As I have done for many years, I spent the last week of March in the Bordeaux region of France tasting the new wines from barrel samples at the legendary chateaux including Lafite, Margaux, Mouton, to name a few. This is an annual ritual where buyers from the wine trade and members of the press are invited to taste and evaluate the wines before they are offered for sale as futures. The 2009 bordeaux are uniformly well made and in some cases outstanding – one should never generalize about a vintage because within any vintage there are underachievers as well as superstars, such as Haut Brion and Chateau Yquem. As far as buying a vintage en primeur, there are complex reasons to take a position or not. What I can say is that , depending on the prices for the top wines when they are released in the coming days. I will certainly advise my collector clients to acquire a number of these gems.

The Far East Factor is the new element in this Futures Campaign. This will be the first great vintage where the potential demand from China will play out and the Chinese are expected to step up to become players in the Bordeaux Futures Market. This will affect pricing and availability.

Expect that fierce demand for this 2009 vintage will lift prices for previous vintages of top wines.

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Judy Beardsall, President of Beardsall & Associates, Inc., is famed for creating world-class wine cellars.

She manages high-end wine portfolios, both for drinking and investment,  for discerning clients.

With more than twenty years of wine trade experience, Judy has mastered every aspect of the fine wine business – from buying and selling to transporting, storing and selecting wines of every style and value .

Her extensive career  has brought her international recognition for her professional expertise and a unique place as consultant to passionate wine collectors throughout the world.

Whether you would like to assemble a family wine legacy for generations to come, or refine your existing interests , Beardsall & Associates can advise you accordingly by offering our highly personalized consulting services.