After a false alarm Monday and another 20+hour wait on Thursday, I am finally an Uncle. Riley Elizabeth Puckey needed a bit of time in the oven but I'm happy to that she is doing fine and came home to my sister's today.Now, I'd imagine her parents are thinking about things such as college, whether she'll be a ballerina or a teacher, you know, the important things. Of course these are the last things that a Wine Consultant like myself would want to be bothered with right now; the most obvious question is, how will the 2007 Vintage turn out, since these will be Riley's birth year wines. I admit that I'm pretty twisted.
It's an important consideration. Very few years produce excellent wines in every wine region, and not every well-made wine will age for the requisite twenty-one years or more required to head into adulthood in style. As a wine consultant, if I had a dime for every time I was asked, "My daughter was born in xxxx, what wine should I buy to celebrate her 21st Birthday", I would already be retired. So without further ado, for your consideration and reference, here's my far-from-complete, super-unofficial birth year wine chart:
2005 Bordeaux, Sauternes, Burgundy, Northern Rhone, Southern Rhone, Spain, Australia
2004 Port, Spain, Italy, selected Bordeaux and California Cabs
2003 Rhone, Burgundy, Bordeaux
2002 Burgundy, California Reds, Australian Reds
2001 California Reds, Burgundy (Cote de Nuits), Sauternes, Rhones north and south
2000 Bordeaux, Port, Rhones especially Southern, Italy
1999 Burgundy, Rhones especially Northern, Italy
1998 Rhones, Bordeaux (Right Bank), selected Burgundy
1997 Italy, California
1996 Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux (Left Bank), Spain
That'll give you a decade to play with for starters. Keep in mind that buying the best producers as well as the producers noted for longevity will go along way in making sure Birthday #21 is special, but without proper, that is, impeccable, storage, you might as well just flush your money (and wine) down the toilet...
