The Auswine Forum

VINH NGUYEN wrote:Ahh righto
Wish i had a us address lol
Finally got onto the colgin mailing list but no means to buy em

Vinh, I'm curious, what are the mailing list prices these days for Colgin's latest releases? Any chance you can post these?

Are these super-expensive super-exclusive American wines really that good? Can they seriously be as good as Margaret River Cabernet, the best of which goes for $100? Or do they just promote the "mystique" of which the French are so proud, to jack up their prices?

WAwineguy wrote:Are these super-expensive super-exclusive American wines really that good? Can they seriously be as good as Margaret River Cabernet, the best of which goes for $100? Or do they just promote the "mystique" of which the French are so proud, to jack up their prices?

The Americans beat the French in the "Judgement of Paris" in 1976 and then again at a rematch in 2006.

Ozzie W wrote:

WAwineguy wrote:Are these super-expensive super-exclusive American wines really that good? Can they seriously be as good as Margaret River Cabernet, the best of which goes for $100? Or do they just promote the "mystique" of which the French are so proud, to jack up their prices?

The Americans beat the French in the "Judgement of Paris" in 1976 and then again at a rematch in 2006.

Arguably, the French didn't win in Coonawarra last Oct in a "Judgement of Paris" rematch

WAwineguy wrote:Are these super-expensive super-exclusive American wines really that good? Can they seriously be as good as Margaret River Cabernet, the best of which goes for $100? Or do they just promote the "mystique" of which the French are so proud, to jack up their prices?

They're better than WA Cabs..IMO...

But you a pretty wide spectrum of Napa Cult Cabs though...

Some are big big wines...just stupidly ripe....
Some just strike a great balance between fruit sweetness, acidity, tannins and overall mouthfeel.

Both get chased..both types get big scores which is why the prices go a bit crazy...

But on average I'd say they're better than Coonawarra and WA...With the lower AUD, I'd say Coonawarra and WA Cabs are better value.....Just so many Napa/Sonoma Cabs in that 60-80 USD mark...for a decent one...and then in the several hundred for great ones..but with Coonawarra/WA, you have a handful of wines that even hit the equivalent or above that of a 60 USD Napa Cab...

ReclineWithWine wrote:

VINH NGUYEN wrote:Ahh righto
Wish i had a us address lol
Finally got onto the colgin mailing list but no means to buy em

Vinh, I'm curious, what are the mailing list prices these days for Colgin's latest releases? Any chance you can post these?

Top of my head, cariad and ix estate cab was 300odd usd the syrah slightly less.

Redwine&Rum wrote:Great result yesterday. Received an email from Roger welcoming me to the Marius Wine Club. To say I am excited is a massive understatement.

How long did it take to get on?

mjs wrote:

Ozzie W wrote:

WAwineguy wrote:Are these super-expensive super-exclusive American wines really that good? Can they seriously be as good as Margaret River Cabernet, the best of which goes for $100? Or do they just promote the "mystique" of which the French are so proud, to jack up their prices?

The Americans beat the French in the "Judgement of Paris" in 1976 and then again at a rematch in 2006.

Arguably, the French didn't win in Coonawarra last Oct in a "Judgement of Paris" rematch

I'm not sure any of that really answers my question. So far my enquiries seem to indicate that these rarefied California cabernets are way way way overpriced and have only cornered the market due to their rarity.

Any other opinions?

dave vino wrote:

Redwine&Rum wrote:Great result yesterday. Received an email from Roger welcoming me to the Marius Wine Club. To say I am excited is a massive understatement.

How long did it take to get on?

Less than 2 years. I missed out in 2015. Then got the email this year.

WAwineguy wrote:I'm not sure any of that really answers my question. So far my enquiries seem to indicate that these rarefied California cabernets are way way way overpriced and have only cornered the market due to their rarity.

Any other opinions?

There's a lot of Cali cabs that have everything dialled up to 11, enormously alcoholic, fat wines.

There are some which are a lot more elegant, eg. Ridge Monte Bello, these are nice but by the time they arrive in Australia they more than double the price of Australia's top tier of cabernets/cab blends. Like with anything, when it comes to that price point it becomes a question of palate preference.

If you enjoy the big alcoholic beefy Cabs then those cult cabs are probably the "best" in that genre. Prices are largely reflective of small supply, high demand driven by reviews by American critics, and a very wealthy and patriotic customer base. Many tech millionaires and billionaires nearby.

If you enjoy more balanced wines then you probably don't miss out on too much if you stick to Bordeaux or Australia for your cabernet fix.

Redwine&Rum wrote:

dave vino wrote:

Redwine&Rum wrote:Great result yesterday. Received an email from Roger welcoming me to the Marius Wine Club. To say I am excited is a massive understatement.

How long did it take to get on?

Less than 2 years. I missed out in 2015. Then got the email this year.

Cheers for that, will see how I go next year.

As with all things there are exceptions some of the high end Napa Cabs are very elegant and lovely wines.

Bryant Family, Schafer HSS, Phillip Togni, Dunn Vineyards, Ridge MB, try Wine Berserkers and you'll get some good recommendations.

Had some of the 96 at a recent dinner and both were fantastic.