Recommend wines for my future cellar

[Earthmover]

Incidentally, I opened a half-bottle of 2003 Guiraud last night. I keep on drinking my Sauternes before their time, but dammit, it's so good, especially with some El Rey white chocolate. It was quite acidic, but after an hour or so, heavenly to drink regardless. Sauternes = awesome.

 

[A Y]

If you live close to a wine-producing region, it's always interesting to get to know some of wineries better, usually by attending tastings and talking to the people who run the place (and who may be pouring for you). There's lots of experimentation going on producing wine that's not listed or normally sold. Some are kind of awful, and some are spectacular.

Some friends recently visited Melville up in the Santa Ynez valley and came back with a Syrah (planted in a high-density configuration and other random things) that had a tannic structures that's really right for aging, but that wine is something they only tell you about in person.

You'll also learn a lot more and it's a lot of fun.

--Andre

 

[graphix]

oi...piobaire...your original answer just makes me cringe. OP if you have thousands of extra dollars just laying around taking up space feel free to start stocking up on the Haarlan, Screaming Eagle, Petrus, Opus, Robert Foley, Lafite...etc. I dont know what your price range is on a per bottle basis... From Burgundy try some of the Premiere Cru's for better deals id say you will get a much better bang for your buck especially if you will be using the wine to entertain quite often. Try a few cases of some german Rieslings they will drink well along most of their life but many will get better for quite a long time to come. Good producers out of south america would be another good QPR purchase. Malbecs from Tikal or Catena. Oregon Pinot Noir....maybe not as great a deal as alot of things right now but still pretty good. Get a decent vintage chart and start looking around on Wine-Searcher.com you will easily be able to see what the going prices are for any given wine so you know your not getting the shaft. As for spain take a look at the regions surrounding chianti because you will get very similar styled wines without the price tag. Im all for a few bottles of haarlan or opus or sceaming eagle in your cellar but i dont think that should be the focus of it at all.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Perhaps a cask of Amontillado?

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by graphix

oi...piobaire...your original answer just makes me cringe. OP if you have thousands of extra dollars just laying around taking up space feel free to start stocking up on the Haarlan, Screaming Eagle, Petrus, Opus, Robert Foley, Lafite...etc. I dont know what your price range is on a per bottle basis... From Burgundy try some of the Premiere Cru's for better deals id say you will get a much better bang for your buck especially if you will be using the wine to entertain quite often. Try a few cases of some german Rieslings they will drink well along most of their life but many will get better for quite a long time to come. Good producers out of south america would be another good QPR purchase. Malbecs from Tikal or Catena. Oregon Pinot Noir....maybe not as great a deal as alot of things right now but still pretty good. Get a decent vintage chart and start looking around on Wine-Searcher.com you will easily be able to see what the going prices are for any given wine so you know your not getting the shaft. As for spain take a look at the regions surrounding chianti because you will get very similar styled wines without the price tag. Im all for a few bottles of haarlan or opus or sceaming eagle in your cellar but i dont think that should be the focus of it at all.
Did you stop after reading the first two? Here's the next four I listed: Siduri AP Vin Loring Peay All sell age worthy wine starting at $20 with average prices about $40/bottle. I just bought a 1/2 case of Peay La Bruma, 2005 Syrah for $29/bottle and it should age well for 10 years. I gave a range of vinters, which seemed like a reasonable thing to do for such a general question. Also, just FYI, Harlan has a second growth, The Maiden, that is $150/bottle, not the $450 this year for Harlan. The SE and Harlan are aspirational, get on the waiting list now, get an allocation somewhere between 2014 and never, so lots of time to decide if wine is going to be a real pursuit or not. Also, as to your thoughts of Oregon PNs, please scan my list. Some of those reasonably priced vintners sell Oregon PN. So you see, that advice was already given. As to your QPR comments, I am not sure he was looking for cellar guards or daily drinkers. He kept stressing age worthy. While I agree the SA Malbecs are great QPRs, I am unsure if they'll cellar well for 10 years. I didn't get into the good Aussie stuff as he'll end up with a case of Yellow Tail if he's not careful

Also, the true vintage port...I just bought a case of 2003 Quinta du Noval for just $55 a bottle! Talk about value for the ultimate in ageable wine! Look too at the Italians I listed. You can get into good Amarones for what? $30 a bottle? Please read my entire list! Again, it was a pretty general question, and if you intelligently look through my answer, you will see I offered a range of prices full of "safe" choices so he does not end up with expensive vinegar in 10 years.

 

[graphix]

i may have had a bit to drink when i wrote that last night so im sorry if i came off as rude, i just hate to see lists of recommendations start with screaming eagle and haarlan. You are right though, the Peay's ive had have been delicious. As you said definatly get some vintage port to have in there. The two malbecs i offered may not go 10 years but they will go 5-7. I would also suggest having a small selection of large format bottles, they age well and can really add to the evening as far as making it something 'special'
B

 

[Piobaire]

Originally Posted by graphix

i may have had a bit to drink when i wrote that last night so im sorry if i came off as rude, i just hate to see lists of recommendations start with screaming eagle and haarlan. You are right though, the Peay's ive had have been delicious. As you said definatly get some vintage port to have in there. The two malbecs i offered may not go 10 years but they will go 5-7. I would also suggest having a small selection of large format bottles, they age well and can really add to the evening as far as making it something 'special'
B

Understood. If I had seen someone else just stop with the SE and Harlan, I'd have said the same thing as you. Totally agree with the large format bottles too! Plus the added bonus of aging slower, as that seems to be important to the OP. My two best large formats right now are a mag of '77 Dow

and 1990 Krug. We'll have the Krug probably over Xmas or NYE, the Dow I plan to keep another 10 years as the 750 ml are drinking well now, I figure I can get another 10 off the mag and make it an even forty

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Understood. If I had seen someone else just stop with the SE and Harlan, I'd have said the same thing as you. Totally agree with the large format bottles too! Plus the added bonus of aging slower, as that seems to be important to the OP. My two best large formats right now are a mag of '77 Dow

and 1990 Krug. We'll have the Krug probably over Xmas or NYE, the Dow I plan to keep another 10 years as the 750 ml are drinking well now, I figure I can get another 10 off the mag and make it an even forty

how many bottles do you have in your cellar?

 

[dkzzzz]

This forum would be a wrong place to ask for such advice.
There are wine forums, search for your answers there.
The only things I have to say are pick your region in California, buy direct and always research the advise of experts on which year is actually good for aging. You can never just buy a wine you like and assume it is going to improve with age.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Nobody liked (or got) my Cask of Amontillado joke?

Come on, SOMEONE has to know a little Edgar Allan Poe in this joint!

Stinkin' wine snobs.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Nobody liked (or got) my Cask of Amontillado joke?

Come on, SOMEONE has to know a little Edgar Allan Poe in this joint!

Stinkin' wine snobs.

I wouldn't be so specific. We're mostly snobs in general.