Calling Australian lovers of fine Bordeaux wines

 

Calling Australian lovers of fine Bordeaux wines blessed with deep pockets. 

Wines from the 2022 vintage from the Bordeaux wine region have landed in Australia though auction house and importers Langtons, with one of the largest and most comprehensive allocations of the vintage. 

The offering showcases both regional stalwarts and up-oand-coming producers.

Available via the Langtons website, the wines on offer will include Château Lafite Rothschild; Château Figeac; Château Pontet Canet; Château Cos d’Estournel and Château Canon with pricing starting at $50 all the way to rare investment-grade wines for $2,000 a bottle. 

“Bordeaux has been an integral part of our portfolio for many years here at Langtons, and we are so thrilled to be welcoming its latest 2022 vintage into our extensive collection from the French region,” says Langtons head of Wine & Spirits Ramon Gunasekara. 

“The 2022 vintage has already been hailed as one of Bordeaux’s best in recent history, and we are proud to be Australia’s destination to get access to these very special and iconic wines.”

The benchmark 2022 vintage saw extremely hot and dry conditions throughout the region, but despite the extreme weather, many producers crafted wines possessing power, ripeness and vibrancy akin to vintages such as 1961 and 1982, the Langtons team says. 

“Irrespective of fluctuations being seen in the market, it's a wonderful time to buy Bordeaux, both new and old,” says Langtons head of auctions Michael Anderson.

“Brilliant vintages in Bordeaux like 2022 make for an excellent investment opportunity with savvy investors finding the top wines of the vintage and squirreling away their share to watch their value rise in the secondary market.

"It's a great time for those looking for both younger and older examples of Bordeaux to add to their cellars with the market very well-priced across a range of vintages, with my top picks to look out for being 2000 and 2005.

"Bordeaux remains a cornerstone of global fine wine collecting and a long-term luxury investment."

China to add new high-speed rail route

 

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has given the go ahead for a major new high-speed rail link between Shanghai and Hangzhou.

The new route is part of a broader push to expand the country’s already vast rail network, news hub Travel Mole reports.

The 222.8km line will connect Shanghai East - a new station under construction near Pudong Airport - to Hangzhou in just 40 minutes.

Both cities are already linked by a high-speed train but the new line will cut nearly a third off the current fastest journey.

The $US9.35 billion project will serve nine stations. It includes new stops at Fengxian, Shanghai Jinshan, Pinghu City, and Linping.

Existing stations at Situan, Jiaxing South, Tongxiang, and Hangzhou West will be upgraded to handle the expected surge in traffic.

For Shanghai East, the project marks a significant milestone. The station is set to become a key transportation hub, linking Pudong Airport with high-speed rail for the first time.

The project will boost the airport’s competitiveness with its rivals in China, including Hong Kong.

The new line is expected to drive economic integration between Shanghai and Zhejiang province, supporting growth in the Yangtze River Delta, one of China’s most dynamic economic regions.

The NDRC also approved construction of a 234.5 km line in Tibet on the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. The $US3.1 billion project will initially open with five stations. It will improve access in a region where rail development can be logistically challenging.

Meanwhile, construction will begin next month on the Yining–Aksu line in Xinjiang, a region bordering Central Asia.

The 794km single-track electrified line will require six years to build and carry a price tag of $US5.3 billion. Designed for speeds up to 160 kmh, it will feature 24 stations, half of them equipped with passing loops to support mixed passenger and freight traffic.

In Australia, meanwhile, the interstate rail network remains prehistoric.