IMO, Bordeaux needs a few disasters or better yet one really big one. I mean a real honest to goodness act of God. Not that they would admit it in public, but only a meteor, on the magnitude of one that wiped out the dinosaurs is needed to justify the high prices asked for 05. A fireball that scorches the earth and wipes out vintages 06 & 07, 08 & 09, 10 & 11, 12 & 13, 14 15,16, 17, 18, & 19 will insure prices remain high for the best 05's making the market place very happy for those crazy whacky Bordelais. In fact, a meteor, combined with a black hole sucking the continent of Australia out into space, and an Earthquake knocking california into the sea could make the best 05's rise in price once the wines are in bottle. And of course assuming a great vintage does not take place for any where else in the world for those 13 years, they will be able to raise prices once they've replanted, cleaned out the big hole in the ground and are making wine again. I mean wouldn't you rather have to sell one great bottle worth $1000 than 10 bottles worth "ONLY" $500 each??
If great vintages happened all the wine, they couldn't raise prices. I mean just because California has shown you can do it for decades straight doesn't mean that a middling region like Bordeaux could do it. The reality is, great vintages do not come around all that often, and thats why they're called great. You see winemakers really want to work in the fields for 10 straight months ONLY to have their entire effort, and income, wiped out in a single cataclysmic event. . I am really special because I think this way. Keep in mind, a great vintage is when wines at all levels from top to bottom and from both banks get like 90 points, then and only then is it great. This usually does not happen more than once or twice a decade, ok maybe three times in a decade, or maybe like in Piedmont 5 times, or 7 years straight but thats it!! Winemakers would rather 8 disasters and one good year and one halfway decent year that they can sell to the Canadians and Chinese, but thats it!
So, if you ask me, many of the top Chateau are scanning the skies hoping that the big one shows up obliterating everything in its path so they can get even more money for the 2005s! Wine 101: Its all about economics, and mass hysteria.
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