Christening Gifts

Recently my friend asked me to assist him in purchasing some wine for his children for when they reach their 21st Birthday. They are two and seven, born in 2011 and 2006. 

 

There is a great interest in wines with dated vintages for commemorating anniversaries or birth years. The custom originates from the UK and dates back to the 18th century when tradition was give a ‘pipe’ (approximately 61 cases) of Port to newly born children to drink in about 21 years when both the child and the Port were mature. In the 20th century the tradition extended to red wines, typically top growth Bordeaux such as Chateau Lafite and Mouton Rothschild. These wines are always sought by collectors and so the high demand will mean that prices are relatively high. Even for mediocre years. 

 

The key factors in choosing a wine or vintage port as a Christening gift are will it last? And will it be a good investment?

 

It is easier to find wines from better vintages than lesser ones. The lesser vintages will not keep for a huge amount of time and so will be consumed first. The values for the best vintages will continue to rise while wines from the worst vintages are seldom saved, and simply become difficult to find. Take my birth year for example, where the wines of Bordeaux were said to have been bad the day they were bottled and went downhill from there.

 

One option then would be for my nephew to wait until 2032 and then go to a website to buy the wines to see how history rated the 2006 vintage and which, if any, wines might be available. Certainly, the choices will be fewer and for those surviving wines, the prices higher.

 

Instead, he would prefer to buy the wines now and save them. Both 2006 and 2011 vintages are in the market place right now. The question becomes, what to buy?

 

Which wines are most likely to survive the 21-year trip to 2032? Wine longevity requires the right combination of superior fruit, good natural acidity, and tightly wound tannins. Many California Cabernets, while delicious young, often lack the necessary structure for that long haul. Port, Red Bordeaux and Italian wines like Barolo and Brunello are the more likely candidates.

 

My advice would always to invest in a case of vintage port as this is robust and will almost certainly be good to last 20 years. The fortification process and maturation process (vintage port ages nicely in the bottle) make the gift ideal for a christening. If a top port house is selected like Taylors, Fonseca, Graham, Noval then this will probably hold or gain value. In terms of the vintages of interest, 2011 is by all accounts a excellent vintage that has the potential of the legendary 1963 vintage. 2006 was not such a great year for port but it was a fairly solid year for Bordeaux and so I would opt for a top class Chateau. 

 

In conclusion, there are any options for a great Christening gift that will stand the test of time and be appreciated either in consumption or through realizing the value when the recipient comes of age. For more details Click Here.