Wines either bought or sold following an offline

Richard Zambuni

Richard Zambuni

Location
London and Connecticut
I know that the word offline is not one we see used very often at the moment, but I thought it would be both fun and educational to hear about some of the wines that you either bought or sold directly as a result of attending an offline. I'll kick off with two examples.

My first post-offline buys were a case of Domaine de Chevalier 1985 and 2000 following a Domaine de Chevalier vertical dinner at The Ledbury back in 2010 (organised by Ian Springett). I'd always liked DdC before that moment, but the dinner was the road to Damascus moment where I realized that DdC was a truly superb wine, and more importantly one of those wines you find you have a special bond with. I think that was the most expensive aftermath of any offline I've attended.

On the sell side, despite being a hoarder of Cornas, I sold a fair chunk of Vincent Paris wines after the offline I organised in February last year. I've kept some back, but have re-deployed the funds into other growers in Cornas that I know I'm going to get on better with.

Looking forward to hearing about your experiences.
 
There have been a few purchases - some might almost be thought of as during the offline; I recall buying some halves of Haut Bailly after Gareth had found a source during an offline at Piccolino, although sorting out the consortium wasn't finalised until after.
On the other side I sold half my case of GPL 2003 after a disappointing showing at an offline (also at Piccolino, as it happens).
 
In the early lunches and offlines I bought while at the table in perhaps half or more. As my stocks have swelled and wines have been tasted this has subsided but still happens.
From top of my head there was 2001 Riesling, 2009 Climens, 2013 Soula Blanc, older Poffader, Ridge Zins (and sold some Monte Bello as take too long to come around :) ) , lots of SA Whites , and sold the reds (same reason as MB), Comtes 04, Vernay Vernon Condrieu , Flowstone Queen of the Earth, 2012 Blank Bottle Manon Sources ( and several other Blank Bottles), VCC, looking to sell or have sold nearly any Bordeaux with Leoville in the name. Bollinger, Krug, Beaucastel VV, Au Bon Climat,
PYCM.

Probably a fair few more.
 
I'm with you on the DDC - a 96 on a bdx WIMPS still lingers in memory.
I had a sip of Mullineux Olerasay no.1 one time at a WIMPS which immediately meant I had to track down a bottle, which was offered duly on this very forum. Fab wine.
 
Given the many gaps in my knowledge, off-lines are to blame for significant cash outflows. A Points lunch at the Ledbury reintroduced me to the world of German riesling a few years ago. Some modestly priced wines such as Norman Hardie chardonnay and Clos Floridene Blanc reassured me that pleasure didn't have to break the bank. A Piedmont offline led me to Marcarini Brunate 2011 recently, and a couple of wannabe Wimps steered me to the Naude and several other wines from SA. What I find most interesting are my menu scribbles from many Wimps lunches - they start off vaguely sensible and end up splodged and illegible, which has saved me a fortune.
 
I think I also bought DDC after Ian's Ledbury offline.

My love of Fourrier was cemented at Rupert's Fourrier offline also at The Ledbury (sigh, those really were the days) and I went on the hunt for allocations.

I bought 5/6 consecutive vintages of Monprivato after sharing the '89 and '90 pairing with Rainer at Xmas Wimps...at The Ledbury (double sigh!)

Loads more I am sure. Not much in the way of sales!
 
Simon Reilly said:
After a wimps bdx lunch I sold quite a lot of bdx.

In between lockdowns a few of us clubbed together to buy a case of the 97 jadot beaune Clos d’ursules after we enjoyed it at the 07 burgundy dinner at Noize. It was a reserve after Ian’s magnum was shot so fate led us to it.
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From the same offline, Nick’s 2007 Burgundy round two, the quality of the wines was impressive. The two stars of the show for me were Simon’s 2007 Hubert Lignier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Baulet and Daniel’s 2007 Domaine Jean-Marc /Thomas Bouley Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes. I could not find the 2007 vintage for either so bought a case of the 2011 Bouley Volnay and a case of the 2012 Hubert Lignier Morey Baulet at reasonable prices.
 
Ian Hampsted said:
From the same offline, Nick’s 2007 Burgundy round two, the quality of the wines was impressive. The two stars of the show for me were Simon’s 2007 Hubert Lignier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos Baulet and Daniel’s 2007 Domaine Jean-Marc /Thomas Bouley Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes. I could not find the 2007 vintage for either so bought a case of the 2011 Bouley Volnay and a case of the 2012 Hubert Lignier Morey Baulet at reasonable prices.
Click to expand...
And I offloaded my bottles of posh white burg (Sauzet) after that offline as I realised that everyone round the table loved the wine a lot more than I did
 
I bought early release DP oenotheque 1995 after one of the Champagne offlines at Dan's house. The other way round, in recent times, I think I steered a few forum members to try Cedric Bouchard after the 2008 dinner at Chez Bruce - with wines tasted blind!
 
I wish I'd rushed out and bought some Arnaud Ente wines after drinking the Meursault Seve du Clos that Jasper brought to the G-C Cazetiers/Clos St. Jacques offline at Chez Bruce. I thought then that it was one of the best white burgundies I'd ever drunk.
 
Not too many examples of me buying the exact wine I've just tried, but plenty of strong influences:

- Cedric Bouchard and Hubert Lignier after events last year, as mentioned above
- Lukas van Loggerenberg Rose after @Mark Priestley's rose event at Passione Vino
- Argyros Assyrtiko Cuvée Monsignori after @Graeme Harvie brought it to a lunch at 67PM
- Nada Seifile after @Oliver Coleman-Green's off-piste Piedmont dinner
- another 12 Bollinger 2008 after Fizz and Chips a year ago
- all three Guido Rivella cuvees in both 2015 and 2016 vintages after the 2015 Montestefano was my red WOTN at the Vinous dinner a year ago
- some 1989 Huet after @Simon Wheeler brought a wonderful bottle to Medlar

Not quite an offline, but I sold my Greal 2018 after tasting it at a sit-down tasting with Sorrel at Uncorked - clearly a good wine, but not worth the market price to my taste.
 
A Clos des Cortons (90?) at a dinner in the early 2000’s brought by Paul Redfern set me properly on the road to Burgundy Affliction. I’d had a number, bought a reasonable amount (a few dozen maybe) and been gently educating myself prior to that night, but that was a bottle that sent me scurrying to get really serious about the genre. Bizarrely I’ve never bought even a single bottle of that particular wine, nor tasted any since to the best of my knowledge. That’s Burgundy for you....
 
IIRC @George Marshall brought Haisma Cornas Les Combes to a Rhone WIMPS so I promptly bought a case of 12, sold half and am enjoying the remainder.

Also plenty of smart wines I have tried and realised I cannot quite afford (referencing a Bordeaux WIMPS where I was on the lucky table and had d'Yquem and Y and Lafleur...)
 
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