分享期酒这块大蛋糕
分享期酒这块大蛋糕
2010年03月16日
期酒之约：
最初为列级酒庄孕育而生的期酒市场，如今成为了各类酒庄争相参与的活动。酿酒人道出分得“蛋糕渣”的好处……
2009年份的葡萄酒是否能达到2005年份的水准？这还有待观望。不过，能确信这肯定是个品起来让人享受多、头疼少的大年。期酒会让人拭目以待。来自世界各地的五千名记者及买家每年相约来这里寻觅“宝物”。无疑，这场波尔多葡萄酒的预售活动是个在完全没有公众参与情况下的经济及媒体行为。在那里，人们竞相评论正在培育之中的葡萄酒，场面极其热烈。
当然，自2000年份一级酒庄价格翻倍以来，今年也会遭遇同样的问题：这些“火车头”是否会稳定价格，不彻底与其它车厢脱离？如果车头的价格继续大踏步前进，把其它酒庄甩在站台上，那么葡萄酒爱好者们也只好在那里挥着白手绢与领头羊酒庄挥泪告别了。
遗失的信心
由于经济危机触及到了大部分的葡萄园，今年的期酒会是不是只有那些“顶级阵营”才会参与？至少名气一般的酒庄和产区不是这样认为。
“我们要与这个本不是为我们而创的活动挂上钩”，AOC波尔多及特级波尔多（1）联会主席Bernard Farges说道，“我们不能不参与进来。想想要是期酒会在勃艮地，我们连参与的可能都没有。面对交易量下降的现况，葡萄酒市场各个环节的人们都需要重新找回遗失的信心。这场酒会首先会使波尔多从中受益。”
Marc Medeville（Fayau酒庄）强调说：“期酒会不会让酒庄发生什么革命性的变化。这个活动远没有六月开出朵漂亮的小花或是一场霜冻致使酒价格下降来的重要。但是，期酒会确实是向出口市场进行形象宣传一种无可比拟的方式。”
Laurent Mazeau（Laurent Mazeau葡萄园，波尔多）认为：“经过多年的努力，我们终于使葡萄酒的质量有了普遍的提升。如果期酒会进行的不顺利，之后，我们很难说服别人相信我们葡萄酒的信价比高。其实，期酒会对我们的影响顶多就是10%的销售量，但我们确确实实会受到相关影响。期酒会后，各买家会带着‘这是一个不容错过的年份’的认识回到世界各地。”
奢侈品和葡萄酒
“我们要抓住所有的曙光。期酒会就是其中之一”，Jean-Marc Landureau（Château d’Escurac，梅多克），“几年前，大酒的魅力可以作为小酒市场驱动器。不过，如今二者已完全分离开来。一边是列级酒庄奢侈品；另一边是葡萄种植业，他们对此充满了希望。我们正等着大家对这个年份葡萄酒的反响，特别是美国方面的，他们从2005年起就一直比较沉默。”
Jean Thomas Doublet（Vignol庄，波尔多；Tour de Calens，格拉夫）希望在这个封闭的领域里寻到更多可以相互交流的机会：“只有这样才能让别人了解波尔多，了解到波尔多的多样性，也了解到波尔多那些被掩藏的美丽。当然，我们的目的不是打破列级酒庄这些漂亮的橱窗。相反，有这些世界上最著名的牌子在手，我们没道理自己打击自己的士气。”
“高得令人发指的价格挫败了很多人的情绪”，Véronique Barthe（La Freynelle酒庄，波尔多两海之间）认为，“我们经常碰到跟我们说波尔多酒价格太贵的人。不错，这里是有奢侈品市场，但是也有普通葡萄酒市场。而无论如何，摆在我们面前的事实还是期酒会使得世界各地的人们聚集在这里品尝尚未成熟的葡萄酒，这就像魔术一样神奇。我们也能分些蛋糕屑。”
“期酒市场垮台对我们肯定不会有任何好处”，Stefaan Massart（Vilatte酒庄，波尔多）强调，“世界各地众多的产品迫使葡萄酒的价格下降。但是，我们的产区值得拥有大家更多的关注。我们都承受着价格战的痛苦。”
总之，期酒市场上令人质疑的高价引起的投机泡沫掩盖住了那些受人们低估、等待被消费且被公众认可的优质波尔多葡萄酒。
（1）这两个法定产区覆盖吉伦特省葡萄园一半以上，共63 000公顷，年产量超过三百万升葡萄酒。
《法国西南报》2010年03月16
记者：Christian Seguin
Translated by : 张彤彤 (Zhang Tongtong)
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Eating Future Cake:
EVENT :
Originally devised for the Bordeaux grand crus, the futures ('en primeurs') campaign now mobilizes vintners from all over the region.
They explain why even the crumbs are good.
Will the 2009 vintage equal that of 2005? Time will tell. It is, however, one of those superior quality wines, which will give consumers pleasure rather than headaches. In any case, the 'futures audience' is waiting : that's to say 5,000 journalists and buyers from all over the world whom Bordeaux entices into the most luxurious of its folds. The pre-sales campaign of Bordeaux wines, which is not open to the general public, remains an exciting economic and media-based event, during which the young wines still undergoing barrel ageing are appraised.
The recurrent question will be asked, as it has been since 2000 when the first growths doubled their prices : will the Bordeaux locomotive stabilize prices enough so as not to shake its wagons off the track and lose them in the middle of nowhere, leaving the consumer on the platform, waving a final goodbye with a white handkerchief?
Confidence Lost :
Is futures or 'primeurs' week, often percieved as a tasting bash for high-class guests, really justified, given this year's backdrop of economic crisis which has hit a large majority of the vineyard indiscriminately? Owners of wineries in less prestigious appellations do not see it in quite the same light. "We cling to a marketing campaign which was not designed for us," says Bernard farges, who is president of the AOC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur wine growers Syndicate (1). We cannot afford to distance ourselves. Imagine if the futures campaign was held in Burgundy. We are currently faced with a drop in sales transactions, and consequently need to regain lost trust among our operators. An event like this serves primarily to revive interest in Bordeaux."
Marc Medeville (Château Fayau) adds : "It won't revolutionize our case. Futures week is certainly less important to us than successful flowering in June or the impact of a harsh frost on the price of a 'tonneau' (900 litres of wine). However, it is an indisputable way of presenting our image to the export market." Laurent Mazeau (Vignoble Laurent Mazeau, Bordeaux) recognises that "After years of struggling, we have succeeded in improving the overall quality of our wines. If futures don't turn out well, it's much more difficult for us to explain that we offer good value for money wines. The impact for us is plus 10% - or not- but we are linked to the futures machine. Buyers from across the globe will go home knowing that this is a vintage not to be missed."
Wine and Luxury :
"We latch on to the slightest glimmer of a spotlight. Futures week is one such spotlight," claims jean-marc Landureau (Château d'escurac, Médoc). "A few years ago, the attention attracted by the great wines had an impact on the lesser wines market. Today, the dichotomy is obvious. Luxury on one side and wine-growing on the other. That said, the wine business is full of hope. We are expecting this vintage to provoke a reaction, especially in the U.S., where the market has not very active since the 2005 vintage."
Jean Thomas Doublet (Château Vîgnol, Bordeaux & Tour de Calens, graves) would like other ways of communicating in this rather exclusive world. "So that we can put across the fact that hidden within the sheer diversity of Bordeaux are great things. The aim is not to destroy the showcase. With the best known brand in the world, we have no reason to be demoralized."
"Prohibitive prices frustrate many people," observes Véronique Barthe (Château La Freynelle, Bordeaux Entre-Deux-Mers). We still meet people who say that Bordeaux wines are too expensive. The luxury market exists of course, but so does the wine market. However, we must face the facts : it is the futures event which draws the world here to taste an unfinished product. It's magic. We pick up some nice crumbs off the floor."
"It certainly would not help us if the futures campaign collapsed," underlines Stefaan Massart (Château Vilatte, Bordeaux). "it's the excessive market which continues to force prices lower. Our appellations deserve more attention. We all suffer from this situation."
Basically, the feared over-pricing of the 'primeurs' in the speculative bubble masks the under-evaluation of all the good, lesser-known Bordeaux wines which are worth getting to know, sell and of course taste.
(1) More than half of the Gironde vineyard, 63,000 hectares, with an annual production of more than 3 million hectolitres.
Sketch by Christian Gasset.
Author:Christian.Seguin