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Brand and style History

estates and merchants. Why not sell direct? Quite simply because the broker

is a neutral party representing the interests of both partners, who would other-

wise be trying to get the better of one another. Brokers themselves do not sell

wines but simply take a fixed margin of four per cent, so it is in their interest to

regularly procure su

ffi

cient quantities, correctly assess the sales situation, the

demand and also the quality of the wine, and in the best cases justify a high

price (which helps the owner) whilst also ensuring that the wine remains af-

fordable to trade partners, who would otherwise go bankrupt or take their busi-

ness elsewhere. And to prevent brokers from deciding to engage in dumping

and undermine prices rather than following the unwritten rule of adhering to

a price guideline, sly sellers have been known to offer their daughters' hands

in marriage: the world of top Bordeaux is one huge family and solidarity rules

among family members, at least o

ffi

cially. Despite all the gloomy predictions,

this system which is so often written off has never functioned so well as over

the past twenty years, with the piper being paid (whether we like it or not) by

Bordeaux fans like us all over the world.

The theatre of aging

The road to success is a rocky one made of gravel, up to ten metres deep. The

benefits of this soil are that it drains water yet still always remains damp, is a

good heat store on frosty nights, requires the two or three grape varieties which

for centuries have proven their ability to root properly in the capricious climate,

and allows the grapes to ripen at leisure, so slowly that they become crisp and

thick-skinned, assimilate sugar (but not too much) and break down acidity be-

fore over-ripeness and rot set in. Wine pressed from these grapes and drunk

immediately turns out ink black, tart and almost undrinkable, tasting of grape

stems and pomace – ugh – one for the masochists. Instead, you would be better

sticking to fruity Burgundy, meaty Spanish examples or wines from the areas

around Saint-Emilion or Pomerol, which have smoother tannins (other than all

the New World copies which are now thankfully becoming rarer: the fashion

for over-extracted wines which reached its peak between 1995 and 2005 has

faded as quickly as it arrived). However, if you allow great Bordeaux from these

special soils to mature then it becomes unbeatable in terms of balance, airiness,

elegance and finesse, making it ideal for speculation, as great Bordeaux (particu-

larly Cabernet-based wines) goes on and on and keeps as well in a cellar as gold

bars, only tasting much better. And because modern winery technology now

means that the wines taste pleasant earlier but lose none of their aging ability,

great Bordeaux has remained ultra-modern and the whole world cannot get

enough of it. However, not even God knows how many cases are sold and drunk

and how many are stored and hoarded – perhaps because Peter is speculating