The .375 thread

[Randy_Bowman]

We carry 18 different half bottles of wine and a number of vintage ports. There are a good number of 375s available. If you have a good retailer near you, chat them up. In addition to selling splits at the bar and cigar lounge, we have a good number of people who are either single or just want another glass after dinner. If you have a wine in mind that you’ve seen in half bottles, ask if they can get it and offer to buy the 12 or 24 pack it comes in. In and out, no need to jack the price.

[Joshua_Kates]

@Kelly Walker

One of the truly great sales for Zachy’s is their annual half bottle sale. Lots of great deals not normally associated with usual stock sales.

But… I am not a half bottle fan. Aging seems all over the charts. Especially Champagne. I bought several cases, on release, of Krug NV several years ago. First year great, but quickly down hill from there compared to the 750s from the same release. Similar experience with BDX though not as dramatic.

But Krug is an interesting counter-example in this conversation, no? Often one can find 375’s for less than the 750’s, no? (For example, in NYC around Xmas, when I tend to buy them.) Is there any correlation w.Kelly’s experience? I myself don’t know, as I never age them.

[Graham_Mears]

Jim,
I got one of your '14 mixed 375 cases and I have been loving them.
I think I have been drinking them more than anything else in the past year, because they are so easy to open and taste so good.
So, all of your hard work is paying off. Thanks for going the extra mile!
graham

[Howard_Cooper]

@Neal.Mollen

@Kevin G.

Big Box aversion aside, Total Wine (at least in the Atlanta area) often has a deep bench of Bordeaux halves. In the past month i’ve seen .375s of Pavie-Macquin, Rauzan-Segla, Pichon Baron, Montrose, Lascombes, Smith-Haut-Lafitte, and more, all 2015.

My local store has bubkas. I’m jealous

Bassins had a bunch of 2015 Bordeaux futures available in half bottles.

[PCLIN]

To solve the dilemma, I ordered all ‘15 and ‘16 Bordeaux EP in 375ml and ordered many vintages of Mugnier NSG Clos de la Marechale in 375ml during EP. Sourcing in the secondary markets is relatively difficult.

I too like to sip on the subway, in office and in movie.

[Howard_Cooper]

@Neal.Mollen

I am always on the lookout for good, cheap(ish) wines to cellar in .375 size for drinking on the subway, in the office, in movies, etc.

Doesn’t Hurricane still come in half bottles?

[IlkkaL]

I discussed half bottles with a retailer in France just a while ago and was told that while many produce them it is impossible for him to get any as a huge percentage goes to restaurants in France. Did not see many Bordeaux bottles around so I assume he was talking mostly about smaller vignerons. Fortunately at that time he happened to have Charvin C9dP demis!

[Brent_C_l_a_y_t_o_n]

I just had a conversation tonight about the great deals on 375mls at Landmarc in TriBECA back in the day.

Personally, I prefer a .357 to a .375…

[Gerhard_P]

@Jim Anderson

@William Kelley

Château Thivin make very useful half bottles… but the half bottle premium seems to be in action in the US market.

Think of it as a volume discount on the 750. Packaging costs for us increase by nearly 100% on 375 ML bottles. It’s the same cork so twice the cost, the bottle costs about 2/3rds what a 750 does so two of them are 33% more expensive than a 750. Labels are MORE expensive and there are 2 of them so over 100% increase there. You’re not paying a premium. You’re paying for what it costs.

Jim,
that´s all very true - but it depends on the particular wine.
Bottles, corks, labels, capsules might be an additional 2-3 $, which is a lot for a 5 $ wine,
but almost neglectable for a 100-$ wine …

I also love 0.375 bottles for daily use, but on the other hand my experience is that the halfes not only age faster but also age not as well … or the content is of a lesser quality … (lesser barrels - or whatever …).
That applies (imho) to a certain part of wines … certainly not generally to all wines … but in particular I noticed it in Bordeaux …

[Nowell_Karten]

German dessert wines and Sauternes are routinely seen in 375s.

[Marc_Breitenmoser]

A must on Mondays, when a 75 isn’t quite enough and a Magnum too much

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

I see the NV Krugs in 375s frequently. I currently have two or three. They make great starters when you want to start a nice dinner for two with a glass of champagne and then move on to a red with the main course.

[Neal.Mollen]

@J a y H a c k

I see the NV Krugs in 375s frequently. I currently have two or three. They make great starters when you want to start a nice dinner for two with a glass of champagne and then move on to a red with the main course.

For my current purposes, I am not looking for half bottles of expensive wines. On most occasions, I am opening a half because my wife is not drinking, and I am not interested in spending big money on a wine I won’t be sharing with her.

That may change some post retirement. Now, we never open wine during the week; I suspect that this may change when I don’t have work the next day, and having one glass will hit the spot.

[Curt_Wood]

For inexpensive every day drinkers Navarro has several whites and Pinot Noir available at different times during the year. We also have some Copain in 375’s. Also buy a Sinskey white and Loring PN in 375’s. They all make for a good glass of wine with dinner.

Cheers,
Curt

[Markus_S]

@Neal.Mollen

That may change some post retirement. Now, we never open wine during the week; I suspect that this may change when I don’t have work the next day, and having one glass will hit the spot.

Will this “post-retirement” be spent drinking wine on the subway, or in movie houses?

[Neal.Mollen]

@Markus S

@Neal.Mollen

That may change some post retirement. Now, we never open wine during the week; I suspect that this may change when I don’t have work the next day, and having one glass will hit the spot.

Will this “post-retirement” be spent drinking wine on the subway, or in movie houses?

Yes. Park benches. Street corners. Bus depots. Over the years, I have developed a comprehensive theological and philosophical worldview on which I intend to expound, for the benefit of mankind.

You’re welcome.

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

@Neal.Mollen

@J a y H a c k

I see the NV Krugs in 375s frequently. I currently have two or three. They make great starters when you want to start a nice dinner for two with a glass of champagne and then move on to a red with the main course.

For my current purposes, I am not looking for half bottles of expensive wines. On most occasions, I am opening a half because my wife is not drinking, and I am not interested in spending big money on a wine I won’t be sharing with her.

That may change some post retirement. Now, we never open wine during the week; I suspect that this may change when I don’t have work the next day, and having one glass will hit the spot.

I am in the same boat. Drinking wine at night during the week at home is rare. If you exclude dessert wines, 375s represent less that 0.5% of my collection. I used to have a bunch of Barolos, or is it Baroli, in half bottles that I picked up at no premium over the 750s but they are almost all gone. The Paolo Scavino generic barolo in 375 was very nice, as was the Marcarini Brunate.

[David_Glasser]

Halves don’t work that well for me. My wife shares most of my likes and will often drink 1 to 1.5 glasses when I open a bottle. Halves are too small when that happens. And it’s not predictable based on specific wine so there’s no way for me to plan which wines to buy in halves.

There’s also the issue of less predictable aging.

[Kelly_Walker]

@Neal.Mollen

@Kelly Walker

One of the truly great sales for Zachy’s is their annual half bottle sale. Lots of great deals not normally associated with usual stock sales.

But… I am not a half bottle fan. Aging seems all over the charts. Especially Champagne. I bought several cases, on release, of Krug NV several years ago. First year great, but quickly down hill from there compared to the 750s from the same release. Similar experience with BDX though not as dramatic.

Do you know when the sale is Kelly? I unsubscribed to their list some time ago

Neal, I do not remember but I think the sale is always the same time of year.

[Neal.Mollen]

Thx. I’ll do some sleuthing