Stupid Price of the Week: A New Column

[alec]

I constantly surf around looking for new places to find port at a decent price and every once in a while I find the most stupid prices. It's gotten to the point where there's enough of them out there that I'm betting I can keep this up every week for a long long time.

So to kick this off, I'll start with this:

BARROS 1997 VINTAGE PORT: 300.00 EUR per bottle.

Where can you get in on this incredible deal? http://www.portwineonline.com/

--A

[alec]

1994 Warres Vintage Port.... This is the port that got me hooked on port to begin with. It's absolutely stunning...but is it (yet) worth $199.95 per bottle??!! Sherry Lehmann of New York thinks so.

I don't. If you're thinking about jumping on this deal please purchase my bottles; I'll gladly sell them to you for $150.00 per bottle. I might even throw in shipping.

http://www.sherry-lehmann.com/ while supplies last....hehe...

--A

[Andy Velebil]

WOW

[alec]

OMG, get this. Union Square Wines in New York is a store I frequent as often as possible; they've got a great selection and their prices are usually pretty good.

But this is a total scam. 2003 Grahams Vintage Port is for sale at $119.00 per bottle! I'm sure it's a wonderful wine, and I'm itching to get some but the rest of the US market seems to be charging around $75 to $80 per bottle for this same port.

http://www.wineaccess.com/store/unionsq ... d=10774370

A moral outrage.

--A

[Roy Hersh]

This is a fun one to revive. What is the craziest price you have seen lately?

[Eric Menchen]

Is this for ridiculously high prices, or do low pricing mistakes count too?

[David Spriggs]

Here's one I saw the other day -

1994 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port - £10237 per case. That's $1160 per bottle. Probably they meant Nacional, but it doesn't say that.

http://www.frw.co.uk/search-wines-smart ... sid-4.aspx

-Dave-

[Roy Hersh]

Clearly that was a Nacional case not the regular bottle. Still the best "young" VP I've ever had.

[Roy Hersh]

I don't know if this would be considered "stupid" but taking advantage ... maybe:

Vinologia the price of the 75cl (1952) is now for 229 Euros and the 50cl - 149 Euros.

[Eric Menchen]

In that light, here's some stupid pricing from WineX, IMHO:
Churchill's 2003 750 - $39.99
Churchill's 2003 375 - $36.99
Really, you're going to buy the 375?

[Moses Botbol]

Can't think of anything recent, but 1977 Dow for $150 is a common one.

[Peter W. Meek]

...1977 Dow....

My favorite underperforming VP (in my limited experience.) Also a bone of contention in my family as I gave a couple of bottles of D77 to a young lady whose birthyear is 1977; annoyed my Eva no end.

[Roy Hersh]

Did you buy these at auction? Until I was with you, I had never had a bottle that was less than 92 points. My average has been 93+ and the same goes for all other FTLOP'ers who scored their bottles. Something is clearly wrong with the one's you bought. Sorry man!

[Peter W. Meek]

Did you buy these at auction? ...

The wine guy at Paesanos found these for me from one of his regular distributors. I suspect that these 4 bottles must have come from the same batch, and may have suffered some damage by poor storage at some point in their history. The closeness of the seal numbers (about 150 apart) on the two I drank suggests that these bottles have had a close common history.

I am considering recording the seal numbers on all ports that I buy from now on. I doubt it will help much, but it would be one more data point when trying to track something down.

You tasted the one at the port dinner; could you tell by tasting what was wrong with it? Cooked? Spoiled by drying out (upright too long)? I don't think it was corked, or at least not in any way I have experienced.

I suppose I should tell Kimmie that her birthday bottles may be less than perfect.

[Symon B]

170ds for a t85 i thought steap in fine wines limerick but yet a 94lbt T at tesco was only 45ds symonb

[Eric Menchen]

170ds for a t85 i thought steap in fine wines limerick but yet a 94lbt T at tesco was only 45ds symonb

I've seen 1985 Taylor overpriced a lot.

[Andy Velebil]

170ds for a t85 i thought steap in fine wines limerick but yet a 94lbt T at tesco was only 45ds symonb

I've seen 1985 Taylor overpriced a lot.

I've seen the 1983 Taylor's and 1980 Fonseca WAY overpriced as well!

[Glenn E.]

I just picked up a 1997 Noval for $130 retail this weekend. It's a stupid price in the good direction, so does that count?

[Eric Menchen]

I just picked up a 1997 Noval for $130 retail this weekend. It's a stupid price in the good direction, so does that count?

I think this belongs in the "steal and deals" thread. Congrats

[Marc J.]

Here are a few contenders - 1970 Grahams (750 ml) for $326.00 or maybe a 1977 Croft (750 ml) for $279.00. I asked about the pricing of these bottles and they said that these prices were just above what they had paid. In addition, I was also told that these were very competitive prices for these particular wines.

Marc