So what should I buy

[Hm$(still)]

Fun little exercise and I’d love advice from you all.

I am purging my cellar of a fair amount of new world wine (about $10K+) and restocking with wines from Bordeaux. Given that I am approaching the rope old age of 57, and I have quite a bit from ‘00 already, I am focusing on backfilling from the ‘90s and ‘80s. My favorite is PLL (by far), but that is generally $200+. I bought some ‘95 GPL in the $130-$140 range, and love that

What Bordeaux wines are available at auction that you’d look for from the ‘80s and ‘90s in the $100-$200/bottle range to backfill a cellar?

Hm$

[JimHow]

1988 Gruaud Larose
1985 Gruaud Larose
1983 Gruaud Larose
1990 Leoville Barton
1995 Leoville Barton
1996 Leoville Barton
1995 Pontet Canet
1996 Pontet Canet
1995 GPL
1996 GPL
1995 Calon Segur
1996 Calon Segur
1996 Montrose

[JimHow]

I'm guessing I have one of the most bizarre cellars in the world.
According to cellar tracker, I have 983 bottles, 82% Bordeaux, average vintage 2014.

France 93.1% Bottles (915) / Average vintage 2014.0
Bordeaux 82.3% Bottles (809) / Average vintage 2014.4
Burgundy 6.0% Bottles (59) / Average vintage 2009.4
Champagne 3.1% Bottles (30) / Average vintage 2008.0
Rhône 1.5% Bottles (15) / Average vintage 2016.6
Jura 0.1% Bottles (1) / Average vintage 1995.0
Loire Valley 0.1% Bottles (1) / Average vintage 2014.0

Italy 3.3% Bottles (32) / Average vintage 2017.9
Tuscany 3.3% Bottles (32) / Average vintage 2017.9

USA 2.0% Bottles (20) / Value Average vintage 2017.7
California 1.9% Bottles (19) / Average vintage 2017.7

Arizona 0.1% Bottles (1) / Average vintage 2017.0

Germany 1.5% Bottles (15) / Average vintage 2009.9
Mosel Saar Ruwer 1.1% Bottles (11) / Average vintage 2010.3
Nahe 0.4% Bottles (4) / Average vintage 2008.8

Canada 0.1% Bottles (1) / Average vintage 2000.0
British Columbia 0.1% Bottles (1) / Value $44 / Average vintage 2000.0

[Hm$(still)]

You have exactly 59 more bottles of burgundy than I do.

Hm$

[stefan]

1995 and 1996 are less risky than anything earlier. In the last three years I have bought quite a few older bottles for our Oregon house, and the disappointment rate has been quite high for wines from 1990 and before. That may be why prices are about the same as the those for young wines. You cannot trust that auction houses have seriously checked the provenance of the wines they are selling, and even when the provenance is assured (in some cases I knew the consigner), there can be disappointments. In general, I think that 1986 and 1988 provide the best gambles for wine from the 1980s, especially when the price is factored in.

Jim makes reasonable specific suggestions, but you are unlikely to find some at < $200, such as 1996 Montrose.

[SF Ed]

I would add 1986 Talbot (I bought a couple for $150 recently), as well as all the usual suspects from 1988, including PLL and Las Cases. No one cares about 1988 anymore, and its great value along with 1983.

SF Ed

[DavidG]

I would add 1986 Talbot (I bought a couple for $150 recently), as well as all the usual suspects from 1988, including PLL and Las Cases. No one cares about 1988 anymore, and its great value along with 1983.

SF Ed

Very wise words. This is exactly where I’d be setting my sights. Well-stored bottles of 1988 Lynch Bages are in a very nice spot.

[stefan]

Yes, indeed, David. I am surprised that WineSearcherPro says that you can still buy them for less than $200.

[JimHow]

You have exactly 59 more bottles of burgundy than I do.

Hm$

I'll never forget the look on Howard's face, I think we may have been in Chicago, or maybe DC come to think of it, in 2008(?), the year I picked the 2005 Burgundy vintage as the (protest) BWE wine of the year, I had brought a bunch of 2005 Burgundy village wines in my room and we did a tasting, they were, um, a bit tough, Howard turned to me and said some to the effect, you like this swill?

I do want to get another couple mixed cases from recent Burgundy vintages in my cellar for my 110th birthday, did someone say 2020 is not good in Burgundy? How about 2021?

[JCNorthway]

From what I have read recently, 2022 should be the one to buy - when it is available. Have not purchased any reds from 20 or 21, but whites have been pretty good. IIRC, 2021 was a small harvest due to frost.

[Comte Flaneur]

Howard have you given any consideration to buying any 2001s and 2002s? They are classical vintages. Duhart O1 for example is sublime old school claret, likewise something like Ducru 02 or DDC 02 - wines which give enormous pleasure and should be up your strasse.

[stefan]

Ha-ha, Jim. Michael P does not like even to be in the same room as an open bottle of red Burgundy.

The village 2005 Burgundies are in a drinkable phase now. Last night Lucie & enjoyed Vincent Girardin's Vosne-Romanee VV with chicken and mushrooms over rice. I am right now consuming the leftovers. The tart cranberries in the Vosne go complement the food.

[JimHow]

Yes, Michael was proposing that we dump Whuzzup in a ditch in Napa back in 2002 because of his affinity for Burgundy.

2022 seems to be generating buzz in Bordeaux as well as Burgundy, they should be reaching peak right around my 115th birthday.

[stefan]

In my experience, Jim, there are few Burgundies that require 30+ years to reach their peak even if some can live much longer. For example, virtually everything from 1996, 1999, and 2002 are mature. I expect all 2005s to be mature at age 30, and most should by age 25.

A reason to hold on to Burgundies for longer is that they are harder and more expensive to source than Bordeaux at age 30, so holding a few is a good strategy to see how one you like ages. So I am always reluctant to drink the last bottle of a Burgundy that I like. I don't expect them to be better than when I drank them before, and they rarely are.

In short, you have an excuse to buy in 10-20 years current release Burgundies.

[JimHow]

Ok I'm going to be looking for 2022 Burgundy to drink in my 80s, when do they hit the shelves?

[Nicklasss]

Hi Howard.

I don't know if these are in your target price range, but i would recommend these if can find bottles in good shape:

1986 Pape Clement
1988 Pape Clement
1989 d'Armailhac
1989 Cantemerle
1990 Lagrange
1990 Sociando Mallet