In the period after Hong Kong wine duties were removed in 2008, Bordeaux was without doubt the region which capitalised most on the sudden boom in demand. Despite Hong Kong’s historical link to the UK, fine wine was still something enjoyed mostly at private dinners amongst a few connoisseurs. Almost overnight, it became the chosen social lubrication as well as a sign of sophistication and opulence.
The annual “Southwold Group” tasting is an important event in the wine trade calendar. Every year in January, 20 of us get together for three days to blind taste our way through samples of 250 top red and white Bordeaux from the most recently physically released vintage. It’s a completely comprehensive tasting with every leading château of Bordeaux pleased to take part - bar two who don’t like their wines blind-tasted against the neighbours. I won’t name names, but they don’t get away with it as we just buy their wines in anyway. The panel of tasters contains some incredibly knowledgeable people including septuagenarians and wine trade heroes Sebastian Payne MW and Mark Savage MW. In fact, 12 of the panel are Masters of Wine and ages range from early 30s to mid-70s. We have representatives from most leading UK merchants including Berry Bros, Corney & Barrow, Justerini & Brooks, Lay & Wheeler, Goedhuis-Waddesdon and The Wine Society. We are joined by wine writers HRH Jancis Robinson MW OBE and Neal Martin of Vinous (formerly of The Wine Advocate). It’s a fantastic line-up of people and wine.
2022 is a vintage with a big reputation. Lauded by many producers as another “vintage of the century”, with critics handing out perfect scores for several wines as vignerons believed they may have made their best wines ever, the combination of extreme weather and difficult market conditions, together with at times higher-than-ever release prices meant wines with great potential were often bought in more modest quantities.
