Special bottle needed for 2027

Wasn't sure how to search other threads for my question, but wanted to get everyone's thoughts.

My son was born last year (2006) and I thought I would purchase a bottle of wine that we could share on his 21st birthday from the 2006 vintage. I have a Eurocave, so I have the capability to age it, but never have bought a bottle of wine over $150.

My original thought would be a first-growth Bordeaux. However, the recent reports I've read seems that those prices are fairly high, all of them and their comparable vineyards look well over $500. I don't know Burgundy very well, even though I visited there for several days and visited some wineries. I would never know what a good label would be that could lay down for 20 years.

Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone ever done something like this before? Do I have any other choice than a big-name Bordeaux to ensure it'll be drinkable in 20 years?

Thanks!

Everyone seems to think that 2006 was the greatest vintage in Austria since the invention of sliced bread, so I might be on the lookout for a great, ageworthy Austrian wine.

FX Pichler Unendlich [Riesling or Grüner Veltliner] comes to mind:

http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Unendlich/2006/-/USD/A/

Don't know if Prager, Knoll, or Hirtzberger have any special bottlings planned for vintage 2006, but I'd be very surprised if e.g. 2006 Hirtzberger Honivogl Grüner Veltliner weren't simply to-die-for [now whether it will go a full 21 years without giving up the ghost, I don't know].

I'd also look into any Austrian Beerenauslese or Trockenbeerenauslese coming out of vintage 2006.

PS: If you want to have the best luck with aging, then, wherever possible, go for magnums [1500 ml] of the dry wines, and at least full fifths [750 ml] of the dessert wines.

Large formats almost always age better.

Hi Kirby. Whenever I see a question like this, the best advice is to be sure to get something you will enjoy. There are many reasons for this, but I will only mention two. First of all he may not like wine. Of my four adult children in their thirtys and fortys, only one will occasionally sip a White Zin.

Secondly, even if he becomes an avid wine lover, if he is like most young wine drinkers he may not like old wine at all. I won't go into other possibilities. So, please get something you and yours will like.

Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone ever done something like this before? Do I have any other choice than a big-name Bordeaux to ensure it'll be drinkable in 20 years?

There used to be a tradition among the moneyed classes of England to lay down a "pipe" of Port from the year of a child's birth for celebrating birthdays with. If you're asking what wines aside from first growths will age beyond 20, the answer is quite a few. First of all, many Bordeaux apart from the first growths are capable of going beyond 20 years in a good vintage. As an example, many 1986 Bordeaux are still not quite ready to drink (it was a big, tannic year) and are 21 years old now. Other wines that'll last that long are Barolo from Italy's Piedmont, Syrah from the N. Rhone Valley of France (Hermitage, Cornas, Cote Rotie) and many sweet white wines from Germany (Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese Rieslings), Sauternes and the Loire Valley (Coteaux du Layon, Vouvray Möelleux, Quartes de Chaume). Also, Vintage Port is capable of aging 20+ years in most any declared vintage. Lastly, there are some New World wines that'll age 20+ years, such as the Cabernets of Chateau Montelena, Dunn and Ridge Monte Bello. There's also Penfolds Grange from Australia, but that's not much cheaper than a first growth.

Of course, it's important to find a region that was successful in '06. Even Ch. Latour won't last 21 years in a weak vintage. Offhand, I'm not sure what regions were particularly successful in '06, but I'm sure that others here will know.

Mark Lipton

Personally, I'd buy a magnum of Leoville Barton. It always ages well, is a wonderful wine most every year, and won't break the bank. The magnum will not only age better than a 750, but will allow everyone a bigger glass of wine in 20 years.

My only question is, do you really want to take up space in your Eurocave for 20 years?

I've thought of doing this myself when my wife and I have children (probably in the next few years), and I have come to the conclusion of buying a case of wine for this particular purpose, one that I can find for around $400-500 that will live up well to age (I'm thinking a decent CdP, depending on birth-year vintage quality, of course)...It will be "our" wine, to be opened together at various hallmarks throughout his/her life, so it will be interesting to see it evolve over time.

Since 1 bottle has the chance of being tainted, I also figure it will give me better odds of not being disappointed when the time comes to crack it open.

Oh, and my kids will like wine, I have no doubt (and be professional basketball players after they get their law degree...from Yale. Then they'll be elected to the U.S. Senate).

Hmmm... Sounds like you will be giving birth to Bill Bradley.

Hmmm... Sounds like you will be giving birth to Bill Bradley.

now that you mention it, I guess I forgot to throw in Rhodes Scholar.

Then they'll be elected to the U.S. Senate).

Try not to be so pessimistic. It's possible they could turn out just fine.

Well, given the year (2006) I'd lay down a J.J. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr auslese goldcapsule or long gold capsule. It should be just about singing by then. Jim

Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone ever done something like this before? Do I have any other choice than a big-name Bordeaux to ensure it'll be drinkable in 20 years?

My brother and I are putting together a mixed case for his daughter born in 2005. I am providing 3 Bdx (3rd-4th growth) and he is filling in the rest with Port and Rhones. We are still thinking about adding in a bottle or 2 of Sauternes. We have no idea what wine she will like if any so we are buying an assortment of things that we both like.

Also this was the excuse I needed to actually purchase Bdx futures at those crazy prices. And of course I had to buy some extra bottles to check progress and ensure that her bottle should be drinking good in 2026.

[David M. Bueker]

There's a lot of German Riesling Auslese and Gold Capsule Auslese that will make it to 2027 with room to spare. It's a year of big wines, and many of the best have been bottled in full 750ml bottles. Donnhoff also is doing magnums of auslese! I would get one of those.

Buy three of each and continue to taste them every seven years or so. Drink the less ageworthy ones, save the others

We did. Actually, I think the minimum we got was 4 bottles of any single selection for her case. 1 for her 3 for us. And yes, part of that plan was to be able to drink up anything that we felt was going to not make it until 2026 and have replacement bottles available.

Plus, we really needed a good excuse to buy this much wine from 2005.

Thanks for the thoughts! I agree, it should be wine that my wife and I will like, but hope our son will appreciate the rarity of this bottle.

As for what to pick, not sure I'm that much closer to a selection, but have lots of ideas to choose from. Still leaning towards a Bordeaux, but also seem to think maybe a vintage Champagne would be nice as well.

The usual suspects for this sort of thing are:

Top red Bordeaux, in a good vintage. Emphasis on in a good vintage. Classified-growth Bordeaux many years ago got overpriced and well off my radar screen, so I have ignored it entirely since 1990 (the last good vintage until the way-overpriced 2000s). I have no idea if 2006 is an ageworthy vintage. If so, it's worth considering, if you can pay the pound-of-flesh prices they charge these days.

Sauternes, in a good vintage. I'm still enjoying my 1986s from Rieussec, La Tour Blanche, and Suideraut. I'd be enjoying the 1983s still, except I couldn't keep my hands off them, and they're gone. D'Yquem of course would be an excellent candidate, except the prices are up there beyond the stratosphere with the 1st Growth red Bordeaux.

Vintage Port. A house bottling or single-quinta vintage Port from one of the major houses (Taylor-Fladgate, Graham's, Dow, etc.) will easily last 21 years. In fact, they practically DEMAND 21 years or more of ageing to learn some manners. This is THE classic "lay some down for the children when the come of age" wine choice. It's early to know if 2006 will be declared as a Port vintage by any of the houses.

German Auslesen, Beerenauslesen, Trockenbeerenauslesen from major producers in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer or Rheingau. These are sweet dessert wines that, in good vintages and from good producers, will last for decades.

Vintage Madeira. This stuff is practically immortal. I have drunk 1865 Madeira that tasted downright young. Forget 2006. See if there's something from 1956, or 1906, or, heck, 1806. Or 1966/1967 (would be 50-ish when your child's 21).

Hermitage. Very ageworthy, in good vintages. Unfortunately the prices are right up there with 1er Cru Bordeaux.

Barolo. I've heard it said that nobody's ever tasted over-the-hill Barolo, because they die of old age first. I have some 1982s that are still doing very well, thank you. Prices for recent vintages are, alas, stratospheric.

Select Grand Cru Burgundy. I've had a few ethereal bottles from 1947 and 1949 from great vineyards and great producers. Selection is the big problem. Prices over the past few years have gone through the roof. There's nothing to compare with it if you can encounter the right bottle, but I personally wouldn't take the gamble.

Certain American cabernet sauvignons. Chateau Montelena is the one I have personal acquaintance with. It is very consistent year in and year out. With prices for Bordeaux, Hermitage, and Barolo in the $100s, Montelena is almost a bargain. If you can find it. There are other California wines (and I'm not talking about the over-the-top Parker fruit bombs here) that will last and improve over 20 years. Montelena is the one I am familiar with and sure of (having cellared every vintage since 1980).

Gran Reserva Rioja from a good producer and year certainly has the longevity. I can't speak for the prices.

A lot of the traditional choices, alas, have seen their prices shoot up recently to the point where they're beyond the comfortable reach of all but the very rich. If you're going to lay down something for an offspring, I'd suggest at least 3 bottles, preferably 6 or a 12-bottle case, of the wine of choice. If you can afford the prices being asked for 1er cru Bordeaux, 1er cru Burgundy, Hermitage, or Barolo these days, I salute you--you're way above my own income bracket. Grand Cru Sauternes (except for D'Yquem) is a tad more affordable. Ditto Vintage Port. Relative to the competition, Chateau Montelena is a relative bargain.

This would have been much easier 20 years ago (1986 had an embarrassment of riches, at what are today bargain prices).

Salut,

-Paul W.