Wow, that was quick!

I read a year ago or two ago that with the increased global interest in Bordeaux first growths, there would soon be a price explosion putting the wines out of reach of all but the wealthy, and while "wealthy" is a relative term, this prediction has certainly come true for me!

The last 1st growth future I purchased was the 2004 Lafite Rothschild which I paid about $175. a bottle for. Yeah, that's a lot of money, no question, but I could afford it as a luxury and figured if necessary I could always sell it. Now I see the 2006 future of the Lafite is $550. to $600. a bottle for a wine that has a very similiar quality profile to the 2004! Truly only for the wealthy, at least in my world! Tom V

It's all relative to the times, I guess.

I paid $75/750ml bottle for my 1982 Mouton-Rothschild. That was full retail price just after it shipped--not a futures price. I recall the futures price for the case of 1986 Mouton that I bought was similar.

I haven't bought any Bordeaux since 1989 because I considered the price/quality ratio to be too poor. I've seen nothing to reverse that judgment.

-Paul W.

Well, I hear what you're saying Paul. Certainly part of me agrees with you about price/quality on the first growths at $175ish a bottle, but for me at least, there's a component to drinking a first growth Bordeaux that adds value to the experience in and of itself. Sometimes I guess it's just fun to luxuriate oneself, and this is one way I find enjoyable, to share some 1st growth on rare occasion with my family and friends.

The point I was making about the price on the '06 future is that I have purchased Lafite in vintages that I perceived to offer value, specifically, '99,'02 & '04. '06 is pretty much in their league from what I can see, the price however has entered a whole new universe. To me that signals a major shift in pricing which I do lament. The wine is simply out of reach now for many, myself included, who previously could consider acquiring some. I shall seek some measure of solace in the bottles I am fortunate enough to have in my cellar! Tom V

I wonder who IS buying it, at those prices?

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

I haven't bought any Bordeaux since 1989 because I considered the price/quality ratio to be too poor. I've seen nothing to reverse that judgment.

ANY? None? Nada? Not just 1st growths?

I won't be buying any $600 bottles of wine anytime soon. Actually my problem is that I like wine too much. Hardly a day goes by without me drinking a glass or two.

Here's the deal. My everyday wines are generally under $20 a bottle. My weekend wines can go up to $30-50 or so. Wines over that are for special occaisions and I don't believe I have ever paid over $200 for a bottle of wine... ever. So my choice is one bottle of first growth bourdeaux a month and drink no other wine or forget about the first growths. I'm sorry, I'm just not willing to give up my daily fix.

It's all about supply and demand. There is a heck of a lot of rich folks out there that are willing to pay darn near anything for "the best." And the supply for the best wines is limited and cannot readily be increased. So you do the math. I would feel better about it if I thought these wines were going to be truly enjoyed but in my experience many of these wines are going into "collections" belonging to people who already have more wines than they can possibly drink in this lifetime.

Oh well. So it goes.

Glenn

I agree with Glenn that too many go to collectors who are after the prestige as much or more than the drinking pleasure (that's not always the case though). Also, some probably go to restaurants where they will be sold for $800 a bottle or more and consumed before maturity.

OK, I will put a positive spin on this thread. First I agree and am not buying any Bordeaux in '05 or '06 unless I stumble onto a real bargain in a wine I know. My cellar is still 35% Bordeaux going through '01 but I did not buy '00 as it is not my style. These wines will last forever so I am not worried about not having any good Bordeaux in the future. (If you did not know, that was my first positive spin - longevity) The other positive spin is that it forced me off my butt and into some very interesting wines from other areas. Italy and Spain have IMO some of the best values around, you just have to investigate. Since we are more into food/wine matching rather than wine drinking these new areas offer better choices than just Bordeaux and a leg of lamb.
Walt