Haut Brion is easily my favorite first growth and the only 2019 first that I bought.
I’ve had a few Ch. Margaux that have been transcendent. Several bottles during dinner at the Chateau with Corinne Mentzelopoulos and Paul Pontallier, particularly a young 2000 and a wonderful 1961 from magnum. No doubt the circumstances had an effect. One Ch. Margaux that has blown me away on multiple occasions is the 1990. Interestingly one of the more frequently mentioned wines in the “Biggest Disappointment” thread. Wish I’d bought more.
Yea it’s my son’s birth year so I’m going to do 2 of each first growth. Then 2 or 3 of Cos, Ducru, Les Carmes, VCC. Then maybe a Cheval Blanc and D’yquem.
We will have plenty of 2019 Cali cabs to drink while the big boys are aging.
If you are sticking to normal 750ml bottles, there is no reason to buy futures instead of waiting to actually taste the wines when they arrive. None of these classed growth wines are actually going to run out of inventory. And unlike Ridge Monte Bello there isn’t any kind of guaranteed discount from futures. Taste before buying!
I’ve tried some first growths before and of course enjoyed Haut Brion and mouton. For $400/bottle with high scores and an above average vintage the prices seem like a good discount and the provenance is perfect.
Daniel… I’m curious, but where are you going to taste these wines? Yes, several, but not all producers travel with the UGC. However, the UGC is only in a few locations. While it’s a good to taste, where can people taste them?
For my tastes, the ‘96 Ch. Margaux is far and away the best of the vintage versus the other first growths, as is the ‘83, and a tie with Haut Brion in ‘90. Based on what I’ve tasted, those are the only vintages where Margaux comes out on top between ‘82 and ‘98. As for the track record over the last 20 years, check back in 2035!
Might be true for many wines of many of the past few years when the Chateauxs priced their wines to perfection and left hardly any upside for the futures buyer. 2019, of course, is a different story. As prices came down significantly, you’ll find some “bargains”… many of the great wines of the vintage are already trading above their initial release prices (like Mission Haut Brion which trades almost 20% above the release price). So you might wait and see, and yes, you will find these bottles in two years time too, but you’ll pay much more for it than you pay today (at least for the hot wines of the vintage). So, probably not the best advice.
Looking at Cellartracker average ratings, Margaux is and #3 in 2000, #4 in 2005, #2 in 2009, #3 in 2010, #1 in 2015. Along with what you mentioned for the vintages before, I doubt that any other Bordeaux wine has a better track-record in the past 30 years.
No argument about the numbers themselves, Andrew. Though it’s important to recognize that population-derived statistics don’t necessarily apply to the individual. We each have our preferences, and they may differ from the group consensus.
For the OP’s purpose of buying birth-year wines I understand the logic of hedging bets and buying a few of each. I’d also guess that a good percentage of birth year futures purchases end up being consumed by the parents.
Yes - the one note from bottle is yours… So to my point, all the in bottle scores on CT for 2015 First Growths really tell you is that the wider community gave Margaux a higher score than Jeff gave Latour once in 2018. Given the Margaux AOC did particularly well in 2015 I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re ultimately right, and the market for Margaux 15 certainly suggests you are, but Latour 2015 has had a very limited audience to judge that question
Never in a million years would I use CT average scores to discern what wine is best, certainly not for my palate. Margaux remains my 5th ranked of the FGs, and if offered, I’d take VCC, Trotanoy, and Cheval Blanc over it. But that’s just me.
Now that said, I have not had the 2015 of any FGs. I barely bought any 2015.
Let us get down to the important question. Forget tasting notes, points and black forest cake. Jeff and Robert, what are you buying??? Wines can be divided into a two point system - buy or don’t buy.
Interested to see if Robert is buying, but I’ll throw out what I’ve gotten so far:
Montrose
Palmer (small quantity)
Haut Brion (small quantity)
Lynch Bages
Pontet
Branaire Ducru
Malartic-Lagraviere
Pavie Macquin - A bit of a flyer, but people I trust have told me it has changed much for the better since the Parker days.
Beau-Sejour
Probably will get some PLL and/or Baron
Sociando Mallet I’ll pick up on the shelf likely
