2006 Scarecrow

Scarecrow has a reasonably priced allocation this year at $175/bottle. Buy it, if you are on the list.

This wine has the advantage of having been rated by Parker, so we're not buying something completely unknown. The 2006 earned 94+, which is Parker's lowest score for any Scarecrow, but with the 95 point 2005 retailing at $400, you're probably safe paying $175 for the 94+.

If you plan to flip this one, then I recommend doing so quickly. The 2005 Scarecrow has fallen substantially from the $620-$650 level seen in March 2008.

Be ready at midnight on March 21st to claim yours.

2006 Screaming Eagle Allocation

The 2006 Screaming Eagle allocations are available - for $750 a bottle.

The rules are changing, and the top CA cults are no longer an automated buy. See my Sloan post for an example of one to skip.

If you're fortunate enough to be on the list, you probably still want this one. After adding item tax, shipping, and shipping tax, my 3 bottles came to $2507. This is $835 delivered. An auction house will take 20% of the hammer price, so 2006 Screaming Eagle needs to fall below $1002, for you to loose money on this.

Longtime members of the Screaming Eagle allocation club will remember the 2003 offered at the (then) outrageous price of $500. That seems like a gift now, and for wine speculators, it was.

You can cut the auction premium to as little as 10%, if you use a discount auctioneer like JJ Buckley, who will auction it online with no reserve. For most wines, it still won't be worth it. But 10% on a Screaming Eagle is actually worth capturing. Plus, demand is still high enough for Screaming eagle to sell at a reasonable price on an internet auction. I wouldn't try this with most other $1000+ wines, like a 1985 Henri Jayer Echezeaux, for instance. The Jayer market is too thin to trust it to a no-reserve online auction.