FLASH! BIG NUMBERS WINE CRITIC ISSUES REPORT ON 2009 BEAUJOLAIS

Last week it seems one of the “big” numbers wine critics sent out a notice entitled “The 2009 Beaujolais Hysteria: Is it Justified?” Forget the fact that most 2009 Beaujolais has been on the market since last summer/fall (see our reports beginning last summer). Forget the fact that the question posed is never answered. And most of all, forget some of the absurd comments. How about “freakishly large-scaled” or “fruit bombs?” Hah! This is a joke!

SPÄTBURGUNDER – WHAT IS IT?

OK, here are your choices:

1. A new hamburger from Wienerschnitzel
2. A new line of shoes from Jimmy Choo
3. A new Russian satellite
4. Something you do when you don’t feel good
5. A new hybrid car from Volkswagen
6. The German name for Syrah
7. Late Burgundian
8. A hybrid grape variety that is a cross between vegetable and animal
9. Something that is discarded as having little value
10. A German rap group

Take a guess.

PINOT GRIS. IT’S FOR ME. DO YOU KNOW PINOT GRIS?

I doubt that very many people do know Pinot Gris. That’s a shame. It is one of the most food-friendly white wines (especially when domestic wines are considered) and is generally very affordable. So with that introduction, let me first provide a bit of history.

THE BEAT GOES ON AND ON … “SUM YUNG VINE” X 2

OK. I just learned that it is not only Mouton Rothschild with its 08 label with a Chinese artist that focused on the Chinese market, But, apparently Lafite Rothschild preceded Mouton with its 08 bottle embossed with the Chinese symbol for lucky number 8. So it seems that one good deed deserves another.

AND THE BEAT GOES ON…

Wine prices have been really volatile for some time and a real topic of conversation among wine lovers. But, it looks like there is no end in sight. Consider the following:

The price of 2008 Mouton Rothschild has soared from $200 to $1000 per bottle literally overnight. What would cause such an increase you ask?

100-POINT WINES – GET ‘EM WHILE YOU CAN!

Following Cary Fiebleman’s recent article “Is Sanity Finally Coming To The Market,” I received an offer discounting a list of 100-point wines. Included were 2000 Latour, La Mission Haut Brion, Margaux, Pavie, and Leoville-Las-Cases as well as 2005 Haut Brion and Petrus. Many were in different bottle sizes. Also, nine different Rhone wines, mostly from the 2007 vintage and a Sonoma County Red Wine. Per bottle prices were originally from $325 for a Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee du Quet Mas de Boislauzon up to $5,500 for 2005 Petrus. The new discounted prices per bottle are now $243.75 to $4,125.

STORAGE, STORAGE, STORAGE!

In real estate, it’s location, location, location. In wine it’s storage, storage, storage. You see in real estate, for no matter how bad the building, location wins over development because a better building can always be built. Whereas, a poor location will not support a great building, and may not support a building at all. In wine it’s storage where even mediocre wine will be better if stored properly. And, even great wine will be ruined by poor storage.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! IT’S TIME TO GIVE THANKS AND ENJOY FOOD AND WINE!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It is one of my favorite days of the year. Traditionally, it was a time to give thanks for the harvest. Today the Thanksgiving holiday is a time to give thanks and appreciation for all the things with which we are blessed. For my family, and many others, it has also been a time to get together and celebrate with a Thanksgiving feast.

WOW! 2009 RED BURGUNDIES. STAY TUNED!!

Accompanied by my friends and contributing editors, John Brincko and Geoffrey Troy, I have just returned from one week in Burgundy tasting the 2009 vintage wines from barrel. I first went to Burgundy in 1981 and began tasting the wines from barrel with the 1983 vintage.

TIME TO GET INTO BEAUJOLAIS!

For some time I have been posting reviews of 2009 Beaujolais. And I will have a few more as the last of the wines arrive in the next month or so. However, I cannot emphasize enough how Cru Beaujolais is one of the most under appreciated wines in the world.