There’s something extra special about celebrating a major milestone or anniversary by opening a perfectly cellared bottle from that particular year. So whether it’s an 18th, 21st, 25th, 30th, 40th or 50th then we have all the bases covered.

These major milestones tend to sneak up on us and suddenly you find yourself madly rushing around trying to find that special gift before the big day arrives. That’s where we come in, let us take all the stress and pressure out of the situation by suggesting some perfectly cellared options for you to gift, or celebrate with in style.

So pop on your thinking cap, work out what special events are on the horizon this year, take a look through the intriguing suggestions below, place your order and then kick back and count down the days for that special day to arrive. Job done!

18th Birthday
2000 Crawford River Riesling Victoria – $79
94 points, James Halliday. Bright healthy green-gold; lime and toast aromas very appealing; fractionally dry on the mid-palate (which could have been cork related); very good length.

2000 Yarra Yarra The Yarra Yarra Cabernet Blend Yarra Valley – $119
96 points, James Halliday. Medium to full red-purple; complex and rich black fruits with excellent, cedary French oak on the bouquet lead into a palate with blackcurrant and bitter chocolate flavours in abundance; excellent depth and texture; noticeably ripe tannins and a great aftertaste. A blend of 83 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 11 per cent Merlot and six per cent Cabernet Franc, formerly called Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

21st Birthday
1997 Salon Blanc de Blancs Champagne Le Mesnil Sur Oger – $789
95 points, Wine Advocate. Salon’s 1997 Brut Blanc de Blancs is drop-dead gorgeous. There is a beautiful tension between the intense minerality of Mesnil and the warmth of the vintage. Textural depth, brilliance and expressive inner perfume are the hallmarks of this gorgeous Blanc de Blancs. Flowers, mint and crisp varietal fruit linger on the impeccable finish. This is a particularly youthful, vibrant disgorgement of the 1997 that can be enjoyed now or cellared. Disgorged First Trimester, 2010 Anticipated maturity: 2012-2027.

1997 Corino Vigneto Giachini Nebbiolo Barolo – $159
94 points, Robert Parker. The dark plum/garnet-colored 1997 Barolo Giachini offers a luxurious bouquet of black fruits, espresso, roasted herbs, and cherry liqueur. Full-bodied and lush, with layers of glycerin, multidimensional flavors, and great persistence on the palate, this is a fabulously concentrated, compelling offering to drink now and over the next 15 years.

30th Birthday
1988 Chateau Cheval Blanc Bordeaux St Emilion Grand Cru 1.5L Magnum – $1490
93 points, James Suckling. Berry, cherry and chocolate on the nose, with hints of spices. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a spicy, cedary, dark chocolate aftertaste. Very silky and caressing. Grabs your attention. Muscular for Cheval.

40th Birthday
1978 Seppelt Vintage Port – $159
During 150 years of wine making, Seppelt Wines has built a reputation of innovation and dedication to quality. The Seppelt approach is to harness the strength and characteristics of each region and create varietally and regionally expressive wines. Seppelt.

50th Birthday
1968 Penfolds Grange Shiraz South Australia – $1890
A very mature, monolithic style of Grange that has an autumnal decaying vegetation, mushroomy nose, with some hints of ashtray, currant, and caramel. The wine is medium-bodied, has some sweetness on the attack, but then narrows in the finish. Overall, it seems somewhat monolithic, with an austere finish. It is a blend of 93% Shiraz and 7% Cabernet with surprisingly low alcohol for a Grange (12.1%). Robert Parker.