10 replies to this topic

[DonRocks]

Click here for news of his latest fraud.

[DrXmus]

Perhaps I shouldn't have bought that rare bottle of "Reserve Estate Bottled Single Barrel 2009 Cupcake Pinot Noir" I paid $300 for. Was that a mistake? The guy seemed so genuine!

Seriously, though, what kind of dumbass sells counterfeit bottles of a vintage that can easily be proven to be fraudulent? At least fake a bottle that was actually produced!

[DonRocks]

Perhaps I shouldn't have bought that rare bottle of "Reserve Estate Bottled Single Barrel 2009 Cupcake Pinot Noir" I paid $300 for. Was that a mistake? The guy seemed so genuine!

Seriously, though, what kind of dumbass sells counterfeit bottles of a vintage that can easily be proven to be fraudulent? At least fake a bottle that was actually produced!

He was doing it for years and duping everybody.

[Mark Slater]

I saw Rudy a few years ago at La Paulée de New York. This is a gala dinner for three hundred wine collectors, wine makers and their friends. Everyone brings wine. Rudy brought a 6 liter bottle of 1979 Romanée Conti which carried the number 001. I thought it was the wine of the night.

[Keithstg]

http://wineberserker...php?f=1&t=61172

May be a bit geeky for some, but this thread on WB has incredible background on RK's last attempt to auction some wines, including very dubious lots that were called out by posters on the bulletin board, in close to real time. Fascinating.

[TedE]

I saw Rudy a few years ago at La Paulée de New York. This is a gala dinner for three hundred wine collectors, wine makers and their friends. Everyone brings wine. Rudy brought a 6 liter bottle of 1979 Romanée Conti which carried the number 001. I thought it was the wine of the night.

Mark, serious question: do you think there's a chance that bottle was a fake (I couldn't tell if you were trying to imply that by relating the story)? If it was fake, what does that mean for your interpretation of it's quality? I've said it before, but I find the intersection of perception and reality in wine quality to be fascinating.

[Mark Slater]

Mark, serious question: do you think there's a chance that bottle was a fake (I couldn't tell if you were trying to imply that by relating the story)? If it was fake, what does that mean for your interpretation of it's quality? I've said it before, but I find the intersection of perception and reality in wine quality to be fascinating.

Ted, in the context of the event that I encountered this bottle at, it never occured to me that it might be a fake. La Paulée brings out the big guns in the collecting world. There was so much wine from the Domaine de la Romanée Conti from so many different vintages in so many different sized bottles that my head was spinning. There was plenty of Burgundy from other producers, as well, in vintages going back to the 1920's. DRC has a unique flavor and aroma profile. I, as well as many others there, tasted a lot of it that night. There is no doubt in my mind that the glass of wine Rudy gave me was incredibly profound and delicious. The fact that the bottle he had in front of him was worth several hundred thousand dollars could have easily influenced perceptions. I remember thinking that bottle #001 was a pretty outrageous find.

[DonRocks]

Interesting profile of rare wine authenticator/consultant Maureen Downey.

(I don't know her, but we do share an alma mater)

He's now known as "Kurniawan," but ten years ago, everyone called him "Rudy."

April 25, 2008: Kurniawan's Barbarossa.

Don Cornwell should be considered a hero <-- don't click on that link unless you have nothing to do for the next five years.

(Interesting side note: Although they probably don't even remember it, I was the one who made the original John Kapon - Allen Meadows connection.)

(The Don Rockwell - Don Cornwell connection)

[plarkins]

Interesting reads. Another good account from Mike Steinberger, published in Vanity Fair

[DameEdna]

What a great story! I'm guessing these fake bottles will be around for years, if not decades.

[DonRocks]

lllegal Search and Seizure?

 

Nope.

 

How are your new friends in Brooklyn treating you, Rudy? Getting to know the penal system?