One thing’s for sure; I’m not alone, and there’s also that saying about ‘pissing into the wind’ too, but having been bitten more than once this year in the ‘allocations game’ I cannot but help the cathartic tap of the keyboard.
I suppose it’s my demographic – basically I’m too democratic – multiple merchants for multiple bottles; maximimum 6-packs, more typically 3 bottles of each – oh and I only (95%) buy burgundy. No merchant racks up (many) ‘thousands’ in sales despite that (probably – we none of us want to look too closely do we?) being the year-end total. I can also be my own worst enemy, feeling slighted? – no problem, send them all back – a salesperson once told me that they had never seen an allocation of DRC (02) refused before – they might yet see it over the 2004 allocation too! I was probably also silly rejecting 6 bottles of Fourrier’s doubtlessly stunning 2005 Clos St.Jacques (amongst several other cuvées in that parcel), simply because I didn’t get 1 measly bottle of Griotte after buying it consistently for years, but we’re all different. Also, don’t get me wrong, I would have rejected the parcel if I’d got no CSJ too – it’s a principle thing, not a Griotte thing.
How do you win in the allocations game? Buying everything the merchant has in every vintage is probably the only way – despite some merchants saying that they have an eye for bringing on younger buyers (for the future) this is frankly BS; given consistent buying (each vintage) you will still be muscled out by the ‘money-players’ in a sought-after vintage – at least if your demographic matches mine.
Wine from Burgundy is finite, and if more people want it, what’s to be done? Allocations will slowly reduce – it’s inevitable – but why should a consistent buyer be told ‘sorry, but there’s nothing for you this year’. It happens and that’s life – I can live with it – though it doesn’t mean I have to like it. Still there’s always wine to buy and I’m sure I won’t be missed.