Woo Winebid Woo!

Dunno if anyone noticed, but a ton of 1981 California Cabs went up on Winebid recently. Since I'm a 1981 baby, I couldn't help myself.

And boy, am I glad I did. The bottles came today, and the fills are all bottom neck or better, the corks are flush, the capsules spinning...whoever kept these babies for the last quarter century did a TREMENDOUS job.

So excited! I got the whole range: Mondavi Reserve, Chappelet, Montelena Estate, BV GdlT, Pine Ridge Rutherford, Inglenook Cask Reserve...and more. 9 bottles of 1981 Cal Cab, $260 total. Tremendous!

[Jenise]

How very cool, David! That's going to make some party. Are you going to save them for your 30th or something?

How very cool, David! That's going to make some party. Are you going to save them for your 30th or something?

Thats's the plan, though I might need to sample one for my next birthday! I may also buy some more now that I've seen these are the real deal. Not much interest in 1981- middling vintage, past-prime, etc. All the better for me. Still need to fill in some of the big names for a encyclopedic horizontal (Mayacamas, Ridge, Caymus).

You may have better luck with some BDX from the vintage?

There was a big 1981 Bordeaux tasting at Acker last month, and one of the attendees told me it was "disappointing". Given the prices for the 1981 bordeauxs ($140-200 for first growths in good condition), I think its a big risk. What I would love to do is a horizontal of the 1981 Riojas- much less chance of a dead bottle, and prices should be <$100 pretty much across the board. If they ever came up for sale, I'd be there.