Laying down wines for Godchildren

To enquire about this service, please contact Mark Wilson on 01353 721 999 or at mark@privatecellar.co.uk.

In 2009 Jonathan Ray interviewed Private Cellar for a piece that he wrote on laying down wine for godchildren in The Telegraph and, in early 2014, he wrote an article for The Field on the same subject. As a result of these articles, we have received hundreds of enquiries over the years which has led to a significant number of cases of fine wine being purchased for lucky godchildren, sons and daughters and grandchildren, nieces and nephews. These cases are now lying in the perfect conditions provided by Private Cellar’s specialist wine storage Bond, LCB Eton Park, and will slowly mature before the accounts are handed over to their fortunate owners on their 18th or 21st birthdays when they can decide for themselves how to manage their “booty”.

In the old days it was quite common for godfathers to buy a “pipe” of Port for their godsons. The thought of that makes us feel quite liverish – 60 cases or 720 bottles of Port – but lifestyles were very different then, as was the outlay for the godparent!

Modern godparents tend to lay down a case of Bordeaux or Vintage Port for the Christening and then top up the collection on subsequent birthdays or at Christmas. The initial outlay requires purchasing wines that are of such quality that they will stand the course of time and last a minimum of 18 years (and hopefully longer). As the years go by, godparents can be more flexible with their purchasing choices, as they won’t need to last quite as long, and branch out, adding cases of Burgundy or wines from Piedmont or the Rhône which have a tighter drinking window, creating an interesting selection of wines for their godchild to drink over a number of years. Our advice is bespoke and tailored to your budget and your intended wishes for your child, godchild, grandchild, niece or nephew.

Those who want to keep the collection geared towards selling it on will stick to highly rated Bordeaux from the top vintages, Super Tuscans or iconic wines from Napa Valley. It is not uncommon for godchildren to come to us when they are in their twenties and ask us to sell a case of their mature wine, using the proceeds to buy a larger number of cases of good wine which they can enjoy with their friends without occasion.

We do lay down a lot of Port for godchildren and the recent releases of the very great 2016 and 2017 vintages (the Port Houses unanimously “declared” vintages, back to back, which hasn’t happened since the 19th Century) resulted in a flurry of orders for children born and being Christened in those years. 1st February 2021 saw the late release of the third vintage in a row of Taylor’s with their majestic 2018 vintage. Although Port does appreciate in value, it’s a drink which is less in demand than top red Bordeaux. However, it has the advantage of taking longer to mature, so whilst its appreciation is much slower in comparison to Bordeaux, it is the perfect gift for a godchild who might eventually drink the wine as there is no concern that it will “go over” before they come of age and can be drunk at leisure over the years.

If a wine collection sounds like the sort of present that you would like to give to your godchildren or a newborn in your family, then do get in touch. If you would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to e-mail mark@privatecellar.co.uk or call 01353 721 999.

Answers to some of the usual FAQs about laying down wine for Godchildren

Can I lay down single bottles for my godchild?

The simple answer is no; if you are planning to build a collection for your very young godchild of wines which will potentially go up in value, we would always recommend that you buy a case (which can be 6 or 12 bottles) of wine in its OWC (original wooden case) and that it remains In Bond so that its provenance can be assured to the next owner, if the wine is to be sold. However, if your godchild is closer to their 18th or 21st birthday as opposed to being very young when you start to buy wine for them, you might like to buy some larger bottles: magnums, double magnums or even imperials (the equivalent of 8 bottles).

Adding credit annually to the account and then liaising with us to decide how best to transform the credit into Fine Wine is a simple alternative; we can then draft you a letter to present or send to your godchild/niece/nephew after each addition to the reserve. This can be used to commemorate any significant milestones along the way (3^rd, 5^th, 10^th or 16^th Birthdays, for example). By adding credits at both birthdays and Christmas, a suitable fund can be reached very quickly.

Do we have to store the wine with you at your Bond?

No, but we strongly recommend that if you intend to build up a collection of wine which your godchild might sell, you leave the wine In Bond, stored under perfect conditions, which acts as a guarantee of provenance and storage during the wine’s lifetime for its next owner and allows it to be sold internationally. When Duty and VAT are paid, this tax cannot be recovered; i.e. the value of the wine In Bond will be the same as the value of the wine Duty Paid when it comes to sell it. Doubtful provenance will reduce the value.

Will my godchild end up with a valuable asset?

Godchildren who are now 18 or 21, whose godparents had the foresight to start their collections from the late 1990s / early 2000s – and who were well advised by their merchant – are potentially sitting pretty with a nice selection of 1996, 2000 and 2005 vintage Bordeaux. In 1997, a 1996 Château Léoville Lascases, for example, would have cost around £700 per case of 12. Today, the lucky recipient could sell it for £2,400. Not a bad nest egg to put towards gap year travels or a new car. However, En Primeur prices in the top vintages have increased a great deal since the 1990s, reducing appreciation rates which for recent vintages has been slow or non-existent. As with all commodities, values can go up as well as down and no guarantees can be given on returns. Unlike commodities, however, there is infinite pleasure to be had from drinking the wines!

What are you currently recommending?

2018 Taylor’s has been declared, the third vintage in a row for the House, in February 2021. We have been able to secure stock of this fabulous Port at the opening price for your godchildren.

2023 Bordeaux was a good vintage which has produced wines with fabulous colours, fresh bright fruit, lifted aromatics and vibrancy, a classic rather than a solar year. We are currently recommending a small selection of excellent wines from 2023, but from spring 2025 we will move our sights towards the En Primeur 2024 campaign. However, there is stock of fabulous wines to be found from 2021 and even 2020, if there is a specific birth year to celebrate.

How much is storage and insurance?

Our current rate is £7.50* + VAT per case of 6x75cl bottles. That covers rent and insurance at replacement market value plus 25% to allow for appreciation during the year.

What does “In Bond” mean?

It effectively means “before tax”; you are paying for a wine which is or will be shipped, to the UK but where UK Duty* and VAT have not been paid on the wine. A wine can remain In Bond in a UK Bonded warehouse and wines can be traded and exported In Bond. If a wine is removed from Bond and delivered, Duty and VAT become payable at current market rates prior to delivery being made. The VAT is calculated on the original purchase price, not the current market value.

How do you decide when a vintage is of “investment” potential?

In the case of Bordeaux, the new vintage is released for tasting and assessment during the spring following the harvest. At that point we merchants and all the global wine critics descend on Bordeaux and make our judgments. Private Cellar’s buying is led by Master of Wine Nicola Arcedeckne-Butler who has been assessing young Bordeaux wine for over thirty vintages. Prices are released between April and July and we recommend purchase, or not, depending on our findings at the tasting and the price at which the châteaux release their wine. The wine critics rate the wines and publish their views. The wine critic Robert Parker started a wine journal in the 1980s called The Wine Advocate. He became a very powerful player in the world of fine wine and his scores could make or break a wine’s “performance” on the secondary market. He has now retired from rating Bordeaux and this has opened the field to more critics which gives a more balanced view of a wine’s quality. We will also look at the ratings given by the critics who are most respected to inform our advice.

What is the minimum spend?

If you are looking at buying Bordeaux for a young godchild, it needs to be of the quality to last for a minimum of twenty years and you are looking at a spend of around £300-500 for a case of 6x75cl (cases of 6x75cl are not available for all wines, unless bought En Primeur). If you have a smaller budget, you could buy a 6 x 75cl case of Single Quinta Port. When the child is older, contributions can be of lower value, for example, £150-£200 for a case of 6x75cl (where available).

My god-daughter is in her early teens, what do you recommend so that she has a selection of delicious wines to drink when she is 21?

You have more flexibility with a requirement for a ten year drinking window and an opportunity to create a selection of wines of different styles and from different countries. Currently, we would recommend 2019 Bordeaux and 2019 Red Burgundy. Sauternes and Barsac have very long drinking windows and do not increase in value at the same rate as their red cousins, so you could buy from a cracking vintage such as 2017 at close to the opening price. The 2019 Rhônes are excellent and we are great fans of the Super Tuscans, Sassicaia and Ornellaia and their superb second wines. Closer to her 21st we would suggest that you add some White Burgundy to her collection and some Champagne.

Can my godchild view their wine?

Yes, by appointment when they are 18 or over. We store the wine in their name in our Private Cellar Reserves LLP account, totally separate from our trading stock and each case has a unique rotation number attached to it. This number is logged on both our and also the Bond’s systems alongside their customer reference providing unambiguous ownership. We would arrange the appointment and give the Bond a list of their wines and rotation numbers and one of the Eton Park team would accompany them to view each of the cases. We store and manage over 15,000 cases of wine on behalf of our clients and it’s quite an impressive sight.

Can I build up a collection financed by monthly payments?

A lot of godparents, parents and grandparents like to set up a monthly standing order and ask us to invest the credit when suitable wines and vintages come along. It’s a very painless way to finance the creation of a collection. We will provide you with our Bank details and keep an eye on your credit and add to the collection as opportunities arise.

* For our current rates, please visit our wine storage page.