Bordeaux's 2005 vintage hits ￡4,000 a case before delivery
Many French vineyards are suffering from a glut that is destroying their traditional way of life. But in Bordeaux, demand for the exceptional 2005 vintage is likely to smash pricing records and leave many enthusiasts floundering to secure cases of wine.
The region's producers have just entered the closing stages of the en primeur sales campaign. Also known as wine futures, this involves the sale of wines before they are bottled and ready for delivery.
With the 2005 vintage being viewed as an all-time great, prices are almost certain to be mouth-wateringly high. This week Chateau Haut-Brion was the first A-list "first growth" Bordeaux wine to be sold.
Amanda Skinner of Lay & Wheeler, a British merchant, said it had been sold at �240 (￡164) a bottle to négociants, who resell to merchants around the world. This was by a long way a record for Haut-Brion, she said: "I don't think it is out of kilter for the quality of wine they have made."
Prices paid by consumers will be even more stratospheric. Simon Staples of Berry Bros & Rudd, another merchant, said the public could well have to pay about ￡4,000 for a case of 12 bottles for the likes of Chateau Latour and Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, about double the record.
Mr Staples said his company had received orders for 6,500 cases of Chateau Latour. However, he has resigned himself to receiving only about 500, because there is not enough to go around.
Ms Skinner agreed that there had been "unprecedented" demand from clients. "I thought that the 2000 vintage would be the biggest of my lifetime. This knocks 2000 into the shade."
In tastings preceding the en primeur campaign, 2005 wines from Bordeaux received rave reviews. Pierre Lurton, chairman of Chateau Cheval Blanc, one of the heavyweights still to announce prices, said the vintage was "absolutely incredible".
Chateau Cheval Blanc is owned by Bernard Arnault, chief executive of luxury goods maker Mo?t Hennessy-Louis Vuitton, and Albert Frère, the Belgian investor. Chateau Latour is owned by Fran?ois Pinault, who controls PPR, Gucci Group's parent.
Just as Louis Vuitton and Gucci have found new markets for fashion and handbags in China and Russia, the biggest names in Bordeaux wine have also appealed to status-conscious new wealth in emerging markets.
哪一年的波尔多葡萄酒最贵？
许多法国葡萄园都在遭遇供过于求的局面，这正破坏着它们传统的生存方式。但在波尔多，人们对2005年极品葡萄酒的旺盛需求可能会打破价格纪录，并使得许多狂热的购酒人争先恐后地订购成箱的葡萄酒。
该地区的葡萄酒生产商刚刚进入期酒(en primeur)销售活动的收官阶段。期酒，也就是葡萄酒期货，即装瓶交付之前的葡萄酒交易。
由于2005年的葡萄酒被视为具有空前绝后的高品质，其价格几乎肯定会达到令人垂涎的高位。本周，在“一级酒庄”(first growth)中，奥比昂酒庄(Chateau Haut-Brion)首先确定了自己的波尔多葡萄酒期酒价格。
英国经销商Lay & Wheeler的阿曼达?斯金纳(Amanda Skinner)表示，奥比昂酒庄的葡萄酒以每瓶240欧元（合164英镑）的价格卖给了葡萄酒商(négociants)，而后者将把这些葡萄酒转售给全球各地的经销商。对奥比昂而言，这可真是创纪录的价格。但斯金纳表示：“就他们的葡萄酒质量而言，我认为这种价格很合理。”
消费者支付的价格将会更加高昂。另一家经销商Berry Bros & Rudd的西蒙?斯特普尔斯(Simon Staples)表示，要购买拉图尔酒庄(Chateau Latour)和罗斯柴尔德拉菲堡(Chateau Lafite-Rothschild)等酒庄酿制的12瓶一箱的葡萄酒，消费者可能需要支付约4000英镑，大约是酒价历史纪录的两倍。
斯特普尔斯表示，他的公司已经收到6500箱拉图尔酒庄葡萄酒的订单。但他只接受了500箱左右的订单，因为没有足够的葡萄酒可以供应。
斯金纳也承认，来自客户的需求“规模空前”。“我以前认为，2000箱将是我有生之年见到的最高订单量。但目前这种情况让2000这个数字相形失色。”
在期酒销售活动之前的品酒会上， 2005年份的波尔多葡萄酒备受赞誉。白马酒庄(Chateau Cheval Blanc)董事长皮埃尔?勒顿(Pierre Lurton)表示，这种葡萄酒“绝对超乎想象”。白马酒庄是重量级酒庄之一，目前仍未宣布其葡萄酒的价格。
白马酒庄由伯纳德?阿尔诺(Bernard Arnault)和比利时投资者艾伯特?弗雷尔(Albert Frère)拥有。阿尔诺是奢侈品制造商酩轩路易威登(Mo?t Hennessy-Louis Vuitton)的首席执行官。拉图尔酒庄由弗朗索瓦?皮诺(Fran?ois Pinault)所有，他还控制着古姿集团(Gucci Group)的母公司巴黎春天(PPR)。
正如路易威登和古姿为其时装和手袋在中国和印度发现新市场一样，对于新兴市场中讲究身份的新富们而言，那些波尔多葡萄酒的大品牌同样也具备吸引力。
