If in the previous article the example of Australian Chardonnay sold by an (incredibly) low price is not only obvious, but it is even a textbook example of the impact of production technology on wine prices is a Bordeaux wine with a protected geographical indication, selling for €3 is a different matter. A wine enthusiast, even someone with a background in the industry, will likely be tempted by such a price, while someone working in the wine industry, and especially a winemaker, will be more than surprised, they’ll be indignant. Moreover, for discounters, €3 isn’t the limit: with the 4+2 promotion, the price per bottle drops to €1.99, €1.69, and even €1.39.
Such prices rightly provoke waves of protests among winemakers, with condemnatory signs hanging outside stores, and entrances barricaded with uprooted vines. And not only for the simple reason that selling a bottle for less than 2 euros (which includes grapes, packaging, labeling, and cork, not to mention production costs) simply makes it impossible to make a profit and live, but also because an unreasonably low price undermines the prestige of the appellation itself, casting doubt on the quality of the wines and their centuries-old status.
So, where did such an incredibly low price come from? Here, not only the discounter’s policy of selling goods at prices (much) below average played a role, but also the crisis of Bordeaux winemaking and the wine industry as a whole:
- decreased alcohol consumption
- decreased interest in wine among younger generations
- preference for other drinks
If we talk specifically about Bordeaux, then the crisis in the region’s winemaking, in addition to the above, was influenced by more specific factors:
- overflowing warehouses, dating back to 2005, when the first plan to uproot vineyards was cancelled due to the “Chinese euphoria” (China had just entered the world stage and began importing wines from Europe en masse), when Bordeaux winemakers, attracted by the population and the “luxury” reputation of European wines in China, essentially staked their future on exporting to that country. At first, the Chinese indeed were buying a lot of Bordeaux, and even wine châteaux were purchased, and prices for the region’s wines also soared, spurred by the Primeurs weeks following very successful vintages. But the COVID-19 pandemic and the burgeoning wine industry in China itself put an end to large-scale purchases, leaving a huge amount of Bordeaux wines unclaimed.
- Bordeaux’s reputation as exclusively red wines, although this is far from true, is causing buyers, who currently prefer white wines, to pay less attention to the region.
- The contribution of wine critic Robert Parker, who once wielded enormous influence in the wine world, especially in Bordeaux. Winemakers were so eager to please his taste for powerful, tannic wines, with a pronounced notes of oak, fearing the loss of everything due to one bad review or comment from him, that they tailored their wines to these tastes. R. Parker retired long ago, and consumer tastes have considerably shifted towards a lighter, fruitier style, without the heavy flavor of new oak, but the reputation Parker bestowed upon Bordeaux remains.
If you add to the fact that Bordeaux is generally unsold, the low prices that consumers see in stores and “format” the price range they can afford, then the economic situation and future of the region look bleak.
Tasting: Baron de Ceyssac 2023 Bordeaux
Color: Ruby, medium intensity
Aroma: Medium intensity, bouquet Simple, with a dominant flavor of tart red berries (tart strawberry, tart red cherry, cranberry, red currant), but light barrel notes are still present (menthol, liquorice, fresh wood, resin).
Taste:Surprisingly, it’s quite pleasant. The attack is fruity, revealing the same ripe berries as the aroma (strawberry, cranberry, red currant), but slightly sweeter, complemented by notes of black currant and black plum. The tannins are soft, not drying, enveloping. The taste also features slightly more pronounced sweet barrel notes (coffee bitterness, dark chocolate, vanilla). The finish is short but pleasant, with medium but fairly fresh acidity, a subtle hint of blackberry, and a good bitterness.
Overall impression and quality assessement: A surprisingly reasonable wine for its price, even quite pleasant. I think it might have been more expensive initially, but the producer signed a contract with a discounter to sell it at a lower price.
Where did the barrel-aged notes in the profile come from on a wine priced at 3 euros, considering it was aged in oak barrels?
Does this add at least 1 euro to the price? The barrels were definitely used (as indicated on the label), but not new ones, which are needed for micro-oxidation, not for the development of oak flavors. The rather expressive oak flavors (vanilla, chocolate) could have come from the addition of oak chips or staves to the barrels during aging qnd not from used oak. When wine is “infused” with wood in this way, oak notes are more pronounced, in a positive sense, reminiscent of vanilla, charred wood, and toast, rather than, for example, roasted hazelnuts or cocoa. And this option is much cheaper, than new barrels.
Conclusion: Does inexpensive Bordeaux really equal mediocre wine?
In addition to the points above: one of the indirect causes of the Bordeaux wine crisis, paradoxical as it may sound, could be those who gave the region its global reputation. Expensive Grand Crus, undoubtedly great and exceptional wines, have given Bordeaux wines a reputation for being expensive. While this isn’t entirely true, and only 3% of all winemakers produce Grand Crus, affordable Bordeaux will raise questions and doubts in the consumer’s mind. The region boasts plenty of pleasant, easy-drinking, and affordable wines that suit modern tastes and complement both rich winter dishes and light summer appetizers (some reds can even be served slightly chilled). And for these, don’t go to a discount store; it’s better to go to a wine boutique or directly to the château, which will allow the winemaker to reap a fair reward for their work.
