Does the market value of a wine u own stop you from drinking it?

[Dave_McIsaac]

I sold off some DRC 10yrs and sort of regret it. I can rationalize selling those because the 3 or 4 btls I sold were acquired under less than ideal storage circumstance locally.

Note to self - don’t buy any wines from Craig…

[Mark_Golodetz]

A little sidestep:
If you are drinking a $2k wine, do you do so with higher expectations based on the value of the wine? I am especially interested in the responses of the people who would never sell a bottle.

[craig_v]

The btls I sold were likely just fine. When I bought them they had already sat on the retailers shelves for 5 plus years in a retail setting. I had drank a companion of one of them and it was perfect. I just tend to buy stuff like that the moment it hits the retailer so I can know for dead sure the btls were properly stored. Actually, I’m exactly the guy you want to buy from. Ill buy stuff in the summer and if its for future aging, Ill drive straight home with it. I won’t even stop to get gas. I’m likely more picky about storage, handling and provenance then 95% of the people on this board. But, I get your quip . I usually would sell high end stuff through winebid anyway to keep things neat and clean unless a local buddy wanted something I owned that I wanted to sell.

I sold off some DRC 10yrs and sort of regret it. I can rationalize selling those because the 3 or 4 btls I sold were acquired under less than ideal storage circumstance locally.

Note to self - don’t buy any wines from Craig…

[craig_v]

Most of the time for me, I’m only drinking a high value btl I own from a producer I love and know the experience should be outstanding from previous experiences. That’s what would make selling my Rousseaus very tough. For me, no other Burgs I’ve tasted have exceeded Rousseau’s versions of their various Gevrey Chambertin plots. In fact the best Rousseau I’ve had to date wasn’t event one of the “big 3” Rousseau. It was monopole Ruchottes from 2001. Some buddies of mine gifted a 2009 Chambertin to me a while back and for sure I’ll not sell that one. I’m planning on opening it with them on my 65th or on retirement.

A little sidestep:
If you are drinking a $2k wine, do you do so with higher expectations based on the value of the wine? I am especially interested in the responses of the people who would never sell a bottle.

[Brad_England]

Craig. You’ve convinced me. I’ve decided to sell the 2007 Lafon Montrachet and 1991 DRC GE that I was planning to bring this Wednesday. I’ve got a great 07 Fevre GC that thankfully hasn’t appreciated! Any thoughts on what would work as a DRC substitute?

[Brad_England]

On a serious note, I did sell Lafite during the 2010-12 appreciation era. We had a lot of aged bdx and my palate and purchases were fully aimed at Burgundy.
True story from that time. My wife loves Lafite, and when she came down to the cellar I had two cases packed up and I indicated I was planning on sending them off.
She says: “But I love Lafite”.
I reply: “But for 24 bottles we’re getting more than our first house cost”.
She says: “Do you have any more we could sell”?

[Brian_Tuite]

Nope
I bought them to drink.

100% this.

[LMD_Ermitano]

I buy wine already aged from reliable sources. If they are already expensive, I buy one or two, try one out immediately; and, if I’m happy with it, I buy more (if available - if not, c’est la vie).

That said, if I had one/some that tripled or quadrupled, etc. in price before I finish them off, I’d imagine that I’d enjoy drinking them all the more since I got them “cheap”.

Someone said it above: if the proceeds to be made won’t make a difference in my life (difficult to imagine it making such difference), then they’re for drinking; not selling.

[Scott_Spears]

No offense taken. My family gets the Brittany question quite regularly. If I did have a sister named Brittany, I would hope I would drink better than I do

Regards,
Scott

[R_Frankel]

A little sidestep:
If you are drinking a $2k wine, do you do so with higher expectations based on the value of the wine? I am especially interested in the responses of the people who would never sell a bottle.

Mark, indeed this is a good question. In short, yes. In long: When I drink one of those expensive or massively appreciated bottles my expectations do go up that the wine will be very good. Ofc there are many ways to be ‘very good’ and I try really hard to meter my expectations. If such a bottle is merely decent, or spoiled/corked/cooked, etc. I would probably be sadder than if I had just popped a $40 bottle. But in general my expectations have been satisfied with as many or more upside surprises as bummers.

While I’ve had disappointments (2007 DRC Richebourg, way too young; 1990 Monfortino, way too young, etc.) these have mostly been other people’s bottles so have been inexpensive lessons in patience. On the other hand, some bottles I’ve tasted have been so magical (Rousseau ‘96 Chmbertin, ‘99 CSJ, Leroy ‘91 RSV) that I cried inside just a little that they were beyond my price range. Then I took another sip.

Anyone who doesn’t get their expectations up for an ultra rare or expensive bottle is either spoiled or a liar .

[LMD_Ermitano]

A little sidestep:
If you are drinking a $2k wine, do you do so with higher expectations based on the value of the wine? I am especially interested in the responses of the people who would never sell a bottle.

Never thought about it; but, for a wine I’ve never had before, probably, albeit unconsciously, yes. I very rarely spend that kind of money on a wine I’ve never had before though.

[lleichtman]

I voted in this poll but don’t really understand it. Unless you only buy certain wines as investments, why buy them at all if you’re not going to drink them.

[lleichtman]

For me it is the San Sebastián dilemma. I have written about it before but it is a good mantra.

Which would I prefer a bottle of wine, or a week in San Sebastián with she who must be obeyed, including air fares, hotel, dinner at Arzak and Rekondo, and a lot of Tapas.

There are a couple of bottles that I would want to keep, but 95% of the wines where the pricing has gone nuts, are completely expendable.

I think this much more a question for Burgundy nuts, who face this dilemma more frequently than us Bordeaux nuts.

Glad you mentioned Rekondo. We made a trip to San Sebastian just to eat and drink there. And we did not spend a fortune on the wines, just good Champagne, white Burgundy, and high end Riberas.Going through the cellar we saw double magnums of first growths and never asked the price. Would wonder what they were actually worth. Arzak did not have as wide a cellar but the food was stellar and just wandering through town at night tasting tapas and many simple but enjoyable table wines was worth it.

[craig_v]

LOL, you wern’t suppose to ponder this question that much .

Craig. You’ve convinced me. I’ve decided to sell the 2007 Lafon Montrachet and 1991 DRC GE that I was planning to bring this Wednesday. I’ve got a great 07 Fevre GC that thankfully hasn’t appreciated! Any thoughts on what would work as a DRC substitute?

[alan_weinberg]

Alan,
Are you saying you don’t plan to sell the $10,000 btls but you also haven’t found the moment to justify opening them and may never open them? Not taking issue, just seeking some clarification on where you stand on those major btls.
Thanks
Craig

Hard to drink magnums of 90, 99, and 05 La Tâche when they are worth over $10,000 each and I paid little. I can’t do it. Yes, I bought it to drink, but can’t now pull trigger. And I won’t sell my house for what I paid for it, either.

I don’t know. For now, I am keeping them. If I hit the Lotto or retire, maybe I will open some. I’m conflicted.

[R_Frankel]

Alan,
Are you saying you don’t plan to sell the $10,000 btls but you also haven’t found the moment to justify opening them and may never open them? Not taking issue, just seeking some clarification on where you stand on those major btls.
Thanks
Craig

Hard to drink magnums of 90, 99, and 05 La Tâche when they are worth over $10,000 each and I paid little. I can’t do it. Yes, I bought it to drink, but can’t now pull trigger. And I won’t sell my house for what I paid for it, either.

I don’t know. For now, I am keeping them. If I hit the Lotto or retire, maybe I will open some. I’m conflicted.

This is a low risk strategy. Value is only going to go up. Plus the wines probably need another decade or three to show their best .

[Mark_Golodetz]

LOL, you wern’t suppose to ponder this question that much .

Craig. You’ve convinced me. I’ve decided to sell the 2007 Lafon Montrachet and 1991 DRC GE that I was planning to bring this Wednesday. I’ve got a great 07 Fevre GC that thankfully hasn’t appreciated! Any thoughts on what would work as a DRC substitute?

You guys are not worthy of my La Tache 1969, so although I am not invited, I just won’t bring it. Instead, I have a 1964 Gallo HB that you are also not worthy to drink, so I won’t bring that either.

[Tantina_A]

Hard to drink magnums of 90, 99, and 05 La Tâche when they are worth over $10,000 each and I paid little. I can’t do it. Yes, I bought it to drink, but can’t now pull trigger. And I won’t sell my house for what I paid for it, either.

Same issue. I’m a value guy, I live a value life, I think about trade offs in every facet of life.

I Definitely see it as a trade off. If you sell the wine and you get a specific amount of money from it; if that amount of money can help you get something else you would rather have (whether it be tangible or intangible) then by all means do it.

[Howard_Cooper]

I thought you were generalising from your situation. Saying that , if you think in that way, there’s no point cellaring ANY wine as it will ALWAYS become to expensive to drink.

Now I know you weren’t…

That is what I am saying. If you think too much about current market prices, you will never drink any of the good wines you have cellared - only the flops. That does not seem like a very fun way to enjoy this hobby.

[craig_v]

Great point Howard!

I thought you were generalising from your situation. Saying that , if you think in that way, there’s no point cellaring ANY wine as it will ALWAYS become to expensive to drink.

Now I know you weren’t…

That is what I am saying. If you think too much about current market prices, you will never drink any of the good wines you have cellared - only the flops. That does not seem like a very fun way to enjoy this hobby.