Kluge Estate New World Red

[redwinegulper]

This is a new winery in Charlottesville, Va and the wine is a Bordeaux type blend of Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot. I checked out the website and they are charging $58 for the 2001. This seems like a deal since the very limited 2000 sells for $450 (but comes in a really fancy box). I have never tasted or even seen this wine, but my guess is that it is overpriced (but because the owner has billions of $$ we will hear more about).

Anyone try this wine? Ever hear of it?

[docsconz]

I haven't tried this wine, but others from the area aren't bad. The Virginia Piedmont around Charlottesville is considered to be an up and coming wine area. Even so $58/bottle is rather pricey.

[Mark Sommelier]

Mrs. Kluge did the unveiling party for the New World Red at Citronelle. Michel Rolland is the consulting oenologist. The wine is pleasant tasting. The vines are incredibly young - 3 years old - for producing world class wine. I was not aware that it was so expensive. $58 retail is around $40 wholesale. They also produce New World White which is a sort of sweet, fortified chardonnay aperitif type wine. An acquired taste.

[Phil Ward]

I have not tried the wine but know the estate from my days in C'Ville. The former owners tried an experimental vineyard back in the early 80's. As to the current owner(s), I am sure they will do their best to make a fine wine from VA and I am sure that it is overpriced as there is very little wine from anywhere, in my humble opinion, that commands prices at this level.

Thaks for listening.

Phil Ward

[Fat Guy]

I haven't tried the wine in question but I did attend a Virginia wine dinner at the Tasting Room here in New York City last year. The wines were better than I had expected, though all of them seemed overpriced. At the more reasonable end of the spectrum, I got the sense of "a little bit overpriced but it's a novelty so it might make sense to pay the extra." At the more expensive end, my reaction was "why the hell are people so obsessed with producing wine on every inch of the planet's surface regardless of suitability or any hope of providing a competitive price-to-quality ratio?"

[docsconz]

I have not tried the wine but know the estate from my days in C'Ville. The former owners tried an experimental vineyard back in the early 80's. As to the current owner(s), I am sure they will do their best to make a fine wine from VA and I am sure that it is overpriced as there is very little wine from anywhere, in my humble opinion, that commands prices at this level.

Thaks for listening.

Phil Ward

Do you remember who the former owners were or the name of their winery? Monticello was a good winery, but I don't know if they are still there.

[Phil Ward]

"Do you remember who the former owners were or the name of their winery? Monticello was a good winery, but I don't know if they are still there.

"

It was the Whitney Stone family, although Mr. Stone and his wife have passed away years ago and that is why the estate was sold.

Monticello is still around but is not related to TJ's home. It was derived from the "old" Monticello Wine Company, if I am not mistaken.

Phil Ward