The Parker ratings for the 2006 vintage, which have now been published, have been good news for many Bordeaux producers. Nobody now still expects the prices to be set significantly lower than those for the 2005 vintage.

Robert Parker's ratings, published in the latest issue of his Wine Advocate magazine, see the 2006 vintage in a better light than producers had feared. Although ratings are not as high as they were for the 2005 vintage, there are several instances in which the US wine critic has awarded 94 points and more. And, although he criticises the vintage in general, speaking of many hard wines in the Médoc, or of uneven quality in Saint-Emilion, he also mentions the ultimate 100-point rating three times - albeit as a possible upper limit of his rating range. The producers who will no doubt be happy about the 96-100 point rating are Château Bellevue Mondotte, La Mission Haut-Brion and Mouton-Rothschild.

The signal given to the producers could hardly be more clear. Insiders now expect significant decreases in prices compared to those for the 2005 vintage only in the case of those chateaus that have been rated significantly lower this year, most of the respected producers are likely to set their prices with a view to those of the 2005 vintage, rather than closer to the 2004 vintage prices.