I think the exercise isn’t so much about what one could do if tasked with assembling such a case, but rather about what one would do if so tasked.
If it weren’t for silly hypothetical conversations, a third of the threads would disappear from just about every hobbyist website. Wristwatch forums have their annoying ones like “What one watch would you want to have if (choose one: you were stranded on a desert island, a zombie apocalypse broke out, you were abducted by aliens)?” and “What watch equals what car?”. Trust me, this subject is MUCH LESS inane than those two.
I looked at this exercise as if I had to go down stairs right now and fill a case to take somewhere while trying to stay around $250. If it was hot outside, or the dollar amount changed, I’m sure my case would be different.
Agreed. Pretty cool little thread and it’s getting decent participation.
What is really cool about this thread, or notion, is that I could come up with 10 completely different versions of a mixed case of very good wines for $250 total. Popped a 2013 white Bordeaux from Kermit last night that was damn good for all of $16.99. As much as like like “bomber” wines, I gotta admit, I get tons of pleasuure out of simple things done well. Daily drinkers are an important part of my lifestyle.
Would that have been Ch. Graville-LaCoste?
Yes. I bought a full case.
Got 4 375ml bottles left of the 6 I purchased. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
I was going to ask the same question. Nice little wine for the coin.
I think this is a great thread. Might provide some evidence that despite our personal preferences in wine, it can be downright economical to drink well. Points, labels and inflated prices are not required to enjoy what is in the bottle.
Fun exercise. I organize some of my buying for the year in this way. Lots of possible choices but here’s one version of mine which is pretty much a list of my current ‘daily drinkers’. This case costs about 250-275.
Beaujolais
Julien Sunier Morgon
Nicole Chanrion Cote de Brouilly
Burgundy
Roty, Cuvee Pressonnier
Chianti
Monsanto CCR
Nebbiolo
Vallana Spanna
Cab Franc
Domaine de La Butte Bourgeuil le Pied de La Butte
Breton “Trinch”
Chenin blanc (one dry, one with some RS. Could sub in Chidaine’s Bournais and Clos Habert here for a little more money)
Pascal Janvier, Jasnieres and Cuvee de Silex
Aligote
Domaine Ramonet Bourgogne Aligote
Gruner Veltliner
Nikohlaihof Hefeabzug
Bubbles
Huet or Pinon petillants
Do you really hate good Lambrusco? I can understand that it isn’t for everyone, but I can’t imagine what someone who enjoys diverse wine styles would have against it. I think it’s delicious.
It was too easy to do this from all the wines in the world, so I did it from what I already own (the exact wine, although not necessarily the exact vintage), checking prices against Winesearcher. Price is $197.50 plus tax, if you allow me to cheat on the Patricia Green Cellars Berserker Cuvee and include only “our” special price. The only other wine not easily available is the Carlisle Sonoma County Syrah, but you can’t leave out the best QPR on the planet. You have to have balance in your case, so I went from whites to reds to dessert.
Novy Four Mile White Blend
Vietti Arneis
AJ Adam Dhroner Hofberg Kab
G. Picq Chablis
Patricia Green Cellars Berserker Cuvee
Guigal CDR
Borsao (the basic, not the Tres Picos)
Kunde Estate Cabernet
Produttori Barbaresco
Carlisle Sonoma Zinfandel
Novy Syrah
Noval Black
By the way, I have to call BS on some of the lists above, unless you want to push the price meter up by $200 a case. My $450 case would look a lot different from my $250 case, especially if I keep the $6 Borsao so I can average up with other things.
Here’s mine, but not sure about US prices adding up to less than US 250 (at prices at I buy them over here, the case would add up to less than 180 Euros):
White:
Peter Dipoli - Sauvignon Blanc Voglar
Clos Floridène Blanc
Immich Batterieberg Riesling CAI
Laurent Tribut - Chablis
Anselmo Mendes - Alvarinho Muros de Moncao
Jean Macle - Côtes du Jura
Red:
Léon Barral Faugères
Daniel Bouland - Chiroubles
Lucien Aviet - Arbois Cuvée des Géologues Trousseau
Domaine Roche Audran - Côtes du Jura Visan
Château Les Cruzelles - Lalande de Pomerol
Auguste Clape - Le Vin des Amis
I just double-checked mine, and you are right. I paid $251 plus tax! ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
Seriously.
A $450 case can contain some cellar-worthy stuff.
Yup! And it gets even more interesting when the screws are really put to you and you’re forced to make some difficult decisions about which ones you’d include/exclude if you could only do one case!
Popped a 2013 white Bordeaux from Kermit last night that was damn good for all of $16.99. As much as like like “bomber” wines, I gotta admit, I get tons of pleasuure out of simple things done well. Daily drinkers are an important part of my lifestyle.
Same here, brother. More often than not, honestly, I am more in the mood for a medium or medium-light bodied wine that is simple, flashy, goes well with food, and perhaps has a touch of complexity to make things interesting (but not so much that it becomes more of a mental exercise than simply an enjoyable glass of wine that is easily understood and enjoyed). My cellar has waaaaay too many of the mid-range wines in it — I don’t usually want a $50 bottle of whatever; rather, I usually want something sub-$20 that is simple-but-good (see above), or something really nice, which the ~$50 bottles frequently are not.
Selbach-Oster Zeltiner Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken $17
Donnhoff Estate Riesling $19
von Winning Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken $25
Idlewild Wines ‘The Bee’ White Wine $22
Roederer Estate Brut NV $19
J.P. Brun Beaujolais l’Ancienne $15
Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo Langhe $18
Bedrock OV Zin $19
Navarro Muscat Dry $20
Pepiere Muscadet Granite de Clisson $24
Chateau Hourtin Ducasse $20
Edmunds St. John Rocks & Gravel $25
Revised and now under $250.
No tax where I would buy it. 
I know this is hard to believe, but I actually own 4 wines on your list. I could not include the Raffault on my list because my bottle is a mag, so it cost me $40. I was not calling BS on yours, but there are a couple of lists with multiple wines north of $40 at lowest Winesearcher price.
I thought this was all in fun. So what if a couple people went bonkers on their case! Besides, I’m still looking for some good value daily drinkers and could use some help:
A Greek red like Boutari Naoussa, or a moderate Rioja Riservas, can stand in for an expensive French Cab/Mer blend from a prestigious AOC…