Muscadet: new kid in town

[Jenise]

Muscadet fans who don't get the mailers from Seattle retailer Garagiste might be interested in this latest offer: "I’m running to catch a train but after tasting this wine in Nantes, it was clear that Michel David is the new magician of Muscadet. If you want to be on the cutting edge, there’s no sharper blade than Michel David and this fastidious cuvee of Melon de Bourgogne (the grape that is the heart of Muscadet). This is his limited 2005 old-vine cuvee and it is Muscadet’s finest hour - think Boulay in Sancerre and you will be close."

Not that everyone's in a position to order this, but if it's available here it might show up where you live. Their price on this one is $11.99.

Jenise,
I'm sure Garagiste has many great wines for sale. I just don't think they all are. And when you read the notes, you can't help but think they believe they all are.
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

Not to pile on (but I will), Garagiste lost all respect from me when they recently sent out a glowing e-mail about a 12 year old wine fro ma seriously underperforming Rheingau estate & touted it as the best Riesling value in the world. (only a few months after their prior best riesling value in the world)

I can't take anything they say seriously, and actually doubt many of the wines are even any good. They remind me of the mailers I get every once in a while from these no-name wine clubs.

[Jenise]

I hear you both. I buy a lot less from Garagiste than I used to because too many of the wines I bought didn't live up to the hype. But still, if I were a Muscadet fan, I'd have been unable to resist this offer because it's a label I hadn't seen before either on a shelf or in a TN. But you're right: take everything they say with a grain of salt. As Jim said before, Jon can sell sand to Arabs.

I can't take anything they say seriously, and actually doubt many of the wines are even any good. They remind me of the mailers I get every once in a while from these no-name wine clubs.

David,
Garagiste is certainly not alone in this marketing approach, and I refuse to patronize those firms (they know who they are) who relentlessly flog each wine as "best {fill in the blank} EVER!!!!". As has been often stated, ideally we look for a relationship with a retailer wherein they know our tastes and can offer informed advice about what wine(s) would fit our tastes/budget/needs. That's the exact opposite of über-hype marketing.

Mark Lipton

I hope someone who has tried the Michel David Muscadet will chime in here. For now the folks at Luneau Papin are getting most of my Muscadet budget. The 2004 L d' Or (especially the second and third day in the fridge, when it really blossoms) and the 05 Clos des Allees are for me top shelf in Muscadet at the moment.

For whatever reason the folks at Garagiste took me off their mailing list. Sometimes I get paranoid and wonder if it was due to a negative TN on one of their wines, but it is more likely to a glitch in their new web system. Either way, my pocket book thanks them for removing me!

Marc

For whatever reason the folks at Garagiste took me off their mailing list. Sometimes I get paranoid and wonder if it was due to a negative TN on one of their wines, but it is more likely to a glitch in their new web system. Either way, my pocket book thanks them for removing me!

You know, after years of shopping with them, I tried to sign in on their updated website and the software wouldn't let me in. At first I got angry but now, I feel like you - just one less store to think about.
And between Pepiere and Luneau-Papin, I really don't need much more in muscadet.
Best, Jim

[David M. Bueker]

I hope they really have found something, but I seriously doubt that Michel David is better than Luneau-Papin, Pepiere, etc.

And it's not like you can't get the established names (and I use the term very loosely) of Muscadet at dirt cheap prices and so need to go looking for value. And the established names have not lost their way in quality.

I just find the whole Garagiste marketing methodology distasteful. (And this is one of the less bothersome ones - I especially enjoy when they pick up wines that were left behind by the authorized importer and tout them as the best wine from the producer that year - as if the authorized importer is an idiot.)

[Jenise]

I hope they really have found something, but I seriously doubt that Michel David is better than Luneau-Papin, Pepiere, etc.

You're absolutely right. I'm really embarrassed now that I posted this.

[David M. Bueker]

Anyway, I had the 2005 Clos des Briords last night, and it's really singing. It smells so much like top-notch dry Riesling, but it's the rocks that really get me. Yum!

Anyway, I had the 2005 Clos des Briords last night, and it's really singing. It smells so much like top-notch dry Riesling, but it's the rocks that really get me. Yum!

This has me smiling. I drank a Martinsancho Verdejo the other night and was thinking, this smells so much like top-notch Pepiere Muscadet.

I don't subscribe to Garagiste, but have had a couple of their "unbelievable deals" that struck me as pedestrian.

I agree with David re that marketing method, I do get emails from another source with a similar style -usually combined with "we have for $25 and next lowest price on Winezap is $50", or "this is $75 at a NYC retailer" even if there price is merely competitive if you use Winesearcher (I sometimes wonder if this company pays Park Avenue Liquor to list ridiculous prices just so they can make this comparison).

I have now narrowed my list of retailers that I would buy an unknown wine based SOLELY on their email to a few:
David and Jamie at Chambers St
Daniel Posner at Grapes in Rye
Alan Marschok at Post in Syosset

There are other salesmen that I listen to, but these are the only stores I'll buy based only on their description any more.

oh, and I agree re the Briords (though I paid more than David)- great wine- I opened Wed, will revisit tonight

I couldn't find this on Wine Searcher. What is the name?

Check either Olivier Muscadet or Clos des Briords in winesearcher and you'll find the results you are looking for. I personally have found this wine wonderful with 5 or 6 years of aging, so if you get some, make sure to hide a few. Wonderful wine, and inexpensive for its quality. Jim

Check either Olivier Muscadet or Clos des Briords in winesearcher and you'll find the results you are looking for.

I wasn't clear. I find the Clos des Briords on Wine Searcher but not the Michel David Muscadet.

I'm a sucker, I bit on a couple of the Michel David V.V. Muscadet. It's stupid because I know I love the Cuvee Eden from Pepiere and can buy it right now at K&L. I'll let y'all know how it is, and maybe unsubscribe from the Garagiste mailing list for a while.

Still, I'm not sorry to have bought a case of 2002 Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett for $13 per, delivered. Or full bottles of 2004 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume for $49 per. The problem is that in order to get the deals you have to pay such close attention that you get suckered into the hype. Definitely a mixed blessing. Here's hoping the 2004 La Chablisienne Chablis Vieilles Vignes doesn't suck!

Walt

[Jenise]

a Martinsancho Verdejo

Another Garagiste sales job? I have a bottle in my cellar I bought a year or two ago, already drank it's sib and I hated the wine so haven't touched the remaining bottle. I thought we discussed it, you'd bought it too. Is the one you refer to the same one or a more successful vintage?

a Martinsancho Verdejo

Another Garagiste sales job? I have a bottle in my cellar I bought a year or two ago, already drank it's sib and I hated the wine so haven't touched the remaining bottle. I thought we discussed it, you'd bought it too. Is the one you refer to the same one or a more successful vintage?

I recently tried and enjoyed one from 2005 vintage. I think it did come from Garagiste. The wine has a very mineral nose, like muscadet, but heavier in body. Not high in acidity, but lots of grip and concentration. MJ thought there was some vanilla on the finish that I didn't pick up. The wine does have a really interesting story, and maybe that was part of the sales pitch, I can't remember. The owner of the vineyard had a plot of 17th century Verdejo vines that basically saved the production of Verdejo in Spain.

Here is a link to the story.

http://www.classicalwines.com/bodegas/martinsancho.htm

Well, maybe we are being a little hard on Jon. Anybody who accepts his email hyperbole as one-hundred percent literal best-wine-in-the-universe truth of course is bound to be disillusioned, but I doubt that any of us do, and if you know what you want Garagiste can provide considerable bargains, usually the lowest prices in the country (according to what I've found on Winesearcher Pro). And my experience has been that the wines arrive in great shape.

a Martinsancho Verdejo

Another Garagiste sales job? I have a bottle in my cellar I bought a year or two ago, already drank it's sib and I hated the wine so haven't touched the remaining bottle. I thought we discussed it, you'd bought it too. Is the one you refer to the same one or a more successful vintage?

Jenise,
One of my favorite white wines - maybe you read one of my notes; you could say I was selling it. If so, 'sorry it wasn't to your taste.
Best, Jim

... if you know what you want Garagiste can provide considerable bargains, usually the lowest prices in the country (according to what I've found on Winesearcher Pro).

Well, SOMEtimes it's a bargain maybe. I subscribed and bought a couple wines during the winter, but I shop around. One (2000 Lindeman's Pyrus) I found at Trader Joe's for 12 cents a bottle more than Garagiste charged, and the other (2004 Nino Jesus Legado) I found at PCC (a local natural-foods co-op) for the same price as Garagiste. PCC offers 10% off for mixed half-case purchases, so I could have gotten the wine for less than Garagiste's price. In addition, I could have gotten the wine immediately when I paid for it, as opposed to Garagiste, who charges your card long before the wine is available, and I found, they don't bother to let you know when it actually is available to pick up. After waiting for almost three months and watching their website for arrivals, I finally started bugging them via e-mail this spring about the status of my wines. I didn't get much response until I asked them to refund my money because of nonperformance. Finally they looked and told me the wine was available. The warehouse is just over the hill from me, so I made an appointment and went down there. I certainly got a frosty reception - one guy actually told me to get out of their warehouse - I wasn't supposed to be there! Anyway, I did get my wines, but believe me, I don't shop at Garagiste any more. Local wine shops, with real people and real service rule!

Well, maybe we are being a little hard on Jon. Anybody who accepts his email hyperbole as one-hundred percent literal best-wine-in-the-universe truth of course is bound to be disillusioned, but I doubt that any of us do, and if you know what you want Garagiste can provide considerable bargains, usually the lowest prices in the country (according to what I've found on Winesearcher Pro). And my experience has been that the wines arrive in great shape.

I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt who once said, "No one can sell you something without your consent." Something like that. I think you're right that Garagiste is very good retailer. Taking CellarTracker as a proxy for the collector market, here are the stores that sell the most:

Winery (190,331 bottles)
Premier Cru (80,213 bottles)
Garagiste (50,997 bottles)
Wine Library (44,808 bottles)
Costco (30,248 bottles)

No one sells more wines direct from the winery cellar in reefers except maybe K&L or one of the bigger California retailer/importers, and they are superb about waiting to ship until the weather is right. That provenance is provided at the same or lower price as regular retailers.

And for all their hype about "unknown" wines, the most commonly purchased wines are mainly mainstream:

2000 Louis Jadot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes (2,423 bottles)
2002 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz Mast Rare Reserve Block (Australia, Victoria) (480 bottles)
2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale) (437 bottles)
2005 Château Mylord (France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée) (389 bottles)
2001 La Palazzola Rubino Umbria IGT (Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT) (271 bottles)
2002 Berry's Bridge Shiraz (Australia, Victoria, Western Victoria, Pyrenees) (252 bottles)
2004 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale) (251 bottles)
2005 Château Mylord Cuvée Milady (France, Bordeaux, Bordeaux Contrôlée) (241 bottles)
2005 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Mosel) (212 bottles)
2004 Massena Shiraz The Eleventh Hour (Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley) (210 bottles)
1998 Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Gallina di Neive (Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco) (199 bottles)

Several well-known and reviewed shiraz, a Bordeaux that's not well-known but is imported by other people as well, very little Negrette (yes, I got one, couldn't resist the curiosity factor). Apologies to anyone trying to use Cellartracker just now, it was clearly churning pretty hard to come up with these summary statistics.

Walt

Interesting data, Walt. A reasonable argument then would be Cellartracker customers buy more wine from Garagiste than from any other retailer except Premier Cru, and since these guys are exceptionally dedicated wine geeks (it takes a lot of work to enter a cellar in Cellartracker) then their buying habits indicate Garagiste must be doing something right.

I digress, but a discouraging thing about ordering wine online (not just from Garagiste) is you don't get to taste it before you decide to buy. But when I am deciding whether or not to buy online, even if there is a review from Parker, Tanzer or whoever, I check first to see if there are any TNs on it in Cellartracker. Sometimes there are a lot of Cellartracker TNs, some of which even reflect the wine's condition over a day or two, and that often gives a much clearer and more reliable picture of the wine and its potential future than, say, a review in the Wine Advocate, typically an impression taken from a one-time sip-and-spit tasting without food and perhaps without the necessary time for the wine to open in decanter or glass.