Bordeaux wines see high levels of trade in the run up to En Primeur releases

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While the market as a whole experiences the typical April lull as it waits with baited breath for En Primeur price releases, interest in Bordeaux is comparatively high as consumers run to grab a bargain from their favourite fine wine region.

Bordeaux’s total share of trade climbed to 83.3% last week, a big step up from March’s average share of 78.1%. Burgundy took second place, and The Rhone was also up 2% from the previous week, with three of its wines featuring in the top five traded by volume.

Table 1: Regional trade share by value (15-21st April)

RegionCurrent trade sharePrevious week’s shareMarch’s share
Bordeaux83.3%82.2%78.1%
Burgundy5.6%4.6%6.4%
Champagne1.6%5.2%2.3%
Italy2.5%3.1%5.9%
Rhone4.5%2.5%1.6%

Source: Liv-ex

Top Bordeaux wines on the Exchange last week

Bordeaux’s total trade was again boosted by high value, non-first growth wines – a persistent trend so far this year.

Leoville Las Cases 1996 (98 points) and the perfect 100-point scoring Petrus 1989 and Cheval Blanc 2010 were the top three wines traded by value. Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild were the most active of the First Growths, accounting for 32% and 30% of trade respectively.

Table 2: Trade share by value (15-21st April)

WineVintageTrade share
Leoville Las Cases19964.7%
Petrus19893.6%
Cheval Blanc20103.1%
Lafite Rothschild20132.2%
Mouton Rothschild20052.0%

Source: Liv-ex

2013s make the best Bordeaux bargain

As the cheapest physical vintage on the market, the 2013s are clearly appealing to buyers looking for a low entry point into their favourite brand. This is especially true among Asian buyers, and explains why Lafite Rothschild 2013 was the fourth top wine traded by value last week.

Lynch Bages 2013 was the second highest wine traded by volume, while Petit Mouton 2013 currently stands at 50.1% above its London release price.

A fine wine for your collection: Leoville Las Cases 1996

Robert Parker writes effusively of this esteemed second-growth in the fourth edition of his Bordeaux book in December 2003.

“My tasting notes for this wine begin with the following words “wow, wow, wow!” The wine possesses an opaque purple color, and an attention-getting, staggering, sweet nose that offers the essence of black currant fruit, kirsch, and minerals as well as the essence of Leoville-Las-Cases’s personality. It is fabulously concentrated, with the sur-maturite (over-ripeness) of Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the wine’s most undeniable hallmarks. When measured, the tannin level is extremely high, but you would never know that when tasting this wine because of the massive amount of extract, purity, and virtually perfect equilibrium. A candidate for a perfect rating, it is a modern day legend in the making.”