| I'm excited too, only not about the 2005's, which I have yet to taste. If they live up to the raves, it means one thing: astronomical prices, particularly for the leading chateaux and the cult bottles from Pomerol and St.-Émilion.
Bottles of the top 2005 Bordeaux won't begin to arrive in stores until at least 2007, and more likely 2008, but the selling has begun in earnest. No, the reason I'm excited is that, with buyers focusing increasingly on the 2005's, a lot of good Bordeaux from recent, less-acclaimed vintages should be available at far more affordable prices. These wines may not be as spectacular as the 2005's ... but they can offer plenty of pleasure.
I'm not talking about the 2000's, the last great vintage, which benefited from the millennial fever. You can still buy a lot of 2000 Bordeaux, but bottles are generally twice as expensive as the 1998s and 1999s, the 2001s and 2002s. Each of those four vintages was generally solid but was overshadowed by the 2000s and now by the 2005s.
Perusing the web sites of some shops that specialise in Bordeaux, I've come across bottles I'd love to have: a 1999 Domaine de Chevalier from Pessac-Léognan, a major bargain at $30; a 1998 Léoville-Barton from St.-Julien for $56; a 2001 Grand-Puy-Lacoste for $30; and a 2002 Rauzan-Ségla from Margaux for $44.
(To read the complete article, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/26/dining/26pour.htm) |
