I like the leonetti wines. They can be had elsewhere typically. I’m not sure being on the list particularly helps unless you really want their rare bottlings like aglianico. I know that only pops up on the market every so often.
Does anyone know how long it takes to get a Kongsgaard allocation? I feel like I signed up a decade ago and finally just emailed them to check my status. I picked up a bottle of the recent vintage of Chard when I stopped by Oakville Grocery last month. Confirmed, still love their wine, super rich and complex, 100% Napa.
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kongsgaard i think is similar to alban.. really easy to get an entry level allocation (no regular chard or judge) and if you buy their other stuff, you get the privilege of being able to buy the rest.
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I have a feeling with limited exceptions, like MacDonald, most places will take your money if you email and ask nicely.
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I agree. I have been on most of these lists at one time or another. I won’t say anything bad about any of these
highly allocated wines, but I will say that I am off almost all of these lists. The two reasons are 1) cost. Many of these wines doubled or even tripled in price over a ten year, or so, period. 2) They are very, very good but they don’t stand out. I have taken many of these wines to blind tastings and the most expensive, sought after wines have never won. They are wonderful, but so are a bunch of other wines. If I put a $300 SQN in a tasting against a $175 Alaban Lorraine and a $115 Andremily, I expect the SQN to be the clear winner, but that has never happened. Same with cult Napa cabs. This says a lot about the state of wine making today versus 20 years ago. You don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars a bottle or be on a waitlist for ten years to drink great wine.
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6 bottle min I believe
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I signed up in Jan 2024, got allocation in Oct 2024. Allocation was for both Chardonnay and Syrah, including one bottle of The Judge. I think very small allocation of The Judge is normal, even if you are on the list for a long time.
Their next release is today / next week, so good time to have reached out.
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what’s the list price on The Judge? does it balloon on the secondary?
It’s $375 per bottle. On the secondary market, the prices tend to fluctuate. Generally, I see it priced at $500+ with some bottles priced at $700+
So you can flip it for $200 or so. I would buy it.
I think herein lies the problem - one expects the ‘most expensive’ wine to be the preferred one, but it is not always the case at all. AND it totally depends upon ‘wine style’ - the wines you mentioned may all have a similar varietal make up, but their are far from identical . . .
Cheers
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That’s pretty fast, I signed up for Kongsgaard in Oct 2024 and just got an email today letting me know I’d get an allocation
We used to have a neighborhood wine club. I would bring moderate to expensive wines, board favorites. They never were the most liked. Some wine with more ripeness, RS or fruitiness would always win.
I don’t buy wines to please the neighbors, only my wife and I.
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We have a saying, bring a wine you like so that at least 1 person is happy.
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did they offer you any of the judge?
Will find out on Tuesday
This has been my philosophy. Mostly.
Sometimes I’ll buy a wine for a tasting I want to attend, even if it’s not one I would otherwise consider buying. It still has to be something I’d want to drink. That’s pretty rare now, but it used to happen on occasion. My goal isn’t to try to “win” the tasting (as if I made the wine lol), but to bring something the group is interested in. In the case of rare allocated bottles, sometimes it offers entree to a tasting.
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last year was my first year and the only offer a judge as part of buying a case (11 plus 1 judge). this year they also offered me 2 judges on their own, the case as above and some of their other wine. i was curious if everyone get the same or if buying last year got me the option to buy more this year.
Same here. The thing is you have to like this style of Chardonnay. I do - but I like Chablis also so go figure…Depends on what I am eating.
Aren’t they available on WineBid for cheaper?