On Tue, 11 Nov 2014 23:35:17 +0000, santiago wrote:

> Purchased at 12 euro at the Domaine, back in 2005 or 2006, no less!!!

I just received (as you might have also Santiago) the cellar list for
this year from Huet. Sad to say that the 2013 Clos du Bourg sec is 22‚¬
depart cave. The new owner ship really seems to be making its presence
felt on the price front, anyway.

On 11/14/14 4:51 PM, Emery Davis wrote:
> On Tue, 11 Nov 2014 23:35:17 +0000, santiago wrote:
>
>> Purchased at 12 euro at the Domaine, back in 2005 or 2006, no less!!!
>
> I just received (as you might have also Santiago) the cellar list for
> this year from Huet. Sad to say that the 2013 Clos du Bourg sec is 22‚¬
> depart cave. The new owner ship really seems to be making its presence
> felt on the price front, anyway.
>

Not to mention their interaction with wine bloggers like Jim Budd and
Chris Kissack, Emery.

Mark Lipton

--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:57:45 -0500, Mark Lipton wrote:

> Not to mention their interaction with wine bloggers like Jim Budd and
> Chris Kissack, Emery.

What's happened there Mark? Haven't followed it.

Emery Davis > wrote in news:ccne1pFii90U4
@mid.individual.net:

> On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:57:45 -0500, Mark Lipton wrote:
>
>> Not to mention their interaction with wine bloggers like Jim Budd and
>> Chris Kissack, Emery.
>
> What's happened there Mark? Haven't followed it.


Kissack put a lukewarm opinion on some of their wines on his site and, when
the following february he headed to the Huet booth at Salon des Vins de
Loire in Angers , he was denied tasting the wines.

Budd, who is always on the hunt for the next fight, could not resist
weighing and bashing the new management extensively in a pretty disgusting
(Budd-iesque we may say) way.


My take on the issue is that Noel Pinguet (who inherited the Domaine from
Gaston Huet who was, in turn, son of Victor Huet - the founder), was a
great winemaker with a lot of sensitivity for grapes, but he lacked
management skills or common sense in the business area.

During the last 20 years under the management of Pinguet, the Domaine
produced great wines, but they failed to capitalize on the quality and
reputation of the domaine. As weird as it sounds, they should have been
able to increase the price of the wines while maintaining their clients
happy about the transaction. (Ever seen a customer walking out of an Apple
Store glowing with satisfaction after paying 600 euro for a smartphone?)

The fact is that the Domaine was not that profitable and he needed to bring
an outside investor. Obviously, the investor is a much better businessmen
than Pinguet, got to have 51% of the shares and as soon as disagreements
arose... they dumped Pinguet. Not unexpectedly, may I add.

The purchase of the Domaine did not include stock of old vintages and I
read that Pinguet (who is on age for retirement), sold those stocks through
BBR.

Now, what remains to be proved is if the new management is as good with the
grapes as they are with the business side.

What Domaine Huet has not know is the sensitivity of Pinguet or the old
stocks that were the heritage of the winery.

s.

On Saturday, November 15, 2014 3:29:33 AM UTC-7, santiago wrote:
> Emery Davis > wrote in news:ccne1pFii90U4
> @mid.individual.net:
>
> > On Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:57:45 -0500, Mark Lipton wrote:
> >
> >> Not to mention their interaction with wine bloggers like Jim Budd and
> >> Chris Kissack, Emery.
> >
> > What's happened there Mark? Haven't followed it.
>
>
> Kissack put a lukewarm opinion on some of their wines on his site and, when
> the following february he headed to the Huet booth at Salon des Vins de
> Loire in Angers , he was denied tasting the wines.
>
> Budd, who is always on the hunt for the next fight, could not resist
> weighing and bashing the new management extensively in a pretty disgusting
> (Budd-iesque we may say) way.
>
>
> My take on the issue is that Noel Pinguet (who inherited the Domaine from
> Gaston Huet who was, in turn, son of Victor Huet - the founder), was a
> great winemaker with a lot of sensitivity for grapes, but he lacked
> management skills or common sense in the business area.
>
> During the last 20 years under the management of Pinguet, the Domaine
> produced great wines, but they failed to capitalize on the quality and
> reputation of the domaine. As weird as it sounds, they should have been
> able to increase the price of the wines while maintaining their clients
> happy about the transaction. (Ever seen a customer walking out of an Apple
> Store glowing with satisfaction after paying 600 euro for a smartphone?)
>
> The fact is that the Domaine was not that profitable and he needed to bring
> an outside investor. Obviously, the investor is a much better businessmen
> than Pinguet, got to have 51% of the shares and as soon as disagreements
> arose... they dumped Pinguet. Not unexpectedly, may I add.
>
> The purchase of the Domaine did not include stock of old vintages and I
> read that Pinguet (who is on age for retirement), sold those stocks through
> BBR.
>
> Now, what remains to be proved is if the new management is as good with the
> grapes as they are with the business side.
>
> What Domaine Huet has not know is the sensitivity of Pinguet or the old
> stocks that were the heritage of the winery.
>
> s.

What many wine managers still don't seem to get is that it is a buyer's market. Yeah, top ranked Bordeaux, Burgundy, some cult Cali wines can get big bucks, the rest are struggling to make sales in an expanding supply chain. Blocking a wine writer because they didn't get the result they wanted is just dishonest unless what he wrote was outright falsehood which, from my reading of the original article it did not appear to be, would justify their stance.