The Auswine Forum

I am bored

Where has all the interesting discussion gone?

One subject I found interesting a long while ago, so I will try resurrect it.

Don't make this a dick swinging exercise (and feel free to move on by if you think it is), but...

What bottles in your collection do you really prize and why?

It doesn't have to be the most rare, the most highly rated, the most sort after. I can be because you just really love it, you have saved it forever for a special occasion, it means something special.......

Let's be mean and limit it to 3 bottles to prevent this being a cellar list

Ok I will start

1996 Ch Latour which I bought 22 years ago pre release. 100 pointer but I have tried enough 100 pointers to know that doesn't necessarily count for much on the day. The last time I bought a red first growth. It was affordable!! Really looking forward to trying this and I hope it lives up to it's reputation
2013 Puriri Hills Pope Magnum. One of 30 made. This is my pet winery and a big format of the best wine they have ever made. In contrast to the above I have tried this dozens and dozens of times. Amazing juice
2002 Krug. Long hunted a great vintage of this wine. Missed the 1996, got a fantastic price on the 2002. Right place, right time. It will be too young to drink it next year for my 25th wedding anniversary but I will drink it anyway

I just started collecting wine last year when I discovered that there was an affordable off-site wine storage option for me. I am 33 years of age so most of my collection is relatively young and I won't be drinking it for quite some time.

These are the ones that I am looking forward to consuming the most as I have put them away for a special purpose.

Henschke Hill of Grace 2012 - Purchased duty free when returning from our honeymoon last year. Saving this for our 25th wedding anniversary - only 24 years to go!
Mount Pleasant 1880s Vines Shiraz 2014 - First bottle of "fancy wine" that I bought when I decided I was going to start collecting wine. Saving for a notable anniversary, birthday or when we pay off our house.
Torbreck "The Factor" Shiraz 2014 - My wife and I shared a bottle of the 2006 for our 5th "dating anniversary." We are now married so its only fair that I purchased a newer vintage bottle to put away for a future wedding anniversary.

2010 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz Magum - it's from our wedding year and the intent will be to crack it for our 20th or even 25th anniversary (if it'll go that far? - could it?)

2010 - Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz - another anniversary bottle to be consumed on our 20th anniversary. I bought two, one consumed which ranks as the nicest wine we've had so far and I'll likely never buy another at that price - thanks Henschke

They're probably the pick from a narrow and shallow cellar

Following a tour of Wendouree Tony Brady grabbed a clean skin out of his cellar and scribed A.P. Birks 2011 CB MB across the front of it in silver texta. Was a bit of a surprise and a nice 40th bday present. Will always remind me of the old stone barrel room and Tony's amazing private personal collection housed within.

Been very lucky...

I have 1 remaining 1962 Penfolds Bin 60a. This is without a doubt my big special bottle of wine.

The others would be a 1996 Salon and a 1947 Giacomo Borgogno Figli Riserva.

Don't know when to open them. I am thinking my 40th.

Since this is an Aussie wine forum I'll tackle my Australian treasure first. Although I have several old Aussie wines, classics some of them (Grange, Baileys, Oven Valley, O'Shea), I can never be sure what they will be like when I open them. However, there is one rarity that I have that I can be sure will be great whenever I open the bottle. It is Yalumba's Old Show Oloroso Sherry '25 Years of Age' that I bought at Nick's when passing through Melbourne. It seemed like an obscure item and I had to ask about it. The staff member highly recommended it and directed me to their website. After reading all that I had to buy the bottle, two of the 25 year-old Olorosos and a bottle of the 20 year-old Amontillado. That was in 2001. A few years ago I opened the Amontillado and was swept away by its quality. Now I cherish the Oloroso that much more.

I'll need some more time to reflect on what to choose for the other two wines.

Mahmoud.

narrowing it down? Man that is difficult.
1997 Penfolds Grange. I and my friends all didnt have any money but they all pitched in $20 for my 21st bday. It is my first wine in my cellar. It must be time to open it soon. I'm a bit scared that the mixed storage over the years will mean its past it. At the moment it is schrodinger's cat wine. Is that better than having 100% certainty it's gone?
2015 Yarra Yering Underhill Shiraz. My mate got me this as a Christenong gift as I am godfather. I wrote the date and event on it and plan to drink it with him at a suitable occasion many years from now.
2017 Tyrrells Vat 47. This is my Dads favorite wine. He just raves about it, not neccessarily this vintage. Anyone I took him to a private tasting there for a special day. His eyes just lit up. He can no longer afford buying wine to cellar so I bought this to share with him in the years to come.

Redav wrote:2010 Rockford Basket Press Shiraz Magum - it's from our wedding year and the intent will be to crack it for our 20th or even 25th anniversary (if it'll go that far? - could it?)

2010 - Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz - another anniversary bottle to be consumed on our 20th anniversary. I bought two, one consumed which ranks as the nicest wine we've had so far and I'll likely never buy another at that price - thanks Henschke

They're probably the pick from a narrow and shallow cellar

If you cellar them properly, these will still be good for your 30th. I’ve had lots of 86 and 90 MtEd and 90 and 91 BP (750s) in the past 2 years, and nearly all have been excellent. With 2010 being an outstanding vintage, you’re in for a treat.

Hmmm, mine would have to be:

- Penfolds Bin 920 Cabernet Shiraz 1990: bought when I first started this wine collecting disease; earmarked (maybe) for my 50th in two years;

- Charles Melton Pressings 1999 (in magnum): only 200 made and beast of a wine I am told. Never tried it and don't know anyone who has so it intrigues me; and

- Ch. d'Yquem 2004: firstborn's birth year. Will crack it when he does something worthy of it!

-- George Krashos

There's more to this topic than meets the eye. It's made me think about my entire cellar and try and pick just 3 wines I value immensely so as to be categorised as my cellar treasures. Well I couldn't quite do it, so I've added my little twist to the answer.

1983 and 1986 Grange Magnums: Both slated to be drunk within the year. I've had both a few years ago and they were sublime. I cannot wait to try them again.

1995 and 1998 Wendouree Shiraz: I'll give each of these another few years at the most and then bang they go. I must say though that I am still waiting for my socks to get knocked off from a Wendouree Shiraz but I'm hoping 25 yrs of bottle age should do it.

2011 Woodlands Cabernet Sauvignon: I've never actually tried this wine but have heard stellar reports about it. The half case will sit in the cellar until at least 2023 and then I'll progress through them over a decade. I will be scouring the net to find some back vintages to assess how they really do hold up.

Some special mentions only because I didn't pay much for them but they have developed into magnificent wines.
96 389, 96 John Riddoch and Michael, 01 WB Platinum Shiraz, 02 Cyril and 98 707 which is now an insanely good cab.

An interesting thread Craig.

Cactus wrote:narrowing it down? Man that is difficult.
1997 Penfolds Grange. I and my friends all didnt have any money but they all pitched in $20 for my 21st bday. It is my first wine in my cellar. It must be time to open it soon. I'm a bit scared that the mixed storage over the years will mean its past it. At the moment it is schrodinger's cat wine. Is that better than having 100% certainty it's gone?

Whatever you do, don't have it with Thai take-out like my brother-in-law did with a mate of his after he won a '97 Grange. It was less than a decade old. His response when I asked him about the wine, "okay, nothing special".

Big wines tend to be sturdy. As long as the "mixed storage" didn't involve high temperatures and wide swings in temperature you should be fine. Jeremy Oliver suggests a window of 2017 - 2017 for your '97 Grange. Mind you, windows for big wines tend to shift over time. The window on my '83 Grange was 2003+ in Oliver's 2001 guide but is now 2023 - 2033 in the 2016 guide. It is indeed a Schrodinger's Cat and I'm still waiting.

Cheers ............. Mahmoud.

Many years ago I picked up two bottles of Rousseau 1996 Chambertin, relatively cheaply compared to today. I shared one of them with some of the Grapemates crew and it was none too shabby. One down and one to go, so that is my cellar gem. I am pretty sure I will share it with my family in the not too distant future.

Hi Craig, interesting challenge. Too many wine in the cellar to choose from, lots have special meaning. I have gone for rarity and uniqueness and love(as in I love the wine), rather just trophies

1. 2001/2004 Ch Rayas: Very small stash of this wine. It stands head and shoulders above every other Grenache based wine I have ever tasted.Redefines what CNDP can be, elegance, power and amazing purity of fruit. High end Grand Cru red burgundy made with Grenache for me. A relevation when I first had one
2. 1937 Massandra Collection Madeira (Sothebys) : First got to try these amazing immortal desert wines at Bern’s Steak House in Tampa Bay Florida seven years ago. Blown away by how incredibly alive they were, with great depth of fruit and intense acidity. Endless finish. A unique wine and a great experience One bottle in the cellar
3. 2001 Mugnier Musigny: picked up 4 bottles on release at what now seems like an amazing price. Have had two. Each time it has been the perfect red burgundy (well close enough to perfection for me anyway). Incredible depth and purity of red fruits with sublime balance. Supremely elegant and yet powerful. Everything I want and look for in red burgundy. Just typing this makes me thirsty.

Brodie

Mostly the thinking for my three are bottles that were moderate to difficult to come by, moderate to difficult to replace, and I'm rather looking forward to drinking them:

1981 Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva, though run close by a more recent Naturalis Historia bottling from the same producer
2002 Gino Pedrotti Trentino Vino Santo Lago Di Cavedine (but arguably each of the Trentino vino santo wines I have fit the bill)
2002 Ferrari Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore. A decade on the lees, I like that sort of commitment to the end product

Pretty interesting seeing other people's treasures!

Agreed, so hard to pick out just 3 but I've gone with something that means more to me, rather than just price/value:

There's a couple of birth year wines (not my birth year (my wife)):
1989 Trimbach Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardives
1989 Chateau Lynch Bages

And the 3rd, an anniversary wine:
2011 Chateau d'Yquem

Great topic! When I started my cellar around 5 years ago, I purchased a couple birth year bottles for my kids.

#1: 2007 Best's Great Western Shiraz Bin No 0
#2: 2009 Best's Great Western Shiraz Bin No 0

Best's was my favourite producer at the time. I have subsequently collected some much better wines from 2007/2009, but these two are special because they were there from the very beginning. Not sure that 2007 will go the distance, so will open for his 18th.

For my third wine, I struggled with my selection. Etna? Barolo? Burgundy? Nah! I'm choosing a bottle of Champagne.

#3: 2004 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill

Purchased a bit of a year ago, this is something I'll hold onto and open for a special occasion. There's something about the celebratory aspect of drinking Champagne that you just don't get with reds.

Another couple of 'treasures' to round out the three.
2. 2016 Marius Symphony. The lads birth year and the first vintage I picked at Marius.
3. 2006 Penfolds Magill Estate Shiraz Bought these on release and tasted with the wifey at the cellar door back a few years.
From memory got them at $70-75 each. Reminds me of early married life pre kids. Back when we took freedom for granted.

Good topic Craig.

Like some of the previous comments, my ‘treasure’ is more about the memory / emotion invoked by the wine rather than its value. ~90% of the wines I buy are at Cellar door, hence each bottle holds a memory of the occasion I acquired it. Limiting it to 3 bottles is hard but:

Rampant NV Tawny Port – this was a private bottling of an 18 year old tawny a group of us brokered for a not for profit organisation fundraiser in ~2007, sold in limited quantities at a premium was a success. When I left the organisation some years later I was gifted a bottle (I did not know any even existed). The wine is of sensational quality and in a great looking bottle, but a reminder of the effort we put in at the time.

2005 Petaluma Coonawarra – I was gifted 3 bottles from a friend after I helped them out with something major that was happening in their life at the time. It’s also the birth year wine of my second child. I have one bottle left immaculately stored under screw cap - I’m tossing up opening at 18 or 21 years.

2010 Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga d'Alba – this was a totally unexpected gift from a family member who purchased this direct at the winery. In the early 2000s we went through our Nebbiolo 'renaissance', sharing many good wines they brought back from overseas at the time. Roll on ~15 years later, having had virtually none between then, they brought this back. Being the one and only bottle I have of this, there is always the quandary of when to open it.

Like others, it's more based on sentimentality.

2004 Chateau D'Yquem - the year I met my wife.
2006 St Henri (Magnum) and 2006 Henschke Mt Edelstone - the year we married.

We have many wines from those years but those are the ones that will be the last to be drunk and that I look forward to the most.

Nothing mind-blowing but a few John Riddoch 2004s aren’t bad, a bunch of 02 and 04 St Henris and a double magnum of Woodlands Margaret 14 which proved to be a relative bargain at the time...

Oh and a ‘12 Mt Edelstone and a couple of Grand Cru red burgs.

Wynns John Riddoch 1982’s

I'll stick to one - a 1983 Chateau Figeac, in near perfect condition.

It's a birth year wine (mine!), purchased while visiting St Emilion for the first time, round about the period I was really getting into wine in the first place.

So I think this is a great thread. Can I extend by asking - How are you going to drink your treasure? Expected time, place, people, food etc?

I have some friends in mind to share the wines with, and I think I'm holding them (but also a few others) back to drink with them

Cactus wrote:So I think this is a great thread.

It is and it's probably not necessarily about the wine, it's the stories behind them.

Cactus wrote:Can I extend by asking - How are you going to drink your treasure? Expected time, place, people, food etc?

For us, the regular bottle will be just for us but the magnum, if possible, will be for us and our fathers too, probably at a BBQ at our place.

A magnum of 2005 Chateau Figeac held to celebrate my son's birth when he turns 21, god willing. A few Tyrrell's 4 Acres 2007 to celebrate my daughter's birth and some McWilliams Maurice O'Shea 2000 which was one of the first wines to show me the potential of Hunter Valley shiraz if you gave them enough age.

Just 2 that stick out. A bottle of Penfolds 1990 Grange and a couple of Penfolds 1990 Bin 90A. First major purchases after I got the bug soon after moving to Adelaide and having a pretty reasonable passive underground cellar.

Carl

Bartolo Mascarello Barolo 2004
Iconic traditionalist Barolo producer from a great vintage. The fact this was a birthday gift from my partner adds a level of sentimentality as well.

Cappellano Barolo Piè Rupestris 2010
Similar story, cult Barolo producer from a lauded vintage. Already pushing eye watering prices on the secondary market, cant wait to drink it down the road.

Tyrrell's Shiraz 4 Acres 2009
The last vintage where I was able to get my hands on some. Australia's greatest wine? Should be in the conversation at least. I really love the 2009 vintage in the Hunter too.

asajoseph wrote:I'll stick to one - a 1983 Chateau Figeac, in near perfect condition.

That reminds me, I cannot but mention my only first growth Bordeaux, a 1983 Chateau Margaux. It is not possible to not choose one's only first growth as a cellar treasure.

So far my choice has been a Yalumba Sherry and a Margaux. Crap, that leaves me only one more .....

Mahmoud.

Probably for me the "treasures" of my current cellar would be growing lines of verticals for certain favourite wines (e.g. Rockford BP 2006-2015, Grosset Gaia 2009-2015, Wendouree's 2010-2016 etc) as I love the idea of having the line of back vintages to compare and contrast.

However, for three specific bottles I am going to take slightly random ones with a story...

1/ Stanton and Killeen VP 1990 Magnum, given to me by a friend for being best man at his wedding a few years ago. Will drink with him and his wife at some appropriate point.

2/ 2000 Bremerton Tamblyn Cabernet Shiraz Malbec Merlot... undoubtedly long past it. One of the very first wines I bought ever and a wine I had when eating out in a restaurant one of the first times after I was legally able to order wine. (just beating out an even more certainly past it 2002 Brown Brothers Crouchen and Riesling which is bottle #2).. both kept now for purely sentimental "book end of the collection" purposes.

3/ ... I am struggling for a third specific bottle. So I will go for the 2006 Wolf Blass Black Label. It is the only one I have in the cellar and it came I think as a Freebie when I joined the Wine Society. I don't think I subsequently bought anything from them, but anyway. My dad worked for Blass around the turn of the 90s and I sought out a number of 80s Black and Grey labels at auction with some success. Will drink it with him at some point, probably in a couple more years.

As a result of looking at what has been in my cellar the longest, I notice that I have now had a 1996 Angove's VP for 14 years and a Bleasdale 1990 VP for 12 years... might be time to consider opening them!