My stepson will be 30 this year. He’s not really into wine (went to undergrad and masters in Scotland, so more into single malts) but he’s always willing to try an '88. I’ve got mostly Bdx, some Piedmont and Tuscan, some white and red Burgs, couple Alsace, German, Cali. Even if he’s not around (lives in CA) his mom appreciates having one on his birthday, etc.
Certainly cheaper than her b’year (59) and better than mine (60) though I have some of each.
I wouldn’t pay a premium because of the birthyear, but if it’s a wine I really like (like '88 Certan de May, HB, or VCC) it might tip me over edge to buy.
I have a 2012 / 2014 and 2018. And I’ concentrating on just purchasing a handful of special bottles from these years, that my wife and I can enjoy when we want to celebrate one of children. They are more than just a drink when 21 thing
My dad who turned me on very much to wine wasn’t in the best financial position when I was born (In '83 - I mean, I slap him around just a little for not buying me a case of Margaux or Palmer that year), but when I turned 28 he presented me with a pair of bottle of 1983 Ducrus that he bought at auction.
My youngest is a 2015 baby so I’m definitely planning to buy at least a couple bottles for him. Dad’s big into Peter Michael right now so he bought him a bottle of Les Pavots.
I really wanted to find something for his 60th (1955) but I didn’t think that the investment was worth it (especially given it could just as likely be a bottle of vinegar).
I have a bottle of '87 Dunn Howell Mountain on its way to me in the next few weeks. My birth vintage is a difficult one pretty much everywhere but in Napa. I’ll be sharing with myself 
All my friends and family will back me up here: I am yet to mature. So, I will keep you posted about what I drink upon maturity! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Regarding birth year wines for my kids, I stocked heavily for 1997 and 2000. They know it and it will be around for them as long as they want.
Each year for our extended family/friends Thanksgiving, our biggest party is the Friday after Thanksgiving and I take a case or two of 21 year old wine (usually about 40 people grazing leftovers) to honor whichever niece or attendee turned 21 that year. It has been a steady hit each year and the kids look forward to their 21 year old Thanksgiving and exploring the wines. It’s a fun way to welcome the new ‘adults’ into the wine family! The grown ups don’t mind it, either. (One year, I found a bottle of scotch from K&L that had been barreled in 1994 and released in 2015 with it’s birth date on it…yay!)
My oldest son turns 21 this year, and we have a case of selected birth year wines waiting for him to take back to his 9 roommates (he is the youngest) for a formal tasting party they are planning this spring. (We bought several of his friends a 4 pack of Reidel O glasses as 21st birthday gifts through the past year…kids are hard on stems…so they are thoroughly prepped for the wine.) We want to instill an expectation of epicureanism and conviviality to be associated with wine drinking. Where better to lead the hobby forward?
His household has learned to cook together, as well. There are kids from Peru, China, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, and even Idaho. They enjoy eating at home together and are a fine group. They have even turned me on to white truffle oil from Italy that is made using only truffles and no ‘extracts’ or ‘essences.’
So, yes, birth year wines make for a great acknowledgement of your fondness for somebody and showing you pay attention to things like birth milestones.
The only bad news:
One of his friends is from Monterey, so whenever his group (usually 5-6 at any one time) visit, my wife and I traditionally call Passion Fish and pay for the group’s dinner one evening. The only rule is that they have to send us a picture! Without alcohol, let me tell you how eye opening it can be for how affordably people can dine at a fine establishment! And we tell them to go for it! Once they do this as 21 year olds, we will add a bottle of wine up to a certain price point or, better yet, we will chat up the wine steward, as they have a quite decent list, for him or her to lead the group on a tasting. I think experiences like that will make this hobby better, all around. It would have certainly rocked my world to have a wine steward show me good pairings at that age!
I have a recent note on CT for this one - hopefully your bottle is as solid as mine was!