Le Cuvier Library Wines

What are Library Wines? – Each time we bottle wine, we hold back a few cases in our “wine library” to use for Elliptical Wine Dinners, to taste over the years, or simply to enjoy because we like the wine. We have a fairly extensive collection of Library Wines, some going back to the early 1980’s, some of which we will be offering for sale each Spring & Fall.

How we select Library Wines for sale - All of our Library Wines have been stored in the winery under excellent cellar conditions, and we only make wines available which we have tasted in the recent past. Generally, the Library Wines offered would have been poured at a recent Library Wine Dinner where we have noted the response of Elliptical Society members as well as our own response to these wines. This means that we only offer wines which we have determined to be aging well.

What to expect from an older vintage – If a wine is of high quality to start with, and if cellared well, an older wine can represent a unique tasting experience. Through time, the youthful aromas of the grape give way to evolving bottle bouquet, and a wine can develop unexpected personality and complexity, a rare treat. See the description below for the 1993 Chardonnay, for an example of the kind of complexity that may develop in aromas, flavors and mouth feel.

How long can I continue to hold these wines? – There is no magic formula for determining how long a wine will last, nor is there a mystical point at which a wine will be “at its best.” We have determined that each of the wines offered below is drinking well now, but it is difficult to conclude how long the wines will continue to evolve favorably. It depends on the wine and how it’s stored. As a rule of thumb, Le Cuvier white wines seem to be holding nicely for 15 years from vintage, and the reds will obviously last at least that long, if not longer.

The care and feeding of Library Wines – a sheet with recommendations on how to store and prepare Library Wines before consumption will be included with your order. In essence, older wines should be cellared for at least a couple of months before opening, and we will only ship Library Wines at times of the year when they will not be subjected to extremes of temperature.

Can I taste these wines before buying them? - Library Wines are by their nature in very limited supply, and other than enjoying these wines at our Library Wine Dinners, they are not available for tasting.

Who can buy them? - As is the case with all Le Cuvier wines, Library Wines are only available to our highly esteemed members of the Elliptical Society. They can be purchased directly at the winery during the season in which they are offered, or by placing your order below.

If you snooze you loose – in many cases less than a half dozen bottles of a Library Wine will be offered. In other cases, and based on supply, we may offer as many as thirty or so bottles. Ultimate availability is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

PLEASE NOTE: Even though we have recently enjoyed all of the Library selections offered below, and have found each of the wines lovely and unique within it’s own evolution, there is always a risk when buying an older wine. To that end, and due to the very limited quantities of these wines, we cannot offer replacements or refunds.

CLICK [HERE] for descriptions & to order Library Wines being made available for the current Le Cuvier Sales Cycle.