Recent vintages you went long on

I'm 67 and feel I have enough wine to last me.

Last vintage I went big on was 2014 for Chablis (3+ cases). I did buy a mixed case of 2017 Duplessis Chablis premier cru plus 4 bottles of their Chablis AC when Hand Picked Selection made the proverbial offer that couldn't be refused. In the past year or so, I have been back-filling with bottles here and there from 2010 and 2012.

I'm not looking to find the next new thing. 2019 and 2020 German Riesling would be tempting, but I have enough Riesling in my cellar. At my age, why would I?

I'm a part-time employee at Ridge at the Monte Bello location (tasting room employee, my retirement gig). I get a VERY nice discount. The only current release red I purchase is Estate Cabernet. Admittedly, I do buy Monte Bello because employees get a one-time offer for the vintage that is newly released (2018 being the last). All I'll say is it's a no-lose proposition. Turning down that offer would be really stupid.

I support a few friends who have wineries, but I don't buy large amounts. Edmunds St. John, Cedarville Vineyards, Ladd Cellars, and Sandar & Hem. Probably 3 cases in a year.

I also help wineries bottle here and there. Sandar & Hem and the wineries that make wine in Ed Kurtzman's facility, including his own labels. I get paid in wine. Works for me.

I'm very fortunate that my wife never gets on my case (pun intended) about my wine purchases. Her question is always "Do you think you'll be able to drink it all?". Fair question!
 
I go long on Germany every single year. I have learned a big part of my passion for wine is collecting, exploring, supporting growers AND most importantly opening wines for novices, young people etc. Outside of Germany it is much more selective.

If anything I am buying more now than ever.

There is going to be one hell of a party at my funeral!
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:

If anything I am buying more now than ever.

There is going to be one hell of a party at my funeral!
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Wine Disorder - where the one who knows meets the one who doesn’t care.
Right on, Robert!
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:

I go long on Germany every single year. I have learned a big part of my passion for wine is collecting, exploring, supporting growers AND most importantly opening wines for novices, young people etc. Outside of Germany it is much more selective.

If anything I am buying more now than ever.

There is going to be one hell of a party at my funeral!
Click to expand...

I think the bolded is really important, especially with young wine professionals and especially with precious bottles that they wouldn't be able to afford on their own. Given my life responsibilities, it's a hard thing to do these days, but I cherish those mentoring situations.

When I was coming up in the business, there wasn't a single wine that was out of reach if my buddy and I wanted to split a bottle and try it. The price of many benchmark wines has grown much more than wages in the wine business (like all asset classes and all wages, I suppose) so this is a great way to pay it forward.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
I'm 67 and feel I have enough wine to last me.
I support a few friends who have wineries, but I don't buy large amounts. Edmunds St. John, Cedarville Vineyards, Ladd Cellars, and Sandar & Hem. Probably 3 cases in a year.
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I looked up Sandar and Hem out of curiosity and saw they make a Bates Ranch Cabernet. Does that come from the upper blocks that made the old Ahlgren Bates Ranch? Those are the vines that Kenny used at Ghostwriter until the 2015 vintage.

originally posted by Larry Stein:
I'm very fortunate that my wife never gets on my case (pun intended) about my wine purchases. Her question is always "Do you think you'll be able to drink it all?". Fair question!
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Me too. When she likes something she always encourages me to get more.
 
originally posted by Robert Dentice:

I go long on Germany every single year. I have learned a big part of my passion for wine is collecting, exploring, supporting growers AND most importantly opening wines for novices, young people etc. Outside of Germany it is much more selective.

If anything I am buying more now than ever.

There is going to be one hell of a party at my funeral!
Click to expand...

Just curious, how old are you?

Until even just a few years ago, I wasn’t looking at actuarial tables. I do now.

A close friend is semi-retired from the biz. He built the US sales operation for the Loosen Bros from scratch. I’ve thought about buying more German wine through him, but I just haven’t bothered. I would get it at FOB prices, that is the purchase price for wholesale operations.

Hey, if/when you do a RieslingStudy in the Bay Area, I still have 2001s, 02s, and 04s from Daniel Vollenweider including the various Goldgrube sub-parcels. Ain’t much of that around. Prädikat bottlings are not hip these days so I don’t get much opportunity to open them.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Larry Stein:
I'm 67 and feel I have enough wine to last me.
I support a few friends who have wineries, but I don't buy large amounts. Edmunds St. John, Cedarville Vineyards, Ladd Cellars, and Sandar & Hem. Probably 3 cases in a year.
Click to expand...

I looked up Sandar and Hem out of curiosity and saw they make a Bates Ranch Cabernet. Does that come from the upper blocks that made the old Ahlgren Bates Ranch? Those are the vines that Kenny used at Ghostwriter until the 2015 vintage.
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Yes, same vines. Rob, the owner, has managed to negotiate getting grapes from some great sources. One Chardonnay, to be released this year, is from La Cresta Vineyard. This is the original Paul Masson plot. Rob is the first outsider to get fruit from there since that vineyard got taken over by corporate interests.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by Larry Stein:
I'm 67 and feel I have enough wine to last me.
I support a few friends who have wineries, but I don't buy large amounts. Edmunds St. John, Cedarville Vineyards, Ladd Cellars, and Sandar & Hem. Probably 3 cases in a year.
Click to expand...

I looked up Sandar and Hem out of curiosity and saw they make a Bates Ranch Cabernet. Does that come from the upper blocks that made the old Ahlgren Bates Ranch? Those are the vines that Kenny used at Ghostwriter until the 2015 vintage.
Click to expand...

Nathan, if you haven't tried the I. Brand & Family Bates Ranch Cab Franc, put it on your radar. 1978 planting. I also like their Bayley Cab Franc, from a younger planting in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
 
If I recall correctly, some of the great wines Bill Durney used to make came from Bates Ranch. I still have a few of the old Durneys left and treasure them.

. . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
originally posted by Robert Dentice:

I go long on Germany every single year. I have learned a big part of my passion for wine is collecting, exploring, supporting growers AND most importantly opening wines for novices, young people etc. Outside of Germany it is much more selective.

If anything I am buying more now than ever.

There is going to be one hell of a party at my funeral!
Click to expand...

Just curious, how old are you?

Until even just a few years ago, I wasn’t looking at actuarial tables. I do now.

A close friend is semi-retired from the biz. He built the US sales operation for the Loosen Bros from scratch. I’ve thought about buying more German wine through him, but I just haven’t bothered. I would get it at FOB prices, that is the purchase price for wholesale operations.

Hey, if/when you do a RieslingStudy in the Bay Area, I still have 2001s, 02s, and 04s from Daniel Vollenweider including the various Goldgrube sub-parcels. Ain’t much of that around. Prädikat bottlings are not hip these days so I don’t get much opportunity to open them.
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I am 55.5! SO2 is a preservative so I am planning on living to 100+ There will definitely be a Bay Area Rieslingstudy this year.
 
I am also old enough that my buying should be screeching to a halt. I’ve managed to reduce it, but old habits die hard.

Going very long on 2019 Oregon, though, both in red and in white. Lovely wines. Bought a decent amount of 2016 Piedmont Nebbiolo, despite have sworn off the stuff previously. Those are my larger scale parole violations recently.
 
originally posted by Lee Short:
I am also old enough that my buying should be screeching to a halt. I’ve managed to reduce it, but old habits die hard.

Going very long on 2019 Oregon, though, both in red and in white. Lovely wines. Bought a decent amount of 2016 Piedmont Nebbiolo, despite have sworn off the stuff previously. Those are my larger scale parole violations recently.
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Lee, long time since we tasted together. I believe it was in Ampuis at the Marche aux Vins, 2007? Our palates are similar, who are some of your favorite Nebbiolo producers? Love the 2016s.
 
Lee,
Always good to hear someone else pleased with 2019 Oregon. I too, spent some money there, although I stuck with a single producer so probably not the same thing.
Best, Jim
 
originally posted by Everett Bandman:
originally posted by Lee Short:
I am also old enough that my buying should be screeching to a halt. I’ve managed to reduce it, but old habits die hard.

Going very long on 2019 Oregon, though, both in red and in white. Lovely wines. Bought a decent amount of 2016 Piedmont Nebbiolo, despite have sworn off the stuff previously. Those are my larger scale parole violations recently.
Click to expand...
Lee, long time since we tasted together. I believe it was in Ampuis at the Marche aux Vins, 2007? Our palates are similar, who are some of your favorite Nebbiolo producers? Love the 2016s.
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Good to see you here, Everett!

Lots of my favorite Nebbiolo producers have seen prices take off, the ones I’m still buying include Cavallotto, Columbia & Garella, Vajra — and to a lesser degree, Antoniolo, Marcarini, Produttori.
 
originally posted by Saul Mutchnick:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Hm, I just bought my usuals from Oregon 2019. Am I missing something?
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Depends on who your usuals are?
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I bought from Vincent, Kelley Fox, Championship Bottle, Goodfellow, Twill, Evesham Wood, and Martin Woods. Even squeezed in a few bottle of Thomas.

Some of these are newer, the others have been regular purchases in varying quantities. Really don’t know where I’d cut down if I had to. And I really do have to.
 
originally posted by Lee Short:
originally posted by Saul Mutchnick:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Hm, I just bought my usuals from Oregon 2019. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Depends on who your usuals are?
Click to expand...

I bought from Vincent, Kelley Fox, Championship Bottle, Goodfellow, Twill, Evesham Wood, and Martin Woods. Even squeezed in a few bottle of Thomas.
Click to expand...
I'm tasting Vincent's wines now. I buy from Arterberry Maresh and Kelley Fox regularly. I've had Goodfellow wines from time to time but they've been hard to get. Ditto Thomas. I don't know Martin Woods at all.

Re nebbiolo, yes to Vajra but I'm very happy to go Alte: Ghemme, Gattinara, etc.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
originally posted by Lee Short:
originally posted by Saul Mutchnick:
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
Hm, I just bought my usuals from Oregon 2019. Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Depends on who your usuals are?
Click to expand...

I bought from Vincent, Kelley Fox, Championship Bottle, Goodfellow, Twill, Evesham Wood, and Martin Woods. Even squeezed in a few bottle of Thomas.
Click to expand...
I'm tasting Vincent's wines now. I buy from Arterberry Maresh and Kelley Fox regularly. I've had Goodfellow wines from time to time but they've been hard to get. Ditto Thomas. I don't know Martin Woods at all.

Re nebbiolo, yes to Vajra but I'm very happy to go Alte [sic]: Ghemme, Gattinara, etc.
Click to expand...

I liked Evesham Wood about 15 years ago but oddly never bought it to drink myself. Curious if anyone has comments on Hope Well.
 
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