The .375 thread

[Jim_Anderson]

@Tom G l a s g o w

@Todd Hamina

Thank you Mr. Anderson. Packaging nightmare, and if you make them they don’t move. If you don’t make them everybody wants some…

So make 500 ml.

Still costs more and unless you are one of a teeny tiny handful of wineries in the world you will have the pleasure of owning those bottles basically forever. No distributor will touch them. I will concede that segment of the market to Rhys and whomever else goes to those lengths.

[Neal.Mollen]

@maureen nelson

Almost 11% of mycellar is inhalf bottle whichis why,when I put in the second cellar I did dedicated half bottle racking.

I have some, and am going to build more

[Kevin_G]

Big Box aversion aside, Total Wine (at least in the Atlanta area) often has a deep bench of Bordeaux halves. In the past month i’ve seen .375s of Pavie-Macquin, Rauzan-Segla, Pichon Baron, Montrose, Lascombes, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and more, all 2015.

[Jim_Anderson]

@Kevin G.

Big Box aversion aside, Total Wine (at least in the Atlanta area) often has a deep bench of Bordeaux halves. In the past month i’ve seen .375s of Pavie-Macquin, Rauzan-Segla, Pichon Baron, Montrose, Lascombes, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and more, all 2015.

Do they make so many Bordeaux bottlings in half bottles because then you only have to drink half as much of it?

[Neal.Mollen]

@Kevin G.

Big Box aversion aside, Total Wine (at least in the Atlanta area) often has a deep bench of Bordeaux halves. In the past month i’ve seen .375s of Pavie-Macquin, Rauzan-Segla, Pichon Baron, Montrose, Lascombes, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and more, all 2015.

My local store has bubkas. I’m jealous

[CJ_Beazley]

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

Soooo, mags get discounted?

[DanielP]

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

I am sure that may be true for many, but often it seems that the premium is often a percentage premium over the 750 mL as opposed to a fixed cost increase

[Ed_Steinway]

Scott E wrote:
K&L still has 375’s of Roederer Estate for $12 or half the price of a 750.

+1 for this one. This is a perfect size for the summer. We also buy half bottles of the Bonville Grand Cru Blanc de Blanc for $19 and the Brut Rose’ for $22.

Thanks,
Ed

[Mattstolz]

i ran into some 2015 Pichon Lalande, La Mission, and Canon-la-Gaffeliere at my local Total wine yesterday. have gotten a bunch of Cantemerle and Lanessan there recently too.

Its a very time-of-year specific thing it seems like. Mine only has them about this time of year, which seems to be when the new vintage hits their shelves.

[Jim_Anderson]

@DanielPaik

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

I am sure that may be true for many, but often it seems that the premium is often a percentage premium over the 750 mL as opposed to a fixed cost increase

Different strokes for different folks. It may also just appear that way. But if you’re packaging is, say, $2/bottle for 750s and goes up to $3.60/2-bottles of 375 ($1.80/375) that price increase gets passed along 2 more times. So if the base is $20 FOB for a 750 and $11.80 for a $375 to $20 FOB 750ML is going to end up around $50 retail and the 375 is going to end up around $30. So the $5 “premium” may look like a percentage when it can be just the product of multiple mark ups in play. I don’t make the rules.

[Jim_Anderson]

@CJ Beazley

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

Soooo, mags get discounted?

Mags are lovingly bottled by hand, sealed with wax (because you love it) by expert stylists, wiped down to shiny, shiny shininess and then boxed and sealed by hands by the most expert box sealers and tape gun operators. That shit don’t come for free!

[Neal.Mollen]

@Mattstolz

i ran into some 2015 Pichon Lalande, La Mission, and Canon-la-Gaffeliere at my local Total wine yesterday. have gotten a bunch of Cantemerle and Lanessan there recently too.

Its a very time-of-year specific thing it seems like. Mine only has them about this time of year, which seems to be when the new vintage hits their shelves.

Bought a full case (24 btls) of the 15 Cantemerle in 375. Years from being ready (very primary) but I am looking forward to them.

[Markus_S]

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

Think of it as not being able to sell to a sizeable market and you actually losing sales. The smart company eats a little bit of the cost to make more sales.

[Kelly_Walker]

One of the truly great sales for Zachy’s is their annual half bottle sale. Lots of great deals not normally associated with usual stock sales.

But… I am not a half bottle fan. Aging seems all over the charts. Especially Champagne. I bought several cases, on release, of Krug NV several years ago. First year great, but quickly down hill from there compared to the 750s from the same release. Similar experience with BDX though not as dramatic.

[DanielP]

Are there any sort of half bottle racks for Eurocaves and the like?

[Neal.Mollen]

@Kelly Walker

One of the truly great sales for Zachy’s is their annual half bottle sale. Lots of great deals not normally associated with usual stock sales.

But… I am not a half bottle fan. Aging seems all over the charts. Especially Champagne. I bought several cases, on release, of Krug NV several years ago. First year great, but quickly down hill from there compared to the 750s from the same release. Similar experience with BDX though not as dramatic.

Do you know when the sale is Kelly? I unsubscribed to their list some time ago

[Jim_Anderson]

@Markus S

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

Think of it as not being able to sell to a sizeable market and you actually losing sales. The smart company eats a little bit of the cost to make more sales.

Nope. The smart company either bottles none or just enough that they can sell those bottles without losing money, relatively speaking, on them.

[Mark_C]

@John O'

@Mark C

Last Bottle had a great deal on 2014 Bodegas San Valero Garnacha Particular Old Vine for $7.50 per, I snagged a (half) case and haven’t regretted it!

Also have 8 or so 2012 Carmes de Rieussec stickies in 375ml for only $12 per. Not sure how that would work on the subway . . .

Boy, I thought the Particular were barely drinkable. Using for cooking. did pick up 2015 Senejac 375’s for about $10 each from Last Bottle a bit back. Good values come up so infrequently that you have to bite hard when they do.

Funny. I had some Senejac (750ml, sadly) a while back and poured it down the drain; couldn’t even cook with it.

[Robert.A.Jr]

@Neal.Mollen

@Kevin G.

Big Box aversion aside, Total Wine (at least in the Atlanta area) often has a deep bench of Bordeaux halves. In the past month i’ve seen .375s of Pavie-Macquin, Rauzan-Segla, Pichon Baron, Montrose, Lascombes, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and more, all 2015.

My local store has bubkas. I’m jealous

My local TW also has a lot of halves. I also snagged some 2009 and 2010 Maggies last year for $40!

[Robert.A.Jr]

And for those that think 375 doesn’t mature nicely, I’ve recently had multiple bottles of 1970 and 1975 Cantemerle. Just lovely.