Excuse me!?!

From Jancis in Sat FT on 2014 burg (first of two); fine enough articlem but nothing as surprising as this claim:

“Even Frédéric Engerer, Pinault’s president of Château Latour, confesses he can no longer afford to drink burgundies above village level in a restaurant.”

REALLY? Maybe in the restaurants he frequents? Still…

Well, he doesn’t own it, he works for François Pinault right? I imagine he’s paid pretty well but a lot of the miners in Africa probably can’t afford to buy the diamonds they dig up once they’re cut and set.

Can’t feel too bad for him though - what’s Latour going for these days?

What do you question about this statement? Premier Cru level or above is probably +$300/bottle. who knows what Engerer is paid? Maybe more at some places (French Laundry, Per Se, RN74). My recollection of wine prices in France is hazier–at Ma Cuisine in Beaune one might find the occasional 1er Cru at closer to 100 Euros, but…

I’m with Greg, I can’t afford Latour or Les Forts in any restaurant! Welcome to my world Frédéric.

No one’s talking about Latour or Les Fort but 1er Cru burg. From Pearl and Ash (NYC! restaurant), here is a bunch of PYMC (whom JR was plumping in the article):
saint-aubin 1er cru, “les créots” 2013 125
saint-aubin 1er cru, “les champlots” 2013 125
saint-aubin 1er cru, “chatenière” 2012 155
saint-aubin 1er cru, “chatenière” 2010 155
saint-aubin 1er cru, “chatenière” 2009 magnum 355
saint-aubin 1er cru, “en remilly” 2010 155
puligny-montrachet, “le trezin” 2013 160
chassagne-montrachet 1er cru, “champs gain” 2013 200
chassagne-montrachet 1er cru, “champs gain” 2012 200
chassagne-montrachet 1er cru, “les chenevottes” 2013 200
chassagne-montrachet 1er cru, “les chenevottes” 2012 200
chassagne-montrachet 1er cru, “les baudines” 2011 185

And here are some reds:
dominique lafon, beaune 1er cru, “les epenots” 2011 135
yann durieux, côtes de nuits village, “les 1er ponts” 2011 135
henri germain, meursault, “les mouches” 2012 145
grivot, nuits-st. george 1er cru, “les prulièrs” 2008 155
bachelet, gevrey-chambertin, “vieilles vignes” 2004 160
daniel rion, vosne-romanée 1er cru, “les chaumes” 1999 170
genot-boulanger, corton 2011 180
comtes lafon, volnay 2011 180
marquis d’angerville, volnay 1er cru, “frémiets” 2011 180

I can and do buy in this range (at this restaurant in fact) and defies belief that the directing manager of Latour could not afford to.(Plus for him its tax deductible.)

Maybe he has a horrific gambling problem and can’t really afford anything else.

Seriously, that comment doesn’t make sense.

I love high-end Burgundy. I cannot remember the last time I ordered one in a restaurant.

Those are some decent prices. Perhaps he is seeing prices more like these at Quince (I was going to use RN74, but they appear to have taken their Wine List offline, perhaps too many heart attacks reading it):

Ballot-Millot, “Genevrières” 1.5 L 2011 430
Domaine Bernard-Bonin, “Charmes-Dessus” 2012 230
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, “Goutte d’Or” 2012 495
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, “Perrières” 2012 905
Domaine Leflaive, “Sous le Dos d’Ane” 2013 390
Domaine Michelot, “Genevrières” 2011 165
Domaine Michelot, “Perrières” 2011 190
Domaine Roulot, “Perrières” 2006 1100
Frederic Magnien, “Genevrières” 2008 180
Maison Roche de Bellene, “Perrières, Collection Bellenum” 1993 480
Remoissenet Père et Fils, “Hospices de Beaune, Genevrières” 1989 520

SAINT-AUBIN PREMIER CRU
Marc Colin, “En Montceau” 2013 260
10

CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET PREMIER CRU
Domaine Guy Amiot, “Les Champsgains” 2011 210
Domaine Michel Niellon, “Les Champsgains” 2001 210
Domaine Michel Niellon, “Les Champsgains” 2011 210
Domaine Vincent et Francois Jouard, ''Les Chaumées, Clos de la Truffiere" 2013 180
Marchand-Tawse par Pascal Marchand, “Abbaye de Morgeot” 2012 265
Marc Colin, “Les Champs Gain” 2013 450
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, “Les Chenevottes” 2013 230

PULIGNY-MONTRACHET PREMIER CRU
Francois Carillon, “Les Folatières” 2013 240
Henri Boillot, “Clos de la Mouchere” 2012 440
Henri Boillot, “Les Pucelles” 2012 490
J.-F. Coche-Dury, “Les Enseignères” 2002 1300
Louis Carillon & Fils, “Les Champs Canet” 2008 315
Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, “Les Folatières” 2006 510

REDS

Georges Lignier et Fils, “Clos des Ormes” 2012 175
Georges Roumier, “Clos de la Bussiere” 2008 385
Hubert Lignier, “La Riotte” 2010 345
Hubert Lignier, “La Riotte” 2011 325
Marchand-Tawse par Pascal Marchand, “Clos des Ormes” 2012 195
Domaine Bruno Clavelier, “La Combe d’Orveau” 2012 380
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé 2009 600
Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, “Les Amoureuses” 2002 1250
Domaine G. Roumier, “Les Cras” 2004 500
Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier, “Les Amoureuses” 1996 1875
Remoissenet Père et Fils, “Les Charmes” 1978 700
Robert Groffier, “Les Amoureuses” 2012 615
Robert Groffier, “Les Hauts-Doix” 2012 330
Domaine Bruno Clavelier, “Aux Brulées” 2012 365
Domaine Bruno Clavelier, “Les Beaux Monts” 2012 360
Domaine Leroy, “Les Beaux Monts” 1995 1400
Domaine Leroy, “Les Beaux Monts” 1996 1100
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, “Duvault-Blochet” 1999 1400
Emmanuel Rouget, “Les Beaux Monts” 2011 600
Emmanuel Rouget, “Les Beaux Monts” 2012 675
Sylvain Cathiard, “Aux Raignots” 2011 675
Remoissenet Père et Fils, “Les Beaumonts” 1978 450
Domaine de Montille, “Les Grands Épenots” 2010 375
Domaine de Montille, “Les Pézerolles” 2010 345
Michel Gaunoux, “Les Grands Epenots” 1999 420
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, “Santenots-de-Mileu” 1989 750
Domaine des Comtes Lafon, “Santenots-de-Mileu” 2012 340
Domaine Monthelie Douhairet, “En Champans” 1993 325

Well, yes, I said, maybe he is eating at the wrong restaurants, but plenty of spots in Paris along the lines of Pearl and Ash (or Racines or Tribeca Grill for that matter)–not to mention the old school places, the European equivalent to Bern’s, etc.

Maybe “what my expense account allows” got lost in translation…

damn, another first world problem hits the limelight … wuwt

On top of the wines being prohibitively expensive, I also seldom order them in restaurants because they are too young.

Wow, French tax law must be really generous to let someone deduct the cost of a bottle of wine consumed with dinner from taxable income!

Amen on this. Proportionally I drink more more zin and U.S. Pinot than anything else when dining out. A popular steak place in St Louis has already burned through most of their 2010 barolos. I split a case of 2010 Cavallotto with my dad at about $53 per. It is at the very back of my storage closet, not to be touched for years.
They had it for $140 and it was sold out by Labor Day.
Don’t recall seeing anything other than first growth bdx with more than 10 years on them. The Burgundy pricing is downright frightening. I feel I should check my wallet after looking at the wine list.
More power to them I guess. Maybe we should thank them?
The Rafanelli zin is expensive compared to other places but a downright bargain compared to other stuff.

I thought this was US law that you could deduct this as a business expense if ITB?? Maybe not??

Good point. We thought a few years back about springing for some Burgs at Quince (even if an “Italian” restaurant). But the oldest Burg was about 4 years old. But this is generally true at US restaurants…

Well, I paid 18 Euros in November for a half glass of Premier Cru White Burg at Ambassade de Bourgogne. The bottle would have been?? I guess 8 times that, maybe 10X, I don’t remember…

If you have some destinations in Paris with good Premier Cru Burg pricing, let me know…

Lots of ITB people that don’t want to spend much on wine.
Lots of ITB people that don’t like or care about wine.

Carl - the Ambassade has a large list of wines it retails, which you can order to drink there too. Slightly “expensive” for retail, but “dirt cheap” for restaurant - had a CSJ for well under the $300 being floated Sept last year.

Those price lists seem very high, and I’m used to price lists in Paris.

And no, you cannot deduct your wine consumption at restaurants, ITB or not.

Alain