Notable pigs and metal tigers

Last week we pointed out that Mouton 2000 had enjoyed a stellar performance, such a performance, indeed, as might have been expected in the Chinese “Year of the Ram”.

In a note to clients this time last year Amphora Portfolio Management highlighted the attractions of Mouton arising from the Chinese zodiac and, somewhat less tongue-in-cheek, for the 2005s in general.

That was driven by the prospect of the Parker retrospective for 2005, and we look forward to his following that up with another for the 2006s this year. He did say he was going to leave the en primeur space to others and concentrate in the hereafter on wines that had reached their drinking window. At 10 years old a lot of the 2006s have reached that point.

The Year of the Ram has just given way to the Year of the Monkey, so what might we expect from that cheeky little chappie?

In its entertaining Feng Shui-driven stock market forecast for the coming year, investment bank CLSA points out that “the Chinese Monkey is an ambivalent figure. Close to man and yet uncontrollable. Loved for his human-like antics and disliked for his lack of social grace and unpredictability.” Perhaps we should expect the unexpected.

In the Oriental psyche, individual personality characteristics are driven by the year of their birth, much like Western astrology. The difference is that instead of monthly-divided astral constellations, the Chinese twelve-year cycle is designated by animal representations, and each animal is influenced by an element: fire, water, earth, metal, or wood, depending on the year.

Robert Parker, for example, is a Fire Pig. The pig is considered a very friendly animal, gregarious, disliking conflict as much as it likes food and drink. Especially red wine! Those who live by the Parker scoring system will be delighted to hear that a (Chinese) Pig is trustworthy, and would hate to lie and deceive.

But he’s not just a Pig, he’s a Fire Pig, and the fire adds intensity – the Fire Pig is an extrovert. There is a degree of impulsiveness and recklessness; the outcome of its decisions can be unpredictable!

Perhaps the fine wine investor ought to take note! That said, the fine wine market does still seem pretty much in thrall to his opinions, ever since 1982 when his native impulsiveness led him to throw 100-point scores at what other critics had estimated as a relatively ordinary vintage.

Hilary Clinton is another notable Fire Pig.

Of course it wouldn’t be fair to ignore Robert Parker’s competitors in the critical firmament. Jancis Robinson MW happens to be a Metal Tiger. The Tiger, as you might expect, is a great friend but implacable enemy. Rather more alarmingly it oozes sex appeal and vitality. The Tiger lives for conflict, as anyone who has seen Robinson’s opinions on some of Parker’s favourite wines would attest.

The metal element adds implacability to the personality of Metal Tigers, making them great leaders so long as their decisions are not questioned. They sometimes have difficulty realising the shortcomings or flaws in their logic. Sounds perfect for a critic!

Such seemingly diverse individuals as Richard Branson and Narendra Modi are also Metal Tigers.

If ever anyone ought to be a Fire Pig, it is James Suckling, but he in fact is an Earth Dog. Guess what? A dog is renowned for its loyalty and trustfulness. Highly principled and idealistic, the Chinese Dog is a good communicator. (Note to self: pay more attention to his reviews!)

Unlike a Monkey, for example, the Dog prefers careful planning to chaos and spontaneity. Apparently James Suckling should have been a social worker or a medic.

No prizes for speculating what the Earth element might add. That’s right: grounding. The Earth Dog is always alert to potential danger, and is often concerned with the affairs of others to the detriment of its own. Quite good at sums too, in theory.

Having a lifetime association with a “wiley windy moor” it is therefore no surprise that Kate Bush is an Earth Dog, although she might have padded the back catalogue with something remotely Baskervillean. Rather more bizarrely, whilst almost synonymous with chaos and spontaneity, so was the late Rik Mayall, but then all comic genius is actually underpinned by endless planning and preparation.

Nor does this enlightenment stop at individuals, but the Chinese zodiac also highlights which types mix best with which. People in Asia actually consider this sort of thing before embarking on relationships, rather as a Taurean might think twice about dating a Sagittarian. This being the Year of the Monkey, which of our heroes makes the best match?

Well the best fit for a Monkey is a Snake, a Dragon or a Rat. The Tiger and the Pig are no match at all, whilst James Suckling’s Earth Dog is at least “a match”. We must have a good look at where his views diverge from Parker and Robinson. This might be his year!

Philip Staveley is head of research at Amphora Portfolio Management. After a career in the City running emerging markets businesses for such investment banks as Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank he now heads up the fine wine investment research proposition at APM. www.apmwineinvestment.co.uk