T.Thomas

You might also try berry bros. & rudd at http://www.bbr.com/US/shopping/vintage-fre...ZZ2NBQG95LT0C4P or burgundy-vintage-charts at http://www.burgundy-vintage-charts.co.uk Cheers, T.

Rose, I would expect a well stored 86 Clape Cornas to be past its prime, but not dead. In my experience, Cornas from the better producers in better vintages are very enjoyable at 15+ yrs, while Cornas from lesser vintages/producers seem to peak at 8-12 yrs. People who prefer younger flavor profiles, or more fruit driven flavor profiles, tend to have a different view of course. I'm guessing that the bottle you had was not the best bottle Clape has ever produced, and that the storage conditions were less than optimal. Plus, 18-yr old Cornas older Cornas may just not be your thing. Tim

While other people's perspectives make interesting reading, isn't this a question you really have to answer for yourself based on the types of ports you're drinking and your personal taste preferences? To my taste, vintage ports keep much as other red wines, with older vintages keeping for a day or two if you're lucky, and the younger vintages keeping several days longer. As you can see from the previous posts though, others have different views based on their individual preferences, and/or based on the differences between the different types of ports. Open an extra bottle, keep it in the fridge, and try a small pour every couple of days. Compare it to a fresher bottle once in awhile. You'll soon know how long port "keeps" for you, based on the type of port you buy and what you prefer to drink. Good luck, T.

A good place for Spiegelau has historically been Pop's Wines. They have the Vino Grande Bordeaux for $33.97/set, and the Vino Grande Burgubdy for $27.90/set. http://www.popswine.com Or, you could wait for one of those Amazon 2 for 1 deals. Good luck, T.

Jim, Yes, I got this from CSW, but I'm pretty sure they're out of the '01 by now. I don't know if they have or will get the '02, but it's not listed on their web site. I also don't know whether they designate a Cuvee Buster each year, or whether that's a year-to-year thing. When I asked Kevin McKenna (LDM) about the difference between the Cuvee Buster and the regular bottling he told me: "Peillot had a vat of grapes picked at pretty rich (for Altesse) levels that stopped fermentation mid-winter. We asked him to leave it alone (i.e., do not add any starter yeasts or anything to jump start the fermentation. Sure enough, the fermentations started again in the spring when the weather warmed. It finished in mid-June or thereabouts. This is really the only differing factor in the wine." Yet another example of a sub-$20 bottle of wine that's a bit off the beaten path, but well worth the effort. Cheers, Tim

The Reidel and the Schott-Zwiesel glasses are nice, but they're both about twice the price of Spiegelau. Spiegelau is fine; they last much longer than Riedel, but they still have a nice look and feel. In my experience the Spiegelau glasses sold through Amazon are identical to the Spiegelau glasses sold elsewhere. As to glass types, regardless of brand you really should have a large-sized glass (for most reds), a medium-sized glass (for most whites), and champagne flutes (for sparklers and dessert wines). Since I find most Chard. glasses too small for effective swirling, etc., I use Reidel Vinum Chianti/Zin glasses for my medium-size glass. Spiegelau is fine for everything else. Good luck, Tim

A nice addition indeed. It's nice to see some thoughtful commentary that takes the discussion a bit off the beaten path. Cheers, Tim

There is no reason to spend more than $200. The Krug Grande Cuvee you mentioned would be an excellent choice, and you can find it for about $100. The '88 Vintage Brut is avaialable for about $150 if you want to go a little higher. The Krug NV Brut Rose is about $200 if you're really feeling frisky. Look at Wine-Searcher.com if you want additional pricing/retailer info. Cheers, Tim