I rarely write or speak about money and prices related to Burgundy wines – except perhaps about my own inability to afford the current prices.
There is a reason for this:
I don’t think the appreciation, enjoyment and core quality of a Burgundian wine has much to do with the price tag of the given bottle or the “Parker points.”
There are plenty of expensive – and indifferent – wines. There are fewer which are hedonistic treasures, regardless of price, but they are there – if you care to look beyond the 100-point scale.
Appreciation, enjoyment, and quality are measured on the vin d’émotion scale, and not on the investor-friendly, Bob 100-point scale, or the 100++ scale that what’s his name incessantly uses.
To find the wines of the future you have to be able to taste – and even further actually understand the characteristics of wines that will give you true pleasure. I have tasted so many wines rated 93 points that I really don’t care to drink!
Winehog recommends wines based on their emotional impact – vin d`émotion. These are wines that will make you smile, in contrast with many 93-point wines that will leave you unaffected and without a smile or delighted laughter in the room.
A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion
Money for nothing…
The problem today is that most top-end 1ers crus are well beyond the affordability of the regular Fritz or Joe – or to be politically correct, the regular Fritzi or Joanne.
And the hyped top-end brands are even more unaffordable. They have become an investment decision, like it or not.
This leads only to speculation, and investment in wine at these levels is more and more seen as primarily a financial decision: wine as a financial asset, sellable, deal-able, and liquid. People earning this kind of money think this way even when they sleep; next up are Burgundy futures and options.
This is unavoidable, I guess. But it is sort of taking the innocence out of Burgundy, and sadly introducing some new customer types as Burgundy buyers.
A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable
Don’t get me wrong: If you’ve got the dosh, you’ve got the right to buy the bottle: You earned it!
I just hope that you buy it because you love it and want to drink it, or better yet, share it with your friends.
But like with Bordeaux, this will also produce the flip side of the coin eventually. More volatile prices, and not necessarily stable demand from year to year.
Quantities are, however, small in Burgundy, so most growers will survive financially. Will they survive the change in the cultural position of their wines? A tradable financial asset seen as drinkable upon release, only two years after the harvest?
Burgundy is losing its innocence, which is sad. But we must all wake up and smell the Aligote and Gamay!
And producers who are not selling in the stratospheric 10% part of the market should think really hard, long and deeply. Covid-19 will most likely change consumer priorities, and the trade will look at the return on investment, not at the classification of over-cropped or poorly made grand crus. And even very good Burgundies could accidentally be hit by a fluke of the market.
A vivacious wine for pure indulgance
So remember; Don’t collect Burgundy just for the money; enjoy, and learn to appreciate the details and understand the wines – and more – of this beautiful region.
Drink wine for pleasure – not labels or points. You deserve it!
Toujours vin d`émotion!
- A Vin Vif - fresh, energetic and with a light appearance
Great Article, and taking the right direction,
When you go through tokio finance districts with all the burgundy wines, it gets clear this is not the section to compete with.
There is a certain proportion of how much you spend of what you have and the way you enjoy a bottle, when its out of scale lightness vanishes.
and i a way misses the hole point.
As one of the average Joe’s who just love to drink great Burgundy, I am a massive fan of your vin d`émotion ratings and often buy from their recommendations. Thank you.