Napa Valley Cabernet Bubble

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

As seen this past weekend:

2016 Round Pond Estate Rutherford Cab @ $41

RP Estate cab (and Kith and Kin far cheaper, obviously) is available at roughly this price from our Costco just about year round. Reserve cab I saw at a moderate discount at Wine Access a few months ago (as one of their limited time deals), and I’ve never seen the TRB-made Gravel Series cabs at any discount anywhere.

Here the Estate has been right at $50 and that was for 2014 and 2015, not the 2016.

[Mel_Knox]

I would think that the wineries who have built up a good mailing list with regular clients should do well. I guess we will find out who they are. Of course, all the cab producers must be happy to see Texas and Florida opening up.

[Andy_Sc]

For my palate, the problem is not the prices of these post-1997 California wines, but their high-alcohol, heavy-lumber, sweeter-than-sweet, more-forward-than-a-bond-trader style. Otherwise, I would just buy age-settled, high-scored Aussie ooze-monsters, for a relative pittance.

I share these thoughts. We just don’t know how these wines will develop our time and if they ever can reach the levels of past vintages. I wouldn’t cut it off at 97 as the 2001/2002 are drinking quite well and ageing well and the 2010 and 2013s show very structured, cooler, lower alcohol which should allow for graceful ageing. But one has to be very selective these days with vintages and producers.

[markjchambers]

If you see Bevan, Schrader, Realm, Hundred Acre or their like at a discount, please post.

[R_Frankel]

If you see Bevan, Schrader, Realm, Hundred Acre or their like at a discount, please post.

Take a look at K&L auctions - lots of Bevan lots far below release price. And no, none are mine.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

If you see Bevan, Schrader, Realm, Hundred Acre or their like at a discount, please post.

Be looking at flash sites very carefully for Bevan. Also, pay attention to Garagiste when they start offering Napa Mystery Wines.

[TomC]

If you see Bevan, Schrader, Realm, Hundred Acre or their like at a discount, please post.

Vinopolis wine shop in Portland has some ‘16 Bevans for $179.

[Pat_K]

I’ve also only received a few offers and no significant discounts.

Instead I’ve seen quite a few library releases. Somewhat surprisingly prices have been far above current market rates. I’m not talking about ancient stuff - all wine from the last five or six released vintages. Has got me wondering if this is a kind of veiled fund raiser. I.e. asking clients for gifts of cash in the form of inflated prices?

Yep - best I’ve seen is discounted shipping.

A bit insulted by the “share with your friends and family” emails though for the more tightly allocated wines.

From the frugal perspective, the offers that have been posted here & elsewhere for Cab Sauv may feature discounted shipping, but that’s about it.

No discounts on the wine itself that bring it out of nosebleed price range. Not when there are value areas such as Paso, Chile, Australia, Argentina, etc etc etc.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

[Jeff_Leve]

If you see Bevan, Schrader, Realm, Hundred Acre or their like at a discount, please post.

Take a look at K&L auctions - lots of Bevan lots far below release price. And no, none are mine.

The market value is not based on a few bottles of wine sold at an auction in an isolated sale. The same for bottles at auction selling for more than the widely available rate, or less.

[Bob_Davis]

I’m only seeing free shipping or small discounts. Nothing prompting a purchase.

[GregT]

So Todd - I’m not thinking that the high priced guys are going to be hurting all that much since a lot of them have business interests that financed their wine in the first place.

I think the middle guys are going to be squeezed - those who sunk everything into their winery and don’t have the volume or cash reserves to hold on.

But you’re in Michigan and there are a lot of wineries over there that nobody knows about elsewhere in the country and that are really really good. It’s still a nascent industry in MI and worth looking into. You might be able to score some great deals.