Plan ahead and buy that bubbly now

Now is the time to lay in a supply of your favorite sparkler for the holidays. This is the nadir of the annual market, and the bubbles are on sale where smart shoppers visit.

Regulars know I am a big fan of Veuve Clicquot. The Rosé Collection has a new promotion. Clicq’Call is packaged in a gift box with a voice recorder to enable buyers to record a salutation. Great for bdays, Christmas and of course Barbara's birthday on Feb. 14. It's pale salmon-copper-colored with fine perlage, opening to raspberry and strawberry aromas. Fruit nose aromatics repeat on the palate. It finishes cleanly, with good length. Best of all, I saw some on sale under $600/case of 12. At that price, 91 McD points. 

A recent email asked me, "What do you think of the Morgeot Montrachet?" Unfortunately, this is far too complex to answer. You see, Morgeot is actually Abbaye de Morgeot, the largest Premier Cru and mid-slope vineyard site in the village of Chassagne-Montrachet, which is located on the border of the Côte-d'Or.

The vineyard product is divided into many growers, winemakers, producers and shippers, choose one. Also, there is a red and a white.

Third, we need a vintage. If you are interested in the white (chardonnay), I think Louis Latour and the Drouhin Marquis de Laguiche are consistently better. Big price difference, but the Marquis is worth it. That said, the terroir is suited for red, especially Pinot Noir, according to many experts. Normally these will rate 88-90 and sell $44-$70. I realize this switches the dialogue, but I would rather you look at the Oregon Pinot Noir, because in the Chassagne price range, you would be far better served in most cases. If any wish more info, drop me an E and please include more specificity.  

If you don't know Ornellaia, Sassicaia and Solaia, you have missed some of Italy's best-reviewed Tuscan wine. Recently, they were referred to as the Three Kings of Tuscany. Advertisers are touting the 2014; McD says avoid. A truly poor vintage by comparison. These are indeed excellent wines in most vintages. They follow a predictable pattern. Release around $200/bottle, hype, price spike to $280s, followed by slide back near opening price. They don't appreciate any more than time value of money in your cellar. If you are going here, don't cellar.

That said, here's the real skinny. You can buy 2010, '11 or '12 Le Macchiole Paleo Bolgheri rated 94-97 points for $90/bottle. Get the mixed case, but avoid the Bolgheri '14s. They are too expensive and, by comparison, only rated 91 points. 

For big-buck buckaroos who don't wish to be named here, second-growth Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou is on the market. RP wrote, "the essence of elegance, symmetry, balance, breed, class, and distinction ... it is one of the most interesting Bordeaux super-seconds in terms of quality/price ratio ... I affectionately call Ducru-Beaucaillou the 'Lafite-Rothschild of St. Julien.'" One aspect he failed to mention is that this producer has also held the price line in a time when many of the Bordeaux houses are ripping and gouging.

Anyhow, the 2005, initiated at $117, is $35 off its $287 high in September 2012. This was driven by two successive mid-90s releases, 2014 and '15, in the $1,700/case range. Keep in mind, most name Bordeaux is released two or more years after the vintage. With the 2005, you still need three more years in the cellar. The others need at least seven. Ducru Beaucaillou (means beautiful gem) has shown decent price appreciation in most recent vintages. The 91-point 2007, which came on at $117, is selling at $160. Speculators can buy a case of six each '14 and '15, drink half free and sell the rest when they are ready.

Only use this strategy if your cellar works, your will is up to date, you can wait seven or eight years, and you can afford to drink 12 bottles of great wine as the downside. There will be a lot of hype around the 2016 on presale. Wait for the smoke to clear.