I'm new to winery mailing lists. I signed up for Ken Wright's during the summer and just received the fall mailer. It offers futures for 2009. Is this the common offer on mailers from wineries - futures for the just finished harvest? Being a mailing list newb, this strikes me as pretty risky, vintage to vintage. Would like input from folks with more experience.

Ken Wright does this every year. Beaux Freres also sells futures via mailing list. In my experience, more often than not, mailing lists sell bottled, read-for-sale wines. Most futures are offered at the winery, usually around a tasting event.

I don't bother with Ken Wright futures, as his wines, even in a good year are well-distributed and easy to acquire without paying a premium. As you said, the risk is on you...

Beg to differ with you.

Last year it was a no-brainer that the 08 Vintage was going to be great. Buy the KW Shea futures before end of December for $40 per bottle. Now at release it is apparent that the 08's are amazing, price is $55 per bottle and the Shea is sold out. Save 30% and get the best bottles by buying the futures.

I have already sent my $ for the 09 futures, it will be another great year.

duck:
Have you tasted any of the 08s? They have the whole line-up at my LWS for about $42 per (mags and splits also available). Besides the 08 Shea (I already picked up a few) are there any stand-outs in the bunch?

I have not tasted any of the 08's yet. That being said I have not gone very wrong in buying KW's Shea bottling very year.

Nice sunny day in Oregon tomorrow, I took the cover off the two seater. I think a run to Carlton and Dundee is in order. If I taste some KW's I will report back!

I've been buying KW futures regularly for a few reasons.

1. I like the wine in the first place. If you are not sure you do, go no further.

2. It is cheaper than any later discounted price I have seen.
Past performance does not have any predictive value.

3. I get first choice on selections that often never make it to retail.

4. I know what I like. If you don't, the previous point can be discarded.

5. I'm there on the spot. Ken is great in drawing people into the nexus. That is a dimension that is underplayed and under appreciated. Wine is more than just taste and intoxication. It's part of a cultural thread.

quote:

Originally posted by duck833:
I have not tasted any of the 08's yet. That being said I have not gone very wrong in buying KW's Shea bottling very year.

Nice sunny day in Oregon tomorrow, I took the cover off the two seater. I think a run to Carlton and Dundee is in order. If I taste some KW's I will report back!

I like KW's wines...but I can buy from Shea and JKC (Shea Vineyard) after the vintage report card is out and determine based upon tastings if I go in heavy. If KW's Shea doesn't make it out to distribution...oh well

quote:

I took the cover off the two seater.

Sounds like work...mine has a button!!

Ken Wright Cellars does make some nice Pinots, but I don't need to be on another Mailing list! I've had to make some difficult decisions to eliminate some of those existing mailers, especially those that I've been on for several years!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by duck833:
Beg to differ with you.

Last year it was a no-brainer that the 08 Vintage was going to be great. Buy the KW Shea futures before end of December for $40 per bottle. Now at release it is apparent that the 08's are amazing, price is $55 per bottle and the Shea is sold out. Save 30% and get the best bottles by buying the futures.

I have already sent my $ for the 09 futures, it will be another great year.[/QUOTE

You have to factor in your local market pricing and availibity...Just two weeks ago I ordered some KW Shea for $42 a bottle, will pick it up on the 16th. There was a good amount availible and I also picked up Carter, Nysa, and Freedom Hill.

Aphilla, If you're in the NW burbs you can easily buy KW wines at retail for $42 to $45 in the Chicagoland area

quote:

Originally posted by duck833:
Beg to differ with you.

Last year it was a no-brainer that the 08 Vintage was going to be great. Buy the KW Shea futures before end of December for $40 per bottle. Now at release it is apparent that the 08's are amazing, price is $55 per bottle and the Shea is sold out. Save 30% and get the best bottles by buying the futures.

I have already sent my $ for the 09 futures, it will be another great year.

And you are welcome to disagree - that's what makes these forums great. I have, however, tasted a number of the 08 KW's - notes follow. I was incredibly disappointed in the Shea - it was the worst wine of the night for all tasters. I am also a fan of both KW and Shea, so I do not say the above lightly. I bought all of the 4 tasted locally for $37 per. With that setup, why do the list?

Disclaimer: notes borrowed from my Buddy Redvino. I was 1-2 point lower across the board.

4 (actually 5 but the 5th is expecting) of us gathered last nite to try 4 bottlings of the 08 Ken Wrights. We opened the Freedom Hill, McCrone, Meredith Mitchell and Shea. The Alc. levels for each are, 13.3%, 13.7%, 14.5% and 14.1%, respectively.

Freedom Hill

Very Oregon, classic oregon nose and flavors. Great balance with fruit, acidity and tannins. This was the favorite of the four. 91-92 pts.

McCrone

Forest floor with black cherry and spice. A more rustic Pinot. Solid wine but not a show stopper. 90 pts.

Meredith Mitchell

More Cali than Oregon but was the darkest of the lot. Evolved throughout the evening with some liking the changes, others not. 88 pts.

Shea

As someone said, when KW shea is on, its great, otherwise tends to be one-dimensionable. Sad to say, its the latter. The lightest of the 4 wines. Just some cherry cola in flavor. Maybe it will add some weight with additional bottle age. 86 pts.

As a reference wine, also opened a 1998 Soter Beacon Hill. Blew all other wines away, deep dark with layers of fruit and concentration. 93-94 pts.

Thanks for the notes. Sounds like you were not terribly impressed. In my limited experience, KWs do show better with at least intermediate cellaring (FWIW).

Thread drift - I had the Soter Beacon Hill 98 and 03 recently. Both were phenomenal (although the 03 needed several more years). What has become of Beacon Hill since Soter sold it? Always one of my favorite OR pinots. Anbody know?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Red guy in a blue state,

quote:

Originally posted by Redline325:


You have to factor in your local market pricing and availibity...Just two weeks ago I ordered some KW Shea for $42 a bottle, will pick it up on the 16th. There was a good amount availible and I also picked up Carter, Nysa, and Freedom Hill.

Aphilla, If you're in the NW burbs you can easily buy KW wines at retail for $42 to $45 in the Chicagoland area

Thanks. I scored a bunch of the 08s from Flickinger this fall and the guy at the local Binny's expects they will get an allotment at some point also. Binny's had and still has some '07s. In the past they seemed to fly in and out of Binny's before I could get any. If you know other places in Chicagoland to look, I would be greatful.

quote:

Originally posted by aphilla:

quote:

Originally posted by Redline325:


You have to factor in your local market pricing and availibity...Just two weeks ago I ordered some KW Shea for $42 a bottle, will pick it up on the 16th. There was a good amount availible and I also picked up Carter, Nysa, and Freedom Hill.

Aphilla, If you're in the NW burbs you can easily buy KW wines at retail for $42 to $45 in the Chicagoland area

Thanks. I scored a bunch of the 08s from Flickinger this fall and the guy at the local Binny's expects they will get an allotment at some point also. Binny's had and still has some '07s. In the past they seemed to fly in and out of Binny's before I could get any. If you know other places in Chicagoland to look, I would be greatful.

I got my 08's from Flickenger, same as you. last year Binny's had plently, just get friendly with a sales person there and have them e-mail you when they come in. Wine Discount Center also has 07 Ken Wright's on the shelf. They'll get 08's soon.

quote:

Originally posted by Red guy in a blue state:
Thanks for the notes. Sounds like you were not terribly impressed. In my limited experience, KWs do show better with at least intermediate cellaring (FWIW).

Thread drift - I had the Soter Beacon Hill 98 and 03 recently. Both were pehnomenal (although the 03 needed several more years). What has become of Beacon Hill since Soter sold it? Always one of my favorite OR pinots. Anbody know?

Sadly, no. I agree with your experience with KW - it aligns with my own. Maybe all the hype around the vintage had me expecting more??

In response to your request re: Beacon Hill:

The new owners are farming and bottling themselves - can't tell if they hold all or sell some of their fruit.

The Beacon Hill Vineyard was sold in 2005 and renamed Beacon Hill Estate by the current owners Razvan and Felicia. It now comprises of 45 acres, with a unique mesoclimate, protected from Pacific winter storms by the gently folded Coast Range, and from the frigid Columbia Gorge winds by the Chehalem Mountains. The soil is among the oldest in the valley, coarse-grained and rich in the ancient marine sediment endemic to the area. The estate is further cradled by lush conifer forests, which shelter and purify our spring- the vineyard’s natural water source.

In October 2006 they began an intensive biodynamic farming program to revivify the soil and allow the fruit to express its terroir with greater and greater transparency.

Another 10% of the total acreage was planted with Chardonnay and recently another acre and a half of Riesling and Gewürztraminer was added, which will not come into production for a few years. Most of the vines are on devigorating rootstocks, which offer the bonus of earlier ripening.

Having access to Ken Wright at the LWS, I've never been interested in the futures. I'd have to pay a premium for the Shea, which doesn't get all the way to the local store, but the others are available around $40.

As to evaluating the '08s, it seems the intial impressions are not up to expectations, but these wines do take a long time to come around, 3 years bare minimum, and even then still really need a good decant.

Thanks for the info Bigfoot.

Thanks for the info everyone. I wasn't sure what to expect. I think I'll keep trying to get them through retail.