2021 wine buying abstinence thread

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Sat Jan 16, 2021 1:16 am

There is an axiom I follow in my life: You can never have enough of that which you do not need.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Tue Jan 19, 2021 5:40 pm

SELF CONTROL FAILURE -- 19 DAYS INTO 2021 MY ABSTINENCE FAILED -- RESTORING VOW OF ABSTINENCE STARTING NOW

ANATOMY OF A SELF-CONTROL FAILURE --

This was an interesting example of how abstinence failed due to virtual socializing with people like my fellow BWEers. It all started with Nicklass mentioning how great Conseillante is. I totally agree. It was one of my first Right Bank loves and I have had many great experiences with it over the years. Musing on my wonderful encounters with Conseillante over the years, I then went over my collection to check my holdings. I have (or had) a total of about two cases of Conseillante, basically a few bottles per vintage sprinkled across 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015. But I started to ask myself -- was this really enough? Was it enough to last me the rest of my life should I continue permanent abstinence (yes, in light of my current announcement that I was unable to attain even three weeks of abstinence, such an ambition may seem so laughable that you cannot refrain from chuckling upon reading it, but please bear with me as I retrace my diseased collector thought process).

Then I started to think about the price escalation of Conseillante since I had started purchasing. New vintages are escalating into the $170+ range and will soon routinely be at $200+. Even the "cheap" 2019 vintage is $165 on futures. Just unaffordable for the kind of lifetime supply of Conseillante I would like to have. The last vintage I bought at a reasonable price was the 2014, which was actually under $100 for the few bottles of it I got. 2014...Jean Michel Laporte's last vintage. And the type of vintage that might actually be better at a place like Conseillante than the "big" fruity vintages...the cooler year playing to the silky, subtle, nature of the best Conseillante. Wow, I should have bought more of the 2014 when I could. It might be my LAST CHANCE EVER IN MY LIFE to get this chateau I have loved so much through the years at a reasonable price. I wonder how much it has escalated in price since it first came out?

Suffice it to say that this train of thought resulted in the purchase of six bottles of 2014 Conseillante at $115/bottle, bringing me up to ten bottles of that vintage (by far my largest Conseillante holding now). Writing it all out now, I can see many logical flaws in my thinking. If 24 bottles of Conseillante wasn't enough to make me feel secure about my lifetime Conseillante hoard, then why would 30 bottles be? Wouldn't it be easy to backfill 2014 and other vintages at some future date when I ran out, given that vintages back 15-20 years are still widely available on the market? Granted, it might cost me $40-50 more a bottle then, but I would save much more money by holding to my vow of abstinence. But in any case, these thoughts have come too late.

I now renew my vow of abstinence.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:14 pm

From my 2021 experience thus far, my non-abstinence approach seems much easier on the conscience.

marcs · Post by **marcs** » Tue Jan 19, 2021 7:52 pm

on your conscience, yes, but how about your wallet?

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:26 pm

The nice thing about abstinence is that you can fail at it repeatedly, offering endless opportunities to feel smug, anxious, or shamed.

I am still holding out but I know I will eventually fail, so I am not feeling anxious. And I know my BWE brethren will absolve me of guilt and shame when I confess... no - proudly announce my failure.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:32 pm

on your conscience, yes, but how about your wallet?

Ah yes, the delicate balancing act is neverending.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Jan 20, 2021 12:48 am

Has DavidG converted to Catholicism?

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jan 20, 2021 12:50 am

We welcome you, David.

Racer Chris · Post by **Racer Chris** » Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:52 am

you guys are crackin' me up

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:31 am

I wanted to go out before dinner, to buy some wine. MC was completely against, making me half mad. For 5 min, i just thought : why my better half would limit me to go buy some wine, while she destroyed the car this noon? (yes, MC had a small accident, big damages).

After that 5 min, I had another 5 min to suffer but after that, it was done. I just changed my mind, it was ok not buying wine, resisting, changing my mind, getting proud of myself. Can i repeat that pattern forever?

Nic

P.S. sorry marcs for the Chateau la Conseillante, i really never thought my comment could have that impact. Myself tonight, with duck confit, I opened a 2019 organic monastrell from Jumilla Spain that was quite good. And I almost immediately thought I need Bandol... to be continued...

JimHow · Post by **JimHow** » Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:38 am

And I almost immediately thought I need Bandol...

I laughed out loud at that line.

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sat Jan 23, 2021 7:50 pm

JimHow wrote:
And I almost immediately thought I need Bandol...

I laughed out loud at that line.

There is an angel, protecting me from wine buying... I went to the winestore yesterday, to buy Bandol... none left from the 14 bottles availables the previous weekend.

Happy (and mad at the same time) i did not bought anything!

Comte Flaneur · Post by **Comte Flaneur** » Sat Jan 23, 2021 8:24 pm

I had a bad week last week from the POV of losing discipline.

The good news is that the fast is going well. I started on Sunday Jan 3 and I tend to pop a cork for the first time in over a month on Thursday Feb 4.

I also have not bought a single bottle of 2019 burgundy, but had one or two close calls.

The bad news is that I bought 22 bottles of wine last week, when I wanted to abstain from buying this year spending £960 in the process.

I bought one bottle of Massolino Barolo Margheria 2010 - a tip off that it is brilliant which has dangerously lured me into longing after buying some Vigna Rionda.

I bottle nine bottles of Domaine Lafouge Auxey-Duress red and white 2016 and 2017 villages and premier cru

I bought six bottles of Gangloff Cote-Rotie Barbarine 2013

And finally six bottles of Sottimano Barbareco Cotta 2010.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Jan 23, 2021 9:22 pm

January has been a bad month for me, buying lots of wine. Mostly because I’m winning some lots at auction I normally get outbid on.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:07 am

Serves you right for overbidding, Patrick. None of my bids have won. Auction prices are often above retail prices now.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 1:19 am

I’ve won 9 bottles of l’Evangile this month (6 of the 95, 3 of the 90) for well below retail. Not cheap of course, but relative bargains. And I consider well-stored bottles of the 85 La Lagune for $87 all-in a screaming deal.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:52 am

La Lagune is overrated and has terrible QPR. Moreover, La Lagune from the 1980s have been falling apart for years. I encourage no one to bid in auctions on this loser.

Claret · Post by **Claret** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:17 pm

Two months of no buying and I could not resist Walter Scott Chards on Berserker Day.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:19 pm

I’ve only bought steaks (Flannery) and stems (Grassl) on Berserker Day (so far).

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 9:29 pm

I did not realize that today was BD until I checked this while having lunch; thanks, Glenn. No time now to do more since I teach this afternoon, but I did get in an order for 72 Repours for $72.

jal · Post by **jal** » Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:30 pm

I also bought Flannery beef, Repours, Grassl Liberté stems and Glasvin Universal stems (1st time, just to try). I am trying not to buy more wine. As it is there are six bottles in our regular fridge and a couple of cases sitting in a closet in the least warm room in our condo.

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:22 am

I bought tuna, olive oil, beef, and caviar.
Still no wine purchases in 2021...

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 4:02 pm

I have unsubscribed from all wine stores/auctions/offerings emails. Trying to avoid temptation.

JCNorthway · Post by **JCNorthway** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 4:51 pm

Those are severe measures, Jacques.

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 4:55 pm

JCNorthway wrote:Those are severe measures, Jacques.

True that Jon. I have never done that before. Wish me luck!

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 5:29 pm

Why are you trying to resist temptation, Jacques?

jal · Post by **jal** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 5:49 pm

stefan wrote:Why are you trying to resist temptation, Jacques?

Mainly storage issues Stefan. I have no room in the condo for more wines. I do not like to use off site storage.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 6:53 pm

DavidG wrote:I bought tuna, olive oil, beef, and caviar.
Still no wine purchases in 2021...

Have you had the Veleta products and Astrea caviar before? Good stuff?

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:27 pm

Oh fudge. As the berserker day deals have been extended, I just ordered some Veleta olive oil and balsamico and a 100g tin of the Schrencki caviar!

DavidG · Post by **DavidG** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:17 pm

Blanquito wrote:
DavidG wrote:I bought tuna, olive oil, beef, and caviar.
Still no wine purchases in 2021...
Have you had the Veleta products and Astrea caviar before? Good stuff?

Yes to both.

My favorite of the Veleta line of tinned fish is the Ventresca tuna. Expensive but delicious, and don’t let a drop of the olive oil that it’s packed in go to waste.

The caviar is not cheap but at 25-35% off a once a year splurge is easy. I got the sampler last year and liked the Schrenkii best (the costliest, of course), so that’s what we bought this year. With crème fraiche on a thin sea salt rice cracker - heaven!

Nicklasss · Post by **Nicklasss** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:15 pm

DavidG wrote:
Blanquito wrote:
DavidG wrote:I bought tuna, olive oil, beef, and caviar.
Still no wine purchases in 2021...
Have you had the Veleta products and Astrea caviar before? Good stuff?
Yes to both.

My favorite of the Veleta line of tinned fish is the Ventresca tuna. Expensive but delicious, and don’t let a drop of the olive oil that it’s packed in go to waste.

The caviar is not cheap but at 25-35% off a once a year splurge is easy. I got the sampler last year and liked the Schrenkii best (the costliest, of course), so that’s what we bought this year. With crème fraiche on a thin sea salt rice cracker - heaven!

Come on David, you need to buy a great Champagne to go with that...

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:32 pm

DavidG wrote:
Blanquito wrote:
DavidG wrote:I bought tuna, olive oil, beef, and caviar.
Still no wine purchases in 2021...
Have you had the Veleta products and Astrea caviar before? Good stuff?
Yes to both.

My favorite of the Veleta line of tinned fish is the Ventresca tuna. Expensive but delicious, and don’t let a drop of the olive oil that it’s packed in go to waste.

The caviar is not cheap but at 25-35% off a once a year splurge is easy. I got the sampler last year and liked the Schrenkii best (the costliest, of course), so that’s what we bought this year. With crème fraiche on a thin sea salt rice cracker - heaven!

That sounds amazing David. I need some caviar with creme fraiche in my life! Whats the going rate on the caviar? Where did you get it from?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 9:56 pm

I also don't like off site storage, Jacques. But wine fridges are cheap and very efficient for storage.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:06 pm

The caviar David is talking about is still on sale for Berserker Day:

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/vi ... 7&t=176936

I did a little looking around and even with the discount code, this Astrea stuff is still pricey. But everyone on Berserkers makes it sound like world class stuff, so I splurged for a 100g tin.

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:15 pm

Thanks Patrick, might have to splurge.

Which one did you buy?

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:20 pm

Based on the comments, I got the “Grand Selection - Schrenckii”. Looks like that’s DavidG’s fav too.

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:28 pm

Hmm. The secret for not buying wine is to go to a wine website and spent a lot on other things. I guess it makes sense if you have a BWE mentality.

Blanquito · Post by **Blanquito** » Sat Jan 30, 2021 10:51 pm

stefan wrote:Hmm. The secret for not buying wine is to go to a wine website and spent a lot on other things. I guess it makes sense if you have a BWE mentality.

Exactly! I was bragging to Kim, who was shocked at all the CC activity, that at least I didn’t buy any wine!

JoelD · Post by **JoelD** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 1:20 am

Hmm, I'm just thinking about all the great second growths that I could buy for that price. Even with the discount. How long does opened caviar stay good for?

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Sun Jan 31, 2021 1:42 am

Caviar per gram makes FG Medocs look cheap.