Our sweet enemy, France, is not always that sweet. It is tempting to respond to France’s current degringolade with cynicism and indeed schadenfreude. For a start, it should keep down prices: even claret prices. There are reports that £80 million worth of serious claret is on the high seas, returning from China. Ordered, it was never paid for. The négociants of Bordeaux were already coping with two disappointing vintages — 2011 and 2012 — plus one unspeakable one. 2013 is by all accounts the worst year since at least 1973. Various houses will not declare a vintage. Only the boldest or most foolhardy will be buying en primeur.
That said, a few years ago I drank a ’73 Latour en magnum. The bottle had come straight from the château, so had been well cared for. It was fine, but that is Latour: incapable of making a bad wine, even in the worst years. It will be interesting to see what it does with its 2013s.
Funny to think back: in 1963, the Pearsons bought Latour for £650,000. There was a marvellous man called Alan Hare, who had a formidable war in SOE and SIS. He was part of that group and era — Julian Amery, David Smiley and others — who did their best to obey Churchill’s injunction: ‘Set Europe ablaze.’ In later life, they all knew how to enjoy themselves, and had earned the right to do so.
Not just under fire. In late 1943, after the Italian surrender, David Smiley was in Albania. For weeks, he had been living on dried donkey of a poor vintage. He came across a group of Eyeties — now our allies, as it were — who were cooking what smelt like a delicious stew.
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