Cwdjrx _ wrote:

> This is true of most wines. The DRCs in the 60s mostly cost under US$ 20
> per bottle. Even the 1970 Romanee-Conti itself (decent, but not their
> best year) cost under $50 and now sells for well over the equivalent of
> US$ 1000. per bottle in London auctions, according to the most recent
> Decanter. The much more recent, but very high quality and highly sought,
> Romanee-Conti 1985 now brings 34100 Pounds per case of 12 bottles at the
> London auctions, if you can find it at all. Even the 1985 DRC La Tache
> is selling for well over the equivalent of $1000 at the same auctions. I
> believe Chateau Palmer was going for around $US 5 in the early 60's. The
> 1959 Yquem cost me about $11 per bottle when it first came on the
> market, and 1961 Lafite-Rothschild also cost about $11 per bottle. In
> the 1960s and part of the 1970s it was no great burden for most people
> with a high middle income to have very good wines all of the time and
> top wines several times a year. Even a school teacher could afford some
> decent wine. Most of my best wines were bought before there was such
> extreme inflation in wine prices.

My first case of wine was a very good German wine that I purchased from
the German Embassy for $12us. Second case was Chat Belair for $32. And
then a case of the 1961 La Tour for $96. The early 60s were a feel good
time because we had been in a recession for a few years.