I may be retired before I get an allocation, I will definitely still be able to drink it
There is something about anticipating a wine for 5-10 years that makes the wait worthwhile, as long as the wine is worthwhile.
Jay
Just to keep you all abreast, I received my 3rd annual letter of no allocation from Saxum yesterday.
I do wish they would change the wording, just a touch to remind me of just how long I have been waiting.
Meanwhile, I have received my shipment of Ken Wright, Winter Hill, Domaine Roi, Va Piano, Grammercy, and Charles K Smith, with Guillen Family wines to follow in October. So we're not going thirsty
Jay
Are you sure you will still be drinking at that age?
Since the average wait list time is 4-6 years, I'm half way there...2019 is going to be a very good year
Jay
Waiting for anything more than a month or two seems utterly silly to me. ( the only time I waited even a month for something was back in high school ...because she was 17 years and 11 months old at the time , but that's another story ..) I guess if you want something bad enough, you're willing to put up with that wait list nonsense . There are women who wait anywhere between 7-10 years for the " privilege " of paying $ 70,000 + ( yes, that's seventy thousand , not a typo ) for a Hermes cayman croc. Birkin purse ( yes, a purse ) so I suppose a wine fanatic waiting 5 years for the or allocation of Saxum is not much different . I hope this wine is a taste of heaven for,you guys .
Funny, you said the same thing in 2013 and again in 2015...
and I'm much closer than those poor souls waiting for Birken bags.
How long do you think the wait will be for Elio drivers? They started taking deposits around the time I signed up for Saxum, they laid down $1,000 for the privilege.
Jay
you have a damn good memory :glare: .. Elio ? no idea what that's about, will have to Google it..
Kind of like putting my $1000 down on a Tesla Model 3 and hoping I'll like it when it is built. Why do we do these etupid things?
Funny to read all the comments being someone who has been in the wine business for 40 years. Going back to the beginning I see the classic sales call from a small winery producing "5 cases". It takes a lot more than just a few cases to establish yourself in this business. The Wine Spectator is not going to do it. Constant good reports, year after year, and consistent quality will get you somewhere. One good review is not going to make it. ....But, then again....we always want what we can't get....right?
Justin is, by all accounts, responsible for the wine explosion in Paso Robles. He is generous with his time and resources and is making a difference in the region. Also, Wine Spectator gave him "Wine of the Year" several years ago. I respect that he hasn't sold out and increased production at the sacrifice of quality (cough, cough...Kosta Browne).
I'll wait my turn, and while I'm waiting I'll fill my cellar with other things. I'm a very happy man
Jay
<p style="color:rgb(96,96,96);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:15px;">4th Annual notification from Saxum...I'm in the sweet spot now
<p style="color:rgb(96,96,96);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:15px;">
<p style="color:rgb(96,96,96);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:15px;">Greetings Saxum Wait List Members,
<p style="color:rgb(96,96,96);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:15px;">
<p style="color:rgb(96,96,96);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:15px;">We are grateful for your continued patience and interest in purchasing our wines. Regrettably, we were unable to send you an allocation during our release this summer. At the moment, the average wait time is 6 years from your sign-up date. Sorry to send out disappointing news, we just like to let you know we still have your contact information and will send you an offer as soon as we can.
Best Wishes,
<p style="color:rgb(96,96,96);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:15px;">Justin & Heather Smith
Saxum Vineyards
Keep reminding yourself that patience is a virtue so the wait won't feel like an eternity .
My annual notification from Saxum, see that it is the same form letter as always, except the wait time has gone from 6 years to 6-7 years (and here I am at 6.5 years).
<p style="color:rgb(76,76,76);font-family:Helvetica;background-color:rgb(239,245,213);">Dear Jonathan Kravitz,
<p style="color:rgb(76,76,76);font-family:Helvetica;background-color:rgb(239,245,213);">We are grateful for your continued patience and interest in purchasing our wines. This is our annual message to reconfirm that we still have you on our wait list with a sign up date of April 13, 2012.
At the moment, the average wait time is 6-7 years. However, actual wait times fluctuate due to variances in vineyard yields. Sorry to send out disappointing news, we just like to let you know we still have your contact information and will send you an offer as soon as we can.
<p style="color:rgb(76,76,76);font-family:Helvetica;background-color:rgb(239,245,213);">Best Wishes,
<p style="color:rgb(76,76,76);font-family:Helvetica;background-color:rgb(239,245,213);">Justin & Heather Smith
Saxum Vineyards
I've had one of their wines at a top restaurant in L.A. late last year ( sorry I don't remember the vintage ) and since this was on an insurance company expense account which generally does not have many limits I suggested we order it , simply because I knew the name of the winery( from this forum ) and thought we should try it . With the preface that everyone's taste is different , I'm going to state that while it was " good " , it did not seem at all special to me .. again, to my taste buds it was no better than any Darioush, or Nickel & Nickel , or even Silver Oak , to mention a few commercial labels , and frankly not even close to a Joseph Pehlps Insignia, of any vintage . But that's just personal preference so just as an example and at the risk of offending Kaj, I think Heitz Martaha's vineyard is way overrated as well , I'd rather have a dozen other wines at half or less the price, given the choice . So Jay, if you're suffering pure torture of waiting for them to send you something , you might want to reconsider . Just MHO
Given that it is much easier to make wine than to sell it, if you are able to create a demand that you intentionally don't meet every year, you will sell every case you produce. So what does it take to produce a cult wine? One way to do it would be to create a wine that pushes all the buttons of your favorite Wine Spectator reviewer. If you're lucky you get a couple of 100 point wine reviews and your on your way. There are a lot of people out there who buy wines based on reviewers ratings.
Longevity's (where I work) 2017 Pinot Blanc was named as the Best White in Livermore recently. It was quickly sold out. In fact we are consistently very highly rated for our white wines. Not an easy thing to do for a small winery as white wine production requires some specialized equipment and handling that many small wineries don't want to be bothered with. Our Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio Ramato, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Muscat Canelli and our Rhone style Rose are all award winners that quickly sell out.
Dan,
Not tortured. At this point it's pretty much a joke.
I find sport in chasing down rare and difficult bottles. I'd like to have a cellar completely comprised of bottles of which there were less than 100 cases produced. In order to do that, I have to pick up the phone, call the winemaker, find out what they offer and convince them to sell me some.
I've been pretty lucky, and now have a regular allocation from Helen Keplinger, and a number of Oregon winemakers are on speed dial.
Aaron Potts gave me an allocation, but wouldn't sell me their "Incubus", so I moved on from them.
It's a hobby...I don't worry or panic, and I have some great wine stories to tell my friends
Jay
That's a great attitude to have Jay, ( and an equally great hobby ) I'd be frustrated and give up after a couple of months, but my OCD gets the better of me, lol.. instant gratification is my middle name :-)
[quote name="Rap" post="184007" timestamp="1534430904"]d(IG)s968[/quote]
ROFLMAO
. Now I have to change the avatar.