Buying older vintages in single bottles as you go along is an expensive business and because provenance can be doubtful, higher risk too.
Collecting also allows you to follow the story of a particular estate. There’s something pretty special about being able to organise your own mini vertical tasting (several vintages from one estate) from even the less well-known producers. It can tell you much; not just about the unique climatic conditions of each year but also changes in vinification or even the winemakers themselves. Okay, it’s a little geeky but great to do.
There’s also the chance that you may actually make some money when you buy wine. Of course there are no guarantees and you need good advice along the way (what we’re here for!) but there will be times when the sale of the odd case or three from your collection will cover the cost of a few more already purchased.
At Lay & Wheeler we have decades of experience of helping people build their own wine collection.