Greetings:

I've got a fairly limited budget for these wines so I can only pick up a few bottles of either the Lafite @$310 or the Latour @ $325. Assuming you were going to buy at least one of them, which would you pick? Thanks!

Cheers,

Arvin

All Latour.

Jones -

Probably already know the answer to this one, but do you really think the Latour is worth the coin they're charging for it? I think I remember reading you thought it was the best one since 1961.

I would say neither based on price. If I were Bill Gates I would not buy it. Now if you put a gun to my head (that's about the only way I would pay that price), I would say Latour

Now, a gun in the ribs seems to be how the Bordelais are conducting this years futures campaign.

Stick-em up!

To echo rmkam, also think about the length of time needed before either of these bottlesmight mature to justify the cost. Definitely a long-term investment if you take the plunge.

raybanz

Very expensive. But given the time frame involved might be worth investing in a few

i would buy both, but $325 for the latour is a no brainer. in 2007 the latour will be going for $450-500 a bottle.

I considered the 03 Latour a must purchase after I attended the Latour vertical given by Robert Parker and Frederic Engerer (Latour's director) last October (see the last Oeno-file for a full write up). The 03 Latour had Cabernet fruit come in riper than it ever has been before. I am sure it is a phenomenol bottle of wine. That said (and while I don't disagree with Jeff - this wine will only get more expensive) I did not buy it. At this price the future is just not worth it to me. I'll taste the wine once it arrives in America and if it is as good as it potentially should be perhaps I will reconsider but I doubt it. There are just too many other exciting wines that I can get for the cost of a case of 03 Latour.

Interesting. Not the response I expected from you, Jones, but informative nonetheless. I'm assuming that '03 constitutes, by far, the highest debut price for Latour. Anyone remember what the '00s were going for when the futures opened?

In June 2001, Latour's first tranche price for the 2000 (a very small amount) direct from the Chateau to the trade was $100.

very few people were able to buy the 2000 latour at those prices. still the 2000 latour was easily available for $240-260 a bottle as were the other first growths. the pricing on the 2003 latour is still 40% higher than the 2000.

Greetings:

Thanks everyone. FYI, I wound up getting 3 bottles of the Lafite and 6 of the Latour. That pretty much elminates my budget for CA wines, barring a few select direct mailings.


Cheers,


Arvin

with parker raving about both and saying the lafite is one to mortgage the house for and the latour being one of the best young bordeauxs he has ever tasted, i think you made a wise choice.