Best Wine to Cellar / Whisky to Put Away?

May4th on 30/04/2024 - 14:43
Last edited 30/04/2024 - 20:41

Calling all wine and whisky connoisseurs or closet alcoholics in general. If you had to pick a bottle to put away for 20 odd years what would be your pick? I know next to nothing about alcohol but would like to put away a bottle or two for my newborn as a gift when they grow up. Budget of up to 1-1.5k or so, looking for something that's easy to drink and hold value. We have a cellar but otherwise don't want something that's too high maintenance or require a wine fridge. TIA

edit: thanks for the advice everyone. given my lack of knowledge will probably stay away from the finer wine, thinking I might just get half dozen of a reasonably decent cellar-ble wine to drink with the family and probably a whisky as well

Food & Grocery Liquor Whisky Wine

Comments

  • alvian on 30/04/2024 - 14:47
    +2

    Why do you need to know which wine will hold value when you are going to drink it? ("easy to drink") You do not drink your investments.

    These Australian wines hold their values based on auction results.

    • May4th on 30/04/2024 - 15:25

      I suppose it acts as a rainy day fund in emergencies

      • fredblogs on 30/04/2024 - 19:08

        So does a rainy day fund.

        • May4th on 30/04/2024 - 20:45

          ha, ha - true, but not as nice a gift as a nice bottle

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 30/04/2024 - 14:53
    +2

    @rosebank

    • jv on 30/04/2024 - 14:55
      +1

      Yes, their Merlot.

      https://www.rosebankwinery.com/wines/wines/

    • May4th on 30/04/2024 - 15:29

      Thanks will look into them

    • rosebank on 30/04/2024 - 15:41
      +6

      The only high-end wine I drink is the Clarendon Hills Astralis. I don't know if they hold value because I drink them.

      With whisky, I was lucky in that I bought a shit load of Japanese 15-20 years ago, and can sell them and buy supercar if I wanted. But I drink the fckers because I buy to drink, not to flip. So if OP wants to "invest" in a bottle I have nfi because the market is so stupid right now.

      That said, for 1-1.5k I'd pick a Macallan 18 Sherry, preferably a 90s bottling.

  • Benoffie on 30/04/2024 - 14:56
    +3

    Whiskey doesn't age once bottled, so any investment is really made at the end of that process (buying a 21 year old bottle vs say a 12)

    Wine, Id only look at say Grange or equivalent in terms of Australian. Only because what I see selling at auctions regularly sees these hold some level of value over time. Doesn't necessarily mean youll like it!

    Many wines aren't meant to be cellared or, of they are will dramatically alter overtime. I personally wouldnt wory and would buy them shares instead.

    • May4th on 30/04/2024 - 15:28

      Thanks, any particular vintage to aim for? I'm seeing anywhere between 1994 to 2015 on sale

      • Benoffie on 30/04/2024 - 17:57
        +2

        I have no personal opinion on them as I think paying stupid prices for wine means you really will never drink it - then what's the point? Look for quarterly wine auctions etc. Reasonable Granges are under $500. Obviously particular vintages for collectors are stupid pricing - early vintages are $1000+

        As a recent example - wine auction the other week in Adelaide:

        https://auctions.smallandwhitfield.com/auctions/4-DD2UD4/the…

        Just Penfolds past results at Scammells

        https://www.scammellauctions.com.au/auction/search/?st=penfo…

        Remember - Grange is 5 year delay. Currently it's 2019 vintage. 2024, while vintage is happening now, won't be out until 2029?

        https://www.penfolds.com/en-au/grange

        Pricing in Adelaide is, I would suggest, a little cheaper as we tend to drink wine like water and consider high prices a challenge to be met by cellar door visits or wholesalers…

  • Jules_d1 on 30/04/2024 - 15:08
    +4

    If you’re looking for a whiskey, you want to find something that’s been barrelled when they are born. You want it in the barrel until they are of age and you want to drink it.

    It matures in the barrel, not the bottle.

    I know there a places out there where you can reserve a portion of a barrel and get it sent to you to celebrate the birthday.

  • charlierg on 30/04/2024 - 15:41
    +1

    grange

  • Cluster on 30/04/2024 - 15:50
    +2

    Japanese whiskies have boomed in price over the last decade. Don't know if the trend will continue.

    As for collecting wine, my recommendation is this: Make sure you pick a time and place to actually drink it.

    I go to estate auctions and it's common to see entire collections of old wine go up for auction. People collected and collected and… never enjoyed the wine. Yes, you have to destroy the product to appreciate it, but too many people never try the wine they carefully stored. It's also common to see corked bottles that have deteriorated and are clearly well past drinking.

    Example: I was standing in line at Dan Murphy's to try some Grange for free. Behind me was a couple who said they own quite a few bottles but have never tried any.

    • freefall101 on 30/04/2024 - 17:21
      +1

      I wouldn't rely on investing in Japanese whiskies unless it's something specific from the time the explosion in sales took off. The boom is only a decade or so old, there has been limited stock thanks to the time to mature but you can bet they've been investing heavily to bring that up to speed. In the next decade prices should calm down a bit.

  • Drakesy on 30/04/2024 - 17:12
    +1

    Personally i'm in in WA so the following.

    $30+ bottles of Cullen, Leeuwin Estate, Penfolds, Henschke, Plantagenet Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauv, Chardonnay or Rieslings.

    Cleared out Liquorland during Covid when they did a 4 for $40 deal on their wines, they included $40 bottles of St Hugo's in there which i bought by the case.
    Still sitting in the cellar to this day, that was a good time.

  • freefall101 on 30/04/2024 - 17:23
    +1

    Wine Ark is a good starting place to look at what kind of wines people buy. I tend to buy a lot of wines that are probably overaged or older vintages that someone has left a low price on (picked up some bargains over the years).

  • mskeggs on 30/04/2024 - 19:50
    +2

    This is a bad plan. Selling a poorly cellared wine is very difficult.
    Put a couple of bottles away as a gift, and don't spend too much.

  • bitesized on 30/04/2024 - 20:13

    This incredible bottle of 29 year old Whisky. Glendronach has been trending up massively in the whisky world, and I've no doubt this bottle will be worth way more in 20 years.

    https://thewhiskylist.com.au/shop/glendronach-1993-px-punche…

    Use code REWARDS10 for 10% off.

    • Gunnar on 30/04/2024 - 20:56

      As a long time drinker and collector of Glendronach the quality of their bottlings post 2020 have decreased quite a bit. Their best stocks were probably done around 2019/2020.

      I own quite a few different bottlings of the same whisky from different years. This is one such example of the change in the 21YO, that change in colour from 2017-2022 is reflected in the change in taste(with the stuff from 2017 being much nicer and a true sherry bomb):
      https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/whiskey-and-watches.43027…

      I haven’t put up any posts of how some of their single cask stuff has gone down hill over time. But a 12YO single cask from recent times is nothing like a 12YO from 10 years ago (the latter being a phenomenal whisky). They’re good but nothing like the older stuff

      • bitesized on 30/04/2024 - 21:03

        I hear you for the core range of GD18s and 21s, which (subject to dispute) contains much older stock for the bottlings up to 2020. But the bottle I am suggesting is a 1993 distillation which is a pretty well regarded vintage, and a 29yo at that.

        Sure, you could say that a 29yo from 1983 to 2012 would potentially be heaps better than this, but that isn't easily available to order, and more importantly, won't fit under the price tag of $1.5k. Heck even the 89 GD Kingsman is over way $2k now.

        • Gunnar on 30/04/2024 - 22:27

          I’ve had those as well. I’ve got a bunch of stuff from the late 80’s and early to mid 90’s that are in the late teens and early 20’s year age range. Some I drank years ago, the rest are unopened. Unfortunate I haven’t done back to back tastings on those with the newer (and older) ones but from what I remember the older bottlings are still nicer. The ones I referenced above I drink regular because I have tons of them that I bought to drink

          My money on Glendronach would be spent chasing down bottlings pre 2019/2020.

          I buy my stuff to collect and drink. My golden rule is never buy stuff I wouldn’t drink. When the whisky bubble bursts - and it will - there’s a ton of stuff I can justify opening because what I paid for them is no way near what they’re worth these days

          If you want to jump on the booze specualtion bandwagon my pick
          Is hunt tequilas and mezcals before they sky rocket in popularity.

          • bitesized on 30/04/2024 - 22:37

            @Gunnar: Instead of trying to rebut me on the merits of older versus newer bottlings, why don't you make some specific suggestions for the OP? If you have a pre 2019/20 bottling or some other alternative that is available to purchase and within the OP's budget, just share it for consideration.

            • Gunnar on 01/05/2024 - 00:14
              +1

              @bitesized: For what the OP wants which appears to be collectible stuff I’d go Macallan 18 for whisky, a Pappy (hard to get though and budget could be a bit higher), or a Grange. For all of them I’d get my child’s birth year (wine - production year and whisky - bottling year) - when they are release.

              They’re cliched but safe bets on a collectibility front. I’d get whisky before the wine because it’s less finicky to store than wine is (OP just don’t store it on its side because that will eat the cork).

              • May4th on 01/05/2024 - 12:17

                @Gunnar: I might do this, appreciate the advice

  • apple2016 on 30/04/2024 - 20:30
    +1

    Get a macallan 18 (sherry cask). Nice to drink .could be profitable to sell as well. Easier to get and within your budget range

  • Gunnar on 30/04/2024 - 20:43
    +1

    Romanee Conti and 1950’s/60’s bottlings of Macallans. Probably need to rethink your budget though

  • mini2 on 30/04/2024 - 21:43
    +1

    Wynns black label cab sauv, Penfolds 28/389/St Henri, Cullen Diana Madeline and anything from Rockford or Standish.

    • Gunnar on 30/04/2024 - 22:28

      Rockford Basket press is one to get. Delicious wine and also holds its value. It’s also pretty tough to get outside the cellar door. They release them around March each year and they tend to sell out quick

      • mini2 on 01/05/2024 - 10:43
        +1

        Rod and Spur isn't a bad drop either and haven't experienced the same price hike as the BP. I've started buying BP at around $50-60 a bottle, and now it's $90, whereas Rod and Spur is still hovering around the ~$50 mark. In comparison, Wendouree haven't gone up as much within the same period and they're both coveted wines.

  • Elwes on 30/04/2024 - 21:57
    +1

    If you have a sweet tooth:
    DeBortoli Noble One - available at most bottle-Os. Will improve for 20-25 years if stored correctly. Gets less acidic with age.

    Do NOT try to age tawny port. It has been aged in barrels and doesn't improve in the bottle. Only vintage ports will improve with age and these are rarely found except at the cellar door.

  • Lastchancetosee on 01/05/2024 - 07:39
    +1

    Penfolds Grange Hermitage for Australian wines.

    Any of the Bordeux 1er cru chateaux, e.g. St Julien, Cheval Blanc for French wines.

  • 2esc on 01/05/2024 - 11:27

    For them to drink or investment? Potential wine problems Oxidation Faults, Cork Taint, Oxidation Faults etc.

    • May4th on 01/05/2024 - 12:17

      that's up to the kid I guess!

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