I favor the Allez Comp as it has the E5 aluminum - which is very, very good. Its only a couple hundred more than the Elite model and, well worth the difference imho. As time passes, you can upgrade components/wheels and you will have a modern road bike that knocks on the door of the best available. So as time passes and you want to upgrade, you only need to change a component or two, not the bike frame because you already have a top tier frame. Chances are, a shop will drop a hundred or two off the price of the "Comp" model if its in stock. Maybe even if it has to be ordered. You may still hit your $1200 limit.

That's my advice, but you need to be be comfortable with the geometry of whatever you buy. There are lot of good bikes on the market but at your price point, some compromises have to be made. In my opinion, its better to compromise on components than the frame set. And that Allez E5 is a very good frame - making no apologies to the best available.