Tuesday 28 September 2010

Languedoc Roussillon wines - a good investment?

I was chatting to Hamish of Bella wines today about various things and inevitably the conversation turned to the crazy prices of top Bordeaux 2009.

It reminded me of Andrew Jefford's article in the Financial Times in June this year when he talked about the possibility of the Languedoc-Roussillon's top wines being one day considered a good investment. To quote him, 'The investment potential is not so much risible as premature. It seems plausible to me that the best sites in the Languedoc might, in a few decades hence, produce red wines to challenge the best from Cote Rotie, Cornas and Chateauneuf'. He doesn't make a comparison with Bordeaux, presumably because he sees the best wines as being made from Syrah, Grenache et al, not Cabernet and Merlot.

It seems entirely plausible to me too. In fact, in my view, top wines such as Mas Jullien, Gauby, La Peira are as good as top Rhone. But they are not viewed as a good investment in monetary terms.

And do I want them to be? Well if they were it would be evidence that the L-R wines were finally getting the worldwide recognition they deserve. That's good. But it would mean that those of us who actually enjoy drinking the stuff wouldn't be able to afford it any more. We love L-R wines precisely because they are such great value for money, even at the top end.

I've just come across the press page from la Peira which considers this very subject. Most eloquently. Have a look.

3 comments:

  1. I'm with you in that if some estates are seen as investments then that will raise the top of the Languedoc wine pyramid. The area is so big there will always be plenty of quality and value to dig out for the foreseeable future.
    I'd also like to see this done on Languedoc terms - Mediterranean grape varieties and limited use of oak (I feel the latter is a non starter).

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  2. Jules. Great to see you yesterday....and an interesting topic, which I will reply to in full. Just one comment the link goes to a different company rather than www.bellawines.co.uk

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  3. Sorry Hamish. I will change to the correct link.

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