If a friend asked you to fill his or her new wine cellar, which will begin with only 36 bottles, no price restrictions, what would you recommend?

Honestly, I’d go back to the 80-20 sales rules: 20 percent would be high end collectibles, and 80 percent would be more moderately priced wines. I wouldn’t fill a cellar with everyday wines… That’s what my refrigerator and quick wine rack is for.

Here are are my top collectibles (eight of them will represent the 20 percent rule of scarcity and high price):

1. I once read that a 1945 Chateau Margaux was “the” perfect wine, so I’d start there. I looked up what it would cost, and the price today is about $3,745.  I think I’m off to a good start, and still have 35 bottles to go.
2. Next I’d move into Burgundy… It would be a 2005 Leroy (Domaine) – Chambertin France – Burgundy – Cote de Nuits – Gevrey Chambertin Pinot Noir,  Grand Cru ~ $1,595.00
3. 1990 Petrus France – Bordeaux – Pomerol ~ $3,600.00 (Good Merlot… Everybody’s got to have at least one.)
4. 2005 Ermitage l’Ermite Rouge. This one’s considered a 100 year wine, and is from the very dome of the granite hill of Ermitage. Sounds yummy! This one’s more affordable, as it’s much younger than the other two at $304.72.
5. How about a little Champagne? 2000 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé $505.00. (They’ll save this one for the birth of a baby)
6. Off to Italy… 2003 Sandrone, Luciano – Barolo Cannubi Boschis, Piedmont – Barolo Nebbiol. A mere $559.00
7. Help me with these next two… Napa Valleyish, so it’s not so Euro centric?)
8. How about something from the new world that will blow your socks off besides the USA?

Now, off to the moderately priced wines; although some of them still hit the pocketbook a bit hard. I’m reluctant to fill the next 28 bottles with lots of whites, because they’re so easy to pick up for a quick, refreshing wine, but none-the-less, we still have to have something in that wine cellar that’s white and worthy, so here we go. Some of them will have two bottles, because they’re somewhat more affordable, although I’ve got a few higher end and they’ll be just one bottle, I’m indicating accordingly:

1. Two (2) ~ 2007 Cakebread – Sauvignon Blanc, Valley ~ $25.00/each
2. Two (2) ~ 2006 Meuliere – Chablis Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Fleur de Chen, France – Burgundy – Chablis~ $25.00/each
3. Two (2) ~ 2007 Wegeler – Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Germany – Mosel Saar Ruwer~ $22.00/each
4. One (1) ~ 2005 Cuilleron, Yves – Condrieu Les Chaillets Vieilles Vignes, France – Northern Rhone – Condrieu ~ $45.00
5. Two (2) ~ 2006 Fortia – Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee du Baron, France – Southern Rhone ~ $21.00/each
6. Two (2) ~ 2005 Herdade do Esporao – Red Reserva, Portugal ~ $25.00/each
7. Two (2) ~ 2004 David Bruce Pinot Noir – Santa Cruz Mountains Estate ~ $75.00/each
8. Two (2) ~ 2005 Groth – Cabernet Sauvignon – Napa Valley – Oakville USA ~ $52.00/each
9. One  (1) ~ 1998 Beaucastel – Chateauneuf du Pape, France – Southern Rhone ~ $109.00
10. One (1) ~ 2006 Craig, Robert – Zinfandel Howell Mountain USA – California – Napa – USA ~ $50
11. One (1) ~ 2006 Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Petite Syrah, USA ~ $36.00
12. 10 to go… I’ll give you credit on this list as it grows. If you don’t jump in, I’ll finish by Thursday morning.

I’ve already spent $11,038.72, BTW. Let’s see what you can bring to the plate. I’m already wishing this were my own cellar!

Please help finalize this list.

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Okay, no takers on this one, so I finalized myself, because I can’t leave the friend hanging. This list evolved into only one bottle of each wine… A walk in this cellar would be a total trip:

1. 1988 Krug Champagne from Reims
2. 1985 Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne” rosé from Reims
3. 1995 Duval-Leroy ‘Cuvée Femme’
4. 2000 Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé
5. 2007 Cakebread – Sauvignon Blanc, Napa
6. 1999 Francois Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
7. 2006 Meuliere – Chablis Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Fleur de Chen
8. 1966 Domaine Leroy Meursault “Poruzots” from Burgundy
9. 1993 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Spätlese
10. 1996 Trimbach Clos Sainte Hune Riesling from Alsace
11. 2006 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Alsace
12. 2005 Leroy (Domaine) Grand Cru
13. 2005 Ermitage l’Ermite Rouge.
14. 2003 Sandrone, Luciano
15. 2005 Cuilleron, Yves – Condrieu Les Chaillets Vieilles Vignes, France
16. 1995 Mommessin “Clos de Tart” Monopole Grand Cru, Morey Saint-Denis
17. 2004 David Bruce Pinot Noir Estate
18. 1999 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
19. 1990 Domaine de la Romanée Conti “La Tâche” Grand Cru
20. 1994 Muga “Prado Enea” Gran Reserva from Rioja
21. 2000 Thierry Allemand Cornas “Chaillot”
22. 1998 Beaucastel – Chateauneuf du Pape
23. 2006 Fortia – Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee du Baron
24. 2005 Herdade do Esporao – Red Reserva, Portugal
25. 1989 Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva “Gran Bussia” from Piedmont
26. 1990 Giacomo Conterno “Monfortino” Riserva Barolo
27. 2004 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino
28. 2006 Katogi Averoff Traminer
29. 2006 Robert Craig – Zinfandel, Howell Mountain
30. 2003 EE Black Pepper Shiraz, Barossa Valley
31. 2006 Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah, Napa Valley
32. 2005 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
33. 1990 Petrus
34. 1945 Chateau Margaux
35. 2005 Chateau La Tour Blanche Sauternes
36. 2003 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port