Big names begin to appear in Bordeaux 2015 campaign with pricing so far higher than 2014 by double digit percentages.
The Bordeaux 2015 en primeur campaign can now officially be said to be underway, with a slew of big name releases this week. Around 50 châteaux have revealed their Bordeaux 2015 prices so far.
Among them are:
- Alter Ego de Palmer, up 14.3% on last year to €44 ex-Bordeaux
- Château du Tertre at €25.20 ex-Bordeaux, up almost 25% from €20.40 last year
- La Lagune at €32.40 ex-Bordeaux, a rise of 12.5% on 2014 (€28.8)
- Château Cantemerle at €19.80 ex-Bordeaux, up 13.1% on last year
- Château Beychevelle at €43.20, a rise of 16.6%
- Château d’Armailhac at €28.80 ex-Bordeaux, a rise of 20% ex-Bordeaux (+10.3%)
- Château Pape-Clement at €58.80 ex-Bordeaux, up by 18% on 2014.
Graphic: See Decanter.com analysis of how consumer prices for Bordeaux 2015 wines compare to previous vintages
Kristian Nooitgedagt, of Netherlands-based Eleanor Wine, told Decanter.com that ‘prices have been on average 5% higher than 2011, 16% higher than 2012, 18% higher than 2013 and 12% higher than 2014. Overall châteaux are attempting to get close to their 2010 prices.’
But, price increases vary considerably between estates.
Although price rises were expected before the campaign began, Anthony Russell at Quantum Vintners appears to reflect the general mood when he says, ‘We have really slowed down our en primeur buying, we’ve just been left with too much stock in recent vintages even with the well priced 2014s.
‘We are buying to order only this year. Historically it has been a slightly older generation that bought en primeur – these people still have wine in their cellar, and the Bordelais haven’t made a good case to the next generation.’
Nick Martin, of Wine Owners, said ‘demand is unquestionably up’ for the best priced wines. ‘Wines such as Pape Clement, Malescot St Exupery, and Lafleur are selling through to the private clients,’ he said.
Armit said Lafleur 2015 – one of Decanter’s best scoring wines of the vintage – was ‘many times oversubscribed’ within the first hour of release earlier this week. In the US, California-based Wally’s was selling Lafleur 2015 for $795 per bottle, in bond.
There was generally greater US interest in the Right Bank following en primeur tasting week, but more recently there has been speculation that several merchants were not quite as impressed with Bordeaux 2015 as they had expected to be.
In Bordeaux, negociants are reporting that Beychevelle, even though too highly priced for most observers, has sold well in Japan and China. Cantermerle has been one of the highlights, selling through at what is seen as a reasonable price.
