years down the road: Red Car
Interesting take. I see your point, but I put less importance on the price tag. If the release of the wine causes a feeding frenzy and it takes several years to get on the list, I put it in the cult or “cult-ish” category.
Parker has written that he will do California retrospectives (“Where are they now?”) and leave the new wines to Galloni. I personally don’t doubt this, and it explains why he still has California next to his name.
It would be fun to see Galloni slam a few Parker cult wines, but I really doubt it’ll play out like that.
That’s probably correct. I can’t see Galloni stepping out and trashing Harlan or SQN for instance which puts him in a delicate spot. Parker might do plenty of “retrospectives” but I bet they are filled with current and recent vintages of the particular labels as well. Probably lots of Hedonist Gazette wines will be Cali Cults in the near future.
Humberto,
“I think people (who sometimes seeem rather crabby about it) missunderstand the concept of cult wines.”
Thats why I have put the question here, what is then THE CONCEPT of a cult wine:
I guess Kevin and Chris summarize it very well
Kevin wrote:
“I think there is a good chance that the era of CA Cult Cabernet might have ended (to some extent) when Robert Parker retired from reviewing CA wine. While I am sure there will continue to be many limited production, high priced bottlings, I think this phenomenon required a more definitive and clear ranking than the messy and multi-opinioned world that follows in his wake. Many of the wines were more about winemaking style than vineyard quality and ranking winemaking styles is a highly subjective exercise. I am guessing that there won’t be as much clarity going forward and that was an essential ingredient to the genre.”
Chris wrote
"While I agree with this by and large I believe the last time I saw the list Parker made of regions to reviewers, he still had California next to his name. The most likely reason for this to me(or maybe I’m just cynical) is to keep on with the “cult” type wines ".
I think true “cult” wines are defined initially by extreme QPR and low production (which is almost contradictory) which invariably lead to those “in the know” taking all the slots on the mailing list thus closing it and creating a wait list. By virtue of this wait list buzz is created around the wine which drives speculation as demand begins to far out strip supply. The key is you need to get the wine in the hands of the “right” influencers (for example key somms, retail players or even people on this board) at the out set which drives that demand. Initially, this occurred within the Cab space (Colgin, Harlan, etc…), but lately we are seeing a varietal shift for these types of wines towards PN and Rhone styles as well. I am basically agreeing with Ian here, but here are my thoughts on some of what Ian and others said plus some of my own (in BOLD):
PINOT
Rivers Marie - This is an excellent example of extreme QPR with TRB’s basic Sonoma Coast PN which rolls demand up for the single vineyards and the chard. Not sure about the CS getting traction but I could be wrong as he kills it with Shrader.
Rhys - If this list hasn’t closed yet I would get on it. Lots of buzz around this one so demand will continue to spike well past supply in the next year. They got walloped this past offer as I recall and good for them it’s great juice. Anthill Farms - a tough call probably not ready for the spotlight yet but coming up. Antica Terra “Botanica” - New Maggie Harrison PN project that Wildman is currently coveting, personally I think there is more QPR is her Vital Vineyards Project but hey that’s just me. Kutch - How was Jamie’s wine not mentioned? I guess since pretty much made it already. An appreciation dinner sold out so fast he had to add 2 extra dates.
CAB Pott Wines - May have been mentioned but Aaron Pott who is also making Blackbird and Seven Stones is going to be killing it with his own label. This is one to watch- tiny production and really likable. Pricing is not cheap but not soaring either.
Scarecrow - The last of the “Great Cult Cabs” of an age that is passing as pricing for these types of wines are no longer in line with economic realities.
Maybach - On the cusp, I’m sure Pobega may disagree with me here - no doubt good juice but this is a hard spot to play in.
Schrader - With TRB at the helm this has been killing it lately. Witha WS cover and the recent Zachy’s auction blowing it out of the water on pricing. You can say it was all friends showing support, but it built more buzz.
O’Shaughnessy - surprised to see this here, It’s big wine for sure, but I don’t think it has the traction at this point to go cult.
Kapcsandy - After early issues with Helen Turley, they seem to have made a big splash with some high RMP scores as I recall.
Continuum - I think the big question here is how the style is going to change as shift to more and more estate fruit. The first vintage had a ton of To-Kalon as I recall with each subsequent less and less.
Seven Stones - Here is another Aaron Pott wine that has the potential to go the distance, but pricing on this may have put it out of the running too early. Corra - Celia Welch’s own label is a good bet, pricing is not too far out-- think of it as Scarecrow at a third of the price.
ZIN
Carlisle - Hard to say here as it is a tough get but Zin is not the most “cult worthy” of grapes- for Zin it kills (again with really good QPR) but not sure it is driving enough demand to go “cult” but close.
RHONE
Favia - They make quite a bit of different wine so it’s hard to throw them in RHONE. I don’t see as much demand buy-in for this as I would have thought, but some of the wines are outstanding. The latest Rompbecazas (Syrah) was stunning as is the tiny bit of Viognier (sooo good). Pricing moved up a bit lately but is still solid for getting wine with a pedigree from Andy and Annie.
Saxum - It made it to the cult level pretty solidly already. Can’t say much here.
Booker - Was a bit hot the last time a I tasted but I have not had it in a while, reminds me of Linne Calodo (which I personally like better) – Rhone cults are a tough even when you have everything going for you (e.g. Jonata) so I don’t see this going as far as Saxum.
Finally, while I think that there are alot of vanity bottlings out there that just like to show off pricing and “pedigree,” you could surmise that to try to “create” a true cult, you should price unusually low on your initial release relative to the quality or perceived quality of your juice which would ensure the vinorati grab it and build buzz leading to demand spike and then inch your prices upward or flip it to a VC or other vanity player for big bucks (ala Screagle and Kosta Browne.) Just my .02.
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