Many wine collectors, myself included, have the romantic notion of buying a case of wine from their child’s birth year to give them upon their 21st birthday. I’m not going to get into the wisdom of giving a 21 year old first growth Bordeaux, but I do like the thought of having some fun bottles on hand to open at birthday dinners, graduations, weddings, etc. Last year I put together a list for a 2009 “Birth Year” case, and thought I’d continue the tradition.
Collectors with children born in 2010 have a wealth of options as quality was high in most regions including Napa, Bordeaux and Chateauneuf du Pape. With high quality though comes high prices, so for this birth year case I am lifting the bottle price ceiling from $100 to $150.
My main criteria for inclusion is the likelihood of the wine to age gracefully over 20 years or more. For this particular case, I’m not going to include more than two wines from a single region. Most of these 2010 bottles listed are available at retail right now.
- Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon – Region: Napa Valley, Score: Wine Advocate 95+, Price: $135
- Betz Family Winery Pere de Famille – Region: Washington, Score: Wine Advocate 95, Price: $70
- Leoville Barton – Region: Bordeaux, Score: Wine Advocate 96, Price: $140
- Canon La Gaffeliere – Region: Bordeaux, Score: Wine Advocate 95, Price: $110
- Rieussec – Region: Sauternes, Score: Wine Spectator 93-96, Price: $80
- M. Chapoutier “Le Méal” Ermitage Blanc – Region: Northern Rhone, Score: Wine Advocate 96-98, Price: $140
- Domaine de la Mordorée “Reine des Bois” – Region: Southern Rhone, Score: Wine Advocate: 97, Price $110
- Vieux Telegraphe – Region: Southern Rhone, Score: Wine Advocate 97, Price: $80
- Joh Jos Prum Riesling Spatlese Graacher Himmelreich – Region: Germany, Score: Wine Advocate 92, Price: $33
- Mugnier Nuits-St-Georges Clos de la Maréchale 1er Cru – Region: Burgundy, Score: Wine Advocate 93, Price: $80
- Fontodi Flaccianello – Region: Tuscany, Score: Wine Spectator 96, Price: $140
- El Nido Bodegas El Nido – Region: Spain, Score: Not yet rated, Price: $120
What 2010 wines have you cellared for your children born in that year?
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Good list Tom. My kids were born in 05 & 08. I really don’t have any 05 wines as I was not into wine that much when they were released. I do have a few 08’s but not many that I think I will hold for a while other than the 08 Dunn.
Over the next few years I imagine you should be able to track down some pretty nice bottles of Bordeaux from those vintages. The 08’s are a deal. The 05’s less so.
WA had a great year in 05 as well, Lon. Call compass wines in Anacortes…Doug always has older vintages around.
Thanks Trey. I’m going to be out in Walla Walla June 19-20. I plan on stopping by your place.
I have the romantic notion of buying a lot of great wine for me to drink when my kids turn 21 and I’ve lived to tell about it! But I’ll probably let them drink some too.
My last is a 2010 birth year. 2010 seemed like a Bordeaux year to me. I went with Ch Pontet Canet and Ch Grand Puy Lacoste.
Nicely done. I wish I had bought the Pontet Canet before the prices went up..
As the 2012’s start rolling out, I am starting to get ready to put together a stash to celebrate my kids’ birthdays. My goal is to have various bottles that I can drink each year on their birthday; some designed to drink young, and some to go the long haul. I think the tough part is going to be years 15-21. I am looking forward to your suggestions when you publish your “2012” list!
I’m going to do a 2011 list this spring and 2012 next year. If you want an early jump on WA wines I would be looking at Quilceda Creek, FIGGINS and Betz Pere de Famile.