| Nothing is sacred to the boys in the city. Now | | | | change from older clients following a wine vintage |
| even the world of wine has become a bun-fight | | | | to vintage to younger, cash rich buyers looking to |
| between investors keen to make dramatic | | | | establish a cellar but comforted by the fact the |
| returns over very short periods and claret lovers | | | | wine will appreciate. The Asian market has also |
| despairing as their favourite wines spiral out of | | | | grown enormously, with wine merchants in China |
| their reach. At the very top end of French | | | | and Japan doing record business. |
| wine-making, the enormously collectable Petrus of | | | | So what does this mean for those of us who |
| Pomerol is now around £23,000 a case for the | | | | fancy a dabble in the world of fine Claret? Well |
| wonderful 2000 vintage. However, I have no | | | | there are two main points to bear in mind before |
| doubt it will soon find a buyer as the market for | | | | you take the plunge. Most important is the quality |
| fine wines refuses to slow down. Customers who | | | | of the vintage: 2000 and 2005 command such |
| bought into the celebrated 2000 vintage en | | | | high prices because they were both superb |
| primeur (ie buying while the wine is still in France | | | | vintages, demand for both will always be high. |
| at the Chateaux maturing) are now laughing into | | | | Secondly, the influence of the American wine critic |
| their checkbooks. A case of Mouton-Rothschild | | | | Robert Parker is crucial in the modern market. His |
| 2000 that went for around £1000 will now fetch | | | | 100 point scoring system is massively influential in |
| somewhere in the region of £6000. That’s | | | | the value of a wine, many would say too |
| 600% growth in just 7 years, no wonder the city | | | | influential! A wine with from a good Parker score |
| boys are scrambling to get their hands on good | | | | from a good vintage is a sound investment, |
| wine! | | | | though obviously still at the whim of global |
| This begs the question: who is actually drinking | | | | markets. If you fancy buying into the top wines |
| these wines? Contrary to common opinion the | | | | but find the prices a little on the heavy side, look |
| vast majority is still being bought to be drunk, | | | | to lesser but decent vintages like 2004 or 2006 |
| what has changed is the nature of the buyers. | | | | or buy into the 2nd Wines of these Chateaux: |
| Wine Merchants are seeing their customers | | | | these can represent terrific value. |