Fine Wine vs Goats

It’s official, Super Bowl XLIX was easily one of if not the “greatest of all time” (G.O.A.T).

Tom Brady – GOAT

It was thrilling and if this game-based prediction holds any water, be prepared for “vintage of the century headlines” to be applied to the 2015 vintage in Bordeaux.

Although this Seahawks fan was left sickened by a last second, goal-line interception that won the day for the Patriots, there’s no denying how brilliant the game was.

The Patriots seemed to have the edge in the first half with the Seahawks just managing to keep pace. Then, in the dying embers of the first half came an 80-yard touchdown drive in little under 30 seconds by Seattle to tie the game.

In the third quarter Seattle took the lead and the Patriots could do nothing right. In the fourth quarter, Tom Brady orchestrated a comeback to take a slender lead and it was Seattle under the cosh once again.

With 40 seconds to go it looked all over at 28-24. Only a touchdown could win it and the Seahawks had another 80 yards to go.

Then, two sensational passes to Marshawn Lynch and another to Jermaine Kearse – who caught the ball quite improbably after falling over and keeping it up in the air – and the Seahawks were within sniffing distance of the goal line.

Lynch carried the ball to within one yard of the line and with just six seconds on the clock it looked as if Seattle were on track to win their second Super Bowl in as many years.

As the players lined up fans around the world were expecting to see the ball handed to Lynch, leaving him to punch over the line and onto victory.

But that didn’t happen. A pass play was called, Russell Wilson threw inside looking for an on-coming Ricardo Lockette and it was picked off right there and then – a classic case of defeat snatched from the jaws of victory.

For Tom Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick it was their fourth Super Bowl victory and will undoubtedly seal their reputations as among the greatest, if not the greatest, men to play the game in their respective positions.

Richard Sherman and Brady after the game. Photo credit: Mark Rebilas

So lots of G.O.A.T.s and a game to remember. Last year’s Super Bowl – deemed solid by this series (and this fan) – was followed by what appears to be a solid Bordeaux.

By that standard and the standard of the recent game, Bordeaux 2015 is going to be a G.O.A.T. too. Not that should be too much of a surprise, vintages with a “5” at the end – 1945, 1955, 1985, 2005 – are considered among the best there are.

Bordeaux looks like it’s digging itself out of the hole in which it has fallen in recent years. January saw Bordeaux dominate trade on the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 and if 2014 Bordeaux is as good as it sounds then there’s the potential to maintain positive momentum with a strong en primeur campaign – if it’s priced correctly of course.

We shall see but, as usual, you heard it here first sports fans.

Now, what if Wilson had thought the call was crazy, only faked to Lockette and then rolled out to his left and scrambled one yard for the touchdown. Then a Seattle dynasty would be assured, Wilson would have won MVP and Belichick’s hoodie would have tumbled to the ground in a puff of black smoke as he disappeared back to whichever dark realm he actually belongs. That would have been an ending!

But maybe not as surprising…