Me and a group of buddies are celebrating our friend’s 40th. Some of us are novice wine drinkers and others have full blown problems. We’re going to a BYO, where I negotiated a one time corkage fee of 35 dollars up to a double magnum. Food is Korean BBQ, so was thinking big red and a budget of about 600 dollars (9 or so ppl) would placate my avid wine drinking friends and those that stick to mostly dad beers.
Can ya’ll point me in the right direction for large format wines that fit this bill? I’m in NYC if it makes any difference.
No experience with the shop or the wine (though the cellartracker reviews are positive) but this fits your budget and has some age on it. Looks to be a pretty rare bottle, too - only 10 3Ls made.
Clos Saron Cabernet Sauvignon Slope 1 “Once Upon a Time” 1995
There are a couple places on Wine-Searcher (including one in NY) that have double mags of '12 Pegau Reservee for just over $400. Love that wine and vintage, and while it’s not a huge red it will give you some wiggle room on pairings. That’s what I would go with if it was me.
Crush has a nervi-conterno gattinara and a drouhin mouches, both 16, for around $500. For something a bit bigger sherry Lehman has quite a few choices.
I have a 3L bottle of Leoville Las Cases 1994, which a WB’er sold to me in 1997, and which has been sitting sideways in my kitchen refrigerator since then.
I can sell to you for that price, and my apartment is just blocks directly east of Koreatown.
Hey guys! Thanks for your input, genuinely appreciate each and every one of your insights, even Nathan’s nonsensical outrage.
I think I’m going to go ahead with the Château Smith-Haut-Lafittehttps://www.morrellwine.com/wines/Chateau-Smith-Haut-Lafitte-Pessac-Leognan-1998-w47155186v or the Nervi-Conterno Gattinara Molsino:2016 Nervi-Conterno Gattinara Molsino 3.0 L – Crush Wine & Spirits. Quite excited, and even more excited to gauge the group’s reaction.
Just my two cents but of the two, I would lean towards the Smith-Haut-Lafitte. That Nervi-Conterno is probably nowhere close to being ready. Plus, drinking a 20+ year old Bordeaux can be an eye-opening experience for novices.