Wine Hunter: 1978 Diamond Creek Lake

[Phil_Smith]

As others have noted - super rare wine with a great history and place in Napa lore. Very few data points, but its around what I would expect this to sell for. On the right day with the right audience and venue, I’m sure it could get more.

[Ian_Dorin]

This has more of a global rarity behind it, and this started at $29,000. Now look.
1971 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache, 6.0ltr Pinot Noir Grand Cru | WineBid" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck selling the Lake at $1500 or whatever.

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

i have been watching that LaTache 6L too - lol!

is the DC Lake from Lake Co fruit?

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

Glenn, the Lake bottling is from a miniscule parcel on the Bronstein land up on Diamond Mountain. Not made every year and when they do produce it, it is only a few dozen cases.

[Phil_Smith]

My understanding is that its typically in the couple of hundreds of cases now. '78 was a bit of a different animal as Lake Vineyard was young, and meant more to provide a pretty entrance to the estate than for its wine (very cool spot that doesn’t often ripen). Either way, Al decided to bottle a limited amount (the 25 cases number sounds right enough) for the Napa Valley Wine Auction, which ended up setting a long-standing record.

Really a very rare wine - given the choice, I’d happily take this over 2 '74 Marthas.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

From the website:


Lake Vineyard

This tiny ¾ acre vineyard nestled by our lake is the coolest of our microclimates because of the cool Pacific breezes that travel down the Russian River corridor each afternoon.

The grapes require a long hang time to ripen, and when they do ripen, they make an exceptional wine. In fact, Lake wines have been produced only ten times since 1972.

[Ray.Tuppa_sch]

Acker auctioned a bottle in '08 that sold for $500 hammer.

@Chris Buddress

Maybe they’ll realize their price. Auction records show that 2 bottles sold in 2006 for an average of $4112.ea and that a single bottle sold in 2007 for $1547. The only earlier sale was in 1998 for $374, so there is clearly no consistency in the sales, but I agree with Keith that the winebid price might be enticing for someone looking for the unique provenance and signed bottle, I had missed those details at first. Who knows?

[Ray.Tuppa_sch]

@Ian Dorin

This has more of a global rarity behind it, and this started at $29,000. Now look.
1971 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache, 6.0ltr Pinot Noir Grand Cru | WineBid | Wine for Sale" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Concerns of authenticity are most likely the reason that lot hasn’t sold. That is VERY inexpensive for that wine in that format.

[Phil_Smith]

@P. Robert

@Phil Smith

My understanding is that its typically in the couple of hundreds of cases now. '78 was a bit of a different animal as Lake Vineyard was young, and meant more to provide a pretty entrance to the estate than for its wine (very cool spot that doesn’t often ripen). Either way, Al decided to bottle a limited amount (the 25 cases number sounds right enough) for the Napa Valley Wine Auction, which ended up setting a long-standing record.

Really a very rare wine - given the choice, I’d happily take this over 2 '74 Marthas.

A veritable treasure trove of info Phil. Never ceases to amaze me the knowledge and background of some of our folks here. Thanks

Well, we’ll see. Mostly pieced together from memory based on a couple of conversations and vists at DC… may be a bit foggy on details of the auction and first vintage.

[Ian_Dorin]

@Ray.Tuppatsch

@Ian Dorin

This has more of a global rarity behind it, and this started at $29,000. Now look.
1971 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache, 6.0ltr Pinot Noir Grand Cru | WineBid | Wine for Sale" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Concerns of authenticity are most likely the reason that lot hasn’t sold. That is VERY inexpensive for that wine in that format.

That thought didn’t cross my mind at all.

[ChrisBeacham]

@Frank T

@Bill Tex Landreth

@ekovitch

OK, so not worth the money to youse guys, but wasn’t there only 25 cases made?? Can you find it any cheaper?

No doubt it is worth the coin…but setting the opening bid at that high of a price is what I am on about. Ridiculous IMHO.

I don’t know. It was a pretty tasty wine the one time I tried it. No worth $1000+/btl, in my opinion, but few wines are. It’s probably one of the few remaining bottles in the world and appears to be in pretty decent shape (as one as one can tell from a picture). Not for me, but it doesn’t seem any more ridiculous than every bottle of Le Pin I see for sale.

Cheers!

Yeah but the $3,300 Le Pin 04 is a 1.5ltr!

2004 Chateau Le Pin, 1.5ltr Bordeaux Red Blends (Claret) AOC (AC) | WineBid | Wine for Sale" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ken_V]

@Steve Saxon

…just remember, for every seat there’s an ass.

Not always. Remember the front rows of the new Yankee Stadium earlier this year?

[Keith_Levenberg]

The bottle is in this week’s auction in the “$5 starting bid” category… and already up to $975.

[Bruce_Leiser_owitz]

@Keith Levenberg

The bottle is in this week’s auction in the “$5 starting bid” category… and already up to $975.

A much better way to drum up interest. Get several people bidding on the wine, thinking that they’ll get it “for a bargain.”

Bruce