Those who follow the fine wine market will probably have noticed the remarkable recent rise in price of Carruades de Lafite, the second wine of the famous First Growth. The meteoric price increases have resulted in an extraordinary situation where some vintages are now changing hands for more money than First Growths themselves. Farr Vintners recently sold the 2004 vintage (our rating 15/20) for a higher price than we currently sell Mouton Rothschild, Haut Brion or Cheval Blanc. The 2000 vintage is now selling for over ten times the price at which we sold it to our customers en primeur in June 2001.
Spot the difference.
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Carruades de Lafite is a good wine of course but it is certainly not one of the stars of the Pauillac appellation. Better wines are produced, year in year out, at the same owners' Duhart Milon and of course at neighbouring properties such as Clerc Milon, Grand Puy Lacoste, Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet. Carruades now sells, in some vintages, for two or three times the price of Pauillac Super-seconds Pichon Lalande and Pichon Baron and even out-performs Cos d'Estournel and Léoville Lascases. When we hold our blind tastings of the top 20 Pauillacs, Carruades is regularly ranked at around position 15 competing with Haut Batailley, Armailhac and Haut Bages Liberal but ahead of "also-rans" such as Croizet Bages.
The eye-watering prices recently achieved have, however, nothing to do with the quality of the wine. The simple fact is that every single bottle of Carruades de Lafite that comes onto the market anywhere in the world is going to make its way to mainland China. There are many theories as to the reasons for the huge Chinese demand for this wine. What is, however, in no doubt is that Lafite is the undisputed No. 1 wine "brand" in China. "La Fei", as it is pronounced in the mainland, is the "must-serve" chateau at any important event as it reflects how highly regarded the hosts revere their guests. Carruades offers the host the ability to impress without having to fork out for Lafite itself. This seems to work well as the labels of both wines are so alike - especially to the newly wealthy entrepreneurial Oriental money-makers who may, understandably, not yet read western script. The crucial similarity is in the art-work which is identical on both labels.
The big question now is, how long will this clamour for Carruades last?......... For the moment, we have unprecedented demand for Carruades from our office in Hong Kong and customers are urged to check their cellar records now and cash in. One day soon the Chinese market will inevitably become more sophiscated and educated and these new wine drinkers will realise that they can get better wines for less money elsewhere. We can currently offer enormous prices for your Carruades. Or even better why not exchange your case of 2004 for 6 (yes six) cases of Grand Puy Lacoste or 3 cases of Pichon Lalande?
If you have any Carruades de Lafite that you would like to sell then please contact Stephen Browett
