What are some (rather common) big name wines you've never had?

It dawned on me today that I’ve never had Krug…any vintage. It got me thinking of other big name, rather common (not talking about the super rare wines or incredibly rare vintages) wines that some of us have not experienced but would like to. I know this could get really specific, but try to keep it in very general terms, not specific vineyards or vintages.

Besides Krug, I have not yet had any First Growth Bordeaux (or, does La Mission Haut Brion count? If so, then I have) or Giacosa Red Label.

ALL of them.

[Unless maybe heat-damaged 1988 Salon counts as a “big name”.]

Funny, I’ve been blessed to try many FGs and Krug, including Petrus, but never ever a La Mission. And I’ve wanted to in spades. Love me some Graves! Perhaps this can be my 2011 Wine Resolution!

Cheers!

I think you’re wrong…I’m pretty sure we had Krug at Ed Murray’s house but you were so taken by the Chave that you must not have noticed.

Soon you can drink that 1998 Weingut Rudolf Fauth Udenheimer Goldberg Ortega Trockenbeerenauslese.

That’s pretty big name!

Closest I ever got to LMHB was La Chapelle de LMHB, and it was simply divine.

Now I’m itching. The '89 Haut Brion I had this year was off the hook!

I bathe in LMHB. I was there about 2 weeks ago.

I have never knowingly had a Kendall Jackson chardonnay. Not even the vintner’s reserve!

Shouldn’t this be big name wines you haven’t tried that you actually want to try. There are tons of cult Cal Cabs that I haven’t tried that I also have no interest in trying. That would certainly help narrow down the lists. I have had the good fortune to try a ridiculous amount of great wine through the magic of great, generous friends and credit cards. Off the top of my head I would say:

Any (or all-hell dream big) of the La Las
DRC Montrachet
Vineyard designated Gaja
La Romanee

There is undoubtedly other stuff but given that this is what I could come up with in a few seconds thought sort of speaks well to what I have been fortunate enough to consume.

I’m Chinese and have never had Lafite. What the heck?

Are you sure?


The bottle looks like this . . .

I went to some K&L Tastings this year that gave me my first taste of Mouton Rothschild, Haut Brion, and the 3 La-Las. Also had some of my first Yquem experiences this year (96, 97, 03)… yum!

Still have never tried:
Lafite
Latour
Margaux
Ausone or Cheval Blanc
Krug or Dom
Any great Burgundy

All in good time…

never had krug, salon, or any first growths,

Have had most of the famous biggies across most appelations, in limited numbers, but have never had Ausone or a Henri Jayer burg. Need to rectify that someday.

Krug, Cristal, Salon and Dom.

I’ve been fortunate to have some very generous friends who have shared wine with me, but I’ve never had a Domaine de la Romanee Conti wine. I’m with Jim in that there are a bunch of Cali Cult Cabs I haven’t tried, but I don’t really care.

I’ve been very lucky. Over the years, I’ve had all the DRC labels, in a couple of years. Even had the opportunity to try RC from the same year, two different bottles, in two different, side by side, glasses! All of the first growths, except Petrus. The LaLa’s in a couple of years. Old Ports, and a few Maderia’s, from the 1800’s. A lucky man, indeed!

I’m not rich enough to be drinking these wines! Some were consumed to young, some were held to long! I owned, and drank, a case of '66 Lafite, over 25 years! Some of these '66’s were poor, some OK, and one or two, including the last, was great (a definitely variable year for Lafite). For me, bad bottles of expensive wines hurt a lot… a lot, more than bad bottles of cheaper wines! I drink all of my “big name” wines now with friends in various tasting groups. We share the pain of bad bottles!! My “regular” bottles now are at a lower price point.

All that said, I’d sure like to try a Petrus; a Le Pin; a Screaming Eagle; a great, old, Barolo; or, most of all, the opportunity to try a mature wine with each of my grandchildren from their birth year!!! A lucky man, but the opportunity exists to be luckier!!!

Gee. I wish I knew. Next time you come to NY we’ll solve that problem. You should have had some of the Ch. Margaux we had at BF 5 at PDH at our table.

My list:

DRC - I do not recall ever having any
Petrus
Grange - but I have 3 bottles of 1997 I’m aging in the cellar
Screagle
Giacosa red.

never had a Romani or other La Tache type Burg. Never tried Petrus, Le Pin, or Scre Eagle for that matter, and to be truthful not that interested either. Would rather try it blind.

Clos de Mesnil, Vega Sicilia Unico, and Henschke Hill of Grace are probably the biggest ones I have yet to check off, among the ones I have any desire to.

I’m surprised how many people are saying they never had a Bordeaux first growth. I guess I got lucky getting into the game at the tail end of their affordable era. When I was in school you could get a few people together and split one for not much more than pizza money. So sad what’s happened.