Birthday champagnes, keep for 15-20 yrs?

Woddle

Hi
I don't know a lot about wines/champagne so I'm hoping someone may be able to help.
I want to buy either a sparkling wine or champagne (maybe there the same thing ?) for the years 2003, 2005 and 2010 and I want each bottle to keep for 18 yrs, the yrs above represent my kids birthdays.
Anyone have any suggestions on what I could buy and where or if there is a good website I can check out.
Thanks

irish_goat

You'd be lucky to find a Champagne that would last 18 years. 5 years would be the max for most.

Slaphead07

The bearded one is right. Champagne, or white wine, is unlikely to keep very long. You could buy good reds that would do the job, just get advice on those reds as your average supermarket wine won't improve much with age, they're produced to be drunk soon.

huskerdu

Your best bet is to go to a good wine Merchant like Mitchells and ask their advice. Some champagnes can last, but you can't guarantee it with every vintage.

If you are willing to pay, I am sure they can source the bottles for you, but more importantly should advise you on whether it is likely to last.


Also, do you have suitable storage facilities for wine for 15/18 years ?
It would be a shame to spend €200/300 on 3 bottles of champagne or wine and have them ruined because of poor storage.

Woddle

Thanks for the replies.
Storage never even occurred to me.
I'll check Mitchells out. Thanks.

vicwatson

irish_goat wrote: »

You'd be lucky to find a Champagne that would last 18 years. 5 years would be the max for most.

Welllll, 8 years would be ok infact.

irish_goat

vicwatson wrote: »

Welllll, 8 years would be ok infact.

What are you basing that on..?

vicwatson

They are still selling M&C 2003 vintage in the supermarket, don't think they'd be selling it if it was "gone off" or hadn't lasted the time.

What are you basing 5 years on?

Slaphead07

vicwatson wrote: »

They are still selling M&C 2003 vintage in the supermarket, don't think they'd be selling it if it was "gone off" or hadn't lasted the time.

What are you basing 5 years on?

A vintage champagne may well last a bit longer but I don't think the fact that a supermarket is selling is any indicator of quality. Quite the opposite in fact. It is generally accepted that most white wines, and that includes most champagnes, will last about 6 years. After that it's a gamble with the odds against you.

huskerdu

Slaphead07 wrote: »

A vintage champagne may well last a bit longer but I don't think the fact that a supermarket is selling is any indicator of quality. Quite the opposite in fact. It is generally accepted that most white wines, and that includes most champagnes, will last about 6 years. After that it's a gamble with the odds against you.

True, but is completely depends on the vintage. Some 10/15 year old vintage champanges sell for a fortune and are drinking very nicely, but only some vintages.

Thats why an expert opinion is necessary before forking out good money.

Slaphead07

huskerdu wrote: »

True, but is completely depends on the vintage. Some 10/15 year old vintage champanges sell for a fortune and are drinking very nicely, but only some vintages.

Thats why an expert opinion is necessary before forking out good money.

and the first thing an expert will tell you is that there are no guarantees.

shy-tall-knight

Slaphead07 wrote: »

A vintage champagne may well last a bit longer but I don't think the fact that a supermarket is selling is any indicator of quality. Quite the opposite in fact. It is generally accepted that most white wines, and that includes most champagnes, will last about 6 years. After that it's a gamble with the odds against you.

Wrong. Most supermarket champagne in the 15-30 euro price point is non-vintage and will not last much longer than 3-4 years max.
But you can get Champagne that will last up to 30 years depending on the vintage. You will have to spend a fair bit of dollar and I'm not sure what the vintages are like for the particular years you are requesting so the best thing to do is to get in contact with a specialist merchant who will be able to tell you for definite, you'll prob be looking at spending a minimum of 200-300 euro if you want to do this right.
A typical brand would be Champagne Krug Brut-Their 1988 vintage still commands some very high prices.

Slaphead07

shy-tall-knight wrote: »

Wrong. Most supermarket champagne in the 15-30 euro price point is non-vintage and will not last much longer than 3-4 years max.

I never said otherwise. You might want to actually read the thread before responding, I have no interest whatsoever in buying vintage or expensive wine.

vicwatson

Slaphead07 wrote: »

A vintage champagne may well last a bit longer but I don't think the fact that a supermarket is selling is any indicator of quality. Quite the opposite in fact. It is generally accepted that most white wines, and that includes most champagnes, will last about 6 years. After that it's a gamble with the odds against you.

I'm not suggesting it's an indicator of quality but they would not be selling corked champagne. So if they are selling 8/9 year old champagne it willl be perfectly fine to drink and the quality should be excellent.

I disagree with your assessment of white wine lasting 6 years too, In my opinion most New World Wines have a shelf live of 6 months to 18 months and that's it.

Slaphead07

vicwatson wrote: »

I'm not suggesting it's an indicator of quality but they would not be selling corked champagne.

How do they know if a wine is corked? Corked wine is sold all the time. You don't seem to understand what you're talking about.

What has "shelf life" got to do with anything? Define it. After time in a VAT? In a barrel? Some random delivery date? A lot of New World wines won't even arrive here until they're 18 months or older.

vicwatson

Slaphead07 wrote: »

How do they know if a wine is corked? Corked wine is sold all the time. You don't seem to understand what you're talking about.

What has "shelf life" got to do with anything? Define it. After time in a VAT? In a barrel? Some random delivery date? A lot of New World wines won't even arrive here until they're 18 months or older.

They are hardly going to put thousands and thousands of bottles of champagne that they know is corked out on their shelves now are they, so if they are selling a vintage that's 8/9/10 year old then by logic it's quality is good and it's no problem to drink - there will always be corked wines and champagnes in very small quantities. Need me to spell it our for you as it's you that doesn't seem to know what they are on about quite frankly?

What? It takes 18 months for wine to get here? Funny that I sipped on a 2011 Spy Mountain from Marlbourough last weekend (Marlborough is in New Zealand in case you didn't know - the other side of the world)

Most new world wines are grown and made to last no more than 18 months, that's a fact, prob ok to drink after it but quality won't be there. And shelf life means the life on the shelf the product has :rolleyes:

Slaphead07

Yeah. Gotcha. :rolleyes:

the beer revolu

vicwatson wrote: »

They are hardly going to put thousands and thousands of bottles of champagne that they know is corked out on their shelves now are they, so if they are selling a vintage that's 8/9/10 year old then by logic it's quality is good and it's no problem to drink - there will always be corked wines and champagnes in very small quantities. Need me to spell it our for you as it's you that doesn't seem to know what they are on about quite frankly?

What? It takes 18 months for wine to get here? Funny that I sipped on a 2011 Spy Mountain from Marlbourough last weekend (Marlborough is in New Zealand in case you didn't know - the other side of the world)

Most new world wines are grown and made to last no more than 18 months, that's a fact, prob ok to drink after it but quality won't be there. And shelf life means the life on the shelf the product has :rolleyes:

Supermarkets regularly sell wine that is well past its best - it's not corked but it is past its best. There is know way I know of telling if a wine is corked without opening it.
Old wine does not equal corked wine.
Young wine does not guarantee it's not corked.