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Spotlight On: Château Haut-Brion 2000 vs. 2001

The 2001 has a higher score than the 2000 and costs less

Nick Suarez

Posted: Wednesday, October 08, 2008

The 2001 vintage in Bordeaux is often compared to the outstanding vintage of 1986. However, 2001 Bordeaux can be overlooked at auction as it comes on the heels of the classic 2000 vintage, where stellar growing conditions led to 27 top-tier wines rated in the classic range (95-100 points on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale). Savvy collectors will take note that this creates some opportunities for values. For instance, the Château Haut-Brion 2001 (95 points, $150 release price, $221 current auction average) is rated slightly higher than the 2000 (94 points, $425, $719), yet trades at auction for substantially less.

Investors should be aware that despite the price difference, the 2001 has increased in value from its release price by 47 percent in comparison to 69 percent for the 2000. The 2001, however, offers a less pricey entree to buying top-rated Bordeaux.

This data comes from the Wine Spectator Auction Index, a composite of average prices for wines sold at commercial auctions. This chart shows the average auction prices of Château Haut-Brion 2000 and 2001 from 2005 to the second quarter of 2008.

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