Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

My second daugther, Béatrice, is born in 2013, so I need a few bottle of 2013 for her 18 years old birthday.

The 2013 are now sold en primeur in Québec, at high prices (WTF), but unripeness, hard vintage conditions, chaptalization, is making that a wine like Château Montrose "drink between 2020-2025" (129 $ a bottle...) when Béatrice will be only 12 years old...

So what should I do?

Nic

Look elsewhere, maybe from Cali as early reports appear to be promising. If you are looking for Bordeaux exclusively, I would advise passing on a futures purchase at this point in time and wait until they have sat on retailers shelves before the next vintage of the century and then look but that's just my 2 cents.

If it is an excellent vintage in California, maybe I'll look that way. The 2013 Bordeaux are too expensive en primeur here, and the prices never get down, so... Looking elsewhere is the thing.

Hey, the 2013 Château Palmer is... 345$ a bottle... En primeur.... In Québec... Our provincial liquorstore... One of the biggest buyer of wine and Bordeaux in the World... A real joke...

If the prices are better in the US, I'll make arrangement with another BWEer to buy something for me, that can hold until 2031. Is that possible?

Nic

There will always be a few sleepers Nic....Litwar and Leve should chime in

Will the 2013 Pétrus, that will be the first Pétrus that will be really better mixed with a bit of Coca-Cola?

The prices are too high here.

Nic

Per media, looks likes the vintages of the century of Bordeaux (2009 and 2010) have moved to Cali (2012 and 2013)...

So, probably you can look towards Cali may be...

For long lived California cabs, I would look at Ridge Monte Bello, Montelena Estate, Dunn Howell Mountain and Dominus. I'm sure there are others.

As David said, I would definitely look into buying Montebello, Dunn HM as pre-arrivals -- sort of!!! I had to get some 2012s for my second son. So got some Bdx pre-arrivals and Dunn HM...

Nicklasss wrote:My second daugther, Béatrice, is born in 2013, so I need a few bottle of 2013 for her 18 years old birthday.

The 2013 are now sold en primeur in Québec, at high prices (WTF), but unripeness, hard vintage conditions, chaptalization, is making that a wine like Château Montrose "drink between 2020-2025" (129 $ a bottle...) when Béatrice will be only 12 years old...

So what should I do?

Nic

Having tasted 2013 Montrose, it's a very good wine. It's one of the top wines of the vintage in the Left Bank and it should last decades. You can see my notes here: http://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bor ... eaux-wine/

It's probably not a wine to buy as a future, unless you want to purchase mags for Beatrice. If you want to stick to red Bordeaux, Montrose, Ducru & Pontet Canet are all very good, age worthy wines. Else, look at Sauternes. Suduiraut is a winner. As others have said, 2013 is a great vintage for Napa. However, Ridge is not in Napa and Montebello might be stunning, or not as good as the wines from Napa. You need to ask around. I love Ridge Montebello, it's a great wine in a really nice style. Others have suggested Dunn. As a matter of character, I find it hard and charmless. You should try it before you but it, so you know what you're getting.

So I bought 2 magnums of the 2013 Château Montrose. Should hold until 2031, when Béatrice will be 18. I suppose there are less risk of premature aging with the magnums...

Nic

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I suppose there are less risk of premature aging with the magnums...
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Sure, but it really sucks when you open a magnum and find that the wine is corked.