Baltusrol: The Complete Review
Jump to the following sections:
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Read the in-depth interview with Phil for additional insights into Baltusrol’s fantastic wine program
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The Swig Coach proprietary grid lays out the Baltusrol list by country and grape
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See detailed comparisons to retail prices that show Baltusol’s impressive commitment to member value
Swig Coach Verified Review: Baltusrol Golf Club Wine Program
I didn’t come here to praise Baltusrol’s two championship golf courses. You can find far more qualified people to do that, or just assume it from the 17 majors they’ve hosted in the past 125 years. If you want to read about its illustrious history, there’s a great recap here. The Lower Course is currently rated #45 in the US by Golf Digest and #57 in the world by Golf Magazine, which I think is a joke and should be much higher, but again, nobody cares what I have to say about that.
I’m here to praise Baltusrol’s wine program, because in my opinion, it’s every bit as great as the golf courses themselves. We subjected Baltusrol to the rigorous Swig Coach analytic framework and it clearly emerged as a true champion.
The Big Picture
Baltusrol has an exceptional wine list that mirrors the global renown of its golf courses. Its membership can take equal pride (and enjoyment!) in the large, carefully curated, diverse, and attractively priced selections that offer exceptional value, no matter how they might be comped. Maximum scores were awarded for the most important and heavily weighted Swig Coach criteria: breadth, depth, price, value, storage, and classic wines. Special mention is merited for the Club’s world-class commitment to the member experience. As explained below, we see an opportunity to add some additional diversity, and we were happy to learn in our conversation with Club management that this is already actively on their radar and in progress as of this writing. Like a great golfer, the best are, to borrow a phrase, always in relentless pursuit of perfection!
Before we dive into the details we want to highlight three key aspects of Baltusrol’s excellence:
Baltusrol’s list is a cab lovers paradise, with incredible breadth and depth in California and Bordeaux, Meritage, etc, with well over 100 different labels to choose from. Based on experience, we feel pretty safe in stating that for wine-loving golfers, cab is king, and Baltusrol gives it an appropriate throne.
Value like you can’t believe. The Swig Coach believes that a private golf club, unlike a resort or restaurant, exists to offer “value” to its membership, however that might be defined. It can get hazy in terms of the various elements and costs of a golf membership, but we’ve developed an approach to quantifying value in a wine program you’ll find explained in detail in the Price and Value Analysis. Value is independent of price-that is, it doesn’t matter whether the bottle costs you $75 or $750, we can still measure whether it’s a “good deal.” Baltusrol’s list simply kills it on this dimension.
Member experience above all else. Baltusrol’s staff, under the direction of Kevin Vitale (GM) and Phil Wheeler (Asst. GM and wine director) has an unshakeable commitment to personalized member service. They scrupulously maintain notes on individual member preferences and are dedicated to the creation of self-described “wow” moments wherever possible. Within the confines of the Club’s rules, the perhaps unattainable goal is to “never say no” to a member. Who wouldn’t want to drink and dine here whenever possible?
Phil Wheeler in a small section of Baltusrol’s 8000+ bottle cellar
Baltusrol Performance On Key Swig Coach Criteria
Breadth means the list displays regional and grape diversity. Major wine regions and important grapes are represented, with extra points for thoughtful additions outside the expected.
The Baltusrol list is quite unusual in that its primary organizing principle is grape variety rather than region. This approach helps guide members to a grape(s) of interest and doesn’t require them to memorize regional standards. While there’s a definite focus on noble red grapes, particularly those associated with Bordeaux and Napa, the list has a few real surprises like two Montefalco sagrantinos. If it goes with red meat, you can probably find it on the Baltusrol list. We analyzed the entire list and you can find a distribution by grape and region in the link above.
Depth recognizes the depth of quality in specific regions that merit attention (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Napa, Tuscany etc.) with multiple selections in each, as well as a range of vintages that allow for drinking mature wines. The presence of larger formats is also a plus.
Baltusrol knocks this out of the park, especially with American cabernet, Bordeaux blends, New World pinot, and chardonnay. If these wines excite you, you will be amply rewarded. Many fine wines are available in magnum.
Price range indicates availability of a broad range of prices that suit both casual drinking and special occasions, consistent with member expectations and the local market.
It’s perhaps not surprising that Baltusrol crushes the high end, but almost 25% of the list is priced under $100/bottle (about 75 wines, not including another 20+ wines on the rotating by-the-glass list). Whatever the occasion, members have lots of options.
Value quantitatively measures the degree to which the club's mark-up makes wine prices competitive externally and is determined through direct comparison to US retail prices available at wine-searcher.com. Value can be found across the price spectrum, not only in less expensive wines.
Baltusrol quite simply offers the most exceptional value we’ve ever seen in a wine list, with prices in some cases below retail and therefore drastically below restaurant levels as well. This makes sense when one considers the wine program serves a private membership instead of the public and doesn’t need to make up for profit shortfalls in other areas of the operation. The Club’s policy of flat dollar mark-ups on higher-end wines creates enormous, market-busting value. Savvy members who understand the economics of the broader wine market can subsidize large chunks of their golf and club expenses by availing themselves of this incredible arbitrage opportunity. For a deeper dive into the Swig Coach price and value analysis, see above.
Storage requires the wine inventory is appropriately temperature- and humidity- controlled, with careful consideration of provenance.
Baltusrol has made considerable investment in proper storage both in high traffic dining/drinking areas as well as nearby to ensure impeccable storage of their high-quality inventory. The temperature-controlled facility across the parking lot is a breathtaking showcase.
Classic wines are generally recognized to be great exemplars of their region, based on historical reputation, critical acclaim, higher prices, and active auction markets. Availability of mature wines is necessary for a full score.
Baltusrol’s collection in Napa and Bordeaux is effectively world-class, whether the frame of reference is retail or a famous restaurant with a destination-worthy wine list. The mere presence of multiple DRC options causes a hush to fall over the gallery. The Bordeaux selections are especially noteworthy for the availability of perfectly mature wines, including several from the excellent 2000 vintage.
Hand Me The Wine List…
$100 and under…
Mayacamas Chardonnay 2018 $65
Seavey Merlot 2011 $70 (might be taking a chance but…)
Jean Luc Colombo Cornas Terres Brulees 2014 $65
Mastroberardino Naturalis 2011 $100
$250 and under…
Sea Smoke Ten 2019 $150
Biondi Santi Rosso 2016 $175
Quintarelli Rosso del Bepi 2008 $220
Chateau Haut Bailly 2000 $250
Over $250
Dom Perignon 2005 $275
DRC Grands Echezeaux 2014 $800 (all day and all of the night)
Chateau Pontet Canet 2010 $350
Spottswoode 2016 $320
Other scored criteria
Glassware should be appropriate for the quality of wines on the list with at minimum different shapes for pinot noir and Bordeaux varietals. Good quality carafes should be available as needed during service.
Baltusrol uses restaurant grade, Riedel universal glasses as a practical solution given consideration of volume, breakage etc. There are Burgundy glasses and large-bowled Bordeaux glasses for special bottles of pinot, cab and Bordeaux blends, respectively. Riedel Boa decanters are available in sufficient quantity to handle demand.
Staff knowledge and service means that there should be someone on the floor after 5PM who can intelligently answer questions; staff can find bottles with unfamiliar names. Service denotes that the staff goes the extra mile to anticipate member needs.
The Baltusrol POS system allows staff to make notes on the preferences of individual members, which are scrupulously observed and followed on each visit. The wine manager takes the concept of service to an off-the-charts extreme, even going to retail to buy wines for a non-resident member who only drinks white zinfandel a few times in season. Other examples of Ritz-Carlton-like attention to the details of member experience were cited. If it were possible, we would award Baltusrol (and the wine program manager himself) extra points in this category.
Corkage policy allows room for a reasonable approach to corkage, even in a list that is already great. Immediate deduction if not available.
Baltusrol inherently recognizes that a percentage of members may be collectors themselves and the Club fully supports corkage.
Member education tries through tastings and other activities to educate members about wine and enhance their enjoyment of the experience.
Paired dinners are held 6-7 times a year, including some built around winemaker visits. Special pricing on wines served at tastings may be offered to attendees creating additional member value. A recent Mouton Rothschild portfolio tasting is a great example. Separately, a complimentary wine-of-the-month tasting introduces members to new and interesting additions on an on-going basis.
By-the-glass program should include multiple wines available by-the-glass at less than restaurant mark-ups with an intent to “push the envelope” and expose members to new and possibly off-the-beaten-path options.
Baltusrol offers more than 20 wines through a rotating quarterly by- the- glass program, including options for sparkling, white, red, and rosé. There is sufficient breadth for most drinkers, time of day, and occasion. Importantly, wines by the glass are kept at appropriate serving temperatures at every bar throughout the facility. The average price per glass, starting at around $12, is lower than comparable restaurants yet the Baltusrol member will be drinking higher quality wines at each price point. By-the-glass wines can also be purchased as bottles and all sell for less than $100, creating the opportunity for spontaneous drinking of something new on an on-going basis. We would like to see a few more adventurous choices such as the Sparr Alsatian Riesling offered in November, which covers a hole that otherwise exists on the larger list. California cab once again dominates with four of the 13 red selections. Apparently, there’s no loosening its stranglehold.
The wine list itself is clearly presented, up-to-date, free of errors and encourages members to explore their options
The organization of the Baltusrol list referenced above is both a strength and a weakness. While standardizing on grape variety offers clarity to the drinker, it forces the list to adopt a secondary classification by country and region that must be scrupulously maintained to avoid errors. Blends from areas like the Southern Rhone and in wines such as Amarone require their own vague grape descriptors. Finally, it also exposes in plain sight the presence of one-offs, that is, a single wine on the list from one specific grape, country, and region, which has the potential effect of unnecessarily creating focus where none is intended.
Areas for Improvement
While the Baltusrol program flirts with perfection, there are several tweaks still possible to up its game. Note these suggested enhancements are significantly less sweeping than the renovation/restoration recently completed on the Club’s famed Lower layout! As we say in the wine biz, a little judicious pruning is all that’s required.
A little more diversity. It's an increasingly big wine world out there, and there are some noticeable gaps on the list. Whether it's accomplished by shifting away from the heavy emphasis on cab or through other means, filling in a few of those gaps would help nudge Baltusrol towards tap-in range.
Address the outliers. We found a few examples of wines that may be over the hill or less than stellar examples of their type.
Summary
We’d NEVER turn down an opportunity to play golf or drink wine at Baltusrol. The wine list offers the best value we’ve ever seen on a wine list anywhere. It encourages you to spend more because you’re getting some of the best deals you’ll ever see, especially on the high end in California, Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Distribution by Country and Grape Variety
This point-in-time analysis clearly shows some themes specific to a golf club list where cab is king. More than 40% of the total list has at least some cab in it, and even more if you throw in the Super Tuscans. Not coincidentally, half the list is from California. The Club is actively in the process of migrating towards greater diversity, reflecting changes in member preferences and the desire to offer new vinous experiences.
Price and Value Analysis
As one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world, Baltusrol’s membership clearly has a thirst for the best. This can be plainly seen from the presence of over 100 bottles available at $200 or more. However, not every meal is a special occasion or business dinner on an expense account. It’s a tribute to the program that they offer 75 wines under $100, of which a full 43 are less than $75, not including 20 additional options from the by-the-glass list.
But price only tells part of the story, and truth be told, it’s irrelevant without some notion of the value embedded in the list. Baltusrol’s wine program offers extraordinary value relative to available data on what a drinker would have to pay in the real world. The table below takes a representative sample of Baltusrol wines and compares the price a member would pay while at the Club with average retail prices taken from a recent snapshot at wine-searcher.com. The index is a simple calculation that divides the Baltusrol price by the retail price. Think about it this way. A typical retailer is going to mark up a wine 40-60% over their cost. A restaurant marks it up 3 or 4 times over their cost. Any result under 100 means the wine costs less at Baltusrol than it does at retail. Similarly, an index of 200 or less beats almost any restaurant on the planet, especially for more expensive bottles.
Here’s a great illustration of Baltusrol’s value. We found a bottle of the ever popular if expensive Opus One on the list at Baltusrol and at a prestigious New Jersey restaurant that stocks it regularly. To make it apples to apples, both wines are from the 2012 vintage. A Baltusrol member would pay $320 for the bottle while dining at the Club. If he or she wanted to buy it for their cellar or a friend, it would cost $447 at retail (wine-searcher.com average price). At the high-end NJ restaurant, the wine list price is $1000.
Baltusrol vs. wine-searcher.com
