November 2009
Juice on the Block" will be a collection of content about wine at auction. ... its own right about now, thirteen years after release.
The Math:
The current retail price for a bottle of the 1996 Chateau Beychevelle falls between $70 - $100.
This lot of four bottles is estimated to... Read moreJuice on the Block" will be a collection of content about wine at auction. ... its own right about now, thirteen years after release.
The Math:
The current retail price for a bottle of the 1996 Chateau Beychevelle falls between $70 - $100.
This lot of four bottles is estimated to sell between: $200 - $240 at auction, and is currently bid to: $160.
Next Bid: $170.
So, if you’re willing to tolerate a hint of superficial damage, start at $170. Even if this lot is sold for the low bid of $200, that breaks down to $238 with the buyers’ premium (before state tax).
That brings us to $59 per bottle before taxes- $10 cheaper per bottle than even the lowest price you would find this wine at a wine shop. You save $40. IF the bidding even gets that high, and if it doesn’t, you’ll likely take this one home, drinking in its prime, with some scuffs on the labels.
Lot #30
Château Gloria - Vintage 1996
St.-Julien,
Excellent Appearance, owc.
12 Bottles
Estimated to sell between $240 - $480.
Next Bid: $280
http://auction.morrellwineauctions.net/lotdescription.do?auctionId=251&page=3&lotId=98437
Reason for Interest:
Again, the 1996 vintage for Bordeaux was a good one, and again this example from St.-Julien should be drinking in its wheelhouse as I type. The math itself is also off the charts.
The Math:
The current retail price for a bottle of the ’96 Chateau Gloria falls (roughly) between $40 - $60.
If we were to bid $300 for this lot, that would equal a total of $354, with premium, before tax. That breaks down to $30 per bottle- equaling a savings of $120 for the case vs. the lowest retail price around. That’s more than interesting, it’s intriguing.
This is what the Wine Advocate had to say:
“The 1995 and 1996 are two of the finest Glorias produced over recent vintages. Both the 1996 and 1995 are uncommonly hedonistic, plump, and precociously-styled wines. Low in acidity, rich in cedary, black currant fruit, medium-bodied, and lush, these two wines will provide delicious drinking young, yet both will age for 10-15 years. The 1995 is lower in acidity, and may not possess quite the density and power of the 1996, but readers looking for high class claret with immediate appeal would be foolish to pass it by.”
...Hence the Interest.
Lot #53
Château Le Bon Pasteur - Vintage 1990
Pomerol,
Five levels are high shoulder or better. Five labels are badly glue stained.
5 Bottles
Estimated to sell between $260 - $400
Next Bid: 200
http://auction.morrellwineauctions.net/lotdescription.do?auctionId=251&page=6&lotId=98460
*Note the glue-stains and the not-so-perfect levels. These are important considerations and reflect that we’re not dealing with perfectly stored bottles here. It’s more of a gamble, but the levels being where they are, and the absence of any evidence of seepage- past or present- is a good thing and plays to our favor a bit.
At most, I would bid the minimum of $200 and see if that makes me a winner. This one’s a bit of a gamble, but could pay a handsome reward.
The Math:
The current retail price for “pristine” bottles of the 1990 Le Bon Pasteur falls between $80 & $100 per bottle- which is quite high for a wine that may be drinking a tad past its prime (though noted as “Youthful” by Clive Coates in September of 2000).
Hypothetical: Bid $200 and sit tight. Should you possess the winning bid for that amount, your total cost for the lot before tax would be $236, equaling $47.00 per bottle. That’s a considerable savings when compared to the pristine retail bottles within which the wine may be the very same.
I am intrigued by this lot, but would keep that minimum bid on the table and back away should someone come in a tad higher. Sometimes, like Vegas, what you DON’T bid is what you win in the wine auction world, and bottles with conditions such as those pronounced in this lot could paint the clearest example of that thought in the long run.
...Or it could be one of the best deals in the sale.
Lot #309
Château d'Issan - Vintage 2000
Margaux, Troisième Cru Classé
Excellent Appearance.
6 Bottles
"Medium-bodied, with sweet but noticeable tannin, and a dense finish that builds gradually and persistently, it appears to be the finest d'Issan produced in over four decades." 93 points, RMP.
Estimated to sell between $240 - $350
Next Bid: $240
http://auction.morrellwineauctions.net/lotdescription.do?auctionId=251&page=31&lotId=98716
The Reason for interest:
The vintage, the excellent condition, the math.
The Math:
It’s a 93-rated wine from Parker, though Mr. Coates didn’t quite agree and thought it only “pleasant, even elegant, but lacking a bit of concentration.”
The 2000 Chateau D’Issan currently retails between $60 - $90.
If we were to keep up with bidding and even space ourselves a bit by going to a max bid of $260, that would come to around $307 for the lot including premium & before taxes- breaking down to $51.00 per bottle. That’s a modest savings, but also a savings that bakes in the bidding to get to our max bid of $260.
If we were to win the lot at an increment below that at $240 (which we’re positioning ourselves to have a shot at doing by our bid of $260)- we could walk away with a bottle price of around $47 before taxes for the six.
Not half bad for a 93-rated 3rd growth from the 2000 vintage in Margaux, all things considered.
Lot #313
Château Giscours - Vintage 2000
Margaux, Troisième Cru Classé
Excellent Appearance.
6 Bottles
"Probably the finest Giscours made since the 1975, this black/purple-colored 2000 offers up terrific notes of camphor, creosote, blackberry, and cassis jam intermixed with notions of smoke and earth. Spicy, with low acidity, a big, rich, fleshy, full-bodied palate, outstanding texture, and a long, pure finish, it is, to reiterate, one of the best Giscours produced over the last 25 years. A sleeper of the vintage." 92 points, RMP.
Estimated to sell between $240 - $350
Next Bid: $220
http://auction.morrellwineauctions.net/lotdescription.do?auctionId=251&page=32&lotId=98720
Reason for Interest:
The vintage (2000, again), the appellation (Margaux, again), and the math. Again.
The Math:
The current retail value of the 2000 vintage Chateau Giscours comes in around $85.99 per bottle before tax.
If we were to position our bid at $260, and win at that price, it would bring the cost of these six bottles to approximately $307 after premium, before tax. That comes out to just under $52 per bottle- and that’s if we win the lot with our max bid. If the bid were to be hammered at $220, that would bring things down significantly, to $43 per bottle. $43 for a bottle that received a warm 92 point rating from Parker, that is not only drinking very nicely now but should continue to do so for the next five years, according to Mr. Coates."
... "Lots of Interest" is just one of the aspects that we'll be presenting for the "Juice on the Block" group. As we get things put together for it, you can look forward to market news, wine opportunities for both selling as well as buying, profiles of legendary wines only available at auction, their makers, the auction houses where one can find them, and most importantly: how you can take advantage of the seemingly intimidating world of wine auctions- and make it your best place to shop.
Hope to see you soon and that you come along for the ride!
Chip
!http://images.snooth.com/term/e/d/3/term_64414_full.1.jpeg (hide)
Starting at $34.28 
Starting at $115.00 
