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Whats in your wine cellar?

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cecil77
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In reply to QBCade • 8:19p, 1/31/26
AG
QBCade said:
cecil77 said:
Honest question, why not just build your own wine room? How many thousands of bottles do you have to have to warrant off-site storage?


I looked at that. Out here, it was going to cost $35-50k for custom wine room + takes up space at the house. Offsite was way cheaper. I have about 1k

I have two Vinotemp chillers of 480 bottles each, they're not full. Partly good fortune, but I bought both used, and included a couple of new chilling units over the past six years my total investment is about $4,500.
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htxag09
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In reply to cecil77 • 8:22p, 1/31/26
AG
For us the issue is space. If we had a spot for another wine fridge we'd have bought one already.
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QBCade
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10:47a, 2/2/26
AG
Delicious. Enjoyed this last night


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BigAg95
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1:59p, 2/2/26
AG
My local shop has 2022 Clos du Val cab for $37. Reviews I've seen for their recent vintages are a bit mixed, have any of you tried them recently?
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cecil77
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7:02p, 2/2/26
AG

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BSD
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5:30p, 2/3/26
AG
For probably the 5th year in a row, I bought some of the Realm release after saying I'd drop off. I just love their Dr. Crane.
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ATL Aggie
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In reply to BSD • 7:59a, 2/4/26
AG
BSD said:
For probably the 5th year in a row, I bought some of the Realm release after saying I'd drop off. I just love their Dr. Crane.

I am vascelating on The Bard. I told myself to cut back on spending, but 2023 is supposed to be an excellent year. Maybe I will grab a 3-pack. I plan on spending most of my money on Detert and Mascot this year.
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BSD
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In reply to ATL Aggie • 8:43a, 2/4/26
AG
I bought two Bards for when guests come over (we also serve Pott Napa usually and a lot of Hoopes). I'll probably buy a few more Bards when I go out to Napa in April and taste there. I hate the price of Dr Crane but all wines from that vineyard are pricey now (thanks Beckstoffer) so I just bite that bullet.

Speaking of Detert, I can't wait to do a side by side with those and the new Dorsey wines.

I've also cut back on spending, especially on Cali wines. Mostly doctor's orders but also the price increases are insane. I'll continue to buy from personal friends out there and a little Realm and hopefully Scarecrow for 2023, although I'm afraid they kicked me off that list for skipping 2022.
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Chipotlemonger
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In reply to BSD • 1:35p, 2/4/26
AG
Yea there comes a tipping point where people are going to start moving some of that $ to other wines. Why buy 1 750ml from Napa for $375 when you could get 2-3 great wines from somewhere else at the same cost?

Example: If Napa loses a customer to Pinot, for example, that customer could go right next door and get stellar Sonoma Pinots at a fraction of the cost.

I am glad that my favorite wine is Pinot, personally. I can get great stuff all the time at good values, and there are also splurge opportunities as well.
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cecil77
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In reply to Chipotlemonger • 1:56p, 2/4/26
AG
Other than a couple, the only Napa wines I buy are 20+ years old. And the prices are great.

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ATL Aggie
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In reply to cecil77 • 2:22p, 2/4/26
AG
cecil77 said:
Other than a couple, the only Napa wines I buy are 20+ years old. And the prices are great.


Auction?

Auctions scare me. I dont know enough about values and what to look for and what to avoid. Take a look at this for example. The listing says "stored in a professional storage facility", but 2 of the 3 bottles have a depressed cork. I am not sure I want to take the risk that these are corked, but the price might be great.

https://www.klwines.com/Auction/Bidding/AuctionBidDetail.aspx?sku=1972166&searchId=&searchServiceName=klwines-prod-productsearch-algolia&searchRank=6


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cecil77
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In reply to ATL Aggie • 3:05p, 2/4/26
AG
ATL Aggie said:
cecil77 said:
Other than a couple, the only Napa wines I buy are 20+ years old. And the prices are great.


Auction?

Auctions scare me. I dont know enough about values and what to look for and what to avoid. Take a look at this for example. The listing says "stored in a professional storage facility", but 2 of the 3 bottles have a depressed cork. I am not sure I want to take the risk that these are corked, but the price might be great.

https://www.klwines.com/Auction/Bidding/AuctionBidDetail.aspx?sku=1972166&searchId=&searchServiceName=klwines-prod-productsearch-algolia&searchRank=6




No, there are places you can find. Some are really good about stating provenance also. Many times coming from private collections. Another texags-er and I have bought many cases over the years with very, very few bad bottles.
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WestUAg
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In reply to ATL Aggie • 3:20p, 2/4/26
AG
Once you see enough auction bottles, yo I will know what to look for. Fill level, raised corks, past seepage, bottles stored In subterranean Basements in California (not climate controlled) damaged labels etc are all items I steer away from. A few 20 year old heitz bottles with slightly depressed cola should be fine.
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WestUAg
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3:22p, 2/4/26
AG
Had dinner w Juan Mercado (formerly of realm) last night in Houston, shared a few bottles including his most recent release of Rise.
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cecil77
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In reply to ATL Aggie • 6:37p, 2/4/26
AG
ATL Aggie said:
The listing says "stored in a professional storage facility", but 2 of the 3 bottles have a depressed cork. I am not sure I want to take the risk that these are corked, but the price might be great.


Fill height is probably a decent indicator. Depressed cork, not so much. I've had corks with mold on top (cellars are filthy) and be fine. A wine will become corked if a TCA infected cork is used, and it doesn't take very long..

But yes, the most expensive bottle I've ever purchased a '54 Y'Quem for my 70th was not good. So it's somewhat of a crap shoot, but up to 30 years or so of age the odds are very good the wine is fine.
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DJV2012
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11:02p, 2/4/26
AG
Planning a trip to Fredericksburg in April, any recs on Texas wineries to visit?
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cecil77
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In reply to DJV2012 • 7:16a, 2/5/26
AG
DJV2012 said:
Planning a trip to Fredericksburg in April, any recs on Texas wineries to visit?


Obviously I'm partial to Inwood Estates. Do a barrel room tasting with Dan Gatlin. Let me know, I'd love to be there with you. If Dan isn't available, I can do the tasting as well.

https://inwoodwines.com/

Quote:
Unlike most Texas wineries which were started out of a hobby by founders trained in other fields, Dan Gatlin was born into a family of Dallas beverage professionals and took over the company's wine division immediately after college. Working as a wine buyer in France and California from age 22, his exposure to the fine wine world was unparalleled, and required sophisticated knowledge to invest and manage such inventories for financial success. He received life-directing inspiration from his associations with the famous founders of Napa Valley, proprietors of great Chateaux in Bordeaux, and legendary Maisons of Burgundy.
At age 26, he became one of the first people to plant grapes in Texas. Unlike virtually all Texas startups which immediately begin to produce wine regardless of its quality, Dan conducted intensive research for over 20 years in the vineyards and with the chemistry to perfect the product before releasing his first wine. Nothing like this was ever done before, nor has been done since. The result was Texas' most acclaimed and highest priced wine ever made, garnering over 100 fine dining placements on wine lists in only 6 months, in restaurants which had never listed a single Texas wine.
Also significantly, he launched the category of Tempranillo in Texas, working together with Neal Newsom of Plains, Texas. It has been said that in the years following Inwood's initial media success, over a million Tempranillo vines were then planted in Texas. Although nobody can be sure, it was certainly a lot and Texas Tempranillo became a phenomenon. His subsequent work with Cabernet and all other Bordeaux varietals had cemented Inwood's place in history by 2017. Today, Inwood makes a variety of wines under five labels and at price points beginning at $49, although the average price is around $100 - $120.


The complete history is a fun read.

https://inwoodwines.com/fredericksburg-inwood-estates-winery-and-bistro-our-history-and-development
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EclipseAg
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In reply to DJV2012 • 8:09a, 2/5/26
AG
DJV2012 said:
Planning a trip to Fredericksburg in April, any recs on Texas wineries to visit?

We were there in October, trying to catch up on some wineries we'd never been to. Our only repeat visit was to Siboney Cellars, which we love.

We did Augusta Vin, Signor, Untamed and Slate Theory. All four are very nice. Can't go wrong at any of them.

Untamed is unique in that they mostly stay away from Texas grapes. I had a fantastic cab made from grapes from the Coombsville AVA there.

We also hit up the new Signor tasting room in downtown FB and made a return visit to Cross Mountain's tasting room. Both are great.

If you are close to Johnson City, Farmhouse Vineyards is an interesting stop because they are the farmers who grow grapes out in West Texas for many of Texas wineries, and save a few for themselves to make their own wine.

And Vinovium in JC is also a good place for a glass and a charcuterie board or sandwich.

We didn't visit William Chris or Ron Yates because we'd been there before.
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jh0400
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8:11a, 2/5/26
AG
I like Inwood and Calais. We stopped in at French Connection a few weeks ago based on our Calais experience, and I wasn't a fan. IMO, most of the wines were lacking acid, tannin, or both.
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SupermachJM
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10:26a, 2/5/26
William Chris (Aggie Owned), Pebble Rock (Also Aggie Owned and one of our favs), and Hilmy are some of our favorites. Hilmy recently just took a ton of big medals at one of the major wine competitions (can't remember if the SF Chronicle or one of the Rodeos). Inwood is great and makes some fantastic wines, albeit pricy.

Others we really like:

Ron Yates
Michael Ros
Calais
Adega Vinho
Hye Meadow
12 Fires
Slate Theory
Ab Astris

I personally like both Calais and French Connection, but they purposefully are done in different styles. Calais focuses more on Bordeaux style wines, while French Connection is more south of France (Rhone/Provence).
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cecil77
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In reply to SupermachJM • 11:43a, 2/5/26
AG
12 Fires is also Aggie owned.
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QBCade
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11:51a, 2/5/26
AG
Some fun last night


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SupermachJM
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In reply to QBCade • 6:02p, 2/5/26
I must have misplaced my invite - I'll be there next time!
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SupermachJM
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6:03p, 2/5/26
How was that '96? I've heard 96 wasn't an amazing year in Bordeaux but don't have much to go on aside from the few bottles my parents saved for me ('96 is my birth year). Is it worth finding something to open or would you say it was past its prime?
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cecil77
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6:56p, 2/5/26
AG
40 year old wine. Great BDX funky nose. After it blows off there's still a layer of fruit. Very enjoyable wine, and not "for its age" - it's just good..


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QBCade
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In reply to SupermachJM • 8:19p, 2/5/26
AG
SupermachJM said:
How was that '96? I've heard 96 wasn't an amazing year in Bordeaux but don't have much to go on aside from the few bottles my parents saved for me ('96 is my birth year). Is it worth finding something to open or would you say it was past its prime?


96 is usually the vintage of the 90s for LB BDX (as long as you count 1990 as part of the 80s).
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DJV2012
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9:42p, 2/5/26
AG
Thanks for all the Fredericksburg recs. Will report back after the visit
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bularry
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In reply to cecil77 • 12:01p, 2/6/26
cecil77 said:
Honest question, why not just build your own wine room? How many thousands of bottles do you have to have to warrant off-site storage?

I don't have enough storage space at home to carve out a wine room, so offsite makes sense. Plus the temp and humidity control with back up power... a lot of peace of mind and my collection ain't even expensive compared to everyone else at my facility. Plus they receive shipments for me, get discounts on purchases, neat wine events, etc. So while expensive as only a 'storage cost' it provides a lot of really good other benefits that I enjoy.
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bularry
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In reply to cecil77 • 12:07p, 2/6/26
cecil77 said:
Other than a couple, the only Napa wines I buy are 20+ years old. And the prices are great.


yeah, and lots of old Bordeaux to be had and if you are will to get away from the famous names the prices are remarkable for really excellent wines. Been buying some '15 and '16's recently to have around. Probably need to hold a few more years but better than holding for 8-15.
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cecil77
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In reply to bularry • 12:35p, 2/6/26
AG
Se the 1986 Ch Lagrange above. WAY less money than most Napa now...
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Texstralian
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12:58p, 2/6/26
AG
Any thoughts on today's lastbottle deal. Cain five spring mountain? 2013.
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Coates
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In reply to Texstralian • 1:21p, 2/6/26
Elivette would be my guess, they seem to have a lot of thay recently.
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DJV2012
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1:25p, 2/6/26
AG
I think he means any thoughts on Cain Five...as that's likely what the bottle is based on the information provided on Last Bottle.
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ATL Aggie
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In reply to Texstralian • 1:36p, 2/6/26
AG
Texstralian said:
Any thoughts on today's lastbottle deal. Cain five spring mountain? 2013.

Dont know anything about it but I am going to buy a few.
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Coates
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In reply to DJV2012 • 1:42p, 2/6/26
DJV2012 said:
I think he means any thoughts on Cain Five...as that's likely what the bottle is based on the information provided on Last Bottle.


I just meant I think it's Elivette, not Cain Five.
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