Cellar Statistics

[William P]

What happening in your cellar? Where is it growing or slowing? I asked these questions a couple years ago so I thought I would be interesting to revisit it. This should be easy for the cellarmaster people. The size of my cellar has grown about 30% but most of that was growth in early 2008. Not much growth since then.

When I first ran the numbers a few years my Bordeaux was about 80% bordeaux, 15 per cent Burgundy and the rest cali, german and port.

New statistics are 60% Bordeaux, 34% Burgundy, the rest: a combination of Port, Cali Cabs, Reislings.

The recent purchases from bordeaux (2005) are more right bank orientated. I suspect this is a result of having a left bank dominated cellar.

The largest addition in the last two year was in burgundy where I have been cellaring 2005 burgs. As I look the majority are village wines for consumption in two to three years. The main areas are volnay and vosne. For 1sters it appears that gevrey and volnay are the winners. Not many grand crus.

No additions to Cali cabs, many additions to reisling but I like them young. Slow acccumulation of port.

[stefan]

Bill, you remind me that it is time for me to do this. Usually I check twice a year, but it has been over a year since I last counted. I fear that my percentage of Burgundy has increased at the expense of Bordeaux.

stefan

[Claret]

I have recently completed an annual cellar diversity analysis, and the clear trends are less Bordeaux(down to 190 bottles), and an almost complete purging of all my white Burgundy due to premox concerns. Red Burgundy is holding steady while Pinot Noir acquisitions have been mainly from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, with a dose of Dehlinger and Rhys in California.

Rieslings, primarily from Germany are inching upward in inventory while awaiting their maturity peaks. My white of choice is Riesling these days, and occasionally some Dehlinger or Oregon Chards.

I picked up a couple of cases of mixed varietals from my recent tasting weekends through the Sierra Foothills, Lodi and Clarksburg California. Some of these bottles will be served double blind during our domestic wine themed Independence Day mixed grill fest.

Many of the noncoastal wineries that we visiting had one of more Port wines for sale. I resisted buying any of them as I have 3 mixed cases of the Vintage stuff ranging from 1977 Taylor and Fonseca to some 100pt 1997's that I expect to be among the oldest wines that I consume hopefully well into my old age. I only open a couple of bottles each winter. I just turned 49 and I like my Ports generally with a minimum of 15 years of age, and preferably 25+, so it makes little sense to lay down any more Ports for me.

[DavidG]

Over the past couple of years: Bordeaux and Rhone increasing, Cali decreasing. Germans, Ports pretty stable. Hardly any Burgs, Italians - no change. Total bottles pretty stable.

[Claudius]

I've kept it at the smae size as there is no more storage room anyway.

The changes have been less Aust wine (I still drink it but less often), more Burgundy mainly.

The cellar is about 35% Burgundy (incl whites), 25% Red Bordeaux, 5% Rhone and southern France (Bandol, etc), 5% Champagne, 25% Australia, and 5% others - mainly Barolos, super Tuscans, a few NZ wines.

The Aust wines are becoming more focused on a few favourite producers mainly Rockford, Brokenwood, Moss Wood, Cullen, Savaterre, Giaconda, etc.

Of Bordeaux producrers, I have more from St Julien than any other appellation, followed by Pauillac. Popular Bords in the cellar are the three Leovilles, Ducru B, Branaire, the Pichons, Pontet Canet, LMHB, GPL, Lagrange, Montrose, Calon Segur.

[Tom In DC]

About 40% Bordeaux, 16% other French, 27% Italy, 13% US. Lately, we consume more Bordeaux and US than we buy, with stocks of red Burgundy, Barolo, Barbaresco, and Veneto (Amarone) on the rise.

[rjsussex]

70% claret; 30% red burgundy.

Er, that's it.

Richard

[JimHow]

I'm updating things this week, I think Bordeaux has fallen under 80%. However, I'm planning on buying some 2006 Bordeaux this summer if I decide I like the vintage.

[William P]

Looking at my Bordeaux, St. Julian and Pauillac dominate, then medoc and haut medoc, Graves, St. Emilion and tied for fewest Marguax and Pomerol.

[Winona Chief]

Cellar still growing and currently:
44% Red Bordeaux
24% Riesling (almost all German but includes a few Alsatians)
8% Red Rhones
7% Fotified (mostly Port but a few Sherries and Madeiras)
4% Sauternes/Barsac
4% Red Burgundy
2% Champagne
2% Italian
2% California & West Coast Reds
1% Loire whites
1% White Burgundy
1% Other

The percentage of West Coast Reds and White Burgundy have steadily declined as I have drank them up (or poured down the sink in the case of all those premoxed White Burgs).

I drink Champagne, German Riesling and Red Rhones in a higher percentage than I have cellared - shorter cellar times. In a restaurant, I am probably more likely to order a low level Red Burgundy or Spanish Red off the wine list than a higher priced Bordeaux.


Chris Bublitz