Wine Experts SOS please!

[archibaldcrane]

Question - if you aren't really a wine person, why spend over a bill, or even over 40$ on a bottle?

It's pretty clear from his posts that Wop has an excessive amount of discretionary income, so for someone in his position the better question is "why not"?

For most people, however, the answer is "you shouldn't". There's no reason to spend a ton on wine if your palette isn't refined enough to tell the difference, especially since price is only an occasional indicator of quality. I've been at this for 4 years now and while I have significant experience, it's mostly in the sub-$40 range. A good $100 bordeaux wouldn't be wasted on me, but a good $800 one would (relative to the $100 one).

[Takedown3]

http://www.winesofcanada.com/images/andres_coldduck.jpg

[Daydreamer]

It's pretty clear from his posts that Wop has an excessive amount of discretionary income, so for someone in his position the better question is "why not"?

For most people, however, the answer is "you shouldn't". There's no reason to spend a ton on wine if your palette isn't refined enough to tell the difference, especially since price is only an occasional indicator of quality. I've been at this for 4 years now and while I have significant experience, it's mostly in the sub-$40 range. A good $100 bordeaux wouldn't be wasted on me, but a good $800 one would (relative to the $100 one).

Fair enough. If you've got the cash go for it.

[Darwinion]

Some old Tesco store might have a bottle of Blue Nun tucked away somewhere. Or maybe Concorde or Black Tower.

[Abandon]

Boone's farm or gtfo. Honestly, no idea.

[eunhye]

http://www.cellartracker.com/list.as...&szSearch=1980

Pick and choose. I was born in 1980s too. I'd go with an 80s Napa Cab or an 80s CDP. Hell or even a 1980 Penfold's grange.

[sephir]

http://www.winesofcanada.com/images/andres_coldduck.jpg

I am not joking at all when I say this. I have nightmares on a monthly basis involving that drink. And it all started at a Cake and Champagne party for a friend of a friends birthday on the last day of second year university...

But if you want good, cheap champagne Yellow Tail is pretty good. Alternatively, a good wine thats pretty cheap is Fuzion.

[archibaldcrane]

Pick and choose. I was born in 1980s too. I'd go with an 80s Napa Cab or an 80s CDP. Hell or even a 1980 Penfold's grange.

I would've suggested a Caymus or something but I'd guess Wop is looking at french exclusively. For that vintage he would probably be better off in California or Australia, honestly.

[Linliel]

I can tell you that the 1980 aussie tyrrells shirazes corked it about 3 or 4 years ago, we had the last good bottle we had (had 6 left, only 1 was still good) then for my birthday (I'm a 1980s kid too!) and even that one was a little on the not-so-good side. Perfectly cellared too (my dad knows his stuff).

Good luck finding something good, I only really know current stuff, and only Aussie wines really. Penfolds Grange Hermitage is the good shit to get from Australia though if you can find it! Those are almost heirlooms, lol

[archibaldcrane]

(had 6 left, only 1 was still good)...Perfectly cellared too (my dad knows his stuff).

Does not compute.

What do you mean "only 1 was still good"? Did you open the other 5 and find problems?

[Cyn]

1980 here too.

Sorry bud, bad year. Pay too much for a decent wine or suck it up and give up on a birth year wine.

[Linliel]

Does not compute.

What do you mean "only 1 was still good"? Did you open the other 5 and find problems?

Well, my dad had bought a couple of boxes when I was born, and we had half a box left (only started opening them on my 18th) and each one we opened was no good any more until the last one, which surprisingly happened to be good The previous year we'd opened 2 and one was good the other wasn't (previous years were fine iirc), so I can just assume that either something happened in the cellar or they sort of reached end of life (IIRC we actually were thinking it might have been a cork-related issue at the time). I don't know enough about long-term cellaring of wine or about old wines to make more of a comment than that, but that was my experience with 1980s wines

ETA: the wine that was fine tasted good though!

[wop]

I'd personally go for the Margaux, but I have a bit of a different wine tasting habbits than my friends. I much prefer a softer red and strong white whereas most people seem to prefer stronger reds and lighter whites.

Thanks, took your recommendation for Margaux and went to Four Seasons and had these.
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._6959020_n.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._1985292_n.jpg

Excellent. No comment at all as it 's very smooth...
Still, I think I'll go for the Petrus for my B'day end of this year as my friend suggested. Will keep you guys posted.

Thanks again for all your feedbacks.

[Chicomagiko]

Wats gud for 1982?

[archibaldcrane]

Thanks, took your recommendation for Margaux and went to Four Seasons and had these.

Excellent. No comment at all as it 's very smooth...
Still, I think I'll go for the Petrus for my B'day end of this year as my friend suggested. Will keep you guys posted.

Thanks again for all your feedbacks.

If I ever come to London, I'm making you take me out.

[Airenn]

All I got out of this thread is that Wopa is some kinda asian.

[Pirian]

While we're on the topic of wine I'd like to inquire about getting a bottle for my girl's mother's birthday. They're big wino's so I figured I may as well go this rout since it's the easiest, but I have very limited experiences with wines - mostly just drinking at occasions and while someone usually describes it in detail I fail to pay attention or take note.

Archi's price range of 40-80 seems like a good starting range, but I'm flexible either way.

[archibaldcrane]

Do you have any guidelines? White or Red? Particular varietals or styles she enjoys?

Otherwise I'd go to a legit wine store in your area and just talk to a salesperson - kinda hard to give recommendations with nothing to go on.

If you have time to order online, a friend of mine got a case and split it up amongst us of this: http://2020wines.com/2006-shirvingto...224_f0111_0856

And it's fucking fantastic. Retails for $60 most places, but you can get it for $30/bottle here. If they like Syrah/Shiraz, I don't think you can go wrong with this. I got 3 bottles, drank one a couple weeks ago and am trying to figure out when to drink the other two. All my friends that have tried it really liked it as well, an truly exceptional wine for $30 (considering it normally retails at double that). 95 points in Wine Advocate is serious business, and for that price for a McLaren Vale - yeah, do that unless you know she doesn't like reds/Shiraz.

[Pirian]

Do you have any guidelines? White or Red? Particular varietals or styles she enjoys?

Otherwise I'd go to a legit wine store in your area and just talk to a salesperson - kinda hard to give recommendations with nothing to go on.

If you have time to order online, a friend of mine got a case and split it up amongst us of this: http://2020wines.com/2006-shirvingto...224_f0111_0856

And it's fucking fantastic. Retails for $60 most places, but you can get it for $30/bottle here. If they like Syrah/Shiraz, I don't think you can go wrong with this. I got 3 bottles, drank one a couple weeks ago and am trying to figure out when to drink the other two. All my friends that have tried it really liked it as well, an truly exceptional wine for $30 (considering it normally retails at double that). 95 points in Wine Advocate is serious business, and for that price for a McClaren Vale - yeah, do that unless you know she doesn't like reds/Shiraz.

To be quite honest I didn't put any details because I didn't know any, haha. There's a Total Wine just down the road so I can go there, but I'm such an easy sell, and that is not made any better with the fact that I don't know what I'm looking at.

Without any detail you gave me exactly what I was asking for though, how awesome is that? I'll probably end up down at Total Wine, since that was the original plan anyways, but you gave me a great starting place!

[Zeb]

Go with Dunwood, it's got a nice label.