Our Brief Guide to Large Formats

We spotted this bottle outside the Magnum Wine Shop in Bordeaux. There’s no official name for this size. For now, we call it “The Marla.”

As for the Biblical names associated with the various sizes, there is no definitive answer. One theory is that the old English word jorum, used to refer to a large drinking bowl, became linked with the biblical character Joram. Eventually the word Jeroboam evolved, denoting any large bowl, bottle or container for liquid. Once a Biblical reference was established, subsequent large bottles were also given Biblical names.

And in many ways, the names seem appropriate. For example Methusaleh (6 Liters – 8 bottles) is named after the Jewish King who lived a thousand years. A testament to the aging potential for wine in such a large bottle, perhaps?

Melchior (18 Liters – 24 bottles) was one of the Three Wise Men who presented gifts at Jesus’ nativity. Balthazar (12 Liters – 16 bottles) was also one of the Wise Men. However, another Balthazar also ruled Babylonia. Does the name refer to that king? Undoubtedly, after consuming a Balthazar, many other associations might manifest. For now, we’ll leave it at that!

What about the cost of large formats versus a standard bottle? You’d think that since you’re buying in bulk that you’d save money, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case with the big bottles of wine. Magnums and Double Magnums are actually a bit more expensive because of the cost of the large bottles themselves.

And what about “little” bottles?

There are splits or 187 milliliter bottles, primarily used for sparkling wines and Champagnes. For a fun lunch, try a California sparkler, like Chandon, a nice match for a Cobb salad, and not too filling. You can still function afterwards and get back to work!

Half-bottles work well for lunch or to try a number of  different wines at one meal, as we did at La Tour d’Argent, Paris.

A little more common are the half-bottles or fillettes as they are called in France. They hold 375 milliliters of wine and are the standard starting size for many wineries. The advantage of a 375 ml bottle is obvious — if you only want a little more wine and don’t care to open a fresh bottle, there’s your answer. Also, if you are having a meal and each food course is quite different in style, you can experience a small taste of many wines. Finally, because of the bottle size, wine matures quicker in a small bottle, letting you enjoy a younger vintage more rapidly than with a regular size bottle.

The disadvantage of half-bottles is that the selection is usually very small. Most retail stores only carry dessert wines in half-bottles. Also, since wines in half-bottles don’t sell as rapidly as others, be wary of the quality of the wine; it may have been sitting on that shelf just a little too long? Another aspect is the price. Half-bottles are usually a good bit more than half the price of a regular bottle. Why? Bottling costs are the same, corks, labels, etc.

Before the days of air removal through pumping, empty half-bottles were quite handy. If we’d opened a regular bottle but only wanted a glass or two, we could fill a (clean) half-bottle to the brim, cork it and know it would be good for another day or two.

Another interesting bottle size is the 500 milliliter. Very seldom seen, it was deemed a smart choice by the French Government when trying to battle drunk driving. It was believed that if a couple drank two such bottles or a total of a liter, the total per person consumption would still be acceptable by drinking laws. It did not fly too well with wine drinkers and is still not very popular.

Here are a few of our large formats to enjoy at your next party…..or for a long conversation! To order write mthibaultwine@gmail.com or call 850-687-1370.

“That will be perfect. We have a lot to talk about.” George Booth for The New Yorker Book of Wine Cartoons.

California
2015 Dominus MAGNUM. 100 pts. $599. 2 bottles available.
2013 Bond Melbury MAGNUM by Harlan. 97 pts. $995. One bottle.
2012 Caymus Napa LITER. $119. 4 bottles. Fall arrival.
2013 Caymus Napa LITER $109. 4 bottles. Fall arrival.
2014 Caymus Napa LITER $89. 12 bottles. Fall arrival.

Italy
2012 Venissa Bianco HALF LITER. $158. 3 bottles.
2011 Venissa Rosso HALF LITER. $129. 4 bottles.

Hungary
2007 Royal Tokaji Essencia HALF BOTTLE. 100 pts.  $589. 3 bottles.

Burgundy
2016 William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru MAGNUM. $189. 3 bottles.
2016 Bouchard Greves Vignes de l’enfant Jesus MAGNUM. $229. 3 bottles.

Bordeaux Sauternes
2014 Château d’Yquem HALF BOTTLE. 97-99 pts. $159. 10 bottles.
2015 Château d’Yquem HALF BOTTLE . 98-100 pts. $169. 12 bottles.

Bordeaux
1988 Château Malartic-Lagravière DOUBLE MAGNUM. $359. 2 bottles.
1996 Château Léoville-Poyferré MAGNUM. 93 pts. $359. 6 bottles.
2000 Château Tertre Roteboeuf DOUBLE MAGNUM. 98 pts. $1,999. 3 bottles.
2005 Château Clos de l’Oratoire MAGNUM. 94 pts. $199. 3 bottles.
2005 Château Tertre Roteboeuf DOUBLE MAGNUM. 98 pts. $2,099. 3 bottles.
2009 Château Bourgneuf DOUBLE MAGNUM. $299. 4 bottles.
2009 Château Pape Clément MAGNUM. 100 pts. $399. 5 bottles.
2010 Château Greysac IMPERIALE. (6 Liters). $299. One bottle.
2015 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou MAGNUM, 98 pts, $365. 6 bottles.
2015 Château Beychevelle MAGNUM. 94 pts. $169. 5 bottles.
2015 Château Cos d’Estournel MAGNUM. 98 pts, $348. 6 bottles

Cheers!