[THE RIGHT BANK MOVEMENT]

Recent years have produced a more competitive environment in Bordeaux. Competition between the more established châteaux and those relative new comers has increased as a result of the remarkable performances of several right bank contenders. The upstart châteaux are providing a serious challenge to the blue chippers who now must respond to this surge by re-emphasizing what has earned them the status that they enjoy, their legendary vintages. For the consumer this new order that is evolving in the region can both be stimulating and perplexing. On the one hand the wine lover is presented with a plethora of wonderful buying opportunities. On the other hand, one can see the dilemma for the consumer who must choose between two equally high rated wines, one that enjoys legendary status, the other born from a less historically significant vineyard. So how is one to sort out the advantages that each has to offer?

What the terrific right bank performers have proven in recent years is that they can offer the consumer something fresh and exciting. The maturation of their soil and production technique has given birth to a distinctly exotic quality that has produced a compelling taste for the pallet. In fact there have been recent examples of new comers out performing left bank legends in sub par years. What might have at first seemed like an anomaly is now developing into a pattern that may be with us for the long haul. Those of us who see the future of wine production as a dynamic search for new and stimulating experiences can see the obvious advantages that the new right bank taste offers. This is a trend that will keep us anticipating each new season with a renewed sense of excitement knowing that our options will be broader and our salacious appetite satisfied.

What still sets the legends apart is their history. This is why many buyers still see the advantage of sticking with the standard bearers. How can you argue with Château Latour, for example, who can reach into its cellar and emerge with a 1928 behemoth whose time has still not yet run out. These classic chateaux still very much represent the epicenter of the world’s wine making community, and remain the odds on favorites to produce the more substantive, long lasting wines. Because they represent the stability and glamour that defines the Bordeaux region it is no wonder that, all things being equal, buyers will instinctively gravitate to them.

Before anyone on the left bank feels threatened by the new surge on the right it should be said that the legends have no reason to defend themselves or their wine, their worth is not in question. The onus is clearly on the right bank up starts to continue to prove that they belong in the top tier of producers. Like so many things involving wine, time will tell. In the mean time however, Bordeaux is enjoying a very unique period in its history. The successful new taste coming out of the right bank is causing consumers to sit up and take notice. The result is a region that is more well rounded than ever, a region that is offering even more options for its buyers, and a region that has still not yet approached its full potential.

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