Chris
Grape Sorter
Posts:246
 | | 07/29/2005 12:04 AM |
| I've wanted to post this question for a while but can't seem to find a way to say it without sounding silly. Oh, well. My years loving wine didn't turn to collecting wine until a year or two ago. Since then, I've assembled a small and modest collection that I will begin enjoying in about 3 years. By then, I willl have been collecting steadily and will be on track. So far, I have compiled some nice samples of barolo's, Karl Lawrence, Lewelling, Clos Pepe, Kosta Browne, Outpost, Radio-Coteau, Neal, and others. Like I said, they'll be great in a few years and longer but they're all arguably too young right now.
So what do I drink now? To date, as far as reds go, I buy wine to lay down and I buy wine to drink. What I buy to drink now is generally drinkable now which means QPR's and other wines that are generally made for consumption. So often, I want to open something special but can't bring myself to do it and older wines are hard to find through retail sources. Other than paying a 300% mark-up at restaurants for older vintages, sometimes I'll drink higher-end zins and other wines that don't necessarily need as much time (as good cabs, barolo's, pinots, etc.) so I can feed that jones for something nice. Ironically, I drink very little cab and pinots even though I love 'em because I don't have any with sufficient ageing. Perhaps we all are in this holding pattern for a few years when starting a collection. Maybe I'm placing too much importance on ageing? Thoughts? | | | |
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Budman
Master of Wine
Posts:11874
| | 07/29/2005 8:16 AM |
| One strategy would be to buy a few 'cellar defenders'. Perhaps a few bottles of Castle Rock, or some of the better Columbia Crest reds could tide you over while you wait impatiently for the others to come around.
There's always Chateau Souverain, and I see the 02 Mondavi Napa cab (91 - ST) is available around here for $17. | | | |
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wineismylife
Arlington, TX
Master of Wine
Posts:12246
| | 07/29/2005 1:29 PM |
| | I looked and eventually found a retailer that has a lot of aged wines available in clmiate control. What I do is continue to buy for the cellar and daily drinking like you've done and when I feel like popping a special bottle I'll spring for something aged from my special retailer. I typically do that once a month or so. | |
Joe
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Wine is like potato chips around me...if it's open, it's gone. | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:12891
| | 07/29/2005 5:47 PM |
| | do some auction buying or buy a case or 2 of cellar cheapies when needed. | | | |
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TBird
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5217
| | 07/29/2005 6:13 PM |
| | cellar defenders. get on the "novy" list. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1366
| | 07/30/2005 4:52 AM |
| | i drink mainly southern french reds to keep me from touching stuff that I really want to drink but I know is probably best if I hold off... | | | |
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CellarKeeper
Sarasota, FL
Grape Fermenter
Posts:431
| | 07/30/2005 5:09 AM |
| | I think when one is starting out, the need for a nice bottle every once in a while is nice. But what to open? Since I've only been collecting for about 4 years now, I am only now starting to benefit from my collection, somewhat. It does take time to have bottles that are in their prime, but not every bottle needs that much time. I agree with AI, I think for the time being a few bottles at auction is the best way to go for that special bottle. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 07/30/2005 6:25 AM |
| Crafty,
How many bottles do you have in your cellar at the present time?
Give us a guess on how many bottles you will purchase over the next 12 months or how much your budget might be.
Then I can take a stab at answering your question.
BTW,
Cellar defenders, QPR wines...
Life's too short to drink bad wine. Give me all or nothing at all. | | | |
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LC17SMP
Cypress, Ca.
Barrel Filler
Posts:1055
| | 07/30/2005 7:04 AM |
| | I agree with David on the QPR wines. I am still pretty new at this and am finding that I am not so excited about opening some of the cheaper qpr's I have purchased. I would rather drink a good dark beer than some so so bottle these days. Better wine, less often if necc is the stance I have taken recently with reguards to my buying habits. Auctions seem like a good option at this point. Also there are many '02 Cali cabs that are drinking very well now. Look into these as the '01's and possibly the '03's rest. | |
LC17SMP | |
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Drew
Sammamish, WA
Wine Bottler
Posts:3182
| | 07/30/2005 12:19 PM |
| | I know the A.P. Vin drinks very well on the short term, and it sounds like the Loring does, as well. I really enjoyed the Hendry zins when they were young, especially the Block 28. My own naieve thoughts? People place way too much emphasis on aging wine. I prefer a rich wine, displaying a lot of fruit, as opposed to a mellow, somewhat musty flavored wine that has sat around for 20 years. Maybe that's why I've been bit by the Central Coast pinot bug? | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 07/30/2005 4:33 PM |
| My overall scheme of "things" is to buy four or five bottles of the same wine and then "watch" it age.
They will sit in the cellar for at least 30 days and then I grab one to drink. The idea is to take good notes for that bottle and then every year after that on the same date drink another bottle and compare the notes as I drink it.
This scene only works in a perfect world though. | | | |
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dgoerisch
St. Louis
Grape Sorter
Posts:204
| | 07/30/2005 11:58 PM |
| My solution has been auctions and generous friends with more developed cellars...drinking a '94 Shafer HSS tonight thanks to the latter.  | | | |
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Pool Boy
Laurl, MD (DC suburb)
Master of Wine
Posts:13707
| | 07/31/2005 2:45 PM |
| Quote:
....BTW, Cellar defenders, QPR wines... Life's too short to drink bad wine. Give me all or nothing at all.
I tend to agree, to a certain extent. I'd rather buy really good Pinot that is meant to be drunk young, or perhaps some nice CCs that are ready to go than go for a pure QPR/CD play. There are merits in that realm, like a lot of NZ SBs as an example, though. | |
www.roguefood.com -- www.cellartracker.com | |
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David Sullivan
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2276
| | 07/31/2005 6:55 PM |
| Quote:
Life's too short to drink bad wine. Give me all or nothing at all.
I hate this wine game it’s ruined me for life, only good wines like David said. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 08/01/2005 12:02 AM |
| Do you know what they call a person who hasn't tasted "good" wine?
Lucky | | | |
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Chris
Grape Sorter
Posts:246
| | 08/01/2005 10:09 PM |
| Thanks for the great suggestions. I'll try to answer davidn's and others' questions.
I have accumulated about 160 bottles over the past year and a half. But I've purchased hundreds more in that time as daily drinkers - those don't count for purposes of this thread. I'm contemplating forgoing so many daily-drinker purchases for fewer, better, lay-downs. I anticiapte picking up another 160 for the cellar by this time next year. A limited budget and a new house make more purchases prohibitive (everybody's "what are you buying" lately posts are killing me  ). As a civil servant, with no trust fund, and lots of medical co-pays, I'm stuck in the bush league. You're welcome to check out my humble list on cellartracker if you'd like. I'm not proud. There are about fifty or more bottles not on the list because it's not worth inputting the daily-drinkers.
I know just enough to cause some major damage if I were to engage in auction purchases. Likewise, I don't know what's ready to drink versus a long termer other than knowing that, per vintage charts, some vintages need more time than others to unwind. Don't know enough about southern Frenchies to know what to buy either, as djhombre suggested. Some hobby, huh? I can't help but think that every few purchases of everyday wine is one good collectible not purchased. I'd like to get out of that habit once I know my options. I look forward to more of your sage advice. Thanks again.
c. | | | |
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CellarKeeper
Sarasota, FL
Grape Fermenter
Posts:431
| | 08/02/2005 4:55 AM |
| | Just take your time, read as much as you can and try as many different bottles as possible. It sucks when you finally get to open those bottles you've been keeping and find out that you made the purchase b/c of someone else’s pallet or in hast and it is really not your style. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 08/03/2005 11:44 PM |
| I would start drinking your "cellar defenders" and also at least once a month have one of the 160 better bottles. If you were to only drink 12 a year you have plenty left over for the next five years. If possible I would up that to a better bottle at least every two weeks when you feel comfortable.
In the mean time just purchase "better bottles" for your cellar. It sounds like you have enough "cellar defenders" to last you quite a long time already so go for the good stuff. As a year goes by with a buying rate of 10 bottles a month you will have plenty of nice aged wines to choose from.
If you do feel like you just want a cheap bottle of something to drink I would suggest just buying it when you need it and then only one bottle at a time. That way if you find a cheapie you like alot you could maybe buy a few more but never buy more than one if you haven't tasted it yet. Most of the lower-priced wines made today are made to drink right away anyway.
But remember... you gotta dip into that good stuff at least once a week and more often if possible. You don't have to wait for a special event. Just the act of drinking a special wine makes it a special event. | | | |
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Chris
Grape Sorter
Posts:246
| | 08/04/2005 2:38 AM |
| Terrific suggestions, Davidn. That's a great strategy. I think I'm catching on.  Any problem dipping into the better stuff much in the next few years knowing that the vast majority consists of '00, '01, and '02 cal-cabs and cal-pinots? Perhaps for the time being, I should open only those of which I have more of the same.
(did that make any gramatical sense?) 
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15756
| | 08/04/2005 7:59 PM |
| Depending on the wine most wines today will drink pretty good a couple of months after their release.
There are those that don't like Dunn, Heitz or Spotswoode. If you aren't sure ask here. You will recieve answere from yes to no to anything in between. You just have to know how to average the answers out .
Many of today's Cal Pinots want to be drunk during the first couple of years. They go OTH early. So do make miraculous recoveries after five or six years though. Once again, ask.
There aren't many wines that at least one person on the board hasn't had to drink. And we'll be asking the same question of you sometimes. | | | |
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