We have discussed this a little bit in many Vlogs. I still see it needed another mention. I watch people everyday buy multiple bottles of their supposedly favorite wine for the last 20 years and never once in my career has anyone been able to tell me what vintage or year of that wine they like. They say they are novices and not that sophisticated but yet they always call me or write me and say one bottle was bad in the bunch and 90% of the time, 100% of the time with a Stelvin Closures, (Screwcap) the bad wine wasn’t faulty. It was they bought one bottle of that wine from a different year. When it comes to higher priced wines or almost every Bordeaux Wine even under $20.00 their favorite Brand or Chateau will be available in 3-5 different Vintages and all 5 will vary in price and taste. To me besides the vineyard management and of course the terroir and the winemaker…the single most important factor when buying a wine is the Vintage of any Brand. Never had an over $15.00 bottle of wine that ever tasted the same even to a novice year after year. I now have guests who ask me “Is that Cabernet the 2013 or 2014” …and then I hug them and feel like my Mission as a Sommelier was accomplished!
Grape-fully yours, Larry
Larry The Wine Guy 