12/06/2006 - My first born son what wines to buy for laying down?

[TheYoshi]

Well my first child was born on the 6th of this month, I'm trying to decide what wines I should be buying to lay down (likely 2 cases of each, one for him and one for me) ideas? I'm having a hard time finding details on the 2006 vintages to know what's good. Port seems manditory but I haven't heard how things look over in Portugal yet, I'd ideally love to lay down some Bollinger Champagne as well, probably a nice Bordeaux or CA cult wine and maybe some sauternes... hmm pretty much anything, so what are the ideas we have?


Oh and just to keep it shaving related I have already purchased an un-opened/un-used Gillette Fat Boy adjustable for him

 

[ouch]

My long lost daddy!

What a terrific idea. Since it will be at least 21 years before he can enjoy your gift, I'd suggest some first growth Bordeaux or vintage port. They need about that much time to come around, anyway. Stick with the legendary names- the Screaming Eagles and La Pins may be unheard of by then, while a twenty year old Petrus will be worth something even if it's not good.

Throw in some Yquem, while you're at it.

 

[TheYoshi]

Hehe, you have pretty much repeated what I already said

if only they could have held off a few years before selling Screaming Eagle, how cool would it be to have a case of the LAST vintage of screaming eagle (last real vintage I mean with the original owner) which also happened to be from the year of your birth.

Oh, and Petrus isn't a first growth btw. There are 5 first growths
Ch. Lafite R.
Ch. Latour
Ch. Mouton R.
Ch. Haut Brion
Ch. Margaux
if anyone was to cheat in it would be Ch. D'yquem not Petrus

not trying to be a dick just letting you know, and I'm in the industry so maybe I am a bit of a dick about it. Although I mostly deal in U.S. wines from the Pacific northwest.

 

[Ken]

Yo,

First, of all, you need to wait to see how the vintage turns out in different areas. For example, there are some reports that 2006 in not going to be very good in Bordeaux. Second, you need to know how individual wines have actually done, since some wineries produce good wine in poor years and vice-versa. I'd wait at least until futures offerings and maybe even longer.

As far as first growths, Ouch was speaking loosely (and reasonably), since Petrus regularly gets higher prices than the first growths classified in 1855 and is considered a first growth in all but official name. Indeed, if you want to be particular about it, Yquem was actually classified in 1855 as a First Great Growth, higher than any of the medocs (and Haut-Brion) classified as first growths, and a number of sauternes were also classified as first growths. There is also the St. Emilion classification of 1955 (revised in 1996), which classifies a number of St. Emilions as Premiers Grands Cru Classes (and I am not even including the1959 Graves classification, which did not mention any classes at all).The terminology is not very helpful. Nor, in many cases, are the various classifications.

Ken

 

[ouch]

Hehe, you have pretty much repeated what I already said

if only they could have held off a few years before selling Screaming Eagle, how cool would it be to have a case of the LAST vintage of screaming eagle (last real vintage I mean with the original owner) which also happened to be from the year of your birth.

Oh, and Petrus isn't a first growth btw. There are 5 first growths
Ch. Lafite R.
Ch. Latour
Ch. Mouton R.
Ch. Haut Brion
Ch. Margaux
if anyone was to cheat in it would be Ch. D'yquem not Petrus

not trying to be a dick just letting you know, and I'm in the industry so maybe I am a bit of a dick about it. Although I mostly deal in U.S. wines from the Pacific northwest.

Nah, not at all.

A dick would be someone who points out that although you're obviously referring to the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Ch. Mouton was not, in fact an original first growth, having been promoted from deuxieme cru to premier cru on June 21, 1973, as celebrated by the Picasso label of that vintage.

A dick might also point out that you should change you signs: the proper spelling is Ch. d'Yquem, which is in fact a recognized grand cru Sauternes-Barsac.

Petrus is not officially a grand cru, nor did I suggest that it was, as none of the Pomerol was included in the original 1855 classification. Also omitted were the wines of St.-Emilion, but they have since been included in the 1985 official classification, which recognizes several wines as Premiers Crus Classes "B", as well as two notable class "A's": Ch. Ausone and Ch. Cheval Blanc.

But what do I know. I'm not in the industry.

 

[Nick]

Nah, not at all.

A dick would be someone who points out that although you're obviously referring to the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Ch. Mouton was not, in fact an original first growth, having been promoted from deuxieme cru to premier cru on June 21, 1973, as celebrated by the Picasso label of that vintage.

A dick might also point out that you should change you signs: the proper spelling is Ch. d'Yquem, which is in fact a recognized grand cru Sauternes-Barsac.

Petrus is not officially a grand cru, nor did I suggest that it was, as none of the Pomerol was included in the original 1855 classification. Also omitted were the wines of St.-Emilion, but they have since been included in the 1985 official classification, which recognizes several wines as Premiers Crus Classes "B", as well as two notable class "A's": Ch. Ausone and Ch. Cheval Blanc.

But what do I know. I'm not in the industry.

I only know two things with regards to this thread:

1. d'Yquem is horribly expensive, but damn tasty, although there was some German late harvest botritus somethingorother that I had and I enjoyed more for a lot less money (I just wish I didn't have too much, then I would've been able to remember the name).

2. That was a buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurn.

Yoshi, I hope you're able to find some great vino. It sounds like a very nice gesture, one I'm sure your little one will appreciate.

-Nick

 

[TheYoshi]

Nah, not at all.

A dick would be someone who points out that although you're obviously referring to the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Ch. Mouton was not, in fact an original first growth, having been promoted from deuxieme cru to premier cru on June 21, 1973, as celebrated by the Picasso label of that vintage.

A dick might also point out that you should change you signs: the proper spelling is Ch. d'Yquem, which is in fact a recognized grand cru Sauternes-Barsac.

Petrus is not officially a grand cru, nor did I suggest that it was, as none of the Pomerol was included in the original 1855 classification. Also omitted were the wines of St.-Emilion, but they have since been included in the 1985 official classification, which recognizes several wines as Premiers Crus Classes "B", as well as two notable class "A's": Ch. Ausone and Ch. Cheval Blanc.

But what do I know. I'm not in the industry.

Hurray! Nothing is better than wine jerks going out at Glad you took my post light-hearted and that you responded in equal kind, I love it! and of course you are correct typo'd d'Yquem (much as you typo'd La Pin in your original post, unless La Pin is a different wine than the Le Pin I am thinking of?

In all seriousness though I'm enjoying the discussion, and thanks for the input, have any of you guys seen any up to date vintage charts that have 2006 included? I haven't even seen any 2006 "preview" ratings as of yet.

Nick you are of course correct about d'Yquem, last I looked 2005 futures where upwards of $500/bottle which is insane.

Cheers all and thanks for your input!

btw, when I say I'm in the industry I have a small distributor business/hobby in PA, mostly focused on boutique small production Oregon wines, Bergstrom and the like.

 

[ouch]

While Yquem is unique in the world of wine, it's not the only game in town. Some other terrific sauternes are Raymond Lafon, Gilette (gotta love that name on this site), Rieussec, Climens, Suduiraut, and Lafaurie-Peyraguey. Some fairly inexpensive ones would be Rabaud-Promis, Guiraud, Coutet, and Doisy-Daene.

Shortly before I got married, my wife used to enjoy a drink called a lassi. There are many varieties, and some are sweetened with a simple syrup or a vanilla syrup. One night I came home to find her preparing one, using Ch. d'Yquem as a sweetener! Thank god it was an '81.

The best sauterne I've tried, hands down, was the '67 Gilette, Creme de Tete.


I believe Nick may be referring to that great style of German dessert wine, the trockenbeerenauslese. Amazing stuff.

 

[ouch]

I have a small distributor business/hobby in PA, mostly focused on boutique small production Oregon wines, Bergstrom and the like.

Oregon produces some of this country's best, especially when it comes to pinot.

The late Al Hotchkin of NYC's Burgundy Wine Company started carrying new world pinot around a decade ago, and although I've had mixed results with my tastings, I continue to applaud the effort.

 

[TimmyBoston]

All I know is that Hannibal Lector bought a bottle of Ch. d'Yquem from her birthyear for Clarice Starling.

But in all seriousness, in think it's a reallly cool think what you are doing for your son.

 

[mrob]

I guess Boones Farm and Ripple are out?

 

[TheYoshi]

Oregon produces some of this country's best, especially when it comes to pinot.

The late Al Hotchkin of NYC's Burgundy Wine Company started carrying new world pinot around a decade ago, and although I've had mixed results with my tastings, I continue to applaud the effort.

I've been very happy with what I have been dealing with in Oregon. If you have access to any of these wineries I can almost guarantee you satisfaction

EIEIO (funny name, but the winemaker's last name is McDonald, I like it, website is www.onhisfarm.com) Broadley Vineyard and Cuvee W which he doesn't make every year are my personal favorites.

Bergstrom - fairly well known, some great wines especially the Cumberland Reserve

For value stuff A to Z makes some really nice wines that are all very reasonably priced (around $20/btl for their reds and around $15 for the whites) they are blenders so you aren't going to see single vineyard wines out of them but hey.. they blend in Burgundy so maybe it's a good idea.

Their pinot noir of course is nice as is their "Night & Day" proprietary red blend. I'm also a fan of their Chard.. no oak, a nice relief from your typical "Oak bomb" new world Chard.