Sauternes 500% Better Value Than Red Bordeaux?
Today Sauternes and Barsac are the best value fine wines in Bordeaux - by a staggering 500%!
On what basis can I make such a claim? I have kept records of every wine I have ever bought during my nearly 30 years living and working in Bordeaux as a negociant. I have looked back over my card index records and found some fascinating trends over the period.
The prices of two fantasy mixed cases over time support my claim that Sauternes is amazing value today compared to the red wines of Bordeaux.
My fantasy red wine case includes a bottle each (bought at chateau opening prices) of First Growths Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild; Second Growths Cos d'Estournel, Ducru-Beaucaillou and Leoville-Barton; Third Growths Calon Segur and d'Issan; Fifth Growths Lynch Bages and Pontet-Canet; a Premier Grand Cru St Emilion from Pavie and, finally, some Grand Cru Pessac-Leognan from Haut Bailly and Pape Clement.
In the Sauternes and Barsac case I have chosen d'Arche, Climens, Doisy Daene, Filhot, Guiraud, de Malle, Nairac, de Rayne Vigneau, Rieussec, Sigalas Rabaud, Suduiraut and La Tour Blanche. All of these wines are First or Second Growths in the 1855 Classification.
What I have done below is list the average bottle price of the two cases at various times between 1983 (when I first bought Sauternes) and last year with prices pre-1992 converted from the old French Francs on my card index to Euros at the changeover conversion rate.
Red Wines
1983 - 12.06 Euros, Vintage Ratings (Robert Parker) - 86 (Medoc), 89 (St Emilion & Pessac-Leognan)
1986 - 14.30 Euros, Ratings - 94 (Medoc), 89 (Pessac-Leognan), 88 (St Emilion)
1990 - 15.23 Euros, Ratings - 98 (Medoc & St Emilion), 90 (Pessac-Leognan)
1995 - 17.25 Euros, Ratings - 92 (Medoc), 89 (Pessac-Leognan), 88 (St Emilion)
2000 - 51.90 Euros, Ratings - 97 (Pessac-Leognan), 96 (Medoc & St Emilion)
2005 - 104.58 Euros, Ratings - 99 (St Emilion), 96 (Pessac-Leognan), 95 (Medoc)
2009 - 147.92 Euros, Ratings - 99 (Medoc), 98 (Pessac-Leognan), 93 (St Emilion)
Sauternes
1983 - 7.70 Euros, Rating - 88
1986 - 11.60 Euros, Rating - 94
1990 - 16.41 Euros, Rating - 98
1995 - 14.11 Euros, Rating - 85
2000 - 21.04 Euros, Rating - 88
2005 - 26.15 Euros, Rating - 96
2009 - 29.63 Euros, Rating - n/a (but likely to be 98+)
To start with Sauternes prices follow those of the red wines. In 2000, however, Sauternes had a relatively poor vintage while prices for the red wines soared. Ever since there has been speculation centered on the red wines even when both Sauternes and the red wines have had good vintages.
We are now therefore in a situation where our case of Sauternes (which was slightly more expensive than our case of reds in 1990 when both vintages scored 98 points with Robert Parker) costs roughly five times less than our case of reds in 2009 (another 98 point vintage for both the reds and Sauternes).
Put another way the conclusion is that Sauternes and Barsac are the best value fine wines in Bordeaux by 500%!
On what basis can I make such a claim? I have kept records of every wine I have ever bought during my nearly 30 years living and working in Bordeaux as a negociant. I have looked back over my card index records and found some fascinating trends over the period.
The prices of two fantasy mixed cases over time support my claim that Sauternes is amazing value today compared to the red wines of Bordeaux.
My fantasy red wine case includes a bottle each (bought at chateau opening prices) of First Growths Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild; Second Growths Cos d'Estournel, Ducru-Beaucaillou and Leoville-Barton; Third Growths Calon Segur and d'Issan; Fifth Growths Lynch Bages and Pontet-Canet; a Premier Grand Cru St Emilion from Pavie and, finally, some Grand Cru Pessac-Leognan from Haut Bailly and Pape Clement.
In the Sauternes and Barsac case I have chosen d'Arche, Climens, Doisy Daene, Filhot, Guiraud, de Malle, Nairac, de Rayne Vigneau, Rieussec, Sigalas Rabaud, Suduiraut and La Tour Blanche. All of these wines are First or Second Growths in the 1855 Classification.
What I have done below is list the average bottle price of the two cases at various times between 1983 (when I first bought Sauternes) and last year with prices pre-1992 converted from the old French Francs on my card index to Euros at the changeover conversion rate.
Red Wines
1983 - 12.06 Euros, Vintage Ratings (Robert Parker) - 86 (Medoc), 89 (St Emilion & Pessac-Leognan)
1986 - 14.30 Euros, Ratings - 94 (Medoc), 89 (Pessac-Leognan), 88 (St Emilion)
1990 - 15.23 Euros, Ratings - 98 (Medoc & St Emilion), 90 (Pessac-Leognan)
1995 - 17.25 Euros, Ratings - 92 (Medoc), 89 (Pessac-Leognan), 88 (St Emilion)
2000 - 51.90 Euros, Ratings - 97 (Pessac-Leognan), 96 (Medoc & St Emilion)
2005 - 104.58 Euros, Ratings - 99 (St Emilion), 96 (Pessac-Leognan), 95 (Medoc)
2009 - 147.92 Euros, Ratings - 99 (Medoc), 98 (Pessac-Leognan), 93 (St Emilion)
Sauternes
1983 - 7.70 Euros, Rating - 88
1986 - 11.60 Euros, Rating - 94
1990 - 16.41 Euros, Rating - 98
1995 - 14.11 Euros, Rating - 85
2000 - 21.04 Euros, Rating - 88
2005 - 26.15 Euros, Rating - 96
2009 - 29.63 Euros, Rating - n/a (but likely to be 98+)
To start with Sauternes prices follow those of the red wines. In 2000, however, Sauternes had a relatively poor vintage while prices for the red wines soared. Ever since there has been speculation centered on the red wines even when both Sauternes and the red wines have had good vintages.
We are now therefore in a situation where our case of Sauternes (which was slightly more expensive than our case of reds in 1990 when both vintages scored 98 points with Robert Parker) costs roughly five times less than our case of reds in 2009 (another 98 point vintage for both the reds and Sauternes).
Put another way the conclusion is that Sauternes and Barsac are the best value fine wines in Bordeaux by 500%!
About the Author:
Learn more about Sauternes. Stop by Bill Blatch's site where you can also find out all about Sauternes and Barsac wines for sale.
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