So it's a nice-looking offer from WTSO. Arrived by email around 9:00 this morning. Brian talks well of this winery and I remember being very impressed when visiting there (in Rutherford area) about 20 years ago. Haven't had any of their wines since, but they're frequently sold by WTSO. Once, a long time ago, surprised by what looked like a "they've fallen on hard times" scenario, I checked one of the wines for sale and it wasn't one actually listed on M-S's site. I wondered if M-S was still a real winery or had become one of those fake wineries, like Cosentino, who actually closed their winery and sold their name for WTSO's use in putting legitimacy on bulk product.
Brian didn't think so, cuz he knew they were still there and still producing quality wines.
So this one for the 2014 Artist Series caught my eye. WTSO claims the original price at $65 and is selling this for $29.99. WTSO's claims for price are usually considerably inflated if not outright fictitious since some of the wines they sell were never on the open market therefore there's no real 'comparable'. I went to Michel-Schlumberger's site to see if it was a real wine and it's on their list at $65 but you can't buy it because it's "sold out".
Then I went to CT to see what the status of community ownership of this wine is, and was surprised to find: 1) only 60 bottles are owned or pending, 2) zero tasting notes have been posted and 3) the community average price is $29.57, even lower than WTSO's sale price. There I also found that M-S does not regularly produce an Artist Series cabernet. They did in 2001 and not again until 2013--by which time they were also actively selling through WTSO.
Bizarre. The wine is sold out but no one has ever reported tasting it. Only a few people own it--and possibly they all bought it this morning from WTSO. And the community average price is even lower than WTSO's price.
So I went to Wine-Searcher to check out other comps and that came up blank. No evidence of this wine ever being sold commercially.
It would appear that M-S bottled is producing this wine just for sale on WTSO. They have put it on their webpage to give the wine (and it's supposed comparable price) legitimacy but it's never actually been available for purchase at the winery or in any other form of actual retail. Kind of creepy, to me.
Michel-Schlumberger Artist's Series Howell Mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
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Comparable Price*: $65.00
Yesterday's Best Web Price (With Shipping): N/A
Our Price: $29.99
Appellation Howell Mountain
Unit Size 750 ml
Varietal/Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Vintage 2014
Country United States
Region Napa Valley
Alcohol Content 14.90
WTSO sells/creates lots of fake wine, unfortunately. They also peddle some real things so the lines get blurred, but personally I don't buy from them anymore. Welcome!