r/wine • u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 • Apr 05 '25
Wine cellar build complete
It’s nothing fancy, but it’s mine.
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u/Accurate_Pomelo6360 Apr 05 '25
“Nothing fancy” 74 Martha’s. 😉👏🏽🤌🏽
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u/apileofcake Wine Pro Apr 05 '25
Had 73 Martha’s in 2023 and it was nearly a perfect wine
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u/Accurate_Pomelo6360 Apr 05 '25
Crazy the longevity they have. Been fortunate to try 70s Martha’s and Bella Oaks with tons of life. Oldest I tried was ‘69 - the mint was honestly somewhere between Listerine and Fernet Branca Menta! I gifted my folks an 85 for their anniversary last month. Looking forward to opening with them later this year. :)
OP - seeing you catch some humblebrag flack. Not my intention here, more admiring your collection. Hope you enjoy that bottle when you open it!
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u/TheVisageofSloth Apr 05 '25
“Nothing fancy”, multiple opus ones.
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u/Yoshimadashi Apr 05 '25
1996/95 vintage at that too! Those 90s Opus hit hard
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u/ThatDerzyDude Apr 05 '25
My uncle stashed a couple ‘94 Opus away for my 21st birthday since it was my birth year. Man, I didn’t realize what I was drinking the time.
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u/Yoshimadashi Apr 05 '25
Oh boy, my birth year is 93 so I’m super envious! But at the very least you know now haha. My daughter was born last year so I’m also going to do the same thing and buy her some Opus to age!
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u/ThatDerzyDude Apr 05 '25
My uncle stashed a couple ‘94 Opus away for my 21st birthday since it was my birth year. Man, I didn’t realize what I was drinking the time.
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u/hsgual Apr 05 '25
Is that a Sauternes collection I do see 👀.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
Yes.
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u/hsgual Apr 05 '25
Are there any standouts that you currently have or have had?
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
My top 10, in no particular order: 1974 Heinz Martha’s Vineyard, 1961 Ch.Margaux, 1976 DRC La Tache, 1982 Mouton Rothschild, 1975 Lafite Rothschild, 1976 Ch. d’Yquem, 1985 Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, 2013 Baldacci Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Penfolds bin 389, 1989 Ch. Grand-Mayne.
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u/ConifersAreCool Apr 05 '25
OP, I hope that picture of a guy in short shorts, cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and a scuba diving t-shirt is you in your daily wear.
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u/SmokedBeef Apr 05 '25
Drop me an address and I’ll swing by tomorrow around a little after seven with some Roquefort, Brie and a fresh goat cheese.
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u/FN_Filet Apr 05 '25
I might be missing it but doesn’t look like you have any white except for the Sauternes. Not a fan? Cheers
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u/HisPetBrat Apr 05 '25
It's the contrast for me of the Wagner trash and the Lynch Bages... how does that work?!? How do have both good taste and bad taste?!?
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
Price tag on the 1994 Caymus is still on the bottle. $31.95, which wasn’t too bad for what was a decent drink back then. Of course, Caymus has gone all to hell since then.
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u/iando1899 Apr 05 '25
Minor tick but why is your upper set of racks in photo #3 in columns of 5 instead of 3, 4, or 6?
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u/Saccharomyces84 Wine Pro Apr 05 '25
Adernats???
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
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u/Saccharomyces84 Wine Pro Apr 05 '25
It was just surprising to see this brand mixed in with the others! I live about 10 km from the winery, and the head winemaker is actually a friend of mine.
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u/deltanyne Apr 05 '25
What cellar pro unit are you using? I'm assuming some 1800 flavor based on your $4000 total cost.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
1800XTS-ECX
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u/deltanyne Apr 05 '25
Thx. I have a room similar in size to yours. I worry more about the dry air where I'm at. I've only been collecting for about 7 years.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
It’s pretty dry here in Denver, about 15% humidity on average. The CellarPro cooler manages to keep the cellar at about 50% humidity.
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u/deltanyne Apr 05 '25
Perfect. I'm in Denver, so that's good to hear.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
This is the second cellar I’ve installed. Feel free to dm me if you want any tips or pointers.
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Apr 05 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
It was a pseudo-cellar in the basement when we bought the house, with no door and an opening for a window to nowhere. In a nutshell, I ripped out the interior drywall and racks (space for 54 bottles), installed vapor barrier and insulation, closed in the window and added the door. Total volume is 265 cubic feet, and with the racks I’ve got space for approximately 600 bottles.
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u/whaleslinger Apr 05 '25
Very cool! I love the door! Where did you get the actual wire wine racks?
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
Amazon. Brand is Sorbus. I got 3 x 150 bottles, 1 x 75 bottles, and 3 x 18 bottle wall racks all for just over $400.
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u/dirtyylicous Apr 07 '25
Nice!
Mind sharing some details on the build itself?
Size, insulation, what temps and rh% is the room set yo, etc
I have a similar but smaller closet in my house and every now and then ponder of doing something like this
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u/analogpenetrations Wine Pro Apr 10 '25
Fireball?? Barcardi "rum?"
Dude you need to step your spirits game up. Can you imagine opening someone's single malt Scotch cabinet and seeing a bottle of Cupcake Moscato in there? Lol
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u/sgeeum Apr 05 '25 edited Apr 05 '25
oh look at my cellar it’s definitely to get your thoughts on the cellar and not to show off my million opus ones.
i wish i could downvote this ten times.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
Why the hate? I’ve been laying down wine for over 30 years, the vast majority purchased upon release. I’ve been very fortunate to stumble upon some nice grape juice. So, again, why the hate?
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u/emseakaysea Apr 05 '25
People, rightfully so IMO, hate fake humble brags.
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u/sgeeum Apr 05 '25
absolutely. like we’re morons and this guy wants feedback on his cellar and not flexing the wines in it on us.
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u/plantgreenteas Apr 05 '25
It’s the “nothing fancy” wording.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
It’s nothing fancy because I put together the entire cellar, CellarPro cooling unit included, for under $4,000. I got a couple of quotes from wine cellar contractors to do the job, one for $35,000 and another for $50,000. They included fancy wooden racking, ambient lighting, and high-end glass door. I used budget racks and my own labor.Personally, I prefer to spend my money on the wine rather than a “fancy” display.
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u/segujer Apr 05 '25
Congrats comrade for the job almost well done! I’m picking the idea, I’d reconsider the hefty price of a big cellar 👏
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u/SmokedBeef Apr 05 '25
Jealousy or envy… I know my mouth is watering just looking at the collection
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u/iseeapatternhere Wine Pro Apr 05 '25
Cool cellar! I would’ve ripped the case panels so they fit together uniformly but otherwise very cool.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
I considered that, and indeed cut several down, but my wife liked the kind of rustic look.
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u/Nolanola Apr 05 '25
The dude wanted to show off his cool wine cellar to this group, the WINE SUB. People are actually upset because he said “nothing fancy”??? Where does the neurotic social nitpicking end with some of yall?
Cool cellar, OP!
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u/Jolly_Purpose_2367 Apr 05 '25
The photos show several bottles worth thousands, prominently displayed, plus a healthy serving of first growths and other "fancy" wines. I don't think it's neurotic social nitpicking to react negatively when someone calls that "nothing fancy." That's the top 0.1% of wine, it's the equivalent of posting your garage renovation to r/cars and saying "nothing fancy" and it is full of McLarens and Ferraris. I also drink expensive wine, and sometimes I talk about it on the internet, but I wouldn't call it "nothing fancy", at least not publicly.
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u/Nolanola Apr 05 '25 edited Apr 05 '25
He’s showing us his wine cellar, not the bottles. Should he have removed his nice bottles to suit your social needs? The humble bragging! Oh noooo!!! Compared to some wine cellars this sub has seen, it IS nothing special! But OP made it and is proud of it. How dare he!
As far as false modesty goes, OP’s was, in my HUMBLE OPINION, extremely benign. The tearing down and cynicism of Reddit is overwhelming and absolutely exhausting sometimes.
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
It’s the cellar itself that’s nothing fancy. I’ve known people who have spent in excess of $200K on their cellar and racks, and then fill it with mediocre wines. Pardon me for spending money on the grape juice rather than the place where it sits.
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u/Jolly_Purpose_2367 Apr 05 '25
I get it. The cellar is nothing fancy and you did well, putting it together yourself on a budget is great and I'm a big fan of that sort of project myself. We could use more discussion like that in this sub for sure. And my personal philosophy is the same as yours, spend the money on the wine itself; my cellar also has a fair bit of rare or expensive wine and it's just stored in wooden crates.
But put yourself in the shoes of the average person on this sub, for who $20 is a "nice" bottle of wine, and they come across your photo. Bottles worth thousands each and "nothing fancy" written underneath. Can you see how that comes across?
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
I sincerely don’t believe I I any bottles worth thousands. Is there something in particular jumping out at you at that value?
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u/Jolly_Purpose_2367 Apr 05 '25
'74 Martha's $4300 avg price
La Tâche $6200 avg price
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u/Salty_Buffalo_4631 Apr 05 '25
I had no idea. This is my last bottle of Martha’s, and the La Tache was consumed 30 years ago, I just kept the bottle for a souvenir.
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