Excess

From: -Gordons Fine Wine [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2006 1:07 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Bureaucratic Excess The Gordon's Daily Flash: Saturday September 23, 2006 Everyone knows there's too much wine in Bordeaux these days. Specifically, there's too much bad wine, too much overcropped wine from obscure vineyards that can't be sold even for as little as a euro a bottle. In Bordeaux they speak of ' wine production at two speeds,' (viticulture à deux vitesses) with the cru classés and the vins de garage selling at stratospheric prices and the petit châteaux struggling to survive. So to reduce the quantity of wine available the geniuses in Paris decreed NOT that the mediocre producers should lessen their overgenerous yields, but that ALL producers in the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations should send 2% of their production to be distilled into industrial alcohol. In other words a slopfest grower making 60 hectoliters per hectare has to distill 2% of his production. And so does a conscientious grower making 40 hectoliters per hectare of entirely honoroable, rich, complex wine. This is a good example of the phenomena that make conservatives think government involvement in the economy should be limited to providing subsidies for industry and agriculture. It's especially . . . I guess odd is the word . . . it is especially odd that this regulation went into effect with the 2005 vintage, a vintage that yielded pretty good wines even at 60 h/h. But that's what happened. In 2005 even châteaux like Tire-Pé, Reignac, Belle-Garde, and Tour de Mirambeau were required to send 2% of their production to the distillers. Or at least they were required to send a quantity of wine equal to 2% of their production to the distillers. And they were only given paperwork to sell 98% under the Bordeaux appellations. Now here's why government doesn't think business should be allowed to do anything without goverment supervision: because businesses cheat. In the case at hand (and I guess I'd better not name names here since the INAO is undoubtedly among my loyal readers) a certain Bordeaux grower actually went out and bought a batch of very ugly vin de table from a cooperative, sent THAT to the distillery, and used the vin de table paperwork to sell his otherwise doomed to the distillery Bordeaux Supérieur. But of course he had to sell it for less than he normally would have. This is an estate-bottled 2005, smooth, richly flavored, deeply colored berryishly delicious little wine. It is priced like Bordeaux was priced when the 88s were the current vintage. It is IDEAL for everyday service. It doesn't actually say Bordeaux (or 2005) on the label of course. In fact I believe (I haven't actually seen the bottles yet) I believe there's going to be a piece of paper pasted onto each label to cover information (varietal identification) that was deemed unacceptable by the American label approval authorities (though they DID approve that exact same label for an importer in New York, but then I guess they were intimidated by those pushy New Yorkers in a way we milquetoast New Englanders just can't pull off). This is a GREAT opportunity for those of you who used to enjoy inexpensive young red Bordeaux back when inexpensive young red Bordeaux was actually inexpensive. It's the perfect storm of great vintage, top grower, and artificially low price.

Saved: 29-Sep-07

8826046.doc

Page 1 of 3

Due Wednesday. L'Excess N.V. (100% estate-bottled Bordeaux Supérieur 2005) reg. $10.99 sale $8.79 NET -David Raines HOW TO ORDER: Simply reply to this email with the number of bottles or cases you'd like. For those of you unable to collect your wines within 48 hours, some form of payment will be necessary to hold the wine. Please call us at 1-800-696-9463 (MA only) to arrange payment. Outside Massachusetts please call 1-781-893-1900.

EXPIRATION OF ORDERS: WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CONSIDER ANY ORDERS NOT REMOVED FROM OUR PREMISES WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE ORDER DATE TO BE CANCELLED. WE FURTHER RESERVE THE RIGHT TO RETURN THE WINES ON ANY SUCH ORDERS TO OPEN STOCK AND TO CREDIT THE CUSTOMER FOR THEM AT THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE Gordon's Fine Wine 894 Main Street Waltham, MA 02451 1-800-696-9463 (MA only) 1-781-893-1900

Saved: 29-Sep-07

8826046.doc

Page 2 of 3

Ticket Information Passenger(s): ERIN NARDUCCI Delta Air Lines record locator: RSNJQ7 Ticket type requested: electronic (e-ticket) Orbitz record locator: AP220101RSNJQ7MF Airline ticket number(s): 7172187431 Saturday, September 29, 2007 Delta Air Lines # 4110 Operated by: OPERATED BY ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST -- EV - Please check in with the operating carrier Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson ATL (ATL) to Pittsburgh Int'l Apt. (PIT) Departure (ATL): September 29, 7:51 AM EDT (morning) Arrival (PIT): September 29, 9:20 AM EDT (morning) -------------------------------Sunday, September 30, 2007 Delta Air Lines # 1671 Pittsburgh Int'l Apt. (PIT) to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson ATL (ATL) Departure (PIT): September 30, 1:31 PM EDT (afternoon) Arrival (ATL): September 30, 3:22 PM EDT (afternoon)

Saved: 29-Sep-07

8826046.doc

Page 3 of 3