|
   
Bordeaux
vintage 2005: Yes
it’s that good! (continued)
I believe we will be
talking about this vintage for many years to come, so I hope you’ll
forgive me that I go on about these spectacular wines. Many of you, who I had
the privilege of accompanying on a wine tour recently, agreed with me: it is
that good. In the last few  weeks we tasted the 2005 at
Latour and Mouton (on several occasions), Lafite, Clerc Milon,
d’Armailhac, Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferré,
Grand Puy Lacoste, Brane Cantanac, d’Issan, Rauzan Gassies, Nenin,
Fonplégade, Laniotte and many others.
I know I have a tough job, but somebody has to do it…
I don’t want to bore you here with technical tasting notes in this
newsletter, you can find tasting notes on 05 in every wine magazine or wine
website. My point here is just to inform you that they really are
spectacular.
The guests and I always agree: it is not a question if the wine from a
particular chateau is any good; the question is more how it is possible these
wines are all on this top level.
 Last Tuesday Margaret and I tasted the
2005’s at Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour during
a private wine tour and it was a great pleasure tasting all First Growths
from Pauillac on the same day. The wine that stays with me from that day was
the Lafite; Layers and layers of fruit wit very smooth tannins for such a
young wine, in one word: delicious.
The wines in Bordeaux are sold on
“futures”. Given the quality of the vintage and the sheer
number of people who are desperate seeking to by these wines the prices will
be very high. Many chateaux, amongst them all of the First Growths, have not
yet released their prices so much is based on rumours.
It all begins to resemble the hype about the Dutch black tulips in the 17th
century or the Internet bubble in the late nineties.
I agree with Robert Parker, who on his website slams the Bordeaux
estates for “pride, provincial jealousies and greed”.
Parker further more accuses the chateaux of “devising a multitude of
ways to manipulate the marketplace by creating the illusion of shortages' in
continually holding back from releasing their wines and prices in the 2005 en
primeur campaign”.
I hope that the prices will be out
when we taste some of these wines with our guest on our upcoming July tour.
(This July tour is sold out. We still have a few spots on our September tours
(see the next item).
   
Last
places available on our September tours
If you
want to taste the 2005 vintage right from the barrel and see these top
producers with your own eyes, we still have a few spots available. Coming
September we offer two superb wine tours here in Bordeaux:
1. The Grand Tour of Bordeaux
2
 September 4 - September 9, 2006 (6 days, 5
nights)
Just a few spots remaining
This ultimate wine tour for Bordeaux lovers is as good as it gets: Tastings
and visits at all five First Growths and Superior First Growth Chateau
d’Yquem. You will have a sneak peek at the 2005 dream vintage in
Bordeaux. Add to that the best of Pomerol and Saint Emilion ànd three
gorgeous meals in Michelin Starred Restaurants. This tour is your
chance to get an insiders view of the best Bordeaux has to offer.
2. The
Bordeaux Grand Cru Tour
September 18 - September 23, 2006 (6
days, 5 nights)
Last 2 spots remaining (just one couple or two
singles!).
This excellent wine tour for wine
lovers will get you into four First Growths! This is your chance to get
an insiders view of Bordeaux and its most famous appellations. This tour will
guide you through all of this. You’ll develop a preference for
“Left Bank” or “Right Bank”, while visiting some of
the best chateaux in the world. You will be one of the first to taste the dream
vintage 2005 with us in Bordeaux.
Margaret’s restaurant choice
for our wine tours
 On our tours you’ll eat at some
of the best restaurants Bordeaux knows and it is my privilege selecting them
for you. The South West of France traditionally is famous for its cuisine.
The last years chefs like Thierry Marx of the Cordeilan Bages and Nicolas
Frion of the Chapon Fin, added a modern twist to the classical French
cuisine.
Last week Ronald and I were having dinner at the Hostellerie
de Plaisance in St. Emilion. As we enjoyed the view
over the medieval town of Saint Emilion from the elegant dining room, we
discussed our September tour menu with Philippe Etchebest the charming
Michelin starred chef. Philippe likes to work with the best quality
ingredients and pays a lot of attention to the presentation on the plate.
Each dish is presented like a little painting. Philippe recommended his
appetizer around tomato. I found on my plate a small ball of deep fried
tomato sorbet next to a tomato coulis. The real surprise was a square box of
“tomate confite” (slow cooked tomato in a light syrup) which
opened like a jewel case to reveal its hidden treasure of Aquitaine caviar.
Ronald off course had to try the lasagne of foie gras and truffle. Both
dishes combined very well with the only white (!) wine from St. Emilion
Château Monbousquet 2001. There are just 5,500 bottles produced of this
white Bordeaux from Saint Emilion, a little folly of the owner. De Plaisance is new in our Grand Tour
of next September and I will keep our menu a surprise until then but
I’m convinced you’ll love it.
Are Bordeaux wines becoming luxury goods?
Judging by the pace in which luxury
brands are buying chateaux you would certainly think so. The AXA insurance
company has been the owner of Château
Pichon Longueville Baron for years now, but now it
is the fashion brands that are buying into Bordeaux.
It started with the sale of Château
d’Yquem to the Louis Vuitton group
(LVMH).
St. Emilion first growth Château Canon was acquired by the Chanel group a few years ago. Hermes is
closing as we speak on the deal with Château
Pichon Longueville  Comtesse, the well known second growth in Pauillac.
Last week, Château Guiraud,
the first growth Sauternes estate, sold for € 20million (US$
26million). The chateau was bought by four buyers: Robert Peugeot from the
car firm of the same name, Stephan von Neipperg of Château Canon La
Gaffelière in St-Emilion, Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier in Pessac-Léognan,
and Guiraud's winemaking director, Xavier Planty.
 When you think this is a lot
of money, just think about Château Montrose the second growth
property that was sold for € 140 million (US$ 180 million). This
property was acquired by Martin and Oliver Bouygues of the French
construction and telecommunication giant Bouygues.
The good part about these takeovers is that most of the time the new owners
start with an important money injection to improve the already excellent
quality of the wine.
The downside for us wine lovers is of course that the prices of the wine will
go up even further. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes are into
luxury goods; I am afraid that their wines will go in the same direction.
Luckily there are over 10.000 wine producers to choose from in
Bordeaux…
Pichon-Longueville
Baron
Yquem
Montrose
Pichon Longueville Comtesse
   
Owner:
AXA
owner: LVMH
owners M. and O. Bouygues owner: Hermes?
Forward to a Friend
I hope you enjoyed this
newsletter. I even ask you to forward it to a friend, family member or
colleague who loves wine!
Please don’t send it to wine snobs. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is for
fun in Wine-touring with wine lovers like you!
Please let me know your thoughts
I'm really interested in your thoughts. So please tell
me what you think: Ronald@BXWINEX.com.
I read each e-mail personally. Don’t
hesitate to ask any question you might have on our Bordeaux Tours, Weekend
Wine Experiences or Bordeaux wine in general.
I hope to see you with us here in Bordeaux!
Cheers from
Bordeaux,
Ronald and Margaret
Rens
   
|
