Just got the Harlan Offer. Love the wine but boy its pricey!
Harlan = $1,000 per bottle
Maiden = $350 per bottle
Definitely on the fence right now…
Anyways, its interesting that they included the following language at the bottom:
“Should our patrons wish to sell their allocation (or part of it) within two years of its initial release, it can be fairly assumed that the wines were bought with the intent of speculation rather than future drinking. This may affect future allocations.”
To think anything is that special to warrant that wording… I’ve never bought and get the invite every year so doesn’t seem as exclusive as they’d like to think
I usually buy the Maiden……but all in with tax/ship it is nearly $400/bottle this year.
Just 5 years ago release price for Harlan was $650/bottle. Now it’s $1000. No thanks. With some patience you can find single bottles through auctions for “just” $600-$700
People wanting a taste of the Harlan experience need to get on The Mascot mailing list. Fantastic QPR at $100/bottle. Plus, great juice!
Given that nobody can actually resell those for a profit in the next two years, the cynic in me might guess that the purpose of putting it on there is to imply to customers that they’re getting below-market pricing from the winery and thus encourage them to buy.
I honestly had no idea what The Mascot was until I looked it up. I did find the quote which is dead center at the top of the fron page from Bill Harlan pretty comical though.
“The Mascot began as an experimental project, born of the desire to create a wine that I could share with friends.
WILL HARLAN
Even he can’t afford to share his own wine with friends at 1k per bottle. He had to create another brand for that.
No more M. Etain and no more Maiden for me. I will be happy with what I get offered from The Mascot. If I want a bottle of Harlan I am content with buying one on K&L auctions for $1500 with a little bit of age on it than I am having to buy 3 of them for $1,000 that I’ll drink I’m old, bitter & alone.