Magnums are Instagram-worthy for rappers and Formula 1 drivers, but what else are the benefits?
Text: Marjolein Schuman | Image: Supplied
The disadvantages are obvious: impossible to lift, awkward to pour and to store in the cellar. And the wine in a magnum also matures less quickly, because the little oxygen the cork lets through must affect more wine. That last disadvantage in particular becomes an advantage if you have the space and patience for it.
Slow and even ageing is ideal for storage wines such as good Bordeaux, Burgundy, Amarone or vintage champagne. Older large bottles can therefore become worth considerably more. For example, Christie's recently auctioned an Imperial Château Lafite Rothschild 2003 (6 litres) for €5,228. A Jéroboam Chateau Haut-Brion 1998 (5 litres) that had been estimated between €2,150 and €2,870 brought €3,883. A lot of four Magnums Dom Pérignon 2008 (1.5 litres) went from one wine collector to another for €2,240.
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