Where do you see that price listed?
Does work this way!
Price was quoted directly from staff at Dominus.
Distributors are indeed to blame. One retailer I spoke with said the wholesale price they are paying exceeded the suggested retail price. Wholesale price is 66.67% of retail, which in this case is $132.67.
This is why you use dedicated staff to sell wine, or a sales rep.
If Dominus says their price is $200 retail and they are selling to wholesale for the typical FOB price ($100) then the distributor is only going to mark it up their normal percentage (30% or so) which would get to the price you quoted. If the distributor price is higher than they are most likely being charged more by the winery. If a distributor isn’t following your pricing then you drop them and move to someone else. As such, I find it hard to believe the distributor is to blame. They have guaranteed income at around 30% return on investment so they would be silly to not follow the winery’s recommended pricing. We will just have to wait and see what price someone like wine.com or K&L charges when the wine is in stock as they are pretty much MSRP. Also not all employees are informed of pricing changes. We have had wines that have gone on sale for more than what we had been told post bottling but prior to release (future quantities reduced or capitalizing on a score) so unless the source is the person setting the prices then there is always the possibility of something having changed internally (like getting 3 100pt ratings).
This seems off to me, as Dominus is sold 100% direct to trade. Not sure why they would tell you that figure when it’s way off base. I know the 2012 was $199.
I picked up a case of the '10 Dominus in 2013 (Parker 100 ) for $144.
The only thing correct in this post is your name.
I am a big Dominus fan but HFS.
If the demand is there at that price, I can’t fault anyone for selling it at that price. I also don’t fault G. Mascarello, Domaine Jamet, and the many other long-time producers who in recent years became the hot thing pursued by collectors and have had their prices take off (like Dominus, not undeservingly so), but it is definitely a bummer to get priced out of something you had been buying regularly.
Just offered the wine at $249, which is still a hell no to me
2010- Opened at $169.99, went up to $259.99, came back down to $199.99
2011- Opened and pretty much stayed at $134.99
2012- Opened and stayed at $199.99
2013- I know the $320 prices are out there, but almost everyone is basically with in $10 of $299.99, so let’s call it $299.99
Based on the big scores of the 2010 and 2012, I think $199.99 is the right price. Hard to justify spending $299.99 on Dominus. You can buy 1991 and 1994 for less at auction.
and the 2012 at $175.
Merryvale Profile has been $200 for several years now.
They don’t offer discounts on that wine anymore, and I don’t think it’s sold anywhere but direct from the winery.
I used to backfill vintages from the late 90s and early 2000s from a liquor store next to where a bunch of geezers lived in Dallas before it shut down. Probably around the time of the 2008 release or so I was buying all of those from $79-$99.
I bought 1994 Dominus for $299 5 years ago, and 1991 Dominus for about $249 a few years ago. I’ll be passing on this. Was once one of my favorites of the more bordeaux style napas.
I’m curious to know if Dominus and Merryvale Profile fans think that Cain Five is in the same league.
Whomever you spoke with at Dominus is either full of it and/or misinformed. If you think in this day and age Wholesalers mark a wine up excessively because of reviews/allocated status, you are way off base. This is the day of Winesearcher, it’s a national market. Do you think all the retailers that are posting offers on 2013 Dominus are either in collusion or are all working with greedy wholesalers? The wholesale price on 2013 is roughly $200/bottle
Profile is sold through Retail, but very selectively
Peter,
You clearly know nothing in regard to wholesale and retail pricing in the wine business, so I will give you the facts. The retail price is 150% of the wholesale price. Example, retailer buys a case of wine for $800, and prices each bottle at $100 to the consumer. The standard commission paid to the sales rep, distributor, or any other middleman is 15% of the wholesale price. So with this scenario a wine retailing for $100 per bottle nets the winery $56.67 per bottle.
Distributors selling to retailers above wholesale price should be replaced!
Actually, when Mouiex launched the venture back in the 80s, he said in an interview (in WS, as I recall) that they wanted to price it moderately, and I believe the first release was at prices well below the cabs with the most cachet at the time. But it was in great demand so retailers were marking it up and prices went up in the secondary market, so the winery began raising prices so it could capture some of that value instead of leaving it to the middlemen. It was not launched like $250-a-bottle first-release cabs are today.
Interesting, Chris. Did you see the post where Peter mentioned that he represents Dominus in Massachusetts?
As I recall, Cain Five was in a much riper, oakier style.
Tom,
I was informed by the winery earlier today that the suggested retail quote of $199 that I, and others were given last week was incorrect. Today they are quoting the suggested retail price for the 2013 Dominus to be $249. They now claim that they were in error, and after some confusion have made the adjustment.
Now we have a confirmed suggested retail price of $249, but with actual retail prices substantially higher!