LeDomduVin: The Magnum Size Benefits

 

The Magnum Size Benefits

by @ledomduvin 2023

Magnum bottles hold 1.5 litres of wine, twice the amount of a regular-sized bottle. And larger is better, right? 😉😄👍🍷

The magnum size offers several benefits, including a slower ageing process due to a smaller surface area of wine exposed to air, often resulting in a fresher, usually more refined, and complex taste than its regular bottle counterpart.

Additionally, magnums are often used for special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other celebrations), making them an excellent choice for entertaining and gift-giving.

Aside from top wines (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, etc.), which are usually more expensive in larger formats, magnums, in some cases, may also offer better value for money than buying the same wine in multiple regular-sized bottles.

When buying high-end wines, especially Bordeaux "En Primeur", magnums represent a good investment (*). As they age slower, waiting longer to resell them is not an issue, and their value usually increases more over time than regular bottles or even larger formats, making them more sought-after by collectors and connoisseurs. (**)

Magnums also have the ideal size, neither too big nor too small. They are easier to serve and handle than much bigger formats requiring either another person to help, several decanters, or even decanting machines like VCANTER for 6 litres and above.

Magnums are easier to resell compared to larger formats which are mostly of interest to a niche group of wine collectors. That is the reason why most Chateaux and Domaines mostly bottle their wines in regular bottles (750ml) and magnums (1.5L) and only do larger formats for their own collection or special requests.  

Finally, the magnum's ideal format and visual appeal make for an eye-catching display in a wine collection or dinner table.

Back last April, while having lunch at the launch of Bollinger RD 2008 (hosted by @jebsenwinesandspirits), we had an interesting experience tasting it from regular bottles, magnums, and double magnums (or Jeroboam in Champagne), and the verdict was unanimous: it tasted the best in magnum!

Conclusion: Size does not always matter! The magnum size is perfect! And much larger is not always necessarily better. 😉😄👍🍷

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

(*) When buying Bordeaux "En Primeur", the Chateaux and/or Negociants usually ask the buyers their bottling preferences. Most Bordeaux Chateaux bottle their wines in regular-sized bottles (750ml) and magnum-sized bottles (1.5L), while they might also keep a small quantity of larger formats (3L, 4.5L and 6L) in their vintage library reserved for special occasions and special requests. Anything above 6L can only be made at the discretion of the Chateaux and is surely contractual to prevent buyers from changing their minds and retracting at the last minute.   

If you're buying Bordeaux "En Primeur" and want to purchase magnums or larger sizes, make sure you only select wines that increase in value over time, as an investment, in case of resell later on. 

For example, I recently bought quite a few 2022 Bordeaux "En Primeur" for the company I work for, and when asked about my bottling preferences, for this particular order (the table below), I selected the following ones (highlighted in brown) as I know by experience that their value always increases over time, more especially in magnum size. 

    

Chateau Palmer is a very good example of a wine that never devaluates. Its value always increases, to the point of sometimes reaching up to 1.5x to even 2x its original value.  

For example, as per the price analysis above (courtesy of www.wine-searcher.com), Chateau Palmer 2015 (great vintage by the way, highly recommended) had an average market price of 243 Euros in July 2016 and reached the average market price of 364 Euros in August 2023. That's a 49.79% jump in 7 years.   

(**) The magnum value usually increases more over time than regular bottles or even larger formats, making them more sought-after by collectors and connoisseurs. In some cases, the price of a magnum may be slightly lower than the price of two regular bottles. In other cases, usually for top high-end wines, at retailers and auctions, magnums often reach more than 2.5x (or even more than 3x sometimes) the value of a regular bottle. In contrast, a Double-Magnum or an Imperial rarely reach more than 5.5x and 7.5x, respectively. This means that the price for two magnums often exceeds that of a double magnum.

To prove this last point, let's take Chateau Palmer 2015 again. And as I'm in Hong Kong, I will only select the price for Hong Kong.   

As per the price analysis above (courtesy of www.wine-searcher.com), Chateau Palmer 2015 in magnum-size retails for about 712 Euros (in Hong Kong), which is about 9.2% more than the average market price of 2 regular bottles (326 x 2 = 652 Euros). 

While for the double magnum, as per the price analysis above (courtesy of www.wine-searcher.com), it is available in Hong Kong for about 1,270 Euros, which is about 

• 2.61% less than the average market price for 4 regular bottles (326 x 4 = 1304 Euros) and about 
• 10.81% less than the price for 2 magnums (712 x 2 = 1,424 Euros).  

This proves my point that magnum-size bottles are more sought-after for investment by collectors and connoisseurs, especially at auctions, as they are usually worth more than larger formats for an equivalent volume (the price for two magnums often exceeds that of a double magnum).      

Voila! I could continue with dozens more examples, but I will stop here. That's all, folks! Stay tuned for more sharing of wine passion and knowledge.  

Thank you for reading my post.  Stay safe, and take really good care of yourself and your loved ones.  

Dom   

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #lescreationsadom #lesdessinsadom #lesillustrationsadom #wine #vin #vino #wein #magnum #magnumsize #magnumsizebenefits #sizedoesnotalwaysmatter #largerisnotalwaysbetter #wineknowledge #wineeducation

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Louis Roederer Brut Vintage 2013

Louis Roederer Brut Vintage 2013

Beautiful, light, and crisp, with enticing zesty, white fruits, floral, and mineral notes. Great balance. Refreshing acidity. Long seamless finish. Sophisticated yet friendly, approachable, and extremely easy to drink. Like a ballerina gracefully dancing on your tong. What a delightful champagne!

Compared to the 2012 vintage, which was richer, denser, and more layered, 2013 is surprisingly refreshing, bright, light, and so satisfying. Loooove it. 

And they say, "Bigger is better", well, it is definitely true when it comes to Champagne. In my experience, magnum size usually tastes better and fresher than a regular bottle, which is definitely the case for this one. Get it in magnum if you can, as one bottle won't be enough. 

Cheers! Santé!

Dom

@ledomduvin #ledomduvin #lesphotosadom #champagne #vin #wine #vino #wein @louisroederer_ #louisroederer  #vintagechampagne #magnum #largeformat #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob

Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2023, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: Magnums... Juyondai Sake & 2018 Benjamin Leroux Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru

Magnums

It might not work for everyone or everything, but, for wine, large formats are usually better.

As the wine usually tends to take longer to evolve the bigger the bottle is, the wine usually remains fresher and often tastier, in my opinion.

Although it might not matter much for young vintages, it is particularly true for older vintages.

Last night, I was doing the service at our Japanese restaurant for a group of 10 people, and I selected some magnums of Sake and Burgundy, as I think that Sake is mandatory, and Pinot Noir perfectly complements the delicate and refined yet flavorful flavors and tastes of the Japanese cuisine.

Juyondai Cho Tokusen Banshu Yamadanishiki Junmai Daiginjo 1800ml

Sake is a must in a Japanese restaurant, and without it, something would be terribly missing, and the whole experience would not be the same. So, I selected this Juyondai Cho Tokusen that I have been buying a lot lately, but this time in a 1800ml bottle. Not only it is great with various dishes, but it makes for the perfect apéritif to wake up your taste buds and open your appetite. Rather light to medium bodied, well-balanced, fruity, and lightly sweet, with aromas of melon, lychee, peach, and mineral nuances. Harmonious and soooo easy to drink. Love it.

Benjamin Leroux Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018 1.5L

This came as a great surprise to me, the host, and his guests. I bought it based on "instinct", not knowledge, as I had never tried this 2018 and therefore did not know what to expect. Yet, I like to challenge myself. To one particular guest, a wine connoisseur who always wanted to try Benjamin Leroux but never really had the chance to do so before and absolutely loved the wine. To the host, because this guest was essential to him, he was pleased with me for selecting this particular wine. Was it a combination of my skills, knowledge, and experiences, or just luck? However, I am grateful it worked, as everyone was pleased with the food and the overall evening experience, enhanced by the quality of this beautifully crafted, soft, silky, and delightful wine.

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

#ledomduvin @ledomduvin #lesphotosadom @benjaminlerouxwines #benjaminlerouxwines #benjaminleroux #leroux #burgundy #juyondai #wine #vin #vino #wein #sake #magnum #magnums #largebottle #sommelier #sommelierlife #sommlife #ilovemyjob

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2022 on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).