FINE WI N E
Cellar S TA R T E R S
How to start your own fine wine collection
B
uilding a collection of fine wines to enjoy for years to come is one of life’s pleasures. Fine wine manager Shaun Kiernan has been reaping the rewards of his own patience for many years; here he tells us why he lays down wine and shares his top tips for anyone looking to take the plunge for the first time. It took until my 30th birthday for me to really get it: we were in a little hotel on the west coast of Scotland and had a 1979 Meursault Perrières (this was in 1991). It was the first wine where I found myself thinking, ‘Oh my god! This is amazing!’ Nearly 30 years later, I can still remember the flavours and the impression the wine made on me.
I’d urge anyone to have a go at storing a few things and seeing how they change. If you take your time over something, I find, the results are worth it: the growers have taken their time to make the best wine they can, and by maturing it yourself you’re taking the time to get something really special from it. I love sharing my mature bottles with friends. It’s great to be able to bring out something with a bit of age, and I get quite excited when I go into my Members’ Reserves online and think ‘that’ll be ready soon’ or ‘I might pull those ones out now’. What’s more, it almost feels like free wine given how long it’s been since I paid for it. Recently I saw a wine I have in Reserves that I think I paid £30 for on a restaurant wine list for £130. It’s hard not to feel slightly smug at that! A great wine is a story in a bottle and when you buy from a classic region, you’re buying the result of centuries of winemaking. By ageing it yourself you’re adding a few more years to that story. I’ve chosen wines I’d start a cellar with from scratch today, at prices that I hope aren’t out of reach. As well as these regions, we’re offering a wealth of different things en primeur now – far more than ever before – so there’s lots of variety.
White wines Germany: Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese, Joh Jos. Prüm 2015 German rieslings at this level are just amazing and, I think, very underappreciated. They’re great wines for having over lunch: they’re so versatile, so light and so low in alcohol. There aren’t many places in the world that make white wines that pay such fantastic dividends after a few years of ageing. 2015 was a great year and a superb choice for starting a cellar. Drink now to 2029. 8.5% 22 | SPRING 2021
Ref WT-GE11311 5 £24 bottle | £288 dozen
Burgundy: Château de Beauregard, Grand Beauregard Pouilly-Fuissé 2016 This is possibly the best white Burgundy I’ve ever tasted and from a consistently good supplier who doesn’t charge the earth. This really is a ‘wow’ wine, and over time it takes on these fabulous layers of vanilla and bread notes over the fruit. The 2016 is shaping up to do just that. Drink now to 2025. 13.5% Ref WT-BU69531 2 £49 bottle | £588 dozen
