@Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r and @ky1em1ttskus when I was building case 2 in WineBid I didn’t see many older Kabinett Riesling or champagnes from these threads available. Do you know of good retailers to source aged, relatively reasonably priced Kabinett Riesling and champagne or do I just need to be more patient with WineBid?
A small but passionate following is all that is needed
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I can tell you that it’s very hard to find kabinett with age on WineBid, because everyone loves them and most people drink them young. Unless it’s a REALLY old bottle (talking 15-20+ years) it’s not worth the buyer’s premium given how affordable kabinett is.
If you want me to put together a 6-pack sampler for you I can see what I have extras of in my collection, DM if interested.
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I have bought from Brian before. I recommend taking him up on his offer.
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20 months ago the 05 Lafarge was tight as all get out seemed like it needed another 10 years minimum.
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What @Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r said is largely true for Champagne, as well. You can certainly find big house Champagnes with some nice age on them, but they’ll be in the $200+ range.
Occasionally, Envoyer Fine Wines will offer some bottles with age for fun prices, but it’s pretty rare.
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Okay, that’s unfortunate, but thanks for the information. Is there a vintage you would recommend that demonstrates the benefits of age but is not so old that the prices get astronomical?
Thanks, I’ll keep an eye on Envoyer.
I’ve found that even a few years of age, and even 1-2 from release, can do a lot to evolve most MV Champagne, so its not like you need to find bottles with massive age on them.
This also gets at the idea of determining how aged you enjoy your wines. I apologize if I missed it somewhere in the thread, but to me that is a big factor. I see that your original post noted starting a cellar with “the benefits of aging,” but that an mean a lot of different things. It is also something that takes a lot of time to figure out, in part because tastes change and evolve and in part because buying older wine at auction carries risks that the wines were not stored ideally and may not be representative. I guess my point is just, be careful with aging as well. I’ve definitely had wines surprise me with how well they age, but I’ve also kept wines too long that didn’t warrant that length of storage and end up over the hill. It’s likely inevitable, but something of which to be aware.
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Hmm, seems like I’m doing a bit of stocking up to get ahead of the tariff hammer (or at least that’s my excuse).
Case 3
Focus: Cellar (Champagne)
Retailer: Saratoga Wine Exchange
- Marc Hebrart Champagne Brut Rose Premier Cru NV
- Henri Billiot Champagne Brut Reserve NV
- Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Reserve NV
- Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Mont Sec 2023
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This is part of what I’m trying to get a better handle on with this baseline cellar. To better understand how different regions/styles of age-able, old-world inspired wines change over time and how that aligns with my preferences. From @Robert.A.Jr 's comments, it seems like (please correct me if I misunderstand), with three bottles of a given Bordeaux, I might be able to get a better sense for that by opening at 10 years, 15 years, and 20 years. @Michae1_P0wers what do you feel like is a good three time points for NV Champagne? Perhaps something like, 0 years, 2 years, 4 years?
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I would think that is sound logic for the Champagne. Many can last longer, but that’s a decent starting point and will give you an idea of how they progress.
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Case 4
Focus: Cellar
Retailer: Hi-Time Wine Cellars
- Domaine Charvin 2019 Chateauneuf-du-Pape
- Joh. Jos. Prum 2021 Riesling Kabinett Wehlener Sonnenuhr
- Domaine Laroche 2022 Chablis Montee De Tonnerre 1er Cru
- Produttori Del Barbaresco 2019 Barbaresco
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