Top 3 Wait Lists Worth Waiting For or Up and Coming?

WINE TALK
21

I really think the scarcity of “mailing list wines” has markedly decreased over the last 5 or so years. Outside of the obvious that you state in your original post - SQN and Marcassin and some of the high end CA Cabs like Screaming Eagle most of the wines are now easily sourced outside of the mailing list at mailing list prices. Some like Dehlinger, Williams Selyem, and Turley are found at retail now. All you have to do is take a look at commerce corner to see this.

George

22

Why do they have to be waiting lists? There are plenty of people making superb wine who are actually happy to sell it to you rather than telling you to get in line. For that matter, why do they have to be “up and coming”? Lots of “up and coming” wineries would kill to be able to do what Calera’s been doing for over thirty years.

I get that there is a lot of appeal in getting on board with the latest hot thing, and being able to buy something that other people can’t. But if it’s actually about the wine and not the exclusivity, you have plenty of great producers to choose from.

23

Based on what you have listed, you should look at Peay for their pinot, chardonnay and syrah. All top notch.

24

So true Keith. A tiny fraction of the wine in my cellar came from mailing lists and could very easily be replaced by non-list options. There’s a ton of excellent wine out there, available without waiting or future commitments. If owning a particular brand is paramount, then…take a number.

RT

25

This is a great suggestion. Not exclusive and not waiting list, but given your stated taste for S. Rhône, Tablas Creek is a can’t miss. Drive down there this weekend. While you’re down there, check out McPrice Meyers for something that leans much more decidedly new world as well.

Also, WineBerserker Larry Schaffer’s Tercero wines were some of the best showing Southern Rhône varieties at Falltacular.

26

Tablas Creek is indeed a great suggestion. I mostly drink their Esprit wines (red and white) and the Gobelet, but a 2009 Roussanne was just amazing given it’s fairly modest price.

27

Most of the mailing lists named above have little to no wait, and are well worth trying.

There are some that do have fair waits however:
William Selyem, Rochioli, Cayuse, KB, some Napa cults have large, established followings, and they tend to be expensive.
Kutch, Rivers Marie, and Rhys have tiny or very limited capacity.
Carlisle I would call a value list, and that has created huge, loyal demand - although the wines no longer appeal to me personally.

Of the lists i’ve named above, I think only Cayuse and Rhys will command an aftermarket premium - maybe some KB and RM bottlings too. Apart from KB, I’ve been on all the ones I have listed at one time or another, and while I still own wines from all but Cayuse and Carlisle, I have sold some quantity of wine from ALL of them except Rhys. Usually at below purchase price.

Based on my experience, go ahead and sign up for lists with long waits if you like, but drink widely from what you can get in the short term. You may find that over time you want to drink wines from other parts of the country and the world. I did.

I assembled a largely Cali based collection, though luckily I started branching out way before reaching 1500.
But at 1000 wines, I had probably 800 from California. But by then my preferences had started changing considerably, and this created a problem that I am still resolving. I have sold over 400 bottles of California wine, and at this point cut my buying to only Rhys. And yet my cellar is still 1/3 from California.

Calling it a problem is relative I guess. I do still enjoy the vast majority of wines I have not sold, and can go ahead and sell what we won’t drink before it goes over the hill. To a certain extent we are drinking up Cali, while our other wines mature. So it is fine really. But my one piece of advice would be to drink more widely across the world before accumulating 1500 bottles of (largely) CA mailing list wine.

28

This is the best advice you’ll get. [welldone.gif]

29

+1 [cheers.gif]

30

Getting hooked on the winery lists were easily one of the worst mistakes that I made as I got into wine. I ended up with a cellar that was deep and narrow, partially as a result of buying more bottles from a producer than I would ever have remotely considered if I had walked into a store. I mean, I bought 3 cases of 05 Pax two days after signing up for the list after having drunk exactly one bottle of the stuff before. WTF was I thinking? Same type of thinking went into buying more bottles than I’ll ever need just to be “in good standing” -whatever that means - with some winery list. LIke Jim above, I am just now starting to plow through bottles that I wouldn’t buy now if I had to do it over again.

There is so much good wine from so many parts of the world being made, and I’m having way more fun trying these than I ever had staring at a stack of some coveted list’s bottles.

31

Thomas. newhere

32

You’re still in mailing list hell. Fortunately, the way out is through drinking. Oh, and you should probably go ahead and start buying Burgundy. Chances are you will end up on that road sooner or later… right Frank Murray III!!!

33

Whatever. Burgundy has no wait list…I simply get a jug of it at my local Albertsons right?

Jared, welcome to the Board. Ignore everything Tyler says, unless of course he tells you to listen to me. Then in that case, listen to him. [thumbs-up.gif] Hey man, if you’re at 850, maybe it’s time for burgundy! deadhorse

34

One think to keep in mind- by the time you get through 850-1500 domestic culty bottles, there is a good chance 1/2 will be shot or you will find yourself looking at your cellar wishing you owned something you wanted to drink.

35

Shane Cellars. As close to Northern Rhone styled syrah as you will find, IMHO. Also a delicious rose and now a grenache blanc.

I have pretty much divested from all mailing lists. Amazingly liberating. If a winery has wine that I want in the quantities that I want when I want it, I buy it. If not, I buy something else.

36

Unless you drink A LOT of wine. This is a very good point.

George

37

+1
Amen to that.

38

Agreed. Spend your money at a winery with a track record that produces wines you like. Up and comers are sometimes goners relatively fast.

39

And unable to sell them because everyone’s chasing the next up-and-coming star.

40

Love the feedback from everyone, such a great group of folks. Much appreciated!!!