Is schrader Past its Prime? Seems to be lots for sale in Commerce Corner

I recently offered to act as a go between to sell the 2015 current allocation of schrader. I posted 5 offers, with several sales being sold at the offering price. I think that’s unusual for schrader. Is the panache gone? I’m surprised that all 5 allocations haven’t sold, and I’m surprised they’re not being sold at a premium. What’s that all about?

My question is why aren’t people anxious to make some coin on the sale of schrader wine? Is it just to stay on the list?

Good thing I didn’t offer mine. But I decided against buying this round

I don’t think Schrader is “past its prime” by any means. There could be some fear that the requirement to use at least an actual part of a name on Berserkers might allow Schrader to investigate and find out who the actual person selling is. They might even have an employee pose as a possible buyer. The sales at offer price could also be to mitigate Schrader’s interest in pursuing such an investigation!? There are still sales regularly on the auction sites of Schrader wines. Maybe this is because those transactions are not readily traceable and Schrader has no legal basis to elicit the sellers info from those sites. These are just guesses on my part since I don’t know of anyone trying to sell the wines or dropping off the list.

Schrader still garners very high ratings from nearly every critic out there with Parker allowing 3 of the 2015s a possible perfect score. WS hasn’t rated them since 2007 where they gave two 100 point scores and two 99 point scores to the wines. I think Schrader has stopped submitting wines to WS since then so I don’t know if those scores would have continued but there are a number of us on this board who still religiously purchase whatever they will sell us just so we can drink them ourselves, not re-sell them. Vinous hasn’t rated any year since 2012 which Antonio rated between 92 to 96. Obviously these are no guarantee that you will like the wines but I don’t see any signs that people are dropping off their list at greater numbers than would be due to normal attrition. Has anyone talked to Schrader and found out anything different?

My question is why did you do it? For revenge for calling you out??

I think maybe it was one of those wines that developed a rep built on points. Thomas Brown was the youngest wine maker to make a wine that got 100 points. When I’ve had it, I found it to be a big, ripe, powerful Napa Cab. Schrader went up in price if you were able to get it from the winery and people liked that. But there are a lot of wines out with high points these days, and Mr. Brown is making wine at a few places.

Since you’d like me to address the elephant in the room… here are my thoughts. Why shouldn’t I help people sell their wine? Why should anyone have to worry about getting kicked off the list like I did last year. Fred Schrader can run his business anyway he likes; and if he can do that, the least I can do is help someone to sell their wine, while remaining on the list. Revenge is such a mean spirited word. My purpose is to do right by members of this board.

Dan I understand where you are coming from now. I didn’t recognise your name in that context.

So you were acting as an informal broker? Did you try other avenues or just Commerce Corner?

Why wonder? With Christmas right around the corner, perhaps the investment bankers and lawyers that populate the wine universe need some cash to buy that glitzy ring for their, ahem, friend?

Schrader is what it is. Been around the block for quite some time, and stylistically like the herd. I think its more trophy status for the millennials.

I only wish . . . I were as young as a millenial. I like it and I open it occasionally. I have been on the list for 5 or 6 years. I open a bottle at special occasions.My son’s wedding. My brother in law being named provost of an Ivy League University. That kind of stuff. I find that generally people who buy it, like it. People who aren’t on the list or do not buy it for other reasons think it is over-rated.

I know Dan, He lives two miles from my house and has been at my house a few times. I have no problem with what he is doing in acting as camouflage for people who want to sell, nor do I have a problem with people getting kicked off the list for reselling. It’s a free country. At least this month. For both sides.

I think it’s simple. There used to be 5 wineries that new the recipe to make juicy juice. Then there was 15 and now there’s 30. Demand for fruity fruit is being matched by supply at $500 bottle

Informal broker sounds so fancy. I’m just helping out brother Berserkers. The wine was offered for sale in 1 location.
For the record, I’ve shared several bottles at various offlines, including an event with Jay in NYC a number of years ago.

I have been a long-time buyer. This was literally the last wine that we purchased on allocation (formerly purchased from multiple lists). Just having a hard time lately paying such large sums of money for wine+tax+shipping.

Thought about whether to purchase this allocation each and every day during allocation period.

Did not end up purchasing. Mildly regretting the decision, but now we are no longer tied to any lists.

It will be a free country next month, and the month after that, and the month after that…

TTT

Thanks for insighrful answer.

You are most certainly welcome.

Nick I was the same way. I waited till the last day but I decided to purchase again this year. This will probably be for the last time since I’m getting a bit too old to cellar wines for 20 years and I’m not doing it to increase my kid’s inheritance.

I’ve got 64 bottles of Schrader Cab from 2007 - 2014 and just ordered 8 more…might be enough to carry me through!?