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Your support makes all the difference.The wine world is abuzz about the highly anticipated Bordeaux 2009 vintages as next week wine brokers, buyers, aficionados and the media will have the opportunity to taste the 2009 vintages still in oak.
Bloggers and renowned experts are tweeting, posting and postulating about whether Asia will buy big, prices will remain steady, 2009 will rival 2005 or even 2000 - or whether it's all hype to help an industry that has taken a beating since the economic meltdown.
The answers to at least some of these questions will soon be forthcoming, but if you want to make sure you have up-to-the-minute updates and information from leading experts in the world of wine, connect to Twitter and blogs to start following:
- Jancis Robinson, wine guru: @jancisrobinson
- Robert M. Parker, Jr., the voice of wine and author of several wine books: @RobertMParkerJr
- Wine Spectator's senior editor, James Suckling: @JamesSuckling
- Simon Staples, wine merchant for Berry Bros & Rudd (BBR) @ BigSiTheWineGuy
- Jeannie Cho Lee, leading Asian authority on wine: @JeannieChoLee
- Neal Martin, wine writer @nealmartin
- BordeauxNine, a Bordeaux Winebank: @BordeauxNine
- Pardon that vine, wine review vlog: @ pardonthatvine
- Charlie Matthews, who developed tailored Bordeaux tours: @Bordeauxuncorkd
- Steve Filipov, owner of Chateau Godeau: @chateaugodeau
- Stephen Tanzer, ‘Wino-in-Chief', Winophilia blog: http://www.winophilia.com
- Decanter's Bordeaux 2009 site: http://www.decanter.com/specials/296209.html
Early recommendations:
"Bordeaux isn't just high prices. Most of Bordeaux is value. Ignore the chatter about price over quality. Look beneath the surface of romantic names to what Bordeaux is really about: well-made wines at good prices," wrote Roger Voss, European editor for the Wine Enthusiast, a renowned wine magazine.
Simon Staples is already touting 2009 vintages, "Grand Vin and Pagodes de Cos, which were sublime. Cos itself was every bit as spectacular as the magnificent 2005 perhaps a tad fatter but with brilliant balance. Pagodes, with almost half the Grand Vin declassified into it, is off the scale. It's without question the most impressive Pagodes I have ever tried and if you didn't have the Gran Vin to compare it with you'd say it was a great Cos!!"
Guide to Bordeaux Chateaux
Plus Decanter.com, a prestigious wine resource, has created a Bordeaux directory to help you locate and get familiar with various chateaux in the region: http://www.decanter.com/bordeaux/chateaux/
Background
En Primeur, also known as wine futures, is an annual event where the trade (wine investors and the press) comes together to taste the previous year's vintage while still in barrels to determine the wine rating, investment potential and price. Wines are tasted up to 18 months before bottled and the press generated from this highly anticipated event can set the tone for the wine market.
En Primeur Bordeaux 2009 takes place March 30-April 1 at various châteaux in Bordeaux, France: http://www.ugcb.net/index.php?page=events&ppage=primeurs2010&lang=en
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