Thoughts on SommSelect?

John_Glas · January 5, 2020, 4:26am

I’d still check their pricing.

Yes check their pricing.

Jeff_P · January 5, 2020, 6:03pm

I’ve liked about 85% of stuff I’ve bought from them. Sometimes they get a little nerdy but they get some good older stuff with ex cellar provenance. Descriptions can be a bit much at times but I’ve bought some great daily drinkers and some nice more expensive stuff

Customer service is strong as well. They are much more organized than they were 2 years ago

Shay_h_arnoy · January 23, 2020, 11:43pm

This just popped up today 1989 Weingut Christoffel-Berres Spatlese Riesling for $50

Don’t know much about old riesling but it looks interesting!

John_Glas · January 24, 2020, 5:02am

I highly recommend. Sure, you may find it cheaper, but they are supplying you with wines you are unfamiliar. We often get a wine that we love only to realize it no longer can be purchased. It would be impossible for me to curate wines of this caliber on my own.

Just go to local tastings in your town and see what you like. You don’t need SommSelect to tell you what you like. I have never heard of Davenport Cellars until my brother in Seattle told me about the 65% sale they did in December. Excellent wine and a new favorite.

Jeff_P · April 20, 2020, 9:37pm

They have the '16 Pergole Torte for $155 which seems like a pretty solid price for the vintage.

John_Glas · April 20, 2020, 10:03pm

Guidance is a great thing if you think you need it - and these guys, though a bit hyperbolic, do a very good job with what they offer. Could you do ‘as well’ hitting up a local shop, getting to know the owners or those on the floor, and taking suggestions from them? Perhaps - but they do make it pretty easy . . .

I have tried that approach in Minneapolis a few times and been very disappointed. Other than Sunfish Cellars and Hoyt Hill I don’t take any advice from our local wine shops. It is funny that a few friends that work for bigger wine shops have great palates but the wine shop owners are too stupid to listen to them.

John_Glas · April 20, 2020, 10:06pm

They have the '16 Pergole Torte for $155 which seems like a pretty solid price for the vintage.

Cellar Tracker average of 91 points and an average price of $139.00 seems like an easy pass for most.

Jeff_P · April 20, 2020, 10:45pm

Fair points. That’s good pricing for my state and the CT avg is driven down by one mediocre/poor review when there are only 3. Too early to tell!

Josh_Grossman · July 6, 2020, 5:12pm

I’ve been buying from them for a while. Don’t expect them to be the cheapest offering out there. That’s not their thing. What they do well is find interesting, small producers that you’re unlikely to ever try otherwise. I haven’t loved everything I’ve bought from them, but pretty much without fail I can see why they chose each wine (the difference between taste preference and quality). Their service has been top notch. You’re right that you won’t easily find reviews on the wines - you have to be okay trusting that a couple of master somms think the wine is a good quality for the price.

+1 to what Brandon said.

I have really enjoyed their service. I have found their prices for things you can get elsewhere are competitive but never the best. Where they shine is in picking out stuff that you wouldn’t come across otherwise. Small producers or well preserved older wines for reasonable deals (I have picked up 2005, 2008, and 2010 bordeaux for inexpensive for example). They also have a build a case program where you can buy 1 or 2 bottles from their offerings and still get free shipping if you accumulate a case over time.

A couple of gems (or flops!) I am expecting to show up soon:
1992 Kemetner, “Ried Karl” Grüner Veltliner Kamptal, Austria
1990 Weingut Christoffel-Berres, “Ürziger Würzgarten” Riesling Kabinett

For each of these I am tracking down a more modern wine from the same vineyard/style to go side by side. Should be a learning experience!

Any chance anyone has tried the 1992 Bio Weingut Kemetner Grüner Veltliner Ried Karl? Envoyer has it back up.

Shay_h_arnoy · July 7, 2020, 4:39am

I’ve been buying from them for a while. Don’t expect them to be the cheapest offering out there. That’s not their thing. What they do well is find interesting, small producers that you’re unlikely to ever try otherwise. I haven’t loved everything I’ve bought from them, but pretty much without fail I can see why they chose each wine (the difference between taste preference and quality). Their service has been top notch. You’re right that you won’t easily find reviews on the wines - you have to be okay trusting that a couple of master somms think the wine is a good quality for the price.

+1 to what Brandon said.

I have really enjoyed their service. I have found their prices for things you can get elsewhere are competitive but never the best. Where they shine is in picking out stuff that you wouldn’t come across otherwise. Small producers or well preserved older wines for reasonable deals (I have picked up 2005, 2008, and 2010 bordeaux for inexpensive for example). They also have a build a case program where you can buy 1 or 2 bottles from their offerings and still get free shipping if you accumulate a case over time.

A couple of gems (or flops!) I am expecting to show up soon:
1992 Kemetner, “Ried Karl” Grüner Veltliner Kamptal, Austria
1990 Weingut Christoffel-Berres, “Ürziger Würzgarten” Riesling Kabinett

For each of these I am tracking down a more modern wine from the same vineyard/style to go side by side. Should be a learning experience!

Any chance anyone has tried the 1992 Bio Weingut Kemetner Grüner Veltliner Ried Karl? Envoyer has it back up.

I have had it. Quite nice and super complex. I just picked up another 2 bottles from envoyer.
My noob tasting note from ct:

Cork was a bit moldy at end and slipped in a bit freely as I was inserting corkscrew.

Color was a beautiful gold.
Probably the most complex nose and flavors I have had on a white wine. On the nose a really bright but subtle fruit and a bit of petrol at the end of the sniff. Flavor is all over the place with a long finish. I’m bad at placing fruit flavors but it evolves on the palate. Cool!

Day 2 wasn’t quite as good.