Gateway@Cos d'Estournel

Yesterday the price of the 2010 Cos d'Estournel was released and is now available en primeur from Farr Vintners@£2180 a case of 12 ex cellars, so duty and vat will be payable on them if you want to remove them from bond to drink once they are delivery in the first part of 2013. By the time vat and duty at the current rates are added the cost is £2642.06 per case.

In contrast I can buy a bottle of Jean-Pierre Chevallier's excellent 2009 Le Grand Clos Saumur Champigny Château de Villeneuve for 18€including taxes from the property in Souzay-Champigny. For the price of 12 bottles of 2010 Cos I can have 164 bottles of JP's Grand Clos. The lunatics continue to run the asylum!

Château de Villeneuve   

To be fair, of course, I could doubtless make similar comparisons between good value, well made wines in the Côtes de Bourg and elsewhere in Bordeaux.

The sweet 'n' sour château

Yesterday in Pauillac it was searingly hot, especially in the afternoon and early evening. – heading towards 40˚C in sheltered parts. Fortunately around 6am this morning there was a short thundery storm, which has cleared the air a bit. Here are a few scenes from a short drive around this morning. The grapes look healthy at the moment, although there is still a while to go yet before the harvest starts. Can anybody afford another very good Bordeaux vintage at the top end? 

Grapes near Château Lafite (above and below)

Cos d'Estournel

Gateway

Château Montrose

Montrose: prepared for rain

Montrose: flag, crane etc.

Montrose: grapes 2010

Château Phelan-Ségur

Sign: Château Meyney

Château Meyney (above and below)

Wild flowers and fishing hut by Gironde near to Château Meyney