Anyone else get this? I'm in the Tablas Creek Wine Club, "Collecter's Club", and was just offered 2009 futures. At first I was excited about the prospect of futures bc I really enjoy Tablas Creek wines. They have a bit of a hostage program in that in order to get a real discount you need to be in the club, and if you're in the club you need to take the designated shipments, which include pretty much all of their wines, even the ones you may not like.
I never really minded this because it was really only 1 or 2 of each bottle, and I figured the whites I normally wouldn't order would fill a large portion of my "white wine quota", and frankly, I enjoyed practically every white I've opened from TC.
But i digress... the 2010 Primeur offer (to purchase 2009 futures of Esprit or Panoplie) kinda sucked. First of all, they're raising their prices (again). MSRP for the Esprit will now be $55, and the Panoplie $95. With the 30% "en Primeur" discount, you're at $38.50 and $66.50 respectively. Not bad, especially for wines I'd buy anyway. However, they have order minimums now of either 12 bottles of Esprit, or 6 bottles of Panoplie.
Lastly, they keep harping on how Panoplie is only made "in exceptional vintages", but they have made Panoplie every year since 2002 according to CT.
I'm starting to get a more and more corporate vibe from TC, and thinking my membership with them may be coming to an end soon...
any other TC club members? your thoughts??
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