KPB
Posts: 4663
Joined: 11/25/2012
From: Ithaca, New York
Status: offline
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I seem to have somehow been dropped by Thomas (the famous Oregon PN), or maybe his card goes to the wrong office address here on the Cornell campus. But in fact I am debating reaching out to get re-added mostly because I have a lot of his bottles now (I love the wines and they age really well, but there are limits on how many I actually need in my cellar). So that was a good list, but highlights this issue that once on a list, you do have to keep buying, plus if your office moves, I guess you have to point it out.
I recently joined VHR, after trying and really liking their 2012 Cabernet. I dropped from the Harlan and Bond list because the prices soared and basically, locked me out. Dropped Kapcsandy after realizing that their wines have a characteristic flavor profile that somehow isn't to my taste (something about their choice of yeasts?)
Still on the Sineann list and buying those pretty regularly -- love his Zinfandels and his PN style (the Wy'East one, at least, ages super well, too).
So that's about it for lists, for me. Lots of places have my email and I get announcements from those -- Ovid, Verite, Kistler, a bunch more. Basically, places I've visited and where I bought something. Might buy directly if something interests me.
My view is sort of tortured (and not even by CranBurgundy). On the one hand, I like the idea of buying directly because as people said, the money goes directly to Pegau or whatever. (I buy direct from them when on vacation in that part of France, which is pretty common lately in the summer). But on the other, there are few things you can't find in the open market. Sure, I won't easily find the Macdonald Cabernet but honestly, until I try it, I don't even know if I like their style of Cabernet (probably I would, based on what others say, but who can be sure?) I guess this goes for DRC too. Would I like it? Maybe. Would I want to be on some direct-importer's list? Perhaps not because buying it every year, to stay on that list, would be a very expensive investment.
At the end of the day, I think these lists have a cult character. I bet that most people who are so keen to sign up for Macdonald, or for Hors Catagorie, are as tempted by the exclusivity as by the wine, even if they don't acknowledge this. But it would just be so awesome to be one of the tiny group of insiders who genuinely know how those wines taste and smell. And I get this. I like the idea of dropping names too -- "CB, the other day I thought I might try my 2012 DRCs, just because I have quite a few bottles of those, and was questioning your TN on the La Tache..." Would love to yank that guy's chain.
But then at the same time, this whole exclusivity thing is very fake. Even 2012 DRC La Tache is, and I'm reaching here but am probably not far from right, "just wine". You get a glass bottle. It has a cork. You pour it: yup, red. Smells like... wine.
So in what sense would possessing that wine make me a superior being? Honestly, it wouldn't.
Now many of these lists are like that: Screaming Eagle or whatever is a damn good wine (happen to have had that wine, once). Being a guy who collects such a wine would have a cool cachet. And yet who even cares? None of my friends in Ithaca, that's for sure. It would be a totally meaningless cachet that only would be useful for hassling CranBurgundy on this board. And I've never even met the guy!
So: I'm on some lists. Mostly, wouldn't be super upset to "fall off" those lists, even by accident, even for Thomas PN, which I happen to love and can't possibly find in stores. A great wine! But still, just a bottle of wine...
_____________________________
Ken Birman
The Professor of Brettology
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So what about mailing lists (not clubs) - 
There are lots of other good reasons to bust my stones, the simplest being it's just good old fashion fun. 
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