sure you're paying for exclusivity with a lot of high priced wine.

but there's more than just exclusivity in play.

I freely admit that RC at $15k a bottle is not 50x as good as a nice burgundy with another name.

but after having enough different bottles, there are absolutely differences that you can taste side by side.

I can even taste the difference between a La Tache and RC now.

whether those differences are worth the premium price is a matter of opinion.

 

I reiterate, if there is no tangible benefit, why go up the line? We all understand want, but what are you getting for it? What need or compulsion is it satisfying if there is no improvement in what you bought over the lesser-priced version?

 

Of course it is. But you didn't say better, necessarily.

 

It's English.

 

I always put it this way: with wine, you very quickly reach a price at which you pay less for qualitative differences and much, much more for prestige and scarcity.

 

I totally agree but I also realize there are very drastic differences in our taste sense.
Some people have a more acute ability to discern even subtle differences and that should prevail all the way up the cost structure to a certain degree.
Unfortunately some people like myself, perhaps due to my age or my being a 1960's survivor, would most probably not be able to tell the difference between even different vintage La Tache and RC. But I'd sure as hell like to try.
And my brother has considerable first hand experience with both master somms and some of the most esteemed Napa and Sonoma winemakers. And their ability to break out every aspect of a wine in blind is beyond comprehension.
Of course price can be affected by hype, marketing etc. but even I can taste differences when I A-B touted $25 wine with $150.

 

There are drastic differences in taste sense, but I also think some of that is overblown. Not that you can't pick out, say, La Tache in a lineup. It's so distinctive, you totally can. And, at this point, I'm pretty comfortable being able to choose wines that are made in certain ways (e.g., more intensive vineyard techniques, more new oak barrels), but I think you still bump up to that point of scarcity and prestige pretty quality. Merely an observation; not to say that trophy bottles aren't fun. I love them.

 

I'm more of the simple-dude like/dislike category. lol

Yep, there gets to be a point and it is about the price, for some people.

Somms are amazing. To have that ability ... wow. Wonder if it is still fun, however. I'd guess it is. We all have certain attributes that mystify others -- don't ask me about small-engine repair and do not put a stack of financials in front of me, whatever you do. But writing is easy.

 

Big fan of Regusci. My wife and I visited their winery back in 2013 and loved it. Laid back and good wine.

 

I've just spent the last 20 minutes seeing if I can find an import bottle of any of the nice Californian wines you guys have mentioned and come up completely short. Seems like if I want to try , for instance, a Jordan it will have to be in Las Vegas! I was rather hoping to try one was a warm up !