My son was born in 2020 and it looks like I’ve amassed about 25 cases so far. Bordeaux - including some mags and d-mags - red and white Burgs, Chablis, a bit of German Riesling and some Barbaresco.
GPL were doing these mixed format cases - 4x bottles, 2x mags and a DM in a single OWC. Bought one of those plus a case of bottles. I really liked Gazin in this vintage so I have a DM of that too… Les Perrieres, from Chateau Lafleur, is gorgeous in 2020 and a smart buy if you find any. I have some mags of Bonnes Mares from Hudelot-Baillet, because he’s a friend and I get some every year, and also mags and bottles of Dauvissat. Managed to snag some loose bottles of Roumier as case purchases (on release) of those are more challenging these days! I even bought some Corton, which is a cru I never normally enjoy, because I thought Christine had done an amazing job at Dubreuil-Fontaine with her 2020s.
Will probably load up on a bit of Barolo next year.
Anyways, my youngest is also born in 2020. I don’t buy wine for my kids 18th or 21th birthday, but I do own some that would probably last.
From Northern Rhone I got Jamet Côte-Rôtie, Balthazar Chaillot and Levet Peroline.
Mid to top-tier Barolo and Barbaresco should be a no brainer in 2020. Even if it will be an earlier drinking vintage than 2019 and 2021, then it is still a good vintage and will no doubt last long enough. Should be able to find something for less than 200$ (im EU based, so hard for me to know exactly whats possible).
Safe bets like Prüm is also available at a lot less than 200$ i imagine.
Unfortunately 2020 is a tough year IMO. Red Burg, CA/OR, Barolo/Barbaresco, Riesling all middle to low. I think the only thing that really excelled is WB, but there’s very few I’d trust to be drinking at peak in 21 years. There’s a lot of average stuff that you could lie down from various regions, but I fear disappointment when the time comes.
Surprised that you rate 2020 as middle to low in Piemonte. For me that would be 2017 and 2018 maybe.
Anyways I guess it depends on what your expectations are. I am pretty sure a lot of 2020’s from around Europe will drink just fine. I would be surprised if my Jamet is not really good at that point as an example. Will it be the best Jamet vintage ever? Probably not, but still a really good wine.
Personally I will buy a decent amount of 2020 from Barolo (already got my case of 2020 Olek Bondonio Roncagliette from Barbaresco)
That would be more in the middle than low like 17/18, but still not great. I guess I just would hesitate to lay down something special for 20/30 years that was middling when it was bottled. Just asks for disappointment IMO.
I have come to the conclusion that buying birth year wines is related to my pleasure, something we do more for ourselves and because we are passionate about wine. Hence my strategy has been to buy a mix between wines that can be drunk early and last over time.
Every time I open a 2016 (my first born’s year) he gets quite excited and perceive it as something special. I guess that as we value and feel it’s emotionally something important to me/us, which strongly connected with his birth. He know that it’s “his” wines to be share and if he likes wine or just want an occasional special anniversary wine - they are his to enjoy when he’s old enough.
That’s a bit of background to what I have bought and are considering to buy per below:
As I also have a 2020 birth year kid, I have bought quite a bit of wines already ranging from Balthazar Cornas, Wasenhaus Kanzel, Keller VdF, Stein (many of them but Alfer Hölle 1900 among them) + more Riesling, Sociando (admittedly due to WB ), a few Barbarescos, a couple of red/white Loire, Bojo, various Langhe wines (Burlotto, Sottimano, Roagna),
What I am still considering to fill up with are Barolo wines, perhaps a few more Barbarescos. And after a larger Bordeaux tasting a while back I feel quite compelled to get a few Leoville Barton and Lynch Bages. Thought both were terrific.
I think few can claim to have tased much of the 2020s As you, I have liked the 2020 LNs that I have tried. Nothing I have seen or tasted so far among the LNs suggest otherwise for 2020. Glad I don’t have to work with 2017/18 as I am that would be more of a search for the needle in the haystack task
Hence I don’t have any hesitations in stocking up on 2020s, and if in doubt - buy producers not vintages. Unless it’s a miserable/very challenging years then there is more than enough diversity in Barolo and Barbaresco to find excellent wines.
Something in addition to consider is that Bordeaux will still be generally available as they approach their 21st birthday. I just backfilled several of the wines mentioned here for my '03 and '05 kids with bottles in perfect condition and pricing not far off of 2020 pricing now. Especially with a tougher vintage like 2003, 15-20 years of hindsight is pretty useful.
), a few Barbarescos, a couple of red/white Loire, Bojo, various Langhe wines (Burlotto, Sottimano, Roagna),