The wines are pricey. If it were me I’d worry more about finding wines people will like than the best value for dollar. Doesn’t matter if there is a relative deal on a 1996 barolo if noone is going to enjoy a mature wine.
Seems like good options for the lesser Piedmontese communes. I saw a Vallana Gattinara and Boca with age. Didn’t think they were pricey although might be relatively high markup.
Markups seem to average around 500% current retail. The 2016 Monfortino at under $2000, which doesn’t show up in WineSearcher yet, is only about a 180% markup from the 2015 vintage.
I wouldn’t pay WS pro retail of $270 for this wine, so I’m not a buyer either. Doesn’t make the most outrageous not by a long shot. I’m not defending 5x if that’s the case for most of the list.
Pretty high markups. If I had to eat there I’d probably order the Tiberio Trebbiano, a good wine, 3X retail but at least total markup is only $40. Similar theory, for red the SP68 or one of the Langhe Nebbiolos.
As is usually the case with an Italian list, there are lots of decent $60 and under whites I would be happy with (eg Gavi, Soave & Classico, Trebbiano). The prices are ridiculous compared to retail, but in an absolute sense, getting a white with character for $50-60 isn’t bad. The Castelli di Jesi prices are jaw-dropping.
Reds are always harder. I bet the Einaudi Dogliani at $58 is nice, the Tua Rita Rosso dei Notri will be a crowd pleaser at $69, and there are a couple of “inexpensive” aglianicos but I don’t know the producers. Amazing with that list they have only one lagrain.
Assuming the 2013 La Tache isn’t an option, I’d go with the 2008 Casaloste Chianti Classico Riserva Don Vincenzo - $98. It has a bit of age, should be approachable, and is on the list for roughly double retail of younger vintages.
~$60 you have a pretty good selection of Italian whites at ~ 3X retail. The previous rec of Tiberio Trebbiano is a good one, as is the Lunae ligurian vermentino at a similar price, and for a few dollars more the Colli di Lapio Fiano is a favorite of mine.
For red the 2007 Vallana Gattinara might be one of the best buys on the list. The 2015 Scherrer Old Vine Zin is tempting also.
Looking at all the $1000 plus wines, I keep wondering who is buying? It is not only the fact that they are massively overpriced, but the market for people in this price range must be tiny. Is it an exercise in vanity, where you pepper the list with hard to find wines and hope you get a Wine Spectator award, while not expecting to sell anything?