Cigar Weekly

x5andr6 · 10-04-2005, 11:50 AM

Posted a similar question on LCDH...my son was born last month, August 16. Looking to buy an exceptional bottle of wine to keep until 2023--when he turns 18. I know, legal drinking age...blah, blah. Any suggestions on a bottle that will be great that far into the future? Not looking to spend more than $150. I prefer full-bodied reds.

geoffrie · 10-04-2005, 12:02 PM

Congratulations.

An old spainsh custom was to get a bottle of port and keep it unitl your son's 21st birthday and then open it with him.

jazznut · 10-04-2005, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geoffrie

An old spainsh custom was to get a bottle of port and keep it unitl your son's 21st birthday and then open it with him.

Vintage Port would indeed be a sage choice. Wouldn't go far wrong with a recent vintage from Taylor Fladgate, Grahams or Fonseca, amongst many.

A 1er Grand Cru Classé red from Bordeaux would be another excellent alternative... Château Margaux perhaps?

One red not nearly so famous, yet every bit as age-worthy (if not more so) than those renowned Bordeaux and Burgundies, is Barca Velha from the Douro in Portugal - an astoundingly complex wine that amply repays a long cellar rest.

The other way to go would be a white select-harvest wine possessing the staying power to hit 2 decades of age in fine form. Here, possibilities include German Trockenbeerenauslesen (Riesling especially) and Alsatian Sélection de Grains Nobles (Riesling, Pinot Gris or Gewurztraminer), amongst many.

I shot a man in Reno · 10-04-2005, 06:01 PM

It depends, do you want a bottle that says the year 2005 on it? If so, then wait a couple years and buy a nice Bourdeaux. Good ones can easily last 15-20 years or more.

Or do you want something that was purchased in 2005? If so, then buy the 2003 Vintage port (I wouldn't expect a 2005 vintage to be declared, but you never know). It is a long standing british tradition to lay down a case of vintage port at birth for your child to enjoy in adulthood. A good port will continue to age well for 30 years or even longer. 2003 Vintage port is supposed to be excellent and is just now becoming available in stores.

Dr. Dan · 10-04-2005, 07:05 PM

The 2001 Chateau d'Yquem is about to be released, and it is possible to reserve bottles at various distrubitrs (including High Time Cellars in CA).
If you're a fan of Sauternes, this is a no-brainer.

The 2001 vintage is very highly regarded (a perfect 100 points from both Robert Parker and Wine Spectator) - and will age for 75+ years.

This one's a treasure.

rockace521 · 10-04-2005, 07:14 PM

Not to be a damp blanket here, but if someone had given me a bottle of 18-year-old red wine when I was 18, I would have spit it out and rinsed with Coca Cola, even if the bottle in question were a Chateau Margaux or Lafite-Rothschild. Unless you plan on raising your son to properly appreciate fine red wines (which you may very well do!), a nice Vintage Porto or high-quality Pedro Ximenez sherry might meet the "taste" requirements of the average 18 year old. Sauternes might not be a bad choice, either.

sillyrib · 10-04-2005, 08:55 PM

following along the lines of the cigar post I would match your drink to your cigar or vice versa.

ZachS · 10-05-2005, 04:26 AM

I have a pretty unsophisticated wine palate, and I tried vintage port (23-year old) for the first time this year....

It's something anybody should be able to appreciate (it was clearly the best wine I had ever tasted), and you could also give him the same brand from a more recent vintage for comparison....

parshooter · 10-05-2005, 04:29 AM

Just make sure the bottle has a cork, and NOT a screw top.

rockace521 · 10-05-2005, 04:41 AM

Also, since you said that you prefer full-bodied reds, does that mean you already have a place to safely keep wine? To store a bottle of wine for the better part of 2 decades, it's critical to ensure that you don't end up wasting the time and money because it wasn't stored properly. Perhaps this is somthing you're already clear on, just wanted to make sure. It would truly suck to pop the cork in 18 years and discover it got cooked or the cork got rotted or some such. That'd be the definition of anticlimactic, right there.

10-04-2005, 11:50 AM	#1
x5andr6 Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Lake Ridge, VA Italy Posts: 596	Bottle of wine to age until 2023 Posted a similar question on LCDH...my son was born last month, August 16. Looking to buy an exceptional bottle of wine to keep until 2023--when he turns 18. I know, legal drinking age...blah, blah. Any suggestions on a bottle that will be great that far into the future? Not looking to spend more than $150. I prefer full-bodied reds.

10-04-2005, 07:05 PM	#5
Dr. Dan Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Paris Posts: 523	The 2001 Chateau d'Yquem is about to be released, and it is possible to reserve bottles at various distrubitrs (including High Time Cellars in CA). If you're a fan of Sauternes, this is a no-brainer. The 2001 vintage is very highly regarded (a perfect 100 points from both Robert Parker and Wine Spectator) - and will age for 75+ years. This one's a treasure. __________________ -Dr. Dan

10-04-2005, 07:14 PM	#6
rockace521 Herf God Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 25,619	Not to be a damp blanket here, but if someone had given me a bottle of 18-year-old red wine when I was 18, I would have spit it out and rinsed with Coca Cola, even if the bottle in question were a Chateau Margaux or Lafite-Rothschild. Unless you plan on raising your son to properly appreciate fine red wines (which you may very well do!), a nice Vintage Porto or high-quality Pedro Ximenez sherry might meet the "taste" requirements of the average 18 year old. Sauternes might not be a bad choice, either. __________________ When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson

10-04-2005, 08:55 PM	#7
sillyrib Club Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,268	following along the lines of the cigar post I would match your drink to your cigar or vice versa. __________________ Oh stewardess, I speak jive.

10-05-2005, 04:29 AM	#9
parshooter Herf God Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: St Somewhere Posts: 14,444	Just make sure the bottle has a cork, and NOT a screw top. __________________ "I'm not drunk, I've just been drinking." Pat Daley #69 of the JLOH

10-04-2005, 12:02 PM	#2
geoffrie Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: West Village Posts: 901	Congratulations. An old spainsh custom was to get a bottle of port and keep it unitl your son's 21st birthday and then open it with him.

10-04-2005, 06:01 PM	#4
I shot a man in Reno Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 260	It depends, do you want a bottle that says the year 2005 on it? If so, then wait a couple years and buy a nice Bourdeaux. Good ones can easily last 15-20 years or more. Or do you want something that was purchased in 2005? If so, then buy the 2003 Vintage port (I wouldn't expect a 2005 vintage to be declared, but you never know). It is a long standing british tradition to lay down a case of vintage port at birth for your child to enjoy in adulthood. A good port will continue to age well for 30 years or even longer. 2003 Vintage port is supposed to be excellent and is just now becoming available in stores.

10-05-2005, 04:26 AM	#8
ZachS Club Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: pdx Posts: 1,525	I have a pretty unsophisticated wine palate, and I tried vintage port (23-year old) for the first time this year.... It's something anybody should be able to appreciate (it was clearly the best wine I had ever tasted), and you could also give him the same brand from a more recent vintage for comparison....

10-05-2005, 04:41 AM	#10
rockace521 Herf God Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 25,619	Also, since you said that you prefer full-bodied reds, does that mean you already have a place to safely keep wine? To store a bottle of wine for the better part of 2 decades, it's critical to ensure that you don't end up wasting the time and money because it wasn't stored properly. Perhaps this is somthing you're already clear on, just wanted to make sure. It would truly suck to pop the cork in 18 years and discover it got cooked or the cork got rotted or some such. That'd be the definition of anticlimactic, right there. __________________ When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty. - Thomas Jefferson