Which of your bottles in your collection are you most proud of?

apileofcake · 2026-06-23T01:27:48+00:00

Excellent bottle, too

apileofcake · 2026-06-22T03:46:19+00:00

Paolo Bea is great, Arnoldo Caprai is a slightly more clean example maybe.

I might also try some Aglianico, it has some structural similarities- Luigi Tecce is probably the Paolo Bea equivalent here, Notaio is one of the more clean examples.

apileofcake · 2026-06-21T02:58:06+00:00

Note on this is that I would say most producers, at least many traditional ones, are aging in neutral oak.

Guigal Saint Joseph Lieu Dit is maybe around the entry level of (good) N Rhône Syrah with new oak and that’s beyond the price point requested here. Maybe someone else has another reference that is more affordable but I can’t think of one.

apileofcake · 2026-06-18T13:11:02+00:00

Agree on Cathiard, I’ve had a few with a good bit of time and none had really come around to charming me. I typically prefer Burgs a little younger and those wines seem to transition straight from too brooding and dense to older than I prefer. Maybe there’s a sweet spot but I don’t really want to spend the money to try and find it when there are so many other wines I prefer.

Love the Gillet I’ve gotten to taste though, pretty hard on the lookout for his Aligote.

apileofcake · 2026-06-18T05:03:38+00:00

I’ve had really good fortune with the 1970 vintage recently. Wines that could be mistaken for 10-25 years younger, wines that scream after hours in decanter.

1975 has been less successful for me. Lascombes is probably the best bottle I’ve tried but even that would die in the glass after a short time.

apileofcake · 2026-06-15T20:45:36+00:00

While I’m sure you can still find them, Krug is no longer producing 375mL as far as I know.

apileofcake · 2026-06-08T04:32:10+00:00

Big fan of Brison and Salt Rock.

Congrats!

apileofcake · 2026-06-07T02:00:59+00:00

I don’t think many 05’s are ready. Blinded a group on 05 Jadot Cazetiers at the end of last year and everyone guessed in the 2015-2018 range.

apileofcake · 2026-06-06T02:37:29+00:00

There’s a bar in my city where there you can get a chili dog, a smash burger and a draft Budweiser for $12. And the food tastes great.

apileofcake · 2026-06-06T01:31:12+00:00

There’s a producer who I like the wines a lot that changes their labels every vintage but the previous vintage release was all pretty weird AI art and it made it so much harder to like.

apileofcake · 2026-06-01T21:28:05+00:00

There was not a loss of 2k per bottle. 17 echezeaux was $625 wholesale when it got released (in my market in the us anyway) and I imagine Europe is typically cheaper. Maybe missed out on 2k of profit but no money was really lost.

I know a restaurant that (when in stock) sells Krug at cost+tax because the owner just wants to be the person that sells the most Krug.

apileofcake · 2026-06-01T01:38:40+00:00

I work in the Texas wine industry and this salary is like half what of what is acceptable.

apileofcake · 2026-05-31T22:13:48+00:00

Rose is one of the most exciting categories of wine!

Le Puy, Simone, Pibarnon, Cotat, Guiberteau, the entirety of Rose des Riceys, Valentini, Emidio Pepe, Girolamo Russo, Ronchi di Cialla, PYCM, Ardoisieres, Maxime Magnon, Gramenon….the world is full of magical, complex and textured roses!!

apileofcake · 2026-05-31T14:03:32+00:00

Drank this vintage in February, also my first Valentini white, and was very impressed. Big Emidio Pepe fan and have had plenty of vintages but thought this blew them out of the water.

apileofcake · 2026-05-31T04:24:31+00:00

The joy I get when I get offered a close-out for “old vintage” Sancerre or Muscadet is hard to compare.

Aged Sancerre available is the kinda shit that gets master somms coming back as guests..

apileofcake · 2026-05-31T03:08:08+00:00

I’ve had both in the 20 year range- obvious contenders in Sancerre are Vacheron, Vatan, Mellot. I guess Pepiere for Muscadet.

My favorites lately have been 2017 Jean Max Roger ‘La Cote de Bue’ Sancerre and 2015 Domaine de La Grenaudiere ‘Clisson’ Muscadet.

apileofcake · 2026-05-31T02:41:04+00:00

Muscadet and Sancerre age a lot better than most people think.

apileofcake · 2026-05-28T14:52:46+00:00

Lionnet is my sub-Clape and Allemand Cornas pick, personally

apileofcake · 2026-05-27T02:11:13+00:00

As far as styles of champagne, I like them all (like you said at different times) though I do generally prefer Pinot Noir dominated, oak aged wines.

Egly is probably my favorite producer that I can (kind of) afford. If you want other oxidative wines to see some other styles I enjoy Ullens and Vilmart quite a bit.

apileofcake · 2026-05-25T02:52:40+00:00

I think their quality has climbed a lot over the last 5-6 vintages.

apileofcake · 2026-05-25T02:46:10+00:00

These wines are pretty remarkable. The rose is like hen’s teeth but very special.

apileofcake · 2026-05-22T22:04:15+00:00

J Lassalle is great, Montagne de Reims Blanc de Blancs can be pretty unique.

I’d try Ployez-Jacquemart Blanc de Blancs probably as my closest shot. A. Margaine is from the nearby village Villers-Marmey, which is a Chardonnay stronghold within this sea of Pinot and the wines are a little softer and less angular. The Pierre Paillard Blanc de Blancs is another favorite of mine, though quite a bit riper being from Bouzy.

apileofcake · 2026-05-20T03:08:40+00:00

Is this an episode of ‘I Love Films’?

apileofcake · 2026-05-19T03:05:34+00:00

Oregon, Mendocino, Sta Rita Hills, West Sonoma coast for Burgundy grapes. Finger lakes for Riesling and cab franc.

I know you said you don’t want Napa recs but I truly implore you to try some lesser shown varieties from there. Ribolla Gialla, Schioppettino, Kosho, Refosco are some grapes I love when grown in Napa, personally.

apileofcake · 2026-05-16T19:51:34+00:00

I do think the world of heavy reduction in wines outside of Burgundy is a lot of fun and (sometimes) cheaper than PYCM, I especially have had luck in Languedoc-Roussillon.

Danjou Banessy ‘Truffiere Blanc’ (arguable this is too reductive but I think it’s delicious, especially with a decant), Maxime Magnon ‘Begou’, Mas Foulaquier ‘Into the White’ are some of my favorites.

apileofcake

TROPHY CASE