MurphyRumour has it that the head of the Bordeaux marketing department is just off the phone with the Collins Oxford Dictionary, pleading with them to invent some new positive adjectives that can be used to describe the 2022 Bordeaux vintage. It goes without saying that it is the greatest vintage since the last one, the 40th best vintage of all time in a row and the vintage of the century but how do we convey this, what words are left to explain the new heights of perfection and vinous enjoyment that have been reached?

 

In the absence of words, we have had numbers. Numerous critics, journalists and self-appointed number allocators have, for many years now, assigned a score out of 100 to each wine before the wine is out of nappies. These poor, infant wines have their value and life chances of success stamped on them before they can walk or talk. They are quickly assessed and assigned a number during a hurried weeklong tasting whilst last night’s Roquefort and cigar smoke still dominate the pallets of the number allocators. Of course, like life, their number may have been preassigned if they come from good stock.

 

The 2022 vintage was dominated by excessive heat in the summer which has led to ripe and attractive wines that will impress number allocators and result in some high scores. And as fans of the legendary entertainer, Bruce Forsyth will know “What do points make”? Altogether now… The prize in this case is higher prices. This could be the year the 100-point scale is smashed wide open and we see a 101 score being awarded. Some might favour a Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) style 100+ score but then what happens if you taste something even better? You can’t go 100++, that’s just daft!Sell Your Fine Wine

 

There are of course many benefits to buying En Primeur…

If you are lucky enough to get an allocation, then a handful of wines are hard to obtain further down the line. You are also safe in the knowledge that the provenance of the wine is intact, and you don’t need to worry about careless storage by previous owners. It is also the perfect time to secure half bottles, magnums and other formats which are very hard to find if not bought EP. The reason in the past however for buying EP was to secure the best possible, first release price. I’d question if this is true now. Yes, some wines go up in value but what is true, is that the Chateau is not doing you any favours with their EP price. The overwhelming majority of wines can be bought several years later for near enough the same price from reliable sources which means your money is not tied up and when you factor in storage charges, (Had you bought EP) EP starts to look a little pointless. There is a lot of Bordeaux made, it is not in short supply and there are plenty of bargains with bottle age that you can pick up right now. The EP campaign always triggers me to start buying back vintages so please follow the link below to see our full range of Bordeaux that could be in your hands within a matter of days.

 

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