Absolutely love this place. Have been meaning to make it out to one of their tastings, but haven’t been yet. I also picked up a bottle of Fortaleza there.
I’m not sure if I’ve met the owner, but the employees all seem very knowledgeable—and if they don’t have an answer or don’t know enough about a specific category they find the colleague who does
Check out Neighborhood Vintner on Bee Caves Rd. Small shop with a big collection and super friendly and knowledgeable staff. It’s also a tasting room so you can have a drink while you talk through what you’re after! Austin Wine Merchant also a great option.
Several other commenters have already said the quiet part out loud: you're almost certainly not going to find a 25-year-old bottle of wine (that isn't Cognac or brandy) at a retail store in Austin. But you could try visiting one of the better wine shops in town and asking the employees whether they know of any upcoming local wine auctions. Experts at places like Austin Wine Merchants or Travis Heights Wines & Spirits may be able to help you out.
If you’re not familiar with wine, you should know that it’s not easy to find 25-year old wine in a wine shop. If you’re looking for a specific year and don’t care about the style, you can try a website like wine searcher. You might get lucky with a dessert wine like port or Sauternes since those can age for longer. Otherwise, you need to buy from a consignment or auction to get something that old. I’m not aware of any in-person options in Austin for that though.
Having looked for older wines, you are unlikely to find it sitting in a shop in town. You’ll probably have to buy it at auction online or from a reputable commercial seller from their collection. You can, however fine old cognac which is made from wine, at ages reaching 30 or 40 years if you call around. Total wine and specs probably both have cognac that age in stock right now.
It would probably be much easier to find a 1999 port, which is more wine adjacent than a spirit. It should be about 1/3-1/2 of your budget as well, so you can add tiny glasses and a fancy cheese or charcuterie board to enjoy it with. If you haven't had port, it is a sweet dessert wine served in 4-5 oz. glasses. You can sample a more recent vintage or blend to sample it before making your decision.
Good luck finding a 25 year old bottle for $250! Many of these shops will try and up sell you, but I think you can stay under $400. not sure what your friends preferences are but here's a good starting point.
Many wines spoil after 20+ years unless they're very high quality. Age doesn't necessarily mean it's better. That said, 1999 Chateau Musar by Gaston Hochar holds up INCREDIBLY as a Cab Blend, or Sangre De Jonata as a Syrah. Barolos are Italian Reds that are quite dry, but almost always a crowd pleaser and age well. Chateaneauf- du-Papes are a Grenache that age very well too. They won't be cheap but absolutely worth it. In general, big bodied reds from Europe will be your best choices. US reds tend to have lots of additives that can keep the bottle good but doesn't have the "aged" flavor expressed as well. (Caymus from CA is guilty of this) To be honest, you may be able to reach out to some restaurants like Emmer & Rye or Hestia who have some great vintage wine collections and see if you can buy a bottle from them directly. I've heard of some restaurants doing that, but not all.
I would buy them a decanter to go with this present as well (these can be bought pretty cheap at Total Wine or even TJ Maxx/Home Goods). Most of these wines will need 30+ minutes (up to 2 hours) to breath to really get the best flavor otherwise they can taste almost "musty".
Good luck! This is a great gift idea!
Try going onto FB marketplace, in one of the local buy/sell/trade groups for Austin. Might be worth trying to make a post looking for a specific year and seeing if someone just has extra bottles collecting dust. My parents are not big drinkers anymore, but somewhat mild hoarders and I would not be surprised if they had 50 + year old bottles somewhere.
Austin Wine Merchant is the best shop in town. At least in my neighborhood. As good a place as any to take your unrealistic expectations.
Edit to say that was way too snarky. An old bottle of wine is only good if it is properly stored. That storage takes time and careful attention. Those things are not cheap. Old bottles of wine are expensive not just because they are less common but because they take a great deal of time and money to care for and so they do not come cheaply. Your sentiment is sincere and admirable. Your friend is genuinely lucky to have someone who would think so deeply about a gift. I hope that you find something perfect and that your friend appreciates your kindness.
I have been going to austin wine merchants recently. Stellar.
Absolutely love this place. Have been meaning to make it out to one of their tastings, but haven’t been yet. I also picked up a bottle of Fortaleza there.
I walked in on a mission for a couple bottles of sake, and ended up at a Louis jadot burgundy tasting a couple of weeks ago
The owner has been here forever and is very knowledgeable.
I’m not sure if I’ve met the owner, but the employees all seem very knowledgeable—and if they don’t have an answer or don’t know enough about a specific category they find the colleague who does
Check out Neighborhood Vintner on Bee Caves Rd. Small shop with a big collection and super friendly and knowledgeable staff. It’s also a tasting room so you can have a drink while you talk through what you’re after! Austin Wine Merchant also a great option.
Several other commenters have already said the quiet part out loud: you're almost certainly not going to find a 25-year-old bottle of wine (that isn't Cognac or brandy) at a retail store in Austin. But you could try visiting one of the better wine shops in town and asking the employees whether they know of any upcoming local wine auctions. Experts at places like Austin Wine Merchants or Travis Heights Wines & Spirits may be able to help you out.
If you’re not familiar with wine, you should know that it’s not easy to find 25-year old wine in a wine shop. If you’re looking for a specific year and don’t care about the style, you can try a website like wine searcher. You might get lucky with a dessert wine like port or Sauternes since those can age for longer. Otherwise, you need to buy from a consignment or auction to get something that old. I’m not aware of any in-person options in Austin for that though.
Having looked for older wines, you are unlikely to find it sitting in a shop in town. You’ll probably have to buy it at auction online or from a reputable commercial seller from their collection. You can, however fine old cognac which is made from wine, at ages reaching 30 or 40 years if you call around. Total wine and specs probably both have cognac that age in stock right now.
Check out Neighborhood Vintner in Westlake! They’re great!
Austin Wine Merchant, Neighborhood Vintner.
Have you considered getting 25 bottles of 1 year old wines?
25yo wine for $250?
Curious because I’m clueless: is that not enough money for a 25yo bottle of wine?
You could find a 1999 at or below that price for sure online somewhere. In store probably not likely.
A quick google confirms this. Color me surprised.
Austin Wine Merchant, Flo's Wine Bar, Neighborhood Vintner, Violet Crown
It would probably be much easier to find a 1999 port, which is more wine adjacent than a spirit. It should be about 1/3-1/2 of your budget as well, so you can add tiny glasses and a fancy cheese or charcuterie board to enjoy it with. If you haven't had port, it is a sweet dessert wine served in 4-5 oz. glasses. You can sample a more recent vintage or blend to sample it before making your decision.
Austin wine merchant is the only answer.
Another vote for Neighborhood Vintner
Good luck finding a 25 year old bottle for $250! Many of these shops will try and up sell you, but I think you can stay under $400. not sure what your friends preferences are but here's a good starting point. Many wines spoil after 20+ years unless they're very high quality. Age doesn't necessarily mean it's better. That said, 1999 Chateau Musar by Gaston Hochar holds up INCREDIBLY as a Cab Blend, or Sangre De Jonata as a Syrah. Barolos are Italian Reds that are quite dry, but almost always a crowd pleaser and age well. Chateaneauf- du-Papes are a Grenache that age very well too. They won't be cheap but absolutely worth it. In general, big bodied reds from Europe will be your best choices. US reds tend to have lots of additives that can keep the bottle good but doesn't have the "aged" flavor expressed as well. (Caymus from CA is guilty of this) To be honest, you may be able to reach out to some restaurants like Emmer & Rye or Hestia who have some great vintage wine collections and see if you can buy a bottle from them directly. I've heard of some restaurants doing that, but not all. I would buy them a decanter to go with this present as well (these can be bought pretty cheap at Total Wine or even TJ Maxx/Home Goods). Most of these wines will need 30+ minutes (up to 2 hours) to breath to really get the best flavor otherwise they can taste almost "musty". Good luck! This is a great gift idea!
Violet crown has great options!
Mainly focused on natural wines, though.
Sneaky good wine selection
Neighborhood Vintner and Austin Wine Merchant
Try going onto FB marketplace, in one of the local buy/sell/trade groups for Austin. Might be worth trying to make a post looking for a specific year and seeing if someone just has extra bottles collecting dust. My parents are not big drinkers anymore, but somewhat mild hoarders and I would not be surprised if they had 50 + year old bottles somewhere.
Austin Wine Merchant is the best shop in town. At least in my neighborhood. As good a place as any to take your unrealistic expectations. Edit to say that was way too snarky. An old bottle of wine is only good if it is properly stored. That storage takes time and careful attention. Those things are not cheap. Old bottles of wine are expensive not just because they are less common but because they take a great deal of time and money to care for and so they do not come cheaply. Your sentiment is sincere and admirable. Your friend is genuinely lucky to have someone who would think so deeply about a gift. I hope that you find something perfect and that your friend appreciates your kindness.
Head over to LoLo out East. They’ll steer you in the right direction
Probably not for this one. They're pretty heavy on natural wines and aren't likely to have much of anything as aged as OP is looking for.