Wow-Received an Email For 2017 DRC

WINE TALK
21

For a retail wine store these are incredible prices relative to markup from wholesale.

22

Why the fuck would you pass at those prices Tom?

23

Mainly because I really don’t like knowing that a number of other US collectors are getting them via the same distribution channel (except for the retailer) at a fraction of the price I would be paying. I am not going to repeat the data since it was shown to me in confidence, but I have now seen what the “insider list” prices were for 2015, and the difference is not small. I do pretty well for myself, but these days even to buy 12 mixed bottles of Echezeaux up to RSV would be an investment that would have a material impact on my ability to buy other wines. I do not begrudge the DRC for doing what they are doing- that is their choice- but for me to make that kind of financial investment knowing that more than half of that cost is due to the fact I am not being given the same access as some of my fellow US collectors is unthinkable.

Access is another issue. If I had taken that offer it would have been 1-2 each of the wines. Up until the 2007 vintage, DRC was my biggest annual purchase and I had more TNs for DRC wines than any other winery. That may still be true even now, though Magdelaine is likely #1 at this point. I have enough experience with them to know that 1s and 2s is a real crapshoot. As you know, they take a very long time to mature and can go through all sorts of phases. The 1993s were like that from day one. These days I would expect them all to be sorted out, but for over 20 years they were either glorious or in a weird funk depending on when you had them. The 1992s seemed terribly soft, but after a decade what beauties they became. The 1994s still need time, as do the 1995s. I would not even consider buying DRC in any vintage unless I could have at least 6 bottles of one of the wines and 3s of any others I purchased. And that, alas, is very difficult today at a normal markup over wholesale.

At this point I am just grateful that I have over 100 tasting notes for DRC, among them some of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. Sure it would be nice to be on the special list and still getting them every year, but you can’t have everything. I am very fortunate to have had the experiences I did, and that makes it easier to let go.

24

FWIW, here are the prices I got

Romanee Saint Vivant $1000
Richebourg $950
La Tache $1180
Romanee Conti $3900
Montrachet $2280

25

[swoon.gif]

26

There have been several of these. Vinopolis had one a few weeks ago as well. It’s a combination of a relatively abundant harvest coupled with restaurants being unable to take most or any of their usual allocations.

27

Are you in the U.S.?

28

Or a time traveler?

29

[cheers.gif]

30

Good for you. Those are the C&B UK prices.

31

Based on the Secret list prices this year, your offering was only 15% above the best prices in the country. I wouldn’t feel too bad about that. Others were gouged for 50-70% above the best prices.

32

Nope, Europe here. Prices fluctuated around these values in the past few years with a slight upward tendency (im in my mid thirties, so don’t have a long history yet). I would have expected that the US prime importer has similar prices (as the Domaine doesn’t want or allow too crazy prices).

33

This is a memorable post for me, and I appreciate your writing it Tom. Because this is a wine group and because these wines are as good as they are, they get placed on a sort of unassailable pedestal. But this sums up my feeling and (more limited) experience rather more directly and eloquently than I could have managed.

34

Thank you Stan. “Pedestal” is a good choice of word on your part. When I got into wine, Leroy was just entering that stage. They already had universal praise from the major critics and were becoming so expensive that they fell out of the mix when it came to actual tastings. Less than five years into my wine collecting days, I stopped buying Leroy grand crus. And I eventually sold what I had because they stopped turning up at tastings. They had just gotten so expensive that the mere presentation of them at a dinner inspired unpleasant sentiment among at least some guests.

2006 was my wake-up call for DRC on that front. For my 35th birthday, I presented the entire 2006 range at a single dinner, including RC and Montrachet. It was a wonderful time overall, but also a very trying one. There were arguments over pours - and for good reason. As host I poured last and when I was presented an empty bottle of Richebourg and had to graciously accept a couple of small pours from 2 others who had themselves taken reasonable pours, we had to put a waiter in charge of the process. And then someone at the table started ranting about how unfair it was that I was getting enough DRC to do this dinner (to which he was invited for free!) but he himself did not get a big allocation etc.

I would still enjoy DRC at home or in very carefully planned settings on a smaller scale, but I have explained why I do not even do that now.

To a few others- thank you for the price points and commentary. Helpful and appreciated. For my part, the person who showed me 2015 numbers was showing me data in line with what Andy Sc has shared with us. I was under the distinct impression that was US data- but a couple of trusted people here are presenting assertions that indicate otherwise. I have no true idea which is accurate- and both could be accurate given that individual states have varying laws about the minimum profit required plus there may be differing arrangements to get the wines from WD to consumer since that cannot be a direct handoff. I have no idea- and the fact WD or DRC (not sure which is imposing the rule) now prevents retailers receiving original allocations from publishing them for sale (starting with 2015s) makes the waters even more murky. Unless something changed with the 2017s, then all the 2017 WS offerings are secondary only.

But one thing is for sure- while pricing certainly can vary across nations depending on how local distribution works- the difference between the numbers I posted and the numbers our contributor from the UK posted are still- to put it mildly- scandalous and not changing my overall position.

Final note - with the 2016 vintage I helped more than one retailer (none local) find brokers to take their DRC allocations because they did not have local customers for the wines and were not allowed to advertise them online. While there is insatiable demand from a limited customer base, the fact is DRC is becoming more of a nightmare than a dream for many retailers.

35

Tom,

I guess your term “nightmare” is directly correlated to the prices “10k+” (for RC), not to those first tranche prices mentioned by Andy Sc, am I right?

36

Exactly, Andrew. Tom, your retailer is actually quite generous!

37

Oh… how we wish.

38

[cheers.gif]

39

I would never invite those “friends” to anything ever again. That sounds more like a group of mercenaries. Everybody knows the host gets the largest pour and gratitude is the word of the evening.

40

Couldn’t agree more with that. But I blame Prohibition and the US alcohol cartel that was created and that maintains our antiquated 3 tier system for that more than WD or DRC.