I sat next to Jean Merlaut of second growth St Julien Ch Gruaud Larose at the one social event I attended last week in Bordeaux, the traditional farewell lunch for chateau owners and journalists last Friday.
It was well known that he would be perhaps the first to announce his price for 2004 and that this would take place early this week, but I must say I didn't realise it would be first thing this morning. So, I said to him over our first course, by how much do you reckon prices should come down this year? He is a congenitally cheery-looking chap with a perpetual smile but even he looked a mite disconcerted. Don't we usually wait until the cheese course to discuss this? he asked.
I explained I had a plane to catch so couldn't afford the social niceties but it didn't get me very far. There was from him, as from others who have priced modestly in the recent past, the usual stuff about a blanket reduction being inappropriate and that those who have seriously overpriced recently (Valandraud for instance?) should impose much more dramatic reductions.
Anyway, here we have it, a modest 10 per cent reduction on a relatively modest 2003 price so that you can now pick up a case of Ch Gruaud Larose 2004 for not much more than £200 a case in bond – a very civilised price.
Alas it was not one of my favourite St Juliens but, to quote from my notes: "Not a standout but very serviceable."
I'm at this moment hard at work on my hundreds of tasting notes and scores (for purple pages) and overview (for this section this Saturday). Keep coming back.
