Spring 2011 Alban offer

The current offer arrived yesterday via snail mail and includes the 2007 Reva ($94) and 2009 Roussanne ($48). The 2007 Pandora is also included in the release, but I wasn’t offered any. I am taking my max of 6 Reva and 6 Roussanne. In California, shipping is $14 for the first 2 bottles and $2.50 per bottle thereafter. Delivery is scheduled for the middle of November 2011.

In his release letter, John describes his approach to sustainable farming ('We are not certified orgANIC, or biodynAMIC, but are in fact 100% alBANIC.") The passion John has for winemaking is evident in his words and the wines he produces.


Clay

Wow, wasn’t the 2006 Reva $74. 27% increase? Not to mention the crazy shipping prices. If that is correct, maybe it’s the inevitable tariff for the 100/97 scores from the big 2 critics for the 2006.

Good wines, of course. I was on the list for a few years but had to drop, and I still have a small stash aging in my cellar.

I was also on the list for a number of years but the wines just got too expensive for my tastes. I have a small stash as well and I enjoy them from time to time when I open them but my palate has evolved to a more subtle style of wine.

You are correct on the pricing - my CT records say:
2005 Reva - $80
2006 Reva - $74

However, my allocation dropped from 9 750s + 1 mag of the the 2006 Reva to 6 750s for the 2007. In addition, my allocation of Pandora went from 3 in 2006 to nothing this time around. John said in his letter that “With less than half the yield of 2006, it will be hard to spread this release (of Reva) around.” You could argue that the economic formula is there: perfect score drives up demand + 50% reduction in yield reduces supply = price increase. While it hurts, we all had to know this was coming.


Clay

Received an offer from Alban for 6 bottles of Reva $94 each. not sure I’m emotionally prepared to spend that on a bottle… Wimp.

If yields are down 50%, then a 27% increase in price is lucky IMO, as it could have been much more…what I hate is the shipping prices, they make no sense outside of CA.

Got my first offer from them. I really enjoyed reading John’s description of farming practices. I thought the wine prices were high, but I was still considering just so I could try one. Then I saw shipping, lost my shit for a minute, and then circular filed the offer. But hey, that’s just me.

I’m not sure I buy that line of reasoning. If yields were up to 2006 vintage levels in the 2008 vintage, are they going to drop the price back down to $74? If yields are higher than in 2006, is the price going to be lower than for the 2006?

I think “50%” isn’t the number driving the price increase, but rather “100.” [berserker.gif]

And I’m fine with that, if I made great wines and people would pay $94/bottle for them, plus about 250% of the actual shipping cost, I’d go ahead and sell them for that price (well, other than the shipping part, which seems more like something you do when you sell junk via infomercials than when you sell world class wine to mailing list customers).

Wow! Just got my first allocation letter. For East Coast, $29 shipping on first 2 bottles and $7.50 per bottle thereafter. So $104 if I took the full case I was allocated. While I’ve been anxiously waiting to make this list, the ridiculous-to-the-point-of-insulting shipping, coupled with the big wine price increase makes this an easy non-starter for me.

Does anyone know if you get an offer letter if you are guaranteed at least some wine? I just got the letter for the first time and it only says you may order up to 2, 4, 6. Doesn’t mention anywhere If I’ll for sure get a couple based on the offer?

I was pondering whether to ship to Texas or CA. Without tax, shipping to Texas actually saves some money, even @$7.5 per bottle shipping.

It must cost more to ship 100 point wine.

i’ve raised the shipping cost issue with them and they say that they do not mark it up. it is overnight shipping…

Yes, letter says you will definitely get wine, they just won’t commit to full order quantity.

That’s sort of like ordering a steak and wanting the $5 mushrooms but only being allowed to get $50 truffles.

I think I’ve heard this story before…the plainitive cry of woe from the EdnaVlly…“our yields are down X% from last year”.
Tom

I love Alban wines and all my correspondence with Glenn has been very pleasant, but this thread shows the problems that caused me to give up buying from them: We can’t tell you what you’re going to get. It could be as few as one bottle, but then you’ll pay $30 to ship that one bottle.

Then a friend of mine ends up getting a full case shipped to him. Also, the mystery fees that they pay to NYS that no other winery seems to pay, so any wine shipped to NYS is significantly more expensive. I miss getting the wines, but I don’t miss the hassles and the costs.

I believe in John Alban and his wines. Are the prices high, the shipping expensive, … hey… I live in MA where it is near impossible to get anything shipped!
I have received a consistent quantity of Alban wines that I have ordered from 2000 to present. The bottles I have opened have always been worth every penny spent, and
seem to meet or exceed the hype from the press! In fact I never really know what to expect when I open a bottle of Alban wine (some too soon, some stunningly different than I expected)… yet every time I ever have it is really a tremendous and joyous occasion. Every person I have ever shared this experience with, and generally with no hype or attempt to create a pre-impression, has indicated that these were unique wines that were just incredible for so many different reasons! I am actually presenting a tasting to a wine group in May that I feel will focus on how these wines compare to other Rhone style wines from around the world!

When it comes to the finest wines… I don’t think you can quantifiably compare different varietals and styles! Whether it is Bordeaux, Rioja, Barolo, CA Cab … there are a lot of great wines!
Would I prefer to pay less for my Alban wines… sure… but I would also like to see the ludicrous prices of Bordeaux and Burgundy, Penfolds Grange (which more than doubled in five years) and the La La’s come down as well! I think that we tend to underestimate the quality of certain varietals of American wines in comparison to the most traditional favorites. I think that 10-20 years from now these Alban wines will still survive, that they will be revered, and will be granted the same respect, although being entirely different wines, some of us already hold for Chateau Montelena, Ridge Montibello, Hillside Select, Les Pavot, and I would put Paul Hobbs on this list.

If you are willing to spend $100 on any other bottle of wine, and I am sure this is a modest amount compared to some of the prices you collectively pay for some of your most collectible wines, then why not Alban? I laud the fact that this man hasn’t responded to his success by expanding his vineyard holdings and ramping up his production to 20 x to take advantage of these scores. His commitment to low yield specific sites is amazing… and financially difficult to cope with. After all, how many cases of each first growth are generated in each vintage… and at what prices!?! Let’s just do ourselves a favor, and keep this wine an “American Secret”. If the larger world had an opportunity to taste these wines at 15 years old… we couldn’t afford them [stirthepothal.gif] !!!

Yeah, what he said.

Anyone gots any Pandoras (was shut out) they’re willing to share? I will have extra Roussanne, if anyone needs them.