The Auswine Forum

Hey everyone

Yet another birth year wines topic. Sorry!

Was discussing serious wine last night with the missus whilst at Golden Century waiting for our table, eyeing off the transtherms they have at reception with wines up to $20,000 in them. My wife's eyes nearly fell out of her head, not really the sort of ambience one imagines for drinking that sort of wine.

Anyhow, conversation got around to the fact that they had a '76 Grange for some ridiculous price, and that is her birth year. She said her dad had opened one on her 21st but it had been stored in less than ideal conditions and had not blown her socks off.

I suggested we should buy some birth year wines for our boys and keep them in better conditions and she quite readily agreed. She was even asking about magnums, for the wow factor and ageing factor.

So, now I am on the prowl for some 2008 and 2012 high quality wines that will go the distance. Distinct preference for Australian (parochial I know) but may be open to Europe. Am yet to decide between magnum vs bottle, probably depend on the wine. I see magnums of '08 grange are going for about 3 x the cost of a bottle, and for a wine with that cellaring potential in an ordinary bottle, I think I would refer to get the 3 bottles, even though magnums are kinda cool.

At the moment, even though it is cliché, the 2008 Grange is probably top of the tree for son number 1 (I see it scored 96 'Wheelers' which is pretty impressive), and the 2012 grange when it is released is looking good for son number 2, given the vintage and mass hype already. Kind of seems like a no brainer, but should I be seriously considering anything else?

My preference is to get 3 or 4 bottles of each wine which can be opened on memorable occasions, probably 21st birthday, uni graduation, 30th, that sort of thing. Budget for each son...I could do 3 bottles of Grange. Maybe 4 (one for the old man, for his efforts!)

Discuss and thanks for your thoughts

I hear you. I picked up a pair of the 08 Grange for my boy's birth year.

go for it. great idea.

We will be drinking a 1994 Mt Edelstone kindly given to me by Jamie and a couple of bottles of 1994 John Riddoch for my oldest boys 21st in March. Can't wait for both. The funny thing is that the lad doesn't really like wine. All the more for us I guess. I went a little silly buying Magnums of 2009 vintage for the youngest and have about a dozen of them plus many 750ml bottles as well. I hope he likes wine more than the oldest. I also have many special bottles of 2004 vintage that we drink every year on our Anniversary. Should have enough for another 10 to 12 years worth.

Be prepared to pay absolutely stupid money for the 2012 Grange as well. It is already being talked about as a 100 pointer and one of the best ever. $1000 looks likely.

Cheers
Ian

Grange is the obvious choice. If you have the budget then I'd go for that. Magnums would be cool, and the good thing about Grange is the corks are of good quality, and the recorking clinics are reassuring. However I'm sure just a normal bottle, or three, would be fine.

Hill of Grace is another option, screw cap as well. But Grange has the wow factor in my opinion - everyone knows Grange. I would like to suggest high end Bordeaux, but '08 and '12 weren't as good there as they were here (although, they weren't BAD vintages, just not great). I would look to Saint-Emilion or preferably Pomerol for those two vintages, maybe a bottle of Cheval-Blanc, Ausone, Lafleur or l'Evangile? Without the vintage hype the prices will be 'reasonable' as well.

Also another thought, instead of a wine, buy a 'dinners worth' of wine? So a white, a red and a sticky/fortified, all of which to be cellared and opened on their respective celebratory night with paired courses?

(I would say champagne but looking at the vintages I'm not sure how much vintage champagne would be produced).

Europe?
Well, both 08 and 12 have some decent stuff, but i would not bet all the good stuff lasting the required 21 or 30 years. In France, 08 is a solid year, right bank Bordeaux is very good to excellent. 2012 has been hyped and as a result is over-rated, particularly in Burgundy and Bordeaux. (pretty good in the Rhone)
You could look at some right bank Bordeaux for 08, Le Gay is fabulous and pretty cheap, it will certainly be there chugging along in 30+ years. As 2012 is truly great in Australia, I personally would not touch Europe.

Agree with many of the views above. Go high end Australian.

Or look at the Portuguese VP charts.

2008 is a potentially all time great vintage in Champagne, with Richard Geoffroy citing the Dom Perignon from that year as the best in many decades. It will be released in 3 or 4 years and will cellar well. As for 2012, Grange will be exxy. Perhaps Mt Edelstone instead?

Thanks guys.

Interesting about the champagne vintage Mike. I am sure a few will find their way into the cellar for birth year celebrations. A mix of grange and DP. Kid can't complain.

Your suggestion of Mt Edelstone is food for thought. I bought a couple bottles after being super impressed at a recent tasting. Wasn't sure it would last the distance but revisited some suggested drinking windows which have it out to 2040. Could buy one 2012 grange (so he doesn't get wine envy of his big brother) and a case of Mt Edlestone and walk away with change of what 3 2012 Grange will set me back!

I got 3 each of Primo's Moda and Angel Gully 2012 for my boy Joseph's birth year. Reasonably priced wine of superlative quality that will easily travel the distance to his 21st, if I let it... I have some clare Riesling that I have pit aside as well, although I suspect that will be sacrificed before the 21st.
Your are certainly spoiled for choice in the 2012 vintage though.

Hi
My children are 2005 and 2007 models. I would like to have something noteworthy in a big red for their 21st birthdays. Any suggestions given the 'difficult' vintage for South Australian reds in 2007?
Maybe Coonawarra reds for 2005 and Margaret River for 2007?
I would prefer the same wine for both years but getting something great that covers both may be hard to do.
Thanks in advance.
Simon

Maybs,

Ive had many bottles of 82 and 86 Mt Ed in recent years and most have been fantastic. They age spectacularly.

Mike

Mike Hawkins wrote:Maybs,

Ive had many bottles of 82 and 86 Mt Ed in recent years and most have been fantastic. They age spectacularly.

Mike

I reckon I am sold Mike, I've only drunk a 2004 myself and it was very nice, and tasted the 2012 which was really excellent. I think a case of 2012 Mt Edelstone will be making its way deep into the cellar for young Thomas' coming of age.

Meanwhile women can be upsetting creatures. I mentioned the possibility of 2012 Grange at circa $1,000 per bottle and because it was in relation to her little baby, she didn't even bat an eyelid. If I told her I was buying a few for myself it would be fire and brimstone!!

However I just don't think I can pull the trigger on that kind of money for 2 or 3 bottles of wine, so think the older lad might get lucky with a grange or two (for some reason $600 seems soooo much more reasonable than $1,0000) and some Dom and the young lad will have to 'settle' for some Mt Ed and maybe a magnum of 2012 basket press if I can get my hands on one.

Mike Hawkins wrote:Maybs,

Ive had many bottles of 82 and 86 Mt Ed in recent years and most have been fantastic. They age spectacularly.

Mike

And with screw caps Of the 2012's you have the surety of added longevity and certainty over some corks.

I would also be adding some 2008 and 2012 John Riddochs to my stash. Magnums if possible.

As an aside, and I have mentioned this elsewhere, I got magnums of Lakes Folly Cab Sav, with the white label, for all my kids, and got all the family members, grandparents etc. to sign the front label. So far we have opened two for my eldests 21st's and both have been superb. One to go.

maybs wrote:Meanwhile women can be upsetting creatures. I mentioned the possibility of 2012 Grange at circa $1,000 per bottle and because it was in relation to her little baby, she didn't even bat an eyelid. If I told her I was buying a few for myself it would be fire and brimstone!!

However I just don't think I can pull the trigger on that kind of money for 2 or 3 bottles of wine, so think the older lad might get lucky with a grange or two (for some reason $600 seems soooo much more reasonable than $1,0000) and some Dom and the young lad will have to 'settle' for some Mt Ed and maybe a magnum of 2012 basket press if I can get my hands on one.

Why not wait 3 or 4 years from release and get them at auction. Probably get them for the $600 you're happy to pay.

I've ordered 6 each of the 2012 Mt Edelstone and Best's Thompson Family Shiraz. Good call though Rens, if some grange comes up at auto on later at an ok price I might grab a bottle or two.

I have two 2008 Grange in the cellar, might wait on some 2008 Dom and try and grab a few magnums. In the meantime I will search around for some other good 2008 reds in the $100-$200 range to supplement the few granges I think.

Hacker wrote:I would also be adding some 2008 and 2012 John Riddochs to my stash. Magnums if possible.

As an aside, and I have mentioned this elsewhere, I got magnums of Lakes Folly Cab Sav, with the white label, for all my kids, and got all the family members, grandparents etc. to sign the front label. So far we have opened two for my eldests 21st's and both have been superb. One to go.

What years were they Hacker?

I've got 5 Lakes Magnums 93,94,95,96 and 2000 plus a double magnum of 03.
The kids were from 2000 and 2003.

The 93 and 94 are "Reserve" which from memory they left it in barrel longer over the normal stuff.

They were 1989, 1991 and 1996. The first two were lovely. The third will be drunk in 2017 - I have a backup John Riddoch magnum just in case.