Every year there is this standing joke that the good vignerons of Bordeaux have created the finest wines in living memory. I normally treat such statements as pure hogwash.

In 2005 though, there does seem to be some justification to the claim. My impression is based on the quite excellent reports posted by Jancis Robinson, Robert Parker, Jamie Goode and Decanter, to name a few.

The problem is that the Bordeaux mafia are charging accordingly. Prices have gone beserk over the past few weeks. In some cases up by nearly 50% over 2004 (which again was billed as a top quality year).

Although the prices for the First Growth wines, such as Chateau Lafite, have yet to be released, the view is that they could open at up to £3500.00 for a case of 12 bottles. Add to that duty, delivery and VAT on the whole lot and you’re staring down the barrels of over £4000. Ouch!

Oh, BTW, if you do lash out the cash, you can probably expect to wait for up to 50 years before the wine will be at its best. I reckon I’ll be dead by then.

I’d rather fill my cellar with a selection of my favourite bottles to drink now, so by rough calculation I could buy the following for £4000. (12 bottles of each):

Champagne Billecarte-Salmon Rose Brut
Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Premier
Meursault Domaine Vincent Bouzereau 2004
Bernkastler Lay Riesling Spatlese Dr. Loosen 2004
Keith Tulloch Huter Valley Semillon 2005
Yering Station MVR Yarra Valley 2005
Piero Chardonnay Margaret River 2004
Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuees Nicolas Potel 2003
Castello di Calosso Barbera d’Asti La Badia 2000
Flagstone Mary le Bow 2003
Ridge Geyserville Zinfandel 2002
De Toren Fusion v 2003
Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir 2004
Cote Rotie Rene Rostaing 2000

Let me see….um… one case of Bordeaux that won’t be drinklable for fifty years or fourteen cases of really yummy stuff I can start dipping into tonight…hmmm hard decision.

I Reckon that the latter would keep me amused for the foreseeable!