wonder what kind of chilling affect the delay of the 15s will have on 16 purchases.
Let’s say they arrive end of June. No one will actually have their wines shipped until probably 2-3 months later. Will they purchase 16s when 15s still aren’t in their hands?
I know the delay isn’t the fault of the importers/retailers and out of their control, but there’s probably gonna be some backlash by consumers that affect them based on the errors/delays by the domaine. I’ll still be buying, but I know a few people who won’t be.
Fu, you’ve kicked up the Rhône market so high, there won’t be lack of demand for Benetiere’s 16’s! As long the prices aren’t escalating like Allemand and Jamet
My guess is, if you were a fan of Benetiere before the 2015 Northern Rhone hype, you will be a fan in 2016 and beyond. Even if there is something wrong with 2015, I’d still buy 2016 based on my perception of the vintage, and what I have experienced with Benetiere in vintages like 2010-2013. Of course, the winery holding on to 2015s for this period of time, and Robert commenting on tasting them 3 times with no word on what they taste like, is not comforting about the vintage. Part of the risk we all take in this hobby, which of course, is way offset by all the positives.
His initial offer in 1/2018 had his assessment having tasted it twice in barrel and once in bottle apparently:
(Rob Panzer - hope you don’t mind the quote)
“ Oh yeah, I forgot. There is wine. :0 Pierre elected to sell off in bulk his entire 2014 Cordeloux and Condrieu production as the level of volatile acidity was through the roof, refusing to put his name on such a bottle. Imagine that, an entire year’s work down the drain…He had just bottled the 2015 Cordeloux the week prior to my visit, a wine that had me in fits of yum yum freak out on the two prior occasions tasting it in barrel. He opened a bottle for me to enjoy with a veal rib-eye steak that he grilled over coals of dead grape vines. The wine (and veal chop) did not disappoint…On the first evening, the wine presented deep ripe raspberry toned fruit, deep violet florals, and whole cluster spice, its richness and silky texture enrobing any sense of its seamlessly ripe tannic structure. There was at once a sense of the solar, ripe nature of 2015 without traces of excess, full of the tell tale finesse and harmony that are part of his patte maison (house style). On night number two as we reconvened for leftovers, the wine was even more precise and delineated, with the baby fat toning up a bit, with notably more whole cluster spice, fine buried minerality, and arresting aromatics. The ripe red raspberry toned fruit was even more expressive on the second evening, with savory notes continuing to emerge, with long and ever rising florals and spice, and then there was none…”
Any reason to believe the wine will suffer either the same fate as 2014 or excesses of 2015 heat?
Now that the Source are importing it i to the 3 tier system it’ll get there in no time. I’ll keep buying from panzer who is always prices and allocates fairly
Fwiw, the '16 will be more expensive, but nothing crazy different. Like 15%-ish from what I understand.
Honestly, the dude deserves even more, which I tell him openly…
No prob at all Noah to quote my tasting note. Shows you actually read the offers, not just scroll down to boldface wine and price (tisk, tisk lord Alfert saying that i’ve not described tasting the wine…).
As you would expect from the nature of the '16 vintage in general, it is more elegant, not as dense; fans of elegance vs raw power may prefer it, based on my barrel/tank tastings. It is plenty sappy and pure, with a seamless texture and similar if a bit brighter red fruited than the more solar '15. I will perhaps not have a chance to taste it in bottle before offering it, as I won’t see him until late November.
Like I said, the story for the delay will go to purchasers once the dust is fully settled (i’ve been waiting for the final call any day now for a while), which I imagine will allay any concerns.
Um, I don’t think it will be a problem if some people are skittish to buy the '16.
Their loss.