MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Garagiste wines can command hefty price tags
The term “garagiste” came into the English language more than 30 years ago. At first it referred to micro-cuvées made from tiny plots of land in the Right Bank appellations of Bordeaux. However, the usage quickly spread to any wine produced in such tiny quantities that, providing it received a high score from an influential critic, it was guaranteed to sell out at an inflated price.
The first so-called garagiste wines enjoyed something of a pedigree (and continue to attract stratospheric prices). Le Pin, from a 2ha site of old vines in Pomerol, was the forerunner. Current releases sell for about R50,000 a bottle...
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