I suggested in another thread that I thought a magnum of “drink now” Rose didn’t make much sense to me, especially at greater than 2X the 750ml price. I was roundly criticized there for, among other things, not having any friends with which to open large bottles, and missing out on the “fun” of opening large bottles.
My understanding was the mags and other large formats are generally desirable because the lower air/wine ratio in the bottle improves agebility. I don’t have any experience as to whether there’s any truth to this. I would understand buying large formats because A) you want to age the wine and/or B) having a few large formats around your cellar is cool. I have a few and have opened a few. They’re fine - but they’re a pain to serve. I would not understand buying mags to have around your cellar, only to continually open them 6 months later having paid a premium to the 750ml price.
However, I would suggest that if you want to open a bunch of bottles with friends, pulling an extra cork or two isn’t that much work, and while you’re pulling all those extra corks think about all the money you’re saving having not paid a premium for the mags; and if it’s “fun” to open large bottles (rather than, as I view it, a “pain in the ass”) let me also suggest that Barefoot and Yellowtail can let you have plenty of fun at a discount to the 750ml price, rather than a premium.
With the hope that they age better than 750s. I agree about the pointlessness of magnums of wines for immediate consumption, especially if there is a premium.
I buy some so the wine ages slower, and ultimately is more fresh in the end. Also some mags are works of art, take Vega Sicilia who put up some art on the label like Mouton. The double mag comes in a huge wooden box made from a single piece of wood with a old key, very beautiful.
Also maybe according to Freud I’m trying to compensate for something else
I prefer to buy large formats over 750s for two reasons.
Improved ageability
I rarely drink my wines with only 2 people, usually there is a group… or at least a few (daily drinkers aside in which I always get 750s)
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t like paying a premium for Mags. If the premium is too much more, I won’t do it… but for an extra couple bucks… I don’t mind a bit. To be honest, I wish I had more 3 & 6 liters…
I buy magnums for all occasions. I’m willing to pay a small premium for wines that I’m planning to age. I can usually find drink now magnums at prices comparable to or less than double the single bottle price.
I enjoy buying, cellaring, and opening mags, but avoid buying bottles with a large premium over 750s.
I buy some for near immediate consumption, as I think it’s more fun to open a mag when friends are over, rather than two 750s. I’d also prefer of nearly everything I bout for special occasions was in magnum, as then I’d have a higher chance of having a second glass of something special when sharing it.
I think this stems from the basic fact that I’d always rather have a bit more of fewer wines, than a small amount of a larger number of wines. I don’t feel like I learn anything from a two ounce pour, rather much prefer following something over an evening. To me this is easier to achieve, especially in a dinner party setting, from a magnum.
Ageability is definitely high on the list…as with the birth year bottle discussion, most wines won’t be going strong 20 years after release anymore, but in a Mag or 3L they’ll have a lot more energy.
Bottle Variation: When serving a bottle at a party, everyone’s drinking the same bottle, getting the same experience in a Mag.
They’re novel, no doubt the size and rarity of large formats make them more festive to open, and more rewarding to collect, especially with their longer lifespan.
More and more I buy magnums because
1 For whites( incl champagnes) its my preferred size because of freshness. No other size will preform as well.(air ratio,cork size( larger corks are more difficult to size perfectly and so few are made)
2 Anything old,gives you that much more leeway concerning condition/storage
3 for what I buy- should almost last forever and figure my kids or grandchildren ,… will eventually drink them
I own 3 mags that I purchased because the source for those wines did not have any 750s available. I own one 3L that I purchased because it looks good in the cellar and I was not charged me a premium (actually got a discount over 4-750s). Other than that, I don’t buy them.
So Berry’s post hit the nail on the head - as in accurately describes you? That’s a very public acknowledgement of a somewhat embarrassing fact…
Jokes aside, I buy it just to have when there’s more people… sure we can open 2 bottles, but a mag works too… and similarly i won’t pay too big of a premium… if the cost is similar why not…
Magnums are good for non-geek social occasions, where no premium is placed on serving many different wines, and for weddings.
Magnums convey an ‘cornucopia’ effect on group atmosphere, a feeling of comfort and plenty. They gladden the heart.
Magnums make impressive gifts.
Magnums allow good vins de garde to develop over a longer period, eliciting more nuance and complexity.
Magnums conserve and enhance bottle value: if you feel you may have to sell some of your wines in the future, magnums are marketable.
Also, I find I often have to drink a couple of bottles of a wine I like before I really have a feel for it. Decanting a magnum into smaller, screw-cap bottles and consuming it over a week or two is a great way to do this (sounds weird, I know, but works out well).
Of course, there are as many reasons not to buy them: chiefly, they eat up budget at an appalling rate.
Magnums are great, and I do open them frequently but you really need to have an event of some sort to justify opening a large format bottle. I own a few large formats, and have opened two in the last three years.
The other problem is that the people who would appreciate a large format old bottle are generally bringing wines themselves. In large groups, we like to taste a lot of different wines, and a large format limits the number we can open or end up wasting a good portion of the big bottle.
I like the convenience of having a few bottles at opposite ends of the table
They are more expensive for no concrete reason
There are a few exceptions like Champagne (but with Champagne I like the mega size bottles: Jerobaum and up). Great for a large group where you are all standing for the start of a big celebration.
AND
Occasionally I buy Saxum Mags because Justin being the righteous dude that he is does add a size tax to the bottles.
As far as aging… At my age I want the wines to age faster not slower.
I am hoping to do a few dinners in the near future that involve perhaps two magnums (a Champagne and a red, or a white and a red) along with a half of a sweet wine. 4 people - serve two courses per wine. Seems like a good way to use them.
Magnum is the optimal container for Champagne.
White Burgundy seems to oxidize slower in them.
They are necessary for functions with more than 8 people.
Otherwise, I don’t really have a use for them.
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