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cgallamo

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Hi all,

I have noticed over the years that there have been several wine brands that started off as great bargains, but over time the quality eroded. Maybe my tastes changed or maybe I am experiencing a conspiracy theory mentality, but it seems they leveraged the loyalty/memory of the name to keep people buying. Often it seems the drop off was paired with mass production.

The best example I can think of is Barefoot Cellars. About 15 years ago these were in the $6-8 range and many were great (especially the Chardonnay) for the price. They still have those labels for the gold medals they won way back when. More examples are Monkey Bay Sauv Blank (maybe not as much a drop in quality as a hike in price), Kendall Jackson Chardonnay, Yellow Tail...

I've had a few lately where I think they are just starting the drop off and resting on past laurels. La Crema Pinot (particularly Russian River), Locations F-, Caymus Cab, Erath Pinot? Has anyone else noticed this? Do you have any you think have fallen off? Maybe it is just be my palette changing?

Chris
 
I don't have experience with many of these, but as for the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, I believe it has gotten better. Also important to remember that the growing conditions play a factor in the end product, so variation is to be expected.
 
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