Publish and be damned! Or should we have a plan economy for Bordeaux wines?

In an article last week Jancis Robinson advocated a freeze period for comments and reviews on wines tasted at the Bordeaux primeur circus next week (presentation and trade tasting of the new 2010 vintage) until after the chateaux have announced their prices. She argued that holding off on comments may have a dampening effect on the wine prices. She says she is starting to feel like a pawn manipulated by the wine trade. It has sparked a lot of debate on the internet and elsewhere. Michel Bettane, one of France’s most influential wine critics, has also been very negative about this years Primeur campaign, but with a reasoning that more sounds as if he is bitter because some other journalists have been given priority access.

Robert Parker, the Wine Spectator, Decanter and others have been sometimes sympathetic but generally not supportive. Dr Vino (Tyler Colman) on the other hand seems to like the idea. BKWine is not going to the primeurs tastings but in any case we do not think Jancis’ let’s-all-keep-a-secret journalism collusion idea is good. Nor is it something that is likely to have much effect on the market. Read our more on the proposal and our detailed comments in this article: “Is the market for Bordeaux wine a market economy or should it be a plan economy?”

What do you think?