I keep one treasured text message from each of my children permanently on my mobile phone. The one from our elder daughter says “Mum! What is going on! Just got a cheque for three grand…? Xxx”
There are few pleasures greater than pleasing one’s children and I have to admit that I was thrilled that £295 spent on a case of Château Margaux 1982 as a first birthday present for her in July 1983 could be turned into much-needed cash during this, her final year at university. Over the years she had looked at this particular wooden box in our cellar, knowing it was hers, willing us to let her turn it into something she felt she would appreciate more than 12 bottles of red bordeaux. We kept waiting for her to turn into a claret connoisseur but finally gave up.
This sort of thing I view as the most benign form of wine investment, as opposed to the fiends who hoard trophy wines by the stack, pushing up prices, and widening the gap between the wines for drinking and the wines for selling. I do wonder, incidentally, how satisfying it can be for all those who labour away making first growth clarets taste as good as they possibly can, when they know that nowadays so few true wine enthusiasts can afford to drink them?
Here are some suggestions for bottles, or cases, to be given as gifts. I would hope that the wines I suggest giving to infants will appreciate in value, but fear that, given the current state of the fine wine market, tenfold growth over 22 years is highly unlikely. I have however in my earlier choices tried to choose wines that will both last long enough to be drunk when these children are adults and are also likely to be easily saleable in the long run.
The child born in 2005
It is still too early to have a clue how northern hemisphere vineyards will perform this year – although the cool spring and early summer in most of Europe are unlikely to result in an early harvest. Wine prices are depressed worldwide however, especially in countries such as Australia and Chile which invested heavily in vineyard expansion recently, so one of their top, long-living wines is a possibility. Chile is yet to establish any serious auction performer although Almaviva, a joint venture between the Rothschilds of Mouton and Concha y Toro, is the most likely candidate. In Australia the rich red Penfolds Grange has the most established track record. The 2004 vintage of two of its most famous stablemates has just been offered en primeur for the first time, via an online auction at www.penfoldsfutures.com, and this seems the most likely way that Grange, released at five years old, will be offered in future [the company says probably not – but who knows what Fosters ownership will wreak...?]. The 1955 is still going strong so there should be no worries about longevity – and this is one wine that is an established saleroom commodity, but it is not likely to be offered until 2010 so there is plenty of time to see how other 2005s perform.
The child born in 2004
The timing is perfect for buying wine for babies born last year. Futures in 2004 red bordeaux are currently being offered by fine wine merchants and, not only is top quality red bordeaux one of the longest-living table wines, the 2004s look as though they will be one of the slowest-maturing vintages for a long time. Specific recommendations based on my early tastings, other than the stratospherically priced first growths and equivalents (Chx Latour and Margaux being the stars), include Vieux Château Certan (becoming scarce), Ch L’Eglise Clinet (£425), Les Forts de Latour (£280), Ch Montrose (£300), Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux (£205), Ch Pichon Lalande (£385), Ch Calon Ségur (£220), Ch Grand Puy Lacoste (£195). These are approximate current primeur prices per case in sterling in bond current at the time of writing, although delivery, VAT and excise duty will bump up the price considerably when the wines are delivered in mid 2007. See also Bordeaux 2004 – the best buys.
The child born in 2003
This is easy. Vintage port is just about the longest-living sort of wine made today so there is no question about its ability to last the course between a child’s birth and adulthood. The 2003 vintage ports have just been released and Fonseca 2003 is the gold standard offering. Expect to pay almost £400 a case, or you could take advantage of Majestic’s (online) offer of a six pack at £175. It’s not that easy to pick up the most lauded vintage ports by the single bottle but traditional merchants such as Berry Bros and Justerini & Brooks should have some bottles in stock next year.
The heatwave summer of 2003 produced a wide range of highly unusual wines in Europe’s traditional table wine regions. Some may turn out to be exceptionally good and long-lasting but I fear many will peak earlier than usual, possibly too early to be of interest in this context. Forget 2003 red bordeaux which looks horribly overpriced at the moment.
The 18th birthday present
1987 was very difficult almost everywhere except California. Ridge Montebello is the most classic California collectible. Expect to pay about £100 for a bottle of the 1987 – check www.winesearcher.com for availability.
The 21st birthday present
1984 presents a familiar problem in our household as being the birth year of our son, cruelly the one of our children who shows most interest in wine and even worse in Europe than 1987. For him we bought some Hunter Valley Semillon, a great historic Australian dry white wine style for long ageing that has become relatively rare – especially in our cellar. I’m not sure we even told him about it and have long since consumed the last bottle. We do – sorry, he does – still have some of the top California Cabernets of 1984 however and they can still be found.
The 30th birthday present
A bottle of Ch Haut Brion or Cheval Blanc 1975 at under £150 would be clever.
The 40th birthday present
This is almost impossible except for the very toothsome Banyuls 1965 Domaines et Terroirs du Sud, a southern French answer to port at less than £30 a bottle. Winesearcher.com can locate it. See Ancient stickies from Roussillon.
The 50th birthday present
Both port and red bordeaux were good in 1955. Michael Broadbent gives Ch Talbot five stars; it will cost about £150 a bottle although you can find armagnac at well under £100.
The 60th birthday present
1945 was probably the single greatest vintage last century so there are no bargains, but even minor bordeaux and ports are worth a punt. Click here and enter 1945 in the vintage box, leaving the wine name box empty, for some specific ideas.