2006 Bordeaux....

[TheEngineer]

PW, I understand what your theory is but unfortunately I'm not sure I'm the best candidate to comment....cuz I'm cheap. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] I've only tasted about a dozen bottles of 05's from my cellar and they are of the QPR variety. Cote Mont Pezat ($13 and good), Puygueraud ($25 and really good),...up to Pontet Canet ($89 and really really good but more modern). Whereas the '06's I'll drink anything I can get me little hands on and are in the same price range. So at the end of the day, price is a big driver in what I drink and I'll be comfortable drinking within that range. What I choose that night depends on what I'm looking for in a wine to match the dinner.

There is not a vintage I don't drink [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] I only really think of vintages as when I can drink them or what characteristics of a wine I wanted that particular evening. I actually really look forward to the vintage variations from the wineries or else I'd find it a bit boring if the same wine came out year in year out. As such, I could not drink '05 bordeauxs night after night.

This year, as I spent most of it in the UK, I've consumed a large number of claret from '01, '02, '04 and '06 and you are right, they are lovely (and cheaper than '00,'03 and '05). In fact, I would agree with you that the '06's would be my top choice of these four vintage in general but again, I would not stop popping the others. My fav bottle of bordeaux this year was an '02 Haut Brion that was ethereal and light....after decanting for 8 hours.... [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] lovely stuff if I could afford to drink this stuff all the time.

Having said that, there are some lemming-over-the-cliff tendencies that I have and I do buy more of the more hyped vintages but only for wines that I like (and afford). But another quick check of CellarTracker, shows the following vintages in my cellar, 58, 66, 70, 86, 88, 89, 95, 96, 97, 98,99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06. I've not purchased any 07 and 08 cuz I've not seen them on shelves and I am getting these crazy values on '04's and '06's that make me overloaded as it was. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] I am buying '09's but have not really started yet...though Cote Mont Pezat is again around $13,... [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] Cheap Bastard I am .....