Bordeaux Prices Drop Like Flies

Even at that substantial discount, it is likely to retail in Canada for well in excess of $200 a bottle.

I'm not sure who is buying wines north of $200 these days although my guess is it is a tiny group of people who have real money, as in the kind that survives recessions. I expect they are smacking their lips ready to buy Bordeaux's best wines at a 50 per cent discount. Good for them I say, but the message from Bordeaux, that quality and price have no relationship, is more problematic for us punters.

The 2008 vintage is widely thought to better than the 2006 or 2007, yet the price is falling by 50 per cent. De Boüard is quoted as saying "We are adapting to reality. . . With this significant price cut we are coming back to the price of 2004." Suddenly I feel dirty.

Now that Bordeaux is adapting to reality, maybe they would consider trashing the 1855 classification on the basis that the prices fetched 153 years ago can no longer be justified in any modern classification. And as long as we are getting real, consumers should probably step away from a market whose prices can fall in the face of a good vintage and rise in substandard years.

As for paying for your Bordeaux en primeur, two years in advance and giving the money to a retailer who may not be in business when it is time to collect your wine, it is no longer funny. I'm confused, to say the least, and I know about wine.

Falling Bordeaux prices will have an even deeper impact globally. If the Bordeaux first growths are worth 50 per cent in 2008, how much less are the top wines of Napa Valley, or even closer to home in the Okanagan Valley? Surely if you compare yourself to the best on the way up, you have to compare yourself to the best on the way down.

In the real Bordeaux, winegrowers are selling barrels of red wine at 850 euros or for less than 3 euros a bottle, a price already considered too low to survive. One can only imagine what pressure growers outside of the famed classified growths will come under when they price their wine this year.

Hold on to your hats, it's going to get really interesting.

This week's picks are a hodgepodge of unrelated wines beginning with a reliable old favourite: The Bishop of Riesling 2007 from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. The Bishop is as consistent a drop of wine as there is thanks to its attractive baked green apple and citrus nose. Always fresh and a touch off-dry, it makes for an elegant appetizer-style white or something you can serve with spicy dinner dishes. It's also fine solo on the deck. A lot of wine for $12.

We love the meaty, peppery, black raspberry, tobacco aromas of the La Bastide Rouge 2007, a blend of syrah, grenache and carignan from the Languedoc. The palate is lean but elegant, with spicy black cherry, resin, licorice, mineral, dried herb flavours. Solid value for the barbecue and pasta.

A slightly richer version of southern French red is the M. Chapoutier Rasteau Côtes-du-Rhône Villages 2006, a blend of grenache and syrah from the Rhone that is smooth and warm with black cherry jam, licorice root, resin and smoky, spicy, savoury flavours. Think roast lamb.

The latest edition of the classic Torres Sangre de Toro 2006 is under screwcap. Look for a spicy nose of dark plums and earth with meaty, earthy, cherry orange-peel flavours. This is a rustic-style red that shows best with stews, game and earthy mushroom pasta dishes.

The Guigal Côtes du Rhone 2005 is a full-bodied, 50/50 blend of syrah and grenache. Winemaker Philippe Guigal has fine-tuned this stylish red mixing dry, red floral fruits with pepper, smoked meat and just a hint of chocolate. It finishes long with both power and soft tannins. Definitely pricey, but it is from an excellent vintage. Think grilled meat entrees.

Now to $70 wine worth every penny. The Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 comes from a relatively cool growing season that produced wines lower in alcohol and higher in acidity; in short, more elegant, more interesting and certainly capable of holding your attention for an entire bottle.

From the moment you smell the bouquet, you are drawn to this very special bottle with its polished black fruit, specks of vanilla and spice and a vibrancy and tension that are rare in Napa. Love the finesse here, the tannin management, the fruit and the acidity. One beautiful bottle for the price and this will only improve over the next decade. Bravo.

The Bishop of Riesling 2007, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

Price       $12.00

UPC       4006542053654

Score     85/100

Remarks                An elegant appetizer-style white or something to serve with spicy dishes.

La Bastide (Rouge) Syrah - Grenache - Carignan 2007, l'Hérault, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Languedoc, France

Price       $10.00

UPC       003368680002293

Score     86/100

Remarks                Solid value and a decent food wine for the barbecue and pasta.

Torres Sangre de Toro Garnacha - Cariñena 2006, Penedès, Catalunya, Spain

Price       $12.30

UPC       008410113003294

Score     86/100

Remarks                Solid rustic style red that Torres suggest goes well with stews.

M. Chapoutier Rasteau Côtes du Rhône Villages Grenache - Syrah 2006, Côtes du Rhône, France

Price       $18.90

UPC       03391181120630

Score     87/100

Remarks                Smoky, spicy, savoury flavours with good fruit. Try with roast lamb.

Guigal Côtes du Rhone Syrah - Grenache - Carignan 2005, Côtes du Rhône, Rhone Valley, France

Price       $23.99

UPC       03536650501002

Score     88/100

Remarks                Think grilled meat entrees.

Signorello Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Napa Valley, California, United States

Price       $70.00

UPC       00752183057769

Score     95/100

Remarks                One beautiful bottle for the price.