Vintage booze (1959)

[VX Foxy]

I'm considering getting a bottle of something for a friends 50th birthday but being somewhat ignorant on the subject, thought I'd turn to you guys for help

I want to spent up to £100, but I'm worried this isn't enough to get anything decent.

What do you think? Any better ideas?

TIA

[VX Foxy]

Have all the connoisseurs left the building?!

[HiRich]

I'm struggling to think of a wine you will find at that price, but Wine Searcher comes up with a list of 258 wines & spirits available retail in the UK (but beware, many have to be by the case). 1959 was not declared for vintage port.
Perhaps that might shortlist a few ideas, and a browse of Parkers might give some tasting notes.

Also:
http://www.vintagewineandport.co.uk/SearchResults....
http://www.vintagewinegifts.co.uk/acatalog/50th_An...

[VX Foxy]

Thanks very much! Lots to look at there - seems I'll have to push my budget a little

[prand]

Shame your mate wasn't born in 1961, you would have had some interesting choices then. It was considered one of the greatest Bordeaux vintages of the 20th century. I saw a few bottles of Latour come up for sale recently from that year for £10s of thousands of pounds!

[Don]

Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz. £150 or so. Possibly more.
Penfolds Grange, maybe? Around the £100.

Or you could buy some boutique Calfornian wines http://www.vineyardcellars.com/

[markomah]

Don said:

Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz. £150 or so. Possibly more.
Penfolds Grange, maybe? Around the £100.

Or you could buy some boutique Calfornian wines http://www.vineyardcellars.com/

Not from 1959, though?

[PaulHogan]

Alternatively you could get 50 bottles of Blue Nun. After the first dozen the rest won't seem so bad and let's face it a party with 50 new bottles is likely to be more fun than a party with one 50 year old bottle

[Don]

markomah said:

Don said:

Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz. £150 or so. Possibly more.
Penfolds Grange, maybe? Around the £100.

Or you could buy some boutique Calfornian wines http://www.vineyardcellars.com/

Not from 1959, though?

No.

But what wine are you going to get from 1959 that's still drinkable? £100 isn't going to go very far when buying private stocks from winemaker's cellars in France.

£100 budget will buy a "totally blow you away" bottle of rare wine. But not from 1959.

[VX Foxy]

PaulHogan said:

Alternatively you could get 50 bottles of Blue Nun. After the first dozen the rest won't seem so bad and let's face it a party with 50 new bottles is likely to be more fun than a party with one 50 year old bottle

LOL! Great idea

Don said:

But what wine are you going to get from 1959 that's still drinkable? £100 isn't going to go very far when buying private stocks from winemaker's cellars in France.

£100 budget will buy a "totally blow you away" bottle of rare wine. But not from 1959.

Yes, I'm coming to that conclusion.

Could you recommend a £100, "totally blow you away" bottle?

[Myobb]

Some years ago I bought my then wife a bottle of 1951 (her birth year) Mouton Rothschild for about 400 pounds. Subsequently I learnt that 1951 was a dreadful vintage & this proved true both in terms of the wife & the wine (when we drank it).

[RDMcG]

I would not try to match the year exactly. I collect a certain amount of wine, and strongly recommend the 1963 Taylor's port. It will be heavily sedimented, so should be stood for a while before drinking if the intention to to drink it immediately. It is absolutely perfect now. Great bordeaux or burgundies of the period are riduculously expensive.

[markomah]

Don said:

markomah said:

Don said:

Henschke Hill Of Grace Shiraz. £150 or so. Possibly more.
Penfolds Grange, maybe? Around the £100.

Or you could buy some boutique Calfornian wines http://www.vineyardcellars.com/

Not from 1959, though?

No.

But what wine are you going to get from 1959 that's still drinkable? £100 isn't going to go very far when buying private stocks from winemaker's cellars in France.

£100 budget will buy a "totally blow you away" bottle of rare wine. But not from 1959.

I agree - that's what the OP asked for, though!

[Don]

VX Foxy said:

PaulHogan said:

Alternatively you could get 50 bottles of Blue Nun. After the first dozen the rest won't seem so bad and let's face it a party with 50 new bottles is likely to be more fun than a party with one 50 year old bottle

LOL! Great idea

Don said:

But what wine are you going to get from 1959 that's still drinkable? £100 isn't going to go very far when buying private stocks from winemaker's cellars in France.

£100 budget will buy a "totally blow you away" bottle of rare wine. But not from 1959.

Yes, I'm coming to that conclusion.

Could you recommend a £100, "totally blow you away" bottle?

I did.

I bought my business partner a bottle of "In Flagrante" for his 50th. Google it. It was superb.

But if you are going to spend £100 plus on a bottle of wine...you should be very certain you are buying something your pal will like.

What sort of wine does he like?

If you don't know? Buy him something else. If you DO know? Tell us. I will try and recommend something...

[VX Foxy]

Don said:

VX Foxy said:

Yes, I'm coming to that conclusion.

Could you recommend a £100, "totally blow you away" bottle?

I did.

I bought my business partner a bottle of "In Flagrante" for his 50th. Google it. It was superb.

But if you are going to spend £100 plus on a bottle of wine...you should be very certain you are buying something your pal will like.

What sort of wine does he like?

If you don't know? Buy him something else. If you DO know? Tell us. I will try and recommend something...

Sorry Don, I should've said that the cheapest I could find the wines you mentioned was about £160 for the Penfolds Grange.

Good job you asked what he likes! I asked his Mrs and she said he prefers white, Wolf Blass somethingorother was one she mentioned...with this in mind, perhaps on reflection, a vintage wine could be wasted on him?

[Don]

VX Foxy said:

Don said:

VX Foxy said:

Yes, I'm coming to that conclusion.

Could you recommend a £100, "totally blow you away" bottle?

I did.

I bought my business partner a bottle of "In Flagrante" for his 50th. Google it. It was superb.

But if you are going to spend £100 plus on a bottle of wine...you should be very certain you are buying something your pal will like.

What sort of wine does he like?

If you don't know? Buy him something else. If you DO know? Tell us. I will try and recommend something...

Sorry Don, I should've said that the cheapest I could find the wines you mentioned was about £160 for the Penfolds Grange.

Good job you asked what he likes! I asked his Mrs and she said he prefers white, Wolf Blass somethingorother was one she mentioned...with this in mind, perhaps on reflection, a vintage wine could be wasted on him?

OK. How about spending £30 to £50 and buying him a bottle of Chassangne Montrachet or Puligny Montrachet or perhaps a Meursault. A good white Burgundy will be "like" the Wolf Blass but oh, so much better.

[VX Foxy]

Don said:

OK. How about spending £30 to £50 and buying him a bottle of Chassangne Montrachet or Puligny Montrachet or perhaps a Meursault. A good white Burgundy will be "like" the Wolf Blass but oh, so much better.

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan - I could get a couple of bottles Are there any particular years to aim for or does the price generally reflect the quality?

[Don]

VX Foxy said:

Don said:

OK. How about spending £30 to £50 and buying him a bottle of Chassangne Montrachet or Puligny Montrachet or perhaps a Meursault. A good white Burgundy will be "like" the Wolf Blass but oh, so much better.

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan - I could get a couple of bottles Are there any particular years to aim for or does the price generally reflect the quality?

Price is an initial indicator. Go to good merchant get some advice in store.

I happen to like Bernard Morey et Fils wines from A&B Vintners http://www.abvintners.co.uk/

[VX Foxy]

Don said:

VX Foxy said:

Don said:

OK. How about spending £30 to £50 and buying him a bottle of Chassangne Montrachet or Puligny Montrachet or perhaps a Meursault. A good white Burgundy will be "like" the Wolf Blass but oh, so much better.

Thanks, that sounds like a good plan - I could get a couple of bottles Are there any particular years to aim for or does the price generally reflect the quality?

Price is an initial indicator. Go to good merchant get some advice in store.

I happen to like Bernard Morey et Fils wines from A&B Vintners http://www.abvintners.co.uk/

A&B is a bit far from Lichfield but there is a (seemingly) good merchant in town; "Worth Brothers". I'll pop in this afternoon and let you know what I find. Many thanks for your advice

[Lefty Guns]

http://www.interflora.co.uk/catalog/product.xml?pr...

Haven't tried it but Glen Grant is generally a nice whisky. Cheap for a 50 year old dram though...