You can also find jamet in half bottles not infrequently which could drink earlier.
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For me, yes, but qualified:
- Based solely on a very singular/unique bottle (assuming a relatively high price), generally no.
- But can definitely be yes for such bottles depending on the occasion and situation it is opened.
Lots of examples for 2), including a 1971 Petrus with my wife on her birthday shortly after our first child was born. She loved the story and background about the wine (which was her birth year) and still remembers that wine and night to this day, but not because of how the wine tasted.
So, not a direct answer to which high end bottles are worth it, but other factors of what is of value to me and justifying spending some big $$$ on a bottle.
Noah, nearly all the truly great epiphany wines I have been fortunate to experience have been from famous makers and aged. I have many very very good wines from other makers but only the top tier of wines has ever delivered the transcendental experiences (for me anyway)
I was lucky enought to buy these wines when they were much more affordable. So for me these are all “worth it” makers.
Rousseau
Roumier
Mugnier
Raveneau
Giacosa Red Label
Latour
VCC
Trotanoy
LMHB
Rayas
Chave
Jamet
Clos Rougeard
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I had a quiet chuckle this morning when I received an offer to buy a bottle of SQN Distenta 2019 for 380 euros. I’ve heard a lot about SQN over the years and have always wondered what it sells for - well, now I know! To be fair, I would have been put off by the 15.8° ABV anyway.
I’m not being at all snarky - I’m genuinely curious - whether it’s “worth” the price is entirely subjective, but is it a really special experience or not?
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That’s truly a terrible price for it. Release price is around $180 and it can be found in the US for under $300 regularly. As for the experience, that’s definitely a YMMV situation. They are really in your face blends and the alcohol is generally decently integrated. They need a super long decant when young or else it can be a bit disjointed. I’m finding that there are better ways to spend that money with other new world rhone producers or with champagne.
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Have you ever tried any other premium US Rhônes? Saxum, Alban, Lillian, Cayuse? If so, what did you think?
I think SQN (for me, the Grenache ones) are worth a splurge for $200something, though for me as a once in a great while thing. But there are plenty who dislike it for style reasons, and I get that too.
I’ve never had any sqn, interestingly.
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I’m not surprised about the price - all US wines are much more expensive in France (the few that actually get here).
It’s virtually impossible to get any US wines over here (and when they do appear, the price is prohibitive) but I’m more drawn to the Cabs anyway - I was just curious about SQN.
You’re not missing out.
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I think he’s missing out, because it is a very distinctive wine, and well worth trying.
But I think he’d dislike it.
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You might want to aim for sites that are traditionally cooler and usually make more rustic wines except in warmer vintages. It might also help to find sites that are higher in clay or had a high water table to help offset the heat and dryness of the vintage.
Jasper Morris gives a few recommendations at the end of his overview
https://www.insideburgundy.com/tasting_reports/2018-vintage-overview/#
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On that, we agree. 
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literally the last varietal I would have chosen, but I absolutely agree!
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Going back to the OP’s question about “bottles that are above people’s usual budget that left them thinking, “oh yeah- that was worth it”.
The pleasure of bottles that cost far above my usual budget were NOT worth it.
I’m a Burg guy and, being honest, my “usual budget” goes up to ~$225 on new releases and maybe $500 for an occasional special something that’s reputed to be bona-fide good by WBers and CT folks I trust. I’m not chasing 4-figure blue chips or buying direct from Europe. I buy to drink and explore and share with good friends and fellow-travelers. I’ve been lucky to taste some special (read: “expensive”) bottles even if I’m not drinking Rousseau and DRC.
Some were good, even great, but the increase in my enjoyment of a 5X-my-budget glass was definitely not 5X more enjoyment. There are other good threads on this and experienced tasters like @Mark_Golodetz , @Sarah_Kirschbaum and @alan_weinberg have had useful things to say.
I get that its all relative though. The bottles I HAVE run right out to buy more of were generally ~$50-185, and for me, they overdelivered. Not exactly unobtainium, but these are some examples that rang my bell enough to buy more
Fourrier 15 Gevrey VV (when it was $120), Gouges Porrets, Chevillon 17’ Cailles, Audoin Favieres, Drouhin’s 1er Chambolle, Most anything from Berthaut-Gebert
Like others, I get a lot more reliable pleasure from white Burgs and German Rieslings ie:
Niellon champ-gain, clos st. Jean, Fichet, esp. Tessons, Morey Virondot and till recently Boillot (but that price ship is sailing)
Prum Kabs and Spats.
Loewen Laurentislay, Emrich Schonleber Halenberg, and Richter, my Prum substitute
Bordelet Granit pear cider
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If the definition of high end is more than we are comfortable paying, my comfort point is $100 for special occasion wines, and rarely $200 for hopefully great wines. I don’t exceed that often, only three times in the last few years, for VCC (this name has been mentioned a bunch in this thread!) and a few top Drouhin wines (vineyards they own and farm, Amoureuses and Griotte, in this case).
High-end wines I would exceed $200 for, if the deal was reasonable:
- Giacosa (pre-2006)
- Giacomo Conterno
- Lots of different 1er or GC burgundies from producers I know that are mostly well covered on this board, but “reasonable” is very hard to find now.
- Any random true bargain - a significantly discounted wine that I know is great because I’ve had it, or want to try because of its reputation
My first searches on auction sites are Amoureuses and Giacosa. Sadly others must do the same, and I am sometimes the second to top bidder, but never top.
I guess this is a long way of saying, no, to me going beyond my comfort point is almost never worth it. There is just so much great wine being made today for <$100 per bottle, often much less. And if you collect this great wine now, who knows, maybe you’ll own the future Lachaux, Rousseau, or Engel. Just trust your palate.
The only reason I would greatly exceed my comfort level now would be to buy into an amazing tasting. I wouldn’t pay $1k for a single bottle of old Giacosa, but gaining access to a tasting where 8-12 bottles will be opened, that just might be worth it. But then I’d be paying for an experience, not a bottle.
For people in the early stage of collecting, and really curious about high-end bottles, I’d strongly encourage attending tastings of mature wines, not new releases. Well, the latter is fine, but rarely profound.
Which brings me to my final point. Almost all of my most memorable bottles have been mature. No wine made to be consumed in its first few years is worthy of the “high-end” label to me, even though I know there are many that position themselves that way.
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I have really enjoyed the well-aged (80s and early 90s) Hill of Grace and Grange I’ve picked up at auction over the years. Salon is also pretty special.
I have a lot of thoughts on SQN. I’ve had a bunch blind and a bunch non blind. Some with 15 years age, some Pobega-style. What I can say is that I have absolutely zero interest in spending money on SQN. What I can also say is that I have had very good, very complex, very fascinating bottles of SQN, though few and far between massive, too extracted, high octane bombers (white and red) that I did not find even a bit to my taste. I found SQN to be like very loud music. If it’s your favorite band and you’re in the mood, it’s rad. If not, throw rocks at it.
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I will also jump in on this. Vatan is god mode, and an on bottle will completely change your mindset about what the varietal can be and, possibly, what a white wine can be.
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That it did, for me.
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that would be fun and fascinating!