Whines about wines

[chickenfeet]

What is it about Antipodean wine marketers? I thought Fat Bastard, a range of wines produced by an Australian company in France, was OK if a bit silly but my latest trip to the LCBO reveals a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc called Cat Pee on a Gooseberry Bush. It's getting as bad as the punning names for blends of Southern French varietals; Nine Popes and Goats Do Roam being particularly egregious examples.

In other wine news, I got the LCBO Bordeaux futures offer today. Once again the Bordeaux owners/negociants set out to prove that if you have the cachet you can charge anything. The left bank first growths are being offered for C$495/bottle (yes folks that's C$5940/case) while across the river Ausone is going for C$789 and Pétrus for C$999. Even the top second growths are going for upside of C$200. It's madness I tell you!

Comments

[lemur-man.livejournal.com]

This is why almost everything in the Cave du Lémur is from humour-deficient wineries in countries whose currencies are weak. No cutesy names, no cachet, nothing over $10 - just some amazing deals.

[tanuja.livejournal.com]

A good proportion of that price increase is, unfortunately, the US$ weakness. Either that or 2003 is going to be a vintage year.

Have you tried talking to the Chateaux themselves? A friend of mine used to work at Haut Marbuzet (if you get a chance purchase it, it's a grand cru classé but regularly beats much higher rated classés in blind tastings) and sometimes they would allow you to buy directly and avoid the brokers fees.

Until we know what country we're living in for a period of >18m, Mr Tanuja is refusing to let me buy any futures (mutter, mutter, grumble, grumble)

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Have you tried talking to the Chateaux themselves? A friend of mine used to work at Haut Marbuzet (if you get a chance purchase it, it's a grand cru classé but regularly beats much higher rated classés in blind tastings) and sometimes they would allow you to buy directly and avoid the brokers fees.

Not really practical here due to our arcane import regulations.

I shall pass on 2003 as I did on 2000. I think the last year I bought Bordeaux futures was 1998. The value just isn't there compared to the alternatives, one of which, happily enough, is the local stuff. I can buy wines from Niagara that are very similar to a good Graves for at most half what I would pay for the French wine.