As you said it’s a generalization because that was never me. When I started to get serious in wine and collecting, it was with California wines. However, that was with vintages in the 70s. Napa Cab was a different animal then. I admit, I can’t use wine descriptors like I used to. I’ve never gravitated to the big, rich style because I never started with that. Except for the occasional Ridge Zin in the mid to high 14% alc (and never ones that are 15%+ alc), the CA wines I drink are in the 13-low 14% range.
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I don’t really buy much wine these days, but the first wine I stopped buying every year was Lewelling. I got caught up in how it was such great value, but realized I didn’t really like the wine . A couple of bottles remain from 2013 (assuming my CT inventory is correct ).
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I’ve pretty much stopped buying from Paso Robles or south in California. Still will buy from Sonoma though and only limited purchases from Napa. No specific producers though.
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Yes, a generalization because @LaurenB was asking about what usually happens.
As you say, I’m not sure how much the trajectories are based in typical palate evolution and how much they are based on exposure. Many Americans may start out big and rich in the past few decades because it was easier to start with big American wines, no foreign language, easy to read labels, etc. Not sure how these patterns might vary across countries/regions.
I started by happenstance drinking ‘lighter’ Loire wines, and pretty much stayed in that palate zone, despite doing the obligatory expansive exploration in my 20s.
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And for the original question, probably the only producer that I used to buy with frequency that I no longer buy is ESJ, because @Steve_Edmunds stopped making the wines!
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I’ve stopped buying from all mailing lists except Ridge Monte Bello (from which I buy only 2 bottles a year to maintain a vertical), because I hate the mailing list model.
As much as I’ve enjoyed Rhys, Kutch, Sandlands, etc. I just don’t like the approach.
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How did I not include that one on my list???
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Just to clarify, the surname is spelled d’Angerville. Here’s a bio from Guillaume d’Angerville.
https://www.weinbergcapital.com/en/portrait/guillaume-dangerville/
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That’s because it’s a title marquis d’angerville, or marquis of angerville, similar to d’Yquem. The d’ is typically not used when referring to the surname because you’d be saying of angerville. That’s why it’s referred to as Chateau d’Yquem or just Yquem.
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I have been phasing out purchases of new vintages of a lot of regions, esp in France, simply because I am aged out. 2019 was my last Rhone vintage, 2020 was my last Bordeaux vintage, 2021 was the end for Piedmont, and 2023 will be for all intents and purposes my last Napa cab vintage.
As for producers that I have stopped buying for reasons other than my advancing decrepitude, they would be (and I am not criticizing any of these producers— more power to them):
- Raveneau — price.
- Faiveley — I have enough and am likely to die before they are ready anyway. At this point in my life I would rather back fill a tiny amount of Dujac, Roumier, or M-G than buy a six pack of new Faiv.
- Egly-Ouriet — have some, never enough, but… price.
- Leflaive — price.
- Schrader — part palate shift, part price, part the sale to the corporate gave me an excuse to stop.
Just to clarify, the link to the bio is to Guillaume d’Angerville, who currently owns the Marquis d’Angerville winery. Guillaume d’Angerville also happens to be an investment banker for Weinberg Capital.
He spells his last name “d’Angerville” and not “Angerville”
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Egly-Ouriet
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That’s what you get for trying to write a long post on a phone.
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Roulot, purchased 474, down to 57 left. Stopped because of too many premoxed bottles.
Dauvissat, purchased 333, down to 10 left. Too many premoxed bottles.
Chevillon, purchased 272, still have 194. I stopped because the wines never wow me. They are well made but utterly devoid of that “holy shit” factor that I love in red burgundy. (As a contrast Dujac and Bertheau frequently provide “it”)
Dehlinger, 799 purchased with 317 remaining. My first mailing list signed up in 94. The wines are too ripe. The Cabernet is still an amazing $60 bottle of wine, ( the 93 vintage was $27 back then.) But the Pinots are too ripe and high alcohol for me anymore. I need to sell some as there’s still 141 bottles of Pinot remaining that I won’t ever get to.
Rochioli, 681 purchased, down to 74 remaining. Same as Dehlinger, early list but the wines are too ripe for me anymore.
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I hadn’t thought of that, but that would be my answer, too!
I’ve stopped buying Ridge Monte Bello for myself. I still purchase my meager allocation (four 375s) because a friend wants it.
Leroy - in the distant past I could find their basic Borgogne’s for $40. Those days are long gone. This price escalation extends to the majority of Burgundy.
Rhys - release prices steadily went up, they only offered me 2 bottles of the wine I want but I’m required to buy 4 bottles to place an order, their environmental issues, a general unevenness on wine quality (although I’ve had some of their wines that have been gorgeous)
Ridge - they don’t seem trustworthy anymore, their futures pricing is no longer enticing, plus I prefer wines properly aged and therefore don’t have the expected life span to buy Monte Bello on futures
Bedrock - way too many offerings to keep track of, I find their reds to be large and somewhat sweet, am still aging some to see if this dissipates
Arcadian - winery is gone, sadly
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I quit a pile of California cults 20+ years ago and don’t miss them. There were several reasons:
- There was too little distinction (not saying none) between very similar wines (several Napa cabs, one was enough)
- I stopped liking them as my palate changed (SQN, also most Chateauneufs)
- They were accumulating faster than I could drink them (all those with minimal purchase requirements to stay on the list)
- They became more expensive than I thought they were worth (all of those I quit).
Then there are a few I’ve been priced out of and miss, but I try not to think about them.
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Dropped a lot of my Napa allocations (Chappellet, Rudd, Colgin, Realm, Abreu) as prices and palate trended in opposite directions.
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Zilliken - Underwhelmed by the wines since Hanno handed things over to his daughter. I also have too much riesling.
J.J. Prum - Price. Might go back for special or milestone vintages.
Ridge - Prefer Bedrock’s style to scratch my zin/zin blend itch.
Cedric Bouchard - Price.
Vieux Telegraphe/Beaucastel - Palate shift away from southern Rhone.
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It’s often said that all roads lead to Burgundy.
That’s wrong.
All roads lead away from Burgundy, but some fools travel in the wrong direction.
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