3. Bordeaux 2010
As ever, all eyes turned to Bordeaux as the industry¡¯s buyers made the pilgrimage over to France for a tasting of this year¡¯s en-primeur offerings.
The 2010 vintage had a hard act to follow following the almost universal praise for 2009, but perhaps surprisingly reactions were once again glowing.
A highly tannic vintage, observers pointed to the fact they expected 2010 ¨C described as ¡°a classic year with opulence¡± ¨C to outlive 2009s, which was labelled ¡°an opulent year with vivacity¡±.
The year¡¯s en primeur campaign was slower off the mark than usual amid rumours of declining consumer interest, though by the start of June Gruaud Larose, Haut Batailley and Giscours released their prices, as well as second wines Echo de Lynch-Bages and Les Pagodes de Cos.
These were quickly followed by Pontet Canet, Calon S¨¦gur and Phelan S¨¦gur. Liv-ex reported that the average price increase of these bigger names was 20% up on 2009 prices, but Pontet Canet itself was a full 39% up on ¡®09 with an ex-n¨¦gociant price of €100 a bottle.
Hype was naturally ramped up further when Robert Parker offered his assessment of the vintage, saying: ¡°It is an inescapable truth that 2010 has produced another year of compelling Bordeaux that will go down as a prodigious vintage alongside 2009.
¡°Take your pick ¨C this news is either tragic or mythical, but I have tasted enough wines from 2005, 2009 and 2010 to realise that these may be the three greatest Bordeaux vintages I have tasted in my career.¡±
He added: ¡°2010 exceeds 2009 in record-setting alcohols, but, paradoxically, it is the fresh acids, lower pHs and massive tannins that have dictated more precision in the mouth despite the record alcohol levels these wines attained.
¡°While massive and highly extracted, the 2010s are also fresh and incredibly pure. Moreover, they will enjoy astonishing longevity.¡±
Pricing for the vintage was, in the eyes of many, overly high, forcing Simon Staples, sales and marketing director for Berry Bros & Rudd, to speak out in defence of the pricing.
Amid fears that everyday consumers were being priced out of the fine wine market, Staples said: ¡°The châteaux can charge what they like for their wine ¨C if customers don¡¯t want to buy it, then they just have to fish slightly further down stream.¡±
Staples was stoic about the fact that a lot of UK customers have been priced out of the market: ¡°That¡¯s life. It happens with virtually any product you come across.¡±
Meanwhile Asia, and Hong Kong in particular, continued to ascend to the position of the world¡¯s biggest fine wine market.
In 2010 total wine sales at auction in Hong Kong rose by 157% year on year to US$165 million (HK$1,284m) ¨C HK$11m above the US total for the same year.
