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| The April 2004 Newsletter: Bordeaux 2003 – Tasted and assessed! Please see below for our updated wine selections, now over 25 to choose from and all Great value for money. Also we now supply Riedel Glassware, the very best stemware for maximum appreciation and enjoyment from your wines. Click here for details. The FT100 is currently at 4480 and the Dow Jones is at 10489, and both exchanges appear to be in limbo. Interest rates are set to rise and the property market looks inflated. It is true that whilst one normally can in a court case find an expert to support an argument for the defense and a different expert for the prosecution – they both cannot be correct! The same is happening in the property market, lending institutions are handing out huge wads of cash to people who maintain with the flimsiest of evidence (self certification) that they earn the claimed income; to purchase overpriced property. There are others who say that this is inflating the market and it will all end in tears when rates go up. Someone here must be right and someone wrong, I know who my money is on! Bordeaux 2003 There is no doubt that this is a Cabernet Sauvignon vintage with the left bank (Medoc) having the lions share of the success and the right bank (St Emilion and Pomerol) being less fortunate. The summer of 2003 was the hottest on record and to have achieved greatness in the wines the vines required deep roots to access any available moisture. This meant that young vines that do not have deep and well-established root systems suffered in the heat. The picking date was also important where those who harvested the Cabernet Sauvignon late were rewarded with great, properly ripe fruit but those who picked the Merlot early did best as theirs was not over ripe. Geographically, the communes that did best were in the north, so St Estèphe, Pauillac and St Julien were most successful and as one went south to Margaux and the Medoc there was still great wine but it was not across the board as in for example St Estèphe. Pomerol and St Emilion have produced some very good wine but they tend to be very much the exception especially in Pomerol. Where châteaux got it right the wines are big and ripe whilst retaining the structure, balance, power and breeding that one associated with a great Bordeaux wine. Where they got it wrong the wines are ferociously tannic, out of balance (injudicious acidification?) and just plain bad wine. Our Top wines are:
There are other wines that are good value but our current assessment indicates that the above are the best of the vintage. We do have one caveat and that is that Pomerols can be notoriously difficult to taste at this stage so be aware that some wines from this area might well start to show better in the ensuing months. We think that there may be 2 en primeur campaigns this year, a very early one (starting immediately) for the châteaux that may not have been entirely successful in 2003 and a later one, probably after Robert Parker publishes his assessment at the end of April (normally) where the very successful properties backed by Mr Parker's assessment will release their wine. The best wines will be in enormous demand given the quality, and it is likely that the market will be drip-fed small tranches to assess the actual market response in order for a price level to be found. Buy where you can (and as early as you can) but do not be drawn into the old trick of having to buy wine x, y, or z in order to get the one that you actually want. The wines that you will get, if history repeats itself are very average at best coupled with great – not a good way to buy. If you want some of the top wines from this vintage then please contact us!! 2002 Burgundies, with most merchants getting the wines sold at a very rapid pace. This vintage is truly one to have in ones cellar, if you don’t you will regret it as the top wines will always be very desirable. At the non-investment there are terrific wines still available, but only take advice from a specialist rather than someone who wants to sell a box of wine! Some names to lookout for are Drouhin, Bruno Clair, Drouhin Laroze, Grivot, Colin Deleger, Michel Lafarge, Didier Darviot-Perrin and Sauzet. They all made fabulous wine in 2002 and even at the villages’ level, 200-250GBP will buy a gorgeous wine to be enjoyed in 3-5 years and remembered for so much longer. Buy, as much as you can afford, you will never regret it. The Châteaux Beaucastel and Pegau 2000 and 2001 are still relatively well priced; the former 2000 was given a boost when Robert Parker gave it a score of 97/100 at a dinner last year. These wines are truly fabulous quality and are destined to move up in price over time. SELECTION Click to see our selection of over 25 wines, some as a case that you can mix yourself from a superb selection and some in case quantities. They are all virtually all great quality wines at prices well below what other retailer sell them for. The wines are made by very well respected and hugely talented producers from around the world and can be delivered to your door in just a few days, sometimes less than 24 hours! Try us, you will not be disappointed. If you wish to discuss the acquisition or disposal of wine, please complete the form in the Contact section. We are available if you wish to call on the phone number listed below. Call in to our website at http://dunbarfinewine.co.uk/investment.html to see for yourself how fine wine has historically been a first-class and consistent investment, when the wine is sourced from reliable suppliers and not some of the cowboys that have given our business problems in the past.
December
2001 Newsletter - click here | |||
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