at release prices - are there any others?  Of course, with the AUD now at $.88 and climbing, that may change.

lets see....$300+ bottle in my collection are:

1959 chat margaux
1988 drc
2002 screaming eagle
2003 chat lafite
2003 harlan estate
2003 screaming eagle
2004 harlan estate
2005 harlan estate


2001 david arthur elevation 1147 mag (not sure if mag count)
2001-04 pride cab/claret mag
2001 shafer hillside select mag
200s shafer hillside select mag
2001 sherwin family american flag mag
2004 harlan estate mag
2004 sqn poker face mag
2004 sqn into the dark mag

I think you have to add a third catagory.  There are the crazies like me that go both ways.  I certainly consider myself a "collector" but I don't equate a high price on an "upstart" wine makes a wine collectable.  There is the "celebrity" of a well-known very good winemaker in the equation also but that factor is IMO nowhere near the "collectable value" that a "proven" wine has.Â

There are many other very good reasons other than price that make a bottle "collectable".  There's the age of the bottle (but that is somewhat related to price).  I'd much rather have a $300 bottle of 1967 Chateau d'Yquem than a new bottle of Sloan any day.

As a matter of fact I'm in a quandry on a somewhat related problem right now.  It was a tough decision to make but I did work up the guts and passed on my HSS offering a couple of months ago (6 bottles @ $200 [or something like that]) and thought I was "off the hook".  I wrote them and told them that my "financial position at the moment" just didn't allow for me to take the allocation.  This morning I get an email to just let me know, even though the allocation period is long expired that they have "saved" a six-pak for me and would I want it now.

$1200?  Would that buy me a bottle of a nice 1985 DRC?  Maybe.  Or do I take the stuff and just figure on selling four of them?  Will I get my money back so I might be able to get that DRC at a later date?Â

The "cash flow" thing is lousy.  Help!

I have found that over the years the popular wines that made great names for themselves would run of the shelves each year, only to appear next year at a higher price... Like many I'm sure I would scoot of to the outlet and purchase these to lay down, dreaming of the occasion to which I would delve into there inner secrets.... What would I have with it?...who would I invite?... Now, some ten years later with these greats resting away, my tastes has changed... It a pinot mission!...Its a time thing, I consider the Pinots to be the Mozart and Beethoven of wine whereas as the great Cabs are the ACDC.... So, to answer the question.... As many as you can....because you taste may change again!.

I think those are still in my collection.

Not sure if you got my e-mail, but we should go real soon. I may be taking a job up in Seattle, leaving in a week or so.

What are your thoughts on the following questons?:

Hi David,

As you know I'm not a huge collector but I do occationally enjoy a good Cab. Like others have noted in this thread, we just don't eat as much red meat as before so Pinot, Syrah and Zin are usually our drink of choice.

How many $100-$300 bottles of Napa Cab do you think you should have in your cellar?

99,00,01,02 JP Insignia (5 total) Stopped buying them when Costco no longer offered for $100. Especially shocking is the current $250 list price!!

99, 01, 02, 03 Shafer HSS (7 total) Will continue to buy only 1 a year due to price hike.

99 Lokoya Diamond Mt. (1 total) Must have been drunk when I bought this...

Which wines in this catagory do you get offered?  Which ones do you think you will purchase?

Only HSS and I'll stick to only 1 a year unless there is another '01 or '02 quality vintage and only because I like Doug and John so much.

Is there a wine that you aren't offered but would like to be able to buy?

No, not really.

In 2007 will the number of these Cabs you purchase be more or less that it was in 2006?
Any particular reason why?

About the same. I rarely drink these. Maybe I'll down one of the '99s. Most I'd like to age a bit more.


Who buys all the Opus and Silver Oak wines?

I buy 2 Sliver Oaks a year and promptly donate them to my kid's school auction. The crowd around here eats that stuff up and it can fetch a premium that benefits the kids. I'm just buying it at the Wine Club. Don't know why it can fetch $150 per bottle during the auction while some August West I donate usually only gets one bid other than mine. (Yes I do try to boost up the bidding on these)

damm...really?  i didn't get ur email.  let me know when you have free time.
this weekend is not good but...maybe next weekend?  or we can hook up during the week as well.