Yes, probably a nice wine, but it seems a bit of a waste to me when drinking a Pauillac or Medoc at four years when it will develop so nicely over the next four or so years. I think I’ve just become so used to aged wines that I find younger wines a tad harsh, or unbalanced, or maybe just undeveloped. That marrying of the flavours.
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Trouble is you have to have enough in the cellar to allow them to age. Before the lockdowns I had a full cellar by the time we’d come out of them I hardly had anything left.
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Yeah, I hear ya. I’m still working at building mine back up again. I’ve been drinking some younger, less expensive stuff, in the meantime. I try to pick ones that will be ready now or in a year or two, so the good stuff can age.
Not easy tho …
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WSET Level 2 Course, for a very special bunch of superyacht crew, done.
Great people, great wines. And a rather opposite-of-shabby place for me to stay (onboard)!
Day off in Palma tomorrow and, weather-permitting, some hiking in store.
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I think the trick here is that when you go out to buy 2 bottles, buy 6 instead, if you know its a good wine of course. Y’know, like from good reviews, one you’ve had before, or recommendations from this forum.
I always buy at least 4 these days, and if I actually need 4, then I buy 4 of something else as well.
It’s been working. I’m slowly getting a better collection. still 2-3 years off tho before I can start cracking them. I have some older ones as well that we cherry-pick for certain occasions in the meantime.
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That sounds like me 15 years ago. Buying wines when the money was there so that it could be enjoyed when there was less money to buy wine. Trouble was I overdid it a bit…. But there is plenty of mature stuff around now just need to be able to carry on drinking it for quite a few years.
Downside #1 - some if it might be over the hill. Will be good in a stew I guess. Downside #2 - my palate has evolved. The big bold reds are not really my choice these days. Some have been sold on and some will be taken to tastings etc.
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It benefits from a day being open, sweeter than I expected but enjoyable with Stilton or walnuts.
Overstocking the cellar is quite common I believe for us enthusiasts. When I was starting out, I remember reading a few informative articles regarding cellar size. The general thought was to have two or three times as much space as you are planning.
People that think 100 bottles will do, often end up with 250 or 300. And there were actual examples of 1000 bottles becoming 4-5000 bottles. Sort of like the vinyl enthusiasts.
We spoke earlier about the heavy reds and I still enjoy them occasionlly, but prefer medium bodied wines these days (like my women 
). Even medium-full is good. I love Cote D’or wines, but in Canada they are very expensive. As we mentioned earlier, the Beaujolais are doing the trick in the meantime.
I also have some older, heavier wines, but we haven’t been eating a lot of beef lately. More curries, stews, fish, chicken, the odd duck, homemade soups … nothing that really goes with the deeper reds. I have a 2009 Quintarelli Primafiore that is ready and I stood it up over Christmas in anticipaion, but laid it back down last week. Sigh …
The main culprit was my high colestorol diagnosis. I haven’t usually considered beef stew to be worthy of a high quality wine, but I make such a superb, and healthy stew, that maybe its time I re-evaluated my qualifiers.
Glad we chatted.
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I am finding this discussion very useful.
I started building a cellar about 7 or so years ago with a view to drinking over the next few decades. My buying habits have already started to change, but I am still buying quicker than I drink and I suspect that some of my earliest purchases will be starting to go over. My cellar at home holds about 600 bottles and currently has probably about 400 or so in it. I have another 650 or so in bond. I probably drink on average (including having friends over etc.) between 2 and 3 bottles a week.
My recent approach has been to try to buy things with a nice wide drinking window, but I think I am still buying too much. I bought 36 bottles in this week’s Burgundy en primeur campaign, for example.
It’s a nice hobby and I definitely have a number of amazing bottles that I bought at a price well below the current retail price. That cost saving falls away though if a significant percentage of the collection doesn’t get drunk!
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Only 2-3 bottles a week? You’re slacking - must try harder! 
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The wine sounds vey good , the no hospitalisation sounds even better
Take care
best wishes
Ian
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Sounds like the same slippery slope as me, Bobby! If you are currently consuming 150 a year you have maybe 7-8 years supply left if you don’t buy any more bottles. And we know how likely that is if you are getting all those emails saying vintage of the century etc. and have a mindset that is always curious about new wines (feel free to tell me I am incorrectly characterising you - I may be just projecting my predilections).
My downfall probably compounded by retiring maybe 3 years later than I planned. Of course, once retired there are no school nights. Another slippery slope there. Anyway, presuming I stick at current consumption levels I might clear the cellar around 2035. But then I just bought one case of 22 Burgundy….
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I need to cut down on the beer to make room for the wine consumption! Plus I like to feel like I’ve “earned it”. Need to up the cycling miles!
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2016 Château La Raze Beauvallet Cru Bourgeois Médoc, on sale at the local supermarket. Weekend starts here.
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No, your characterisation sounds about right! Hard to resist the “deals”. I have sold a bit on for a little profits here and there, so not all bad.
The changing tastes will definitely come back to bite me too. I bought a lot of big Aussie stuff 5 years or so ago, mainly Penfolds. It’ll keep pretty well, but my consumption of that sort of wine has been largely replaced with old world wines (which I didn’t buy very heavily 5 years ago, annoyingly!). Oh well, hard life.
Planning a steak sandwich and a meaty red for tomorrow, so maybe the Penfolds will get a look in, now I’ve thought about it!
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OJOS DEL SUR MALBEC, PATAGONIA 2021
Vibrantly dense red with twangy fruit forward plummy raspberries 
Not really dry enough for my usual aperitif sip while i cook the pasta, but this won’t be stopping any enjoyment!
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I hadn’t realised Patagonia had started making wine in addition to trekking gear 
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If you were to drink a whole bottle of this before trekking, the trek would take a whole lot longer, in fact the difference would be staggering.
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Airports* that serve Palo Cortado** by the glass, and Jamón Iberico flavoured crisps***, are the best kind of airports I reckon.
And I got a very healthy pour because I smiled and apologised for my poor Catalan, in Catalan.
Rather grateful that I didn’t leave the car at the airport at home now!
!Salud!
*Barcelona
**not the best, but definitely serviceable, and chilled.
***unconvincing, but pleasantly salty.
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