I’m splitting conversation about my particular project, starting a cellar from scratch, as a sort of case study from @Robert.A.Jr 's excellent thread to avoid muddying it any further with my inexpert questions:
My aim is to create a small baseline cellar to explore the benefits of aging. I’ll be starting with a passive cellar in my Maine basement per @JustinP 's helpful advice and monitoring the temperature and humidity throughout the year to see if I need to switch to active. I’m going to begin with the following in mind, with no expectation that any of these parameters will necessarily remain in focus for more than a few months:
Regional diversity
Moderate ageability
Early focus on 2016 vintage or the earliest consensus good vintage for a region that is available without a huge price increase
Old-world inspired tinge
Addition of about a case per month (3 bottles of 4 different wines)
Initially, I’ll probably be pulling ideas for specific wines heavily from the above-referenced thread but I’m certainly open to recommendations for gaps that need to be filled.
Love this choice. One of the best values in Bordeaux today, and excellent in 2016, 19 and 20. And it is a Chateau with a solid track record. Had a wonderful 1982 last year, causing me to backfill on a few more recently.
I’d try to buy some BDX En Primeur, for example Lagrange (St. Julian), Branaire Ducru (as you mentioned), etc…
In Burgundy, I won’t look on the Cote de Nuits, as it’s too expensive for the budget, look for good values in the Hautes Cotes (Beaune and Nuits), Cote de Beaune and Maconnais.
Alto Piemonte (Gattinara, Bramaterra, Lessona, etc…) are great values today!
Loire whites and reds often get you great value, look at Huet, Domaine des Closieres, Claude Riffault, and more.
German Spatburgunder might fit the budget.
German Rieslings can be extremely ageworthy, even Kabinett wines, look on JJ Prum, Fritz Haag, Donnhoff, Julian Haart (If you can find at good prices).
I’ll second all of the above suggestions I’m familiar with, and ad Produttori Barbaresco. The single vineyard stuff is above your price point, but the “normale” blend is in your zone, ages well, and is an excellent example of the type.
Barolo and Barbaresco are typically impenetrably tannic when young and need a lot of cellar time. Splurging a bit on an older bottle or finding someone to share one with might be a way to find out if you like the style.
Produttori’s Langhe Nebbiolo is an even less expensive introduction to the variety and is made to drink young, but it doesn’t really offer the power and majesty of the Barbarescos.
Don’t skip out on German riesling. Many, many high-quality offerings in that price range that will get better with age. Some of my favorites as examples that will age well:
Dry:
Keller Von Der Fels - Can find this at $45-55 in some places and well worth it.
Emrich-Schonleber Mineral - I prefer this to the Halgans and Fruhtau (young vines from their GG vineyards) but both of those are good as well and in this price range.
Off-Dry:
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Kabinett
Von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Abtsberg Kabinett (can be spatlese-like in style in ripe years)
Von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Herrenberg Kabinett (ditto)
Max Ferd Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett - My go to Wehlener Sonnenuhr since J.J. Prum is now above $50.
Hofgut Falkenstein - Pretty much any feinherb and kabinett bottling except for Mia and Gisela will be in this price range. For my palate Meyer Nepal outperforms Gisela in some vintages.
I didn’t include stickies because they are typically above this price point even in 375 mL.
Based on your comment to me in the other thread, my advice is taste, taste, taste!
Use most of your budget on tastings. Taste young and old. Wines from different areas. Use sources like this forum to guide your direction.
As an example, then there are a lot of good Bordeaux suggestions in the other thread. But instead of buying cases of a wine you don’t have experience with, try and source a younger and older version to see if you even like it. Even if those single bottles are more expensive than those in cases, i promise you, you will save money and space from this approach so early in your journey.
If you have some friends to taste with, hold plenty of tastings and share the cost of the bottles that might feel a bit expensive, but will give you a good idea about the quailty gaps at different quailty levels in different regions.
I only say this because I barely have any of the bottles left that I purchased to cellar early on. I should have tasted more widely
Edit: forgot this one! Enjoy the journey, it is the best part of it.
Don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention Cru Beaujolais yet, but these wines are currently at very attractive price points and have good availability in the US upon release. These are great in my mind because they drink terrifically right away in most cases. I don’t have great experience with well-aged Beaujolais, but many in here note wines that have ageability over a decade plus (not just any CB release, though).
I don’t look at auctions like I should, but in my limited perusal, it doesn’t feel like aged Cru Beaujolais has very great availability beyond 2 or 3 years after release. That’s why, if you find some winemakers you love, like Thivin or Bouland for me, these are annual purchases that are guilt free, versatile, and highly enjoyable wines. They are cellar defenders that don’t feel like cellar defenders, but it’s also great if you forget about them for a while.
Agree with most of the mentions above. Personally, I wish I had bought more Champagne to cellar when I was younger. Is it possible to find a Champagne/Sparkwine in this value category to lay down? It is probably the one regret I have—not buying and cellaring earlier. Thoughts?
My OP has a lot of them, and I concur. Some of my fave wines in my cellar, they are so versatile with food. And some age beautifully. Roilette. Bouland. Thivin. Foillard. Etc.
Good point! I bought a couple bottles of Pierre Peters BdB based on the thread below a few months ago and it was fantastic. A little outside the target price range but worth it.
Ryan, totally agree with the NV (and the PP is a good example). But to “lay down and cellar” not sure that is the ticket (at least in my experience). Any ageworthy in this category?
Samuel Billaud, Moreau-Naudet and Christian Moreau Chablis
Mount Eden Wolff Vineyards Chardonnay
German rieslings from Maximin Grunhauser, Falkenstein and Selbach
Reds
2016 D’Issan, Langoa Barton, Cantenac Brown, Ferriere and Lafon Rochet
Bourgogne Rouge from Arlaud, Hudelot-Noellat, Clerget, Lafarge, Rossignol-Trapet
Mercury Clos du Roy from Faiveley
Domaine Eden Cabernet
