Lawrence Leichtman states in part:

"I guess everyone has really missed my point in posting this article. I
have been drinking and tasting Bourdeaux wines since the "60's. I'm
quite familiar with cellaring Bourdeaux as well as the fact that many
are quite closed young. That being said, you can also see the aging
potential immediately. Often still in the cask though I've never been
privy to that. From the 1998 vintage onward my tastings of first growths
have not produced anything I would be overwhelmed with in terms of QPR.
Many Bourdeaux's seem to increasing in price while dropping in quality.
My percentage of corked wines from France now approaches 15% since 1990
vintages though the price does not reflect the lesser quality of some
wines and the dismal state of corkage in France. Over the last 2 years
I've lost about 40 bad bottles of French wines from Bourdeaux. Burgundy,
Rhone to a total of $1900. "

I too have cellared wines since the 60s. The last wines I bought for
long keeping were Haut Brion 89, Margaux 90, and a mixed case of DRC 90.
Thus I have no experience with more recent French wines other than a few
whites and simple wines for everyday drinking. From your reports, those
of Michael Pronay, etc., I must conclude that the percentage of corked
French wines has increased since perhaps the late 80s to mid 90s. I have
not had many corked wines from my older wines, which are stored under
ideal conditions. However I well remember a badly corked 70 DRC
Echezeaux.


When I was buying many of my wines in the early 70s, the spread in price
between better Bordeaux second and lower growths and first growths was
not nearly as great as now, with a first growth costing 2 to 3 times as
much as a very good second growth. The same applied for Burgundy. I just
received a price list of 2003 Bordeaux en premier. You may have a single
bottle of Petrus for US$ 1999.99. Lafite is a relative bargin at
$374.99. Lynch Bages is $66.99. In the early 70's( just after the crash
in the wine market) a very good recent Lynch Bages would have been well
under $10, a Lafite about $22, and a Petrus about $35. I would be very
upset if I paid the fortune that new first growths now cost, only to
find the bottle corked or the wine not built to age when opened perhaps
20 to 30 years from now.

Besides a very few corked bottles, I have had a few bottles showing
random oxidation because of cork physical flaws, and a very few wines
that just were not well made. I do not plan to buy any more recent top
wines because of the cost, the reported cork problems, and because, if
the wines are very good anymore, top ones would need 20 to 30 years to
fully mature and I likely would be dead by then or too old to enjoy
them.

I do find some wines very difficult to evaluate when young, with Mouton
perhaps being the most dfficult - or at least it was when the old Baron
was still alive. It was sort of like a high wire act. If it makes it to
the end correctly, it can be outstanding. However if something becomes
just a bit out of balance, it can come crashing to the ground. Still the
Mouton 45 may be the greatest Bordeaux made since WW II. However in many
other years that are good in general, Mouton has not been as good as it
should have been for the year.

Reply to .