Your dumbest purchase

OK, don’t overthink it.

What’s the dumbest single wine purchase you ever made? With 20-20 hindsight, you ask: “What was I thinking?”

Might be a 6-liter bottle of Barsac, multiple cases of 07 Southern Rhones, an aged White Burg prem-ox flyer at auction, a Coravin rig, an overpriced bottle or wine pairing at Per Se, maybe you even bought into a winery or some other ITB transaction …

Curious minds want to know.

1908 D’Oliveras Madeira. Nothing wrong with the wine but as my finger was moving towards the enter button on my auction bid, my sanity elf on my shoulder screamed out “NO, DON’T DO IT, YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR IT!” Unfortunately, my finger kept moving and pressed the button on the keyboard to enter a bid on two bottles of wine that each cost more than I had ever paid for a wine before. I spent the weekend chanting “please outbid me, please outbid be,” which usually happens, but not this time. SO I now own these two bottles.

Oops. I forgot mine.

In my newb phase in early '90s, I bought cases of white Rhones with huge Parker scores (think Chapoutier L’Oree) at auction. Only one problem, I never tasted them! Swept up in the globular, luscious language in the catalog and the energy in the room, I overpaid for them. I soon came to realize that I don’t like lanolin-beeswax-squishy-honeydew-melon wines that shut down for decades and re-emerge as sherried shells of themselves. I know I’m exaggerating and that others love the style, but still …

UGH a case of 2003 Don Melchor cab

Many Berserker days ago. Great price, free shipping, cases only. Felt like a dump. Purchase anyway. Suffered through 6. Rest still in cellar

I hesitate to same “dumbest” — would rather use the word “regretful.” All the high-octane Paso reds I purchased about 8 - 10 years ago. We finally got through the last of them a couple years ago. Also in the running is a case+ of the 2007 Myrat - Sauternes in 375mL — I rated the first bottle 96, and every one since has been in the mid 80s to low 90s. I still like the wine, but if I could turn back time I wouldn’t purchase 30 half bottles!

A while back- A case of 2005 Malescot St. Exupery. Tasted this in the last few years, and it wasn’t that great. I would sell it, but for a tiny ROI. I’ll hold it since it’s not taking up any valuable space in one of my Eurocaves, and just MAYBE it’ll turn the corner.

More recently - 2015 Booker My Favorite Neighbor. Totally against my better judgment too. I thought it might not have been some gross fruit bomb…and it was.

Not many others come to mind, but these absolutely stand out.

Scratched my nose in the auction room during bidding for a mid-90s Bass Phillip (famous in Oz for its PN) Premium Chardonnay - the auctioneer called me at $55, nobody went higher, and I thought ok no point correcting them, might as well give it a whirl. Completely dead.

For the “what was I thinking” category – a couple of bottles of 2001 Marquis Phillips Integrity. One of them was consumed – it was disgusting. The other has been passed around as a re-gift within my wine circle for years. Not sure where it ended up.

For the “what was he thinking” category (i.e. “why is that in your cellar, dear?”) – 4 cases of 1989 Prince Poniatowski Clos Baudoin Jonathan bought before we were married. I get it that ’89 Vouvray is fantastic (and he bought a ton of Huet as well), but he doesn’t even like sweet wine very much!

I’ve always been a bottom-feeding bargain hunter so it’s tough to point to a specific purchase but I wish that I had not bought so many points/dollar back in the day.

Could have been Marquis Phillips; 2000 Charmail; CdPs; etc. Breaks my heart to think of the Burgs and Rieslings I could have bought (admitted not on a 1:1 basis).

1998 - 2003 CdP. I got caught up in the Parker hype
1998 - 2002 Aussie. ^1

I think I’m going to win this one.

A bottle of 1987 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial.

27 liter.

I backed up the truck on 07 Usseglio Mon Aieul. 750’s, Mags, 3L’s… bad move!

Oh yeah, the poster child for new oak I too bought some of those, at Costco. Did sell them all eventually, without any loss.

Had to go to CellarTracker on this…I’m guessing you are the sole data point for cost associated with the 27 liter auction price. I stand in awe of your commitment to the wine game.

Why did you purchase a 27 L bottle of wine?

Sweet mother of Christ. Does it look like an armament that could be dropped from the Enola Ygay? Also, suuuuuper curious about cost…

I was rather robbed by a wine broker in Dallas who sold me a case and a half of wines that had all been cooked, including some late-90s Kistlers and some CdPs, then the broker disappeared, filed BK, and was maybe indicted. Not shocked. Aside from those total losses, I’d say a mag of Saxum Heart Stone that was almost certainly understated at 15.9% abv or something, and a decent amount of 16+% Spanish Grenache the Jay Miller (not ours) swore was 99 points, and Aussie shiraz from the early to mid-2000s when ABV and points shared a direct correlation.

Recently, I’d say some Prum Auslese. It’s really good and wasn’t that expensive, I just have little to no desire to drink it. Ever, really. One of these days I will, but for now it’s just aging along in a perfect environment.

I stopped buying all stickies years ago, but a 750 of Guiraud was a waste. I am good for about 1.5 oz, max. I respect what it is, recognize why people like it, can delineate between good and great and incredible…it just doesn’t do it for me.

Two six packs of 1997 Gallo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Can you say, TCA?

Sounds like the wine version of musical chairs – who finds the Marquis Phillips in their cave when the music has stopped and the guests have left.