Top 10 Overpriced Unicorn Wines According to Me

So I’ve written before that unicorn wines are for suckers.  These are typically wines that are

fairly small production and hard to get that are blasted with the full fire hose of hype by

hipster somms, among others.  By the time they are unicorn wines, the massive spike in

demand combined with the small fixed supply has caused prices to skyrocket, often well

beyond prices that could be justified by the inherent quality of the wine.

Obviously, the hype to price translation factor can be far more extreme for some wines.

Today, I Present my list of the top 10 overrated unicorn wines.  Please note that some of

these wines are not bad (some I actually like). This list is simply my opinion of the ones that are vastly overpriced for what they are.

1. Clos Rougeard Clos, Poyeaux and Bourg - I love these wines and take a glance at wine IG or Delectable and you'll see others do as well. These have always been amongst the most expensive wines in the Loire but in the last 5 years they have gone nuclear and the only place they are affordable is France. The secondary market and #unicorn wine moniker has made these wines, that I used to drink regularly, unaffordable. A quick glance at wine-searcher shows the 2010 Poyeaux at $275-$300, the 2010 Bourg for $549 and the 2010 Clos for $170-$200. This is crazy. When I was at CSW they sat on the shelves for $80 (Bourg) $55 (Poyeaux) $40 (Clos). That was 2008. In 8 years they have gone up that much. Insane. I blame it on the unicorn wine moniker and social media. Period. 
2. Leroy Musigny - I will say this is rare. I've never had it. I think 500 bottles a vintage. I got a grey offer the other day for maybe 2011-2012-2013 and it was 8,500 a bottle my cost. WTF? On wine searcher you can find 2007 between $4,000-$5,200 which is a steal but then again collated to my cost $8,500 which I would sell for $9,750 and make a slim margin. Not that this is my market. It isn't. In Europe I see prices as high as $15,000 for the 2012. I know it's Leroy, I know it's rare, I know it's a unicorn, it's still outrageous, esp when you can find JF Mugnier for well under a thousand. 
3. Noel Verset Cornas - Another one I used to drink with reckless abandon and then kind of forgot about them and now if you can find them they are $400 to $800. I love these wines although you do have get the right bottle or they can be too funky but this was a $45 bottle of Cornas back in 2002-2003. Yes, he is passed away and yes it is rare, but for a wine that great, but volatile, that is too much. 
4. Sylvain Cathiard Romanee St. Vivant - Another wine that was always expensive and now is in the stratosphere approaching DRC levels. It was $200+ back in 2002. Now it is between $850 and $2,200. That is out of hand increases and has the wine increased commensurate with quality? It's a great wine, and it's scarce (maybe one barrel) and I've only tasted 2-4 times but I think over a grand is too much.
5. Keller G-Max - This is a great wine. Do not get me wrong. It is one of the top 3-5 dry Rieslings in Germany and I understand that It is "German Montrachet" but it is so far out of the realm of pricing of German GG's that $650-$700 is kind of laughable. Is it X amount better that even his own Abtserde for $150? Or X amount better than Battenfeld Spanier Frauenberg for $50 or Schafer-Frohlich for $75-$85? No it is not. This is the only German dry bottling that is priced like a cult burgundy, or what not. It is very good, but please hunting for this wine is like having Megan Fox at home and hunting for Margot Robbie. What's the point? I guess the hunt, because Margot Robbie is no better or no worse than Megan Fox. 
6. Domaine d’Auvenay Auxey-Duresses Blanc Les Clous - Auxey Duresses is a humble appellation that has some nice producers like Lafouge who specialize in Auxey and others who make Auxey amongst a lineup of many other wines. Roulot, Leroux, Fichet and a few others. They are priced commensurate within the appellation, with Roulot being the most expensive at $60-$90. Then we have Domaine d'Auvenay Auxey-Duresses Blanc Les Clous which, mind you is not a 1er Cru, and is a delicious wine. Which I thought was splurge in 2002 when it was $60 a bottle. Now it it between $275-$600 a bottle. Just madness, It’s a great wine but anything over $75 is gouging, but yes the market bears it as it is not available in the USA.
7. Jules Dejourney Moulin A Vent “Les Michellons” - The Henri Jayer of Beaujolais is what people call him and if there is one thing they have in common and it’s the outrageous pricing. These wines are very woody and have not convinced me and this is $85 a bottle. When you you can get fellow Unicorn Foillard 3.14 for $60 ish it is foolish to buy this oak bomb for $85. 
8. Bernhard Huber “Wildenstein” “R” Spatburgunder Reserve - I’ve never been a fan of Huber but many are. This is a big, oaky and extracted wine for my palate and if you want it it will run you $240+ if you can find it. The amount of options for under $75 for the best reds German has to offer are too numerous to even discuss. 
9. Chave Hermitage Cuvee Cathleen - Hmmmm…..the cheapest bottle I can find is $2,800 a bottle. It goes up to $5,500 a bottle for the 1990. While you can find the regular for $150 and up for better vintages. Need I say more? 
10. Krug Brut 'Clos D'Ambonnay' Blanc De Noirs - When this came out it was $2,800 a bottle for  the ’95. Now it starts at $1,800 and goes up to $4,300. Before this bottling existed Krug Clos du Mesnil, their other Clos, which was $500 or so and one of the most expensive Champagnes on the market. Boy, did they bust through that glass ceiling!