Part of me thinks a port, but I won't be able to buy that for 30 months or so still.
I have a soft spot to whiskeys, but storing a barrel is a bit too much...
Any ideas? The idea is to store it in the cave until the 18th birthday or so... or maybe till he gets married...
2. not all wines are created equal
3. not all bottles are created equal
Wines with more tannin, sugar and less alcohol (except for fortified wines, where more is better) will age better. Wines in larger bottles, such as magnums (1.5L) or double magnums (3L), age slower and probably better. As my own knowledge is not good enough, I would go to a wine shop and ask for advice. But hopefully someone will come up with an accurate suggestion.
But most of all, I just wanted to say that I like your idea and that's wonderful that you're expecting a baby soon.
And congrats!
Bear in mind that 2024 (Bordeaux) wine will only be released en primeur in May/June 2025. Scotch can only be sold as single malt after 3 years in the barrel and nobody really sells it anyway. You could maybe get a bottle of Scotch bottled in year. Maybe an 18 or 21 year old for gifting at that age. It won’t get any better in bottle like good wine will.
Does it *have* to be wine though? If you own your home you could plant fruit tree(s) instead. Let him abuse said tree for years (climbing them and treehouses will always be a thing, even after Mum is done with getting tied to it) while you enjoy the fruit, be that fresh, frozen, jam or juice. That way you're certain to at least get something out of the ordeal while you keep worrying about broken bones.
For the last years before his 18th have the fruit "burnt" to strong liquor or ferment the juice yourself. Dispense it among his mates to earn the "Coolest Mum. Ever!" title.
Adjust to your liking.
Why don’t you get something like this…
https://www.sondermuenze.ch/en/ or
https://www.lugdunum-numismatik.com/…s-goldvreneli/ or
https://www.admin.ch/gov/fr/accueil/…-id-88663.html
Coins are already a tradition in our family - for birthdays.
The alcohol thing is something I invertedly started when I was in uni, and went to Portugal. Bought a bottle of port from my birth year, and stored it with the intention of opening it when I get married.
Certain wines are made to be aged others made to be drunk young... as eyebeebee mentioned will the wine only go on sale in a year or two (depending on the region and type).
1. Obvious choice would be Bordeaux. You want a Gran Cru Classe. The rating system they use is absolute bullshit, but the upside is that the names stay the same for over a century and a Chateau Latour will be still famous in 25 years from now... sit down before you look at the prices.
2. Alternatively go with "Super Tuscans" - they are the same style which is great for aging but obviously made in Italy. Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia, Solaia to name the obvious choices. Not exactly cheap either.
The last thing you want is for when your child becomes a teenager is for them to take it to a mate's party when asked to bring a bottle.
Also worth mentioning that the smallest size order en primeur for the Grand Cru Classé is six bottles or potentially three bottles for the first growths (Margaux, Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild and the afore mentioned Latour)
If Spinal is looking at the kind of wine mentioned, the best thing to do would be to buy and keep them in bond. That way they will be stored correctly and will have the necessary provenance if it were decided to sell them rather than drink them. I use BBR.com for en primeur and storage. A final note is that not all vintages are great, so I would seek the reviews before committing. Recently we had a hat trick of good Bordeaux vintages with 18,19,20 with 21 looking to be forgettable and 22 being touted as the best since 1982.
I would consider 6 bottle box, just in case something happens to any of them over the 20 years.
Not a wine specialist by any means, so even if it doesn't improve with age - not a big deal. It is more of a symbolic thing. 300-500chf would buy something "interesting"?
I have since moved to France where I make wine at Château de Fayolle in a little village called Saussignac very close to Bergerac.
We get this request all the time. We make a very special wine called Ruby that is aged in barrels for 2 years. We recommend to this wine to the clients who want to buy a "birth year" or "anniversary year" wine which will happen LONG in the future.
Our cuvée Ruby can keep down in your cellar for 20 years, no problem. It is a very dark, very tannic red wine when we put it in the bottle after 24 months in the barrel. But after 8 years in the cellar, it will be excellent.
After 18 years in the cellar, it will be like butter in your mouth. The tannins will be smooth and the flavors of black currents and plums will make it seem like you are eating a bit of homemade cake at a châlet in Zermatt.
(Did I oversell this, guys? Sorry, but it is freaking delicious!) For the OP, just google Château de Fayolle Saussignac and look on the website. Or google Ruby Fayolle.
prices vary massively based on year. 2020 was for example a crap year in Tuscany, which is why the most famous wines are suddenly on special offer everywhere... some idiot will spend 200 plus per bottle for it and thinks he scored a bargain.
Sadly, you're a little far - I'm planning a wee trip to Chablis to stock up for a party, and would have been happy to swing by if you weren't literally on the other side of France
Do you ship? I have addresses in the EU...