Susan_Hirasuna's Blog

Imagine paying $1200 for a single bottle of wine. Now, granted this is no ordinary wine. This is a 2003 Chateau Margaux. Wine critic Robert Parker gave the vintage a 99 out of a 100, declaring it a wine of "extraordinary complexity".. with a "velvety texture with notes of spring flowers interwoven with camphor, melted licorice, creme de cassis and pain grille." (huh?)

At any rate, I was lucky enough to taste this near perfect wine. A tiny taste offered up by the winemaker himself Paul Pontallier at the Beverly Hills Wine Merchant. And, it was... absolutely... transcendently... rapturously... GOOD. Okay, REALLY GOOD. I wish I could have another sip good.. No, I want a whole bottle good.

But then reality bites. Oh,what I could do with an extra $1200. Don't my window sills need to be sanded and repainted. Why does it cost so much to trim a palm tree? Is that clunking sound my vintage washing machine?

And, even if I could afford a bottle of 2003 Margaux, here's the irony. YOU COULDN'T DRINK IT! It's too valuable. What's $1200 today will be worth far more next year and the year after. So...Here's to the wine collectors in the world.. wish I could be more like you. But I think I'll go down to the store and take advantage of the buy one bottle get the second for five cents :-)

For practical reasons.. I must be a wine drinker, not a collector. I can be happy with a good bottle of red.. even if its not perfection.