Bordeaux in ruins?

The relevance of Bordeaux’ system of selling its top wines as futures, or en primeur, in the spring after the vintage, has been called into question by the latest shenanigans over the 2008 vintage. Every spring, the top Bordeaux châteaux release their prices while the wines are still in barrel to give consumers a chance to buy early from wine merchants at a relatively affordable price. They price their new releases on how they see the quality of their wine that year, of the vintage as a whole and what the market will wear. If the vintage is good and the prices reasonable, everyone wins: wine lovers get their claret at a bargain price (when the wines are bottled), and the châteaux and trade get their cash up front. This year, there is a twist, a sting even, in the tail.

Roc de Cambes, Bourg, Bordeaux

After a season of indifferent weather, albeit rescued by an Indian summer, no-one was expecting great shakes from 2008. Some of the UK’s leading wine merchants didn’t bother going to Bordeaux taste the new vintage (nor did I), while all called for reasonable prices in the light of the compound problems of recession, a strong euro, an overpriced vintage in 2007 and a stockpile of earlier vintages. With one or two exceptions like Château Léoville Barton, the Bordelais are not known for heeding the call of common sense, so the early announcement by a handful of châteaux that they were actually cutting prices by 30 – 40 per cent was greeted with considerable surprise. The second revelation was that most of the press and trade who did taste pronounced the clarets uneven but much better than expected.

Most UK merchants have seized the opportunity to cosy up to their frogs-turned-princes, putting out offers to the public telling us ‘Bordeaux has listened’. One or two, like Edward Parker, counsel caution: ‘we thought … the Bordelais were being sensible and had listened, but one step down from the top wines we are not seeing the flexibility and realism we had hoped for’. Then came the bombshell. Robert Parker, the powerful American critic, pronounced 2008 ‘a notch below 2005, but better than any other vintage of the last decade except 2000’. No-one was expecting that, not least the stunned Bordelais. All of a sudden prices of wines rated highly by Parker went through the roof, first growth châteaux such as Lafite Rothschild trading at £3,200 after releasing at £1,900 and Latour, released at £1,590, up to £2,500.

Hot for dogs

Parker has overhyped other vintages before and may have got it wrong. ‘No-one else believes this vintage is outstanding’ says Simon Staples, from Berry Bros. ‘Parker went crazy about 2003, on his own, and he missed 2005 when everyone loved it’. The second problem is that blue chip investments like Lafite bear no relation to drinking reality. Real wine lovers will be priced out of the market if the reaction is to yield to the temptation not to drop prices. What to do? For wine lovers in urgent need of a case fine red Bordeaux in the cellars each year, here’s a few names the best critics agree fulfil the essential pre-requisite of good quality and reasonable pricing: La Lagune, Calon-Ségur, Léoville Barton, Langoa Barton, Pichon Lalande, Grand Puy Lacoste and Le Petit Cheval. For the rest of us, time is on our side. For a full list of wine merchants offering Bordeaux 2008, see anthonyrosewine.com.

Cool for cats

Something For the Weekend 23 May 2009

Under a Fiver

2008 The Co-operative Pinot Grigio, Veneto. With a dash of chardonnay rounding out this north-east Italian dry white, the refreshing fruit flavours and crisp acidity of this juicy apple and pear-like example of pinot grigio makes it a cut above the average. £4.99, The Co-operative.

Under a Tenner

2008 Anakena Single Vineyard Viognier, Rapel Valley.

Condrieu this isn’t and yet the gloral scented aromatic depth, new vintage freshness and peachy varietal character bring this delightfully opulent example from Anakena in Chile’s Rapel Valley close in quality to the northern Rhone’s viognier grape. £8.99, or buy 3 = £5.99, Wine Rack.

Splash Out

2008 Domaine Cordier, Vire Clessé, Majestic. A contender for king of the Mâconnais, Cordier hits the spot again with this seductively full-flavoured, stylish white burgundy, whose buttered nut aromas lead to rich stonefruit flavours and refreshingly limey acidity. £12.99, Majestic, on special offer at £11.99.

Selected merchants selling en primeur

Armit www.armit.co.uk
Farr Vintners www.farrvintners.com
Berry Bros & Rudd www.bbr.com
Bordeaux Index www.bordeauxindex.com
Corney & Barrow www.corneyandbarrow.com
Edward Parker www.edwardparkerwines.co.uk
Laithwaites www.laithwaites.co.uk
Lay & Wheeler www.laywheelercom
Lea & Sandeman www.londonfinewine.co.uk
Montrachet www.montrachetwine.com
Seckford Wines www.seckfordwines.com.uk
The Wine Society www.thewinesociety.com
Uncorked www.uncorked.co.uk

Chateau d'Auguilhe, Cotes de Castillon

For a useful guide to buying en primeur, check out John Stimpfig’s guide on decanter.com (http://www.decanter.com/howtobuyenprimeur.php) and see below current release guide prices from the château / retail, decanter.com:

(All prices quoted are ex-chateau unless stated otherwise. A further 25-30% is added by negociants and merchants to arrive at a retail price. Berry Bros, for example, is selling the Leoville Barton at £27.50 a bottle. With the €/£ exchange rate this translates as a 25% increase on the ex-chateau price. In some cases the price will be approximate with the retail price beside it)

Chateau Release price Retail
Chateau Palmer £997 (12)

Chateau Margaux €110 £139-220 (b)
Chateau Lafite Rothschild €110 £239 (b)
Chateau Mouton Rothschild €100 £765 (6)
Chateau Latour €110 £199 (b)
Chateau Angelus €59 £60 (b)

La Fleur de Bouard €12.50 £16 (b)

Chateau Leoville Barton €23 £27.50 (b)
Chateau Leoville Haut Marbuzet€18

Ch. Leoville-Poyferre £30 (b)

Chateau Langoa Barton €18 £20 (b)
Chateau Lynch Bages €32 £30 (b)
Chateau Pichon Comtesse de Lalande€33£35-52 (b)
Chateau Giscours £258 (12)
Chateau d'Armailhac £228 (12)
Le Petit Mouton £234 (6)
Ch. Les Ormes de Pez £165 (12)
Ch. l'Evangile £360 (6)
Ch. Duhart-Milon-Rothschild £276 (12)
Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste £282 (24)
Ch. d'Angludet £150 (12)
Ch. Haut-Bages Libéral £180 (12)
Ch. du Terte £186 (12)
Ch. Batailley £198 (12)
Ch. d'Armailhac £240 (12)
Ch. Beychevelle £264 (12)

Ch. Le Gay £60 (b)

La Fleur Morange £35 (b)

Ch. La Lagune £27 (b)

Ch. Haut Brion £142-172 (b)

Ch. La Providence £48-64 (b)

Ch. Gazin £26-39 (b)

Ch. Certan de May £47 (b)

Ch. La Conseillante £22-55 (b)

Carruades de Lafite £50-79 (b)

Les Forts de Latour £45-61 (b)

Vieux Chateau Certan £37-50 (b)

Ch. Domaines de Chevalier £27 (b)

Ch. de Bellevue £34-46 (b)

Ch. Calon-Segur £28 (b)

Ch. Carbonnieux £17 (b)

Ch. Lagrange £25 (b)

Ch. Brane-Cantenac £26 (b)

Pavillion Rouge du Chateau Margaux £26-34 (b)

Ch. Latour a Pomerol £34 (b)

Ch. Kirwan £264 (12)
Les Pagodes de Cos £240 (12)

Ch. Cos d'Estournel £780 (12)

Ch. Pavie-Macquin £168 (6)

Ch. Clerc-Milon £276 (12)

Key: (6)=number of bottles in case, b=bottle

Inscrutable face of Bordeaux