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How to choose a wine that punches above its price point | Fiona Beckett on wine
Big names don’t always mean best value: some fashionable wines are over-rated, while similar wines at half the price fall under the radar
There was one of those opinionated Twitter exchanges recently about the world’s most over-rated wines. It naturally prompted vigorous disagreement depending on the standpoint and loyalties of those involved, but Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Napa Valley and, surprisingly to me, New Zealand were the most commonly mentioned suspects.
As with most things on Twitter, it was also wildly oversimplified. Of course there are good wines from all those regions, though I struggle to find much to write about in the Napa Valley. The problem is that there is often a disconnect between value for money and reputation. Big names, both producers and region, generally command high prices that are not always warranted, or that you’d be willing to pay. For example, you’d be better off buying Benjamin Leroux’s very delicious Bourgogne Côte d’Or Pinot Noir 2018 (13%) at £23.30 from Berry Bros & Rudd than his Nuits St Georges 2017 at £37.50, unless you were going to tuck it away for several years. There is a lot of decent basic bordeaux around that won’t cost an arm and a leg, but St Emilion rarely justifies its high cost.