Anthony Barton of Chateau Leoville-Barton insists his pricing policy will not change, as he does not want to make "investment wines".

The estate owner told Decanter that wine should be made for drinking, yet the high prices set by many Bordeaux attract investors looking to speculate.

He explained: "The price should be what suits the people who buy and drink it. Higher-priced wines are sold for investment.

"Some chateaux only make investment wines; they're exclusively speculative, and there's a lot out there."

Chateau Leoville-Barton has crafted a reputation for reasonable pricing, and despite the fact that en primeur prices rose for the 2010 vintage, theirs rose by less than most other chateaux.

Mr Barton recently claimed that the re-corking of older vintages is a "racket" that he will not participate in, while he also criticised the legal practice of topping up bottles with another bottle from the same vintage.