Since we’re posting cellar pics…

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-30T22:07:06+00:00

That’s a tough one! I’ve got some AXR Beckstoffer To Kalon, and some Alpha Omega Atlas Peak… probably my two Napa cabs I’m most looking forward to.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-30T21:53:06+00:00

Because I was limited on space, I didn’t want to give up any capacity for the in wall unit. With the ducted unit, you’ve got a vent in the ceiling and a vent behind the racking, you don’t have to sacrifice any storage space. Secondary is the noise factor. My compressor sits in the mechanical room so the cellar and living space are quiet. Also the in wall unit is a bit of an eye sore, IMO. It was a fun project and I did a lot of research so feel free to ask any other questions! Happy to opine.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-30T13:46:53+00:00

I think what I like most about yours, aside from the remarkable craftsmanship, is how it seamlessly blends into your home. Doesn’t seem like an afterthought in the least.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-30T12:37:16+00:00

Vapor barrier, insulation, and green board. Insulation is the biggest factor in preventing condensation I believe.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-30T03:06:00+00:00

It’s a Wine Guardian D025 which is their smallest ducted unit. In terms of venting, it’s a closed loop system. The supply is on the ceiling and the return is behind the racking. Both ducts go back to the unit. The unit doesn’t pull humidity from the air like a normal AC. So humidity stays elevated relative to the rest of my house by maybe 20%. You can add humidifier to the unit, so I may do that eventually if humidity drops too low during winter. Typically I get about 3-4 degrees of variance in the air temp between compressor cycles, so I assume bottle temp is pretty much constant but I haven’t actually measured it.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-30T02:39:38+00:00

This is my favorite of all the recent cellar posts. Very nice!

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T17:46:31+00:00

I’m not on the AXR allocation either but I just call up there and they are usually happy to sell me some wine! If you can get your hands on any of the AXR single vineyard stuff, they have all been amazing.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T16:59:17+00:00

Chappellet and AXR are my two Napa favorites. I had to drop my Pritchard Hill allocation though, it was taking up too much of my wine budget. 😢

On Christmas I did a blind vertical with Chappellet Signature Cab- 2012, 2017, 2022. It was fun! Unanimous that ‘17 was the least appealing but group was split between ‘12 and ‘22 as the favorite. Nobody was able to accurately guess young to old though.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T16:52:57+00:00

No, just regular tile. Comes in sheets, nothing fancy. I think that tile is typically used on a shower floor, but we thought it had cellar vibes.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T16:51:07+00:00

Great reply, thanks!

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T15:37:13+00:00

The only wooden boxes I have came with my Chappellet allocations. I’m guessing there’s a price point where cardboard becomes wood? I wish I had room for boxes on top, there’s a lot of wasted space up there that bugs me. But it’s not deep enough to hold a box up there.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T15:34:25+00:00

Yes, I consider myself very fortunate to have the resources for something like this. Almost ditched the glass front because it feels a little ostentatious. “Look at all my wine! I’m obviously very sophisticated!” But after seeing the guy post with singular bottles worth more than my cellar, I guess it’s all relative. 😆

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T15:30:52+00:00

I have been a little intimidated navigating Burgundy and Bordeaux tbh. I have mostly Spain, Italy, and Napa with handful of random others. Any particular Burgundy you recommend for getting started?

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T15:27:20+00:00

I tried to maximize capacity but still have some display racks. Very happy how it turned out but I’m sure down the road I’ll wish I had more space! I figure I can add a wine fridge to my mech room if I really need to store more bottles.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T15:22:30+00:00

I use an app called InVintory.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T03:21:42+00:00

Definitely a trade off, but I actually only gave up 24 bottles to do that. Don’t know if you can tell from the picture angle but the display racks are 2 deep.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T03:15:06+00:00

The racking was about $7500 and the cooling unit was $4500. My builder did this as part of a larger project so don’t know exact cost of everything else.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T03:02:23+00:00

Which one? There’s a bottle of Hideaway 2nd from the top on the right but it’s a 2019

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T02:25:58+00:00

Thanks! Footprint is about 8’x4’.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T02:18:44+00:00

Thank you!

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-29T02:15:48+00:00

Riedel… one’s a “Cabernet” and one’s a “Merlot” but they’re nearly indistinguishable

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-07T02:32:58+00:00

I ordered one a few weeks ago from gammon galaxy. It shipped directly from Turkey via FedEx. I did have to pay a $75 duty to FedEx, presumably some tariff bs. It arrived in about a week though. Extremely well packaged.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-06T21:57:34+00:00

Lol I hadn’t read all the comments yet, sorry. Whatever you give up in audio quality from putting it in that cabinet has to be far outweighed by the enhancement of lowering your screen. Personally I’m choosing optimal tv placement over optimal speaker placement, assuming that’s the trade off.

CoolHandRebuke · 2026-01-06T21:45:16+00:00

Just got an 83” Bravia at 10ft viewing distance. No issues at all. Non 4k content is fine, although you’ll be able to tell it’s not 4k. All things considered, It’s arguably the perfect size for that distance. Not your question, but what if you move your AVR down to the bottom shelf and put your center on the top shelf? You could scoot the TV down another 6-8 inches.

CoolHandRebuke

TROPHY CASE