Who’ll give me £600m for a nice little property going in Pauillac? It has earnings potential of circa £10 million a year and the three basic features required of a top wine property: prestige, great wine and location. Since François H. Pinault, the French luxury goods tycoon who also owns Christie’s, is down to his last £1 billion or so, he’s apparently putting Château Latour on the market, but is unlikely to accept as little as the low estimate of £150m for one of the most prized jewels in the Bordeaux crown, especially as first growths (the others are Haut-Brion, Lafite, Margaux and Mouton-Rothschild) rarely come on the market. Going, going…
Bordeaux, Bourg on the Gironde
Of greater concern to the not impoverished Bordeaux château owner, less so I suspect to you or me, is whether anyone will bother to offer anything at all for the latest vintage, due on the market in April when it will be sold en primeur, i.e. before its release in bottle two years down the track. Ever since the 1982 vintage popularised the idea of selling the new Bordeaux vintage pre-release, an early sales campaign cranks up each year, allowing château owners to get their hands on as much cash as possible before their wine’s even bottled. This cunning plan has worked in the past because in excellent years like 2000 and 2005, we consumers have been able to cash in too by buying wines that are still relatively affordable, while in average years there are still enough people around with more money than sense.

Prices for the top 50-odd, most in-demand châteaux have been creeping up relentlessly since 2005 though, even in the less successful vintages of 2006 and 2007. Now, to the disgust of many of Bordeaux’ châteaux owning elite, one of Bordeaux’ most influential merchants, Jean-Francois Moueix, has warned that a combination of overpricing since 2005 and the likely lack of global demand for a lacklustre vintage could result in no en primeur campaign for the 2008 vintage this year. Well, bully for Jean-Francois Moueix, because while 2008 might yet turn out to be better than expected, so what? Even if prices fall back to 2004 levels (unlikely), when spare cash is scarce to non-existent, you’ll still be able to buy these wines at similar prices – or less - in years to come.

Where is it all heading? St-Georges de Didonne, Bordeaux

If you’re heartened by the thought that there’s really no need to think too hard about stocking up on Bordeaux this year for your cellar, much the same may well apply to red burgundy too, whose 2007 vintage is in the process of being tasted in London this week as a prelude to sales. The word on the grapevine is that a miserable summer produced at best ‘pretty’ reds, wine merchant speak, that is, for mostly average, early drinking wines. The surprise though could be among the white wines, which have been called ‘excellent’ and ‘brilliant’ by two of the most respected burgundy watchers. If so, I’ll be giving you some pointers when I aim to talk about white wines for laying down in the coming weeks.

If you’re breathing a sigh of relief at not feeling blackmailed into parting with cash you don’t really have, the flip side of that particular coin is that, except in great years, the wine world no longer revolves around Bordeaux and Burgundy. So while the 2008 vintage in France may float few boats other than a château owners’ yacht or two at Arcachon, let’s not forget that any of our discretionary income not gobbled up by the unfavourable exchange rate may usefully be directed towards some excellent wines starting to come our way this year from outside France. 2007 was a blinder in the Rhône and South of France and German Rieslings from this vintage are simply gorgeous. 2004 and 2006 was excellent for Italy, 2005 for Spanish and Australian reds and 2006 is the year of Argentinian malbec, more of which very soon.

Something for The Weekend

Under a Fiver

2006 Balcon De La Villa, Toro. Made from Spain’s greatest red grape variety, tempranillo, aka tinta de toro in the Toro region of north-west Spain, this is a powerful red, whose cherryish fruit flavours are nicely enhanced by the smoky effects of maturation in American oak casks. £4.79, reduced from £5.99, to 31 January, Marks & Spencer.

Under a Tenner

2007 Spy Mountain Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand. Produced by Spy Valley on South Island, this is a refreshing, aromatic Kiwi riesling made in the classic dry style, bringing a lively zest and zip to the delicate, medium-bodied lime-scented fruit, but with a delicate touch of sweetness to make this a perfect partner for a mild green Thai chicken or vegetable curry. £9.23, Tesco.

Splash Out

2004 Barolo, Zonchera, Ceretto. 2004 was a great vintage for barolo in Italy’s north-western region of Piemonte, and this classic, hauntingly scented nebbiolo shows just why, with its succulent, textured ripe plum and damson fruit quality, whose savoury acidity adds a stylish balancing feature to a complex, stylish red. £25, Majestic Fine Wine stores (52).

Ends