Robert Parker ups his "100 points" rating for the 2009 Bordeaux

It's official, the 2009 Bordeaux is good - almost too good for Parker, the world's leading wine expert

The 2009 Bordeaux has certainly been hyped, billed in some quarters as the best vintage in decades. But it also appears to be living up to the praise...

Last night, the pre-eminent wine expert Robert Parker, whose "100 points" wine rating is definitive in the industry, published his report on the 2009 vintage Bordeaux.

And, according to Parker, the cream of this year's crop is so exceptional that he's had to extend his ratings system beyond the usual 100 points.

Fine wines with "the finest potential of all the offerings I had ever tasted from that estate in nearly 32 years of barrel tasting samples in Bordeaux" will be marked with an additional asterisk after the "100".

Meanwhile, prices for the 2009 are estimated to be similar to 2005, the last fantastic vintage before this one.

But expert Stephen Williams at the Antique Wine Company believes that the 2009 vintage is going to be snapped-up and consumed very quickly.

"This vintage also has the characteristic as being one that is likely to become drinkable quite early in its life (five years or so)," he said.

Collectors and investors around the world certainly won't want to miss out on this one.

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