I’ll agree with Brad, I always wish I had more 375ml’s of the wines I like. I tend to drink them too soon and have a hard time keeping my hands off. As for Magnums…it’s always a storage problem for me. I want to keep buying them, but don’t want to give up the space in the Eurocave for more than 12 - 15 and with Barolo & Burgundy they’re going to be there a long time.
When I have a chance, I’ll buy more Champagne in magnums. That’s always helpful to have…
Thanks for the input, Brad. Good to hear that you’ve had good luck with the 375s. Also, what you and everyone has been saying about the mags makes sense. So far, the mags I’ve been interested in and bought most have been Champagne for the reasons discussed, and also because I love Champagne.
Why? I have cases of 375s that are 15-20 years old. Why should I not have them? Not sure I understand why it doesn’t make sense…
They’re more expensive than 750 per mL and don’t age as well. I typically get them for current drinking and 750s-mags to age but like I said, that’s just me.
Shop carefully and they are not meaningfully more expensive.
I don’t know why you keep saying that. I have had spectacular examples of 375s in the 40-50+ years of age range, all red Bordeaux if that is relevant. My guess is that you really could not tell the difference between the aging of a 375 and a 750 until way way into the maturation of the wine, say 20+ years for wines actually meant to age. If I had the ability, I would trade 1/2 of my cellar for 375s in lieu of 750s. That said, I agree with David, a 500 is even better!
I also agree with the comments on maggies. I love them, and then yet rarely open them. Tough to find the right occasion.
Aging 375s makes a ton of sense if you like mature wine.
Once you get past a certain age, you’ll lbe drinking less and will love 375s. I have a decent amount and am extremely happy, they are almost all 15plus years old at this point.
I have misc burgs (05 Arnoux Vosne Romanee village as well as a few 01/02 GC) , 97 and 01 felsina rancia riservas, 01 beaucastels, a few bordeauxs from the 80s,
Lets have someone do a controlled scientific test on how halves and standards age.
I bought a three litre bottle, had a dinner party and drank it, then turned the bottle into a table lamp. Reuse and recycle.
Phil Jones
I like 375ml when I can find them without a significant premium. Its not hard to pour off some from a 750ml to a small bottle to save for the next day, so anything over a few dollars isn’t worth it to me.
As for mags, I’ve stopped buying them for the reasons already mentioned. They were seductive early on as a collector, but they are just too impractical.
I only buy BA and TBA in halves. And that’s usually because the full bottles are unaffordable.
I buy and drink mostly Champagne and Mosel Riesling but would generally prefer magnums over two bottles.
I don’t regret the 375’s at all. Magnums, I try to stick to more mass consumable like beaujolais - an easy party wine in the summer. I do have a run of almost all Ceritas Porter Bass Chard vintages in magnum that I am happy to cellar. The other magnums I like are champagne because we move through it at our holidays and other events.
Maybe slightly off topic, but is there such a need for as many 375’s in the collection if you invested in a coravin? Perhaps aging long term I can understand but for anything drinking in the relative short term you can essentially take your 750 and create two 375’s quite easy, no? Unless you’re not a coravin fan to begin with then forget all this…
I’m a fan of magnums, and have quite a few. Parker used to rhapsodize about magnums being the best format for long term aging of Bordeaux and I bought into the theory. For many 00s, 03s and 05s I purchased magnums and 750s, usually at a 6 to 1 ratio. Time will tell, the plan is to drink the 750s first and save the mags for later. I do the same with my annual Ridge MB purchase.
I also like magnums when you’ve got 6-8 people together for dinner, because with a 750 you only get a 3 oz pour Per person. Holidays and dinner parties are occasions when I pull magnums.
I dont see the point of a coravin but thats just me. Just buy mix of 375s and 750s. For 750s that i think i will finish in 2-4 days I just use the vacuum sealed pump tool. I dont know the name of it off hand but its just few dollars and works great. This coravin thing is way too expensive.
The idea that 375s age “faster,” and magnums “slower,” is one of those things everybody “just knows.” However, I’ve certainly had 375s that aged beautifully, and mags that didn’t. Anyone ever encounter a shred of science on this topic?
People get “aging beautifully/better” and “aging slower/faster” confused when debating bottle formats. Smaller bottled wines age faster and bigger you go, they age slower. Thats the science behind it. Wine ages as the air interacts with the wine. Since mag format has more wine it will age 2x slower than 750s and 4x than 375s. This doesnt always equate to aging better. The accurate term is aging slower in bigger formats.
Some truth to that, but I find coravin to be good for several days, but not weeks. And not on champagne - love my 375s of Krug Rose. Also, I’ve byo’ed my better 375s.
Even if 375 aged the same as 750, which I doubt, with few exceptions they are significantly more expensive than 750. If they are the same price or cheaper (which sometimes occur with krug gv) I will buy them for current drinking.
Wish I had bought more 375ml wines earlier on. Now I pretty much order 12x 375ml of Mugnier Clos de la Marechale for every vintage.