Large format

What do you buy in large format, and why?

Looking at the cellar, the vast majority of mags and larger I have are champagne. I have a few mags of Rhônes, but very few burgundy mags. I have a few of bojo and rose, but probably 90+% are champagne.

For aging: Champagne of course and higher end Burgundy.
Rhones and domestic central coast syrah for barbecues and parties.

Bordeaux, Cru Bojo, Champagne, and Red Burgundy … and SQN mags each release. Only wish I could find Elio Grasso mags.

For pouring for tables of eight or more, when I want everyone to be drinking the same wine. This cannot be guaranteed when using two 750’s.

I recently purchased a 3L of Erath Pinot Noir because I wanted to turn the empty bottle into a table lamp, which I did. I invited eight friends over for dinner, and we polished the wine off in one sitting. Mission accomplished.
Phil Jones

I wonder when I am going to use them. CT has me at 63 count. Lots are a complete run of Ceritas Porter Bass chardonnay and other vineyards. Next are Beaujolais which I can see moving through at parties. Next are some Loire cab franc. Finally, various bubbles. I think when I bought them I figured they are my longer term agers or are useful with groups. I have opened very few in the last ten years. They have their own shelf at Wine Bank, so access is easy.

I am showing 186 large formats in the cellar, mostly mags with 5 3L.

my magnums all fit one either side of one coin. Half are decent wines $100-200 a bottle that are meant for aging to be opened for larger groups. The other half a rare/special bottles that I purchased because I am hoping they aged well.

Many: Cabs, Chards, Rhones, Alsatian, Austrian, and a few Champagnes.
BIG bottles make for more fun ! (And Age better)
Dinners at home are usually for 8 or more adults and G12 wine group is 12 !

I buy large format for mythical event(s) I will probably never have. When I go into my cellar, the 3 and 6 liters stare at me dolefully.

1 Like

Magnums and 3L birth year wine for my offspring, many years from now (e.g., 3L for a future engagement)
Mags of middle-level wine for future parties/dinners with good friends
Mags of select high-end stuff because WB told me this was a good use of money

Restaurants will sometimes have gems on their magnum list and I’ll spring for one even if it’s really too much wine (e.g. a 2015 Gonon mag at $150; gone now needless to say)

Same here. I used to buy them for significant event years and when they were offered on mailing lists. I dropped off the lists long ago and no longer buy large formats. Might do it for a planned large event.

I opened a 3L Beaucastel from our wedding year for a large group on our 15th anniversary. I still have mags of wedding year Krug that I’ll open on an anniversary if it’s more than just the two of us.

I sold a 6L of Guiraud from my daughter’s birth year when it was clear she wanted Champagne and not a large bottle of Sauternes for her wedding.

I have mags of Riesling because it’s Riesling, select long lived reds in significant years (anniversary and kids) and a smattering of other age-able reds that have been included in auction lots. Nothing bigger than a mag though as I know that I will never open it, and have also anecdotally heard (is this true?) that larger-than-mag formats can be problematic as they are usually hand filled and corked.

I pretty much stopped buying them. I rarely get around to using them.

I have 85 mags scattered across all wines. and just one 3L of chablis.
I love opening them for larger groups of 8+ or parties

I pretty much am only going to buy champagne going forward, with maybe a few bottles of Beaujolais and rose for parties. I suppose I may consider ageable burgs if they’re 2x the 750 price.

Right now I think I have <30 mags to >5000 750s.

We bought a few for Birth years for our son and daughter, and for our anniversary year. We only have 10 magnums, so it does not represent a significant portion of our cellar.

C. 250 mags, over 50% champagne and over a third burg (1/4 white).

Riesling, because I like the ridiculously long bottles (I like the wine inside too).