Luxury Wine and Second Wine: Do You remember the Bordeaux Prices of September?

Luxury Wine and Second Wine: Do You remember the Bordeaux Prices of September?

Guillaume Jourdan

Editorial by Guillaume Jourdan

When I look these days at the prices of second wines of Bordeaux First growths, it reminds me of a music from Earth Wind and Fire which said “Do You remember…the Bordeaux prices… of September?”. In fact, most of the time we read about the big hype around Bordeaux prices, comments are made on 2009 En Primeur Bordeaux First Growths. And the best example is the bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild which was proposed at the price of 1000 euros and which now trades around 1800 euros.

In fact, what could be even more spectacular is what happens now on the second wines of Bordeaux first growths. Do You remember the Bordeaux prices of September? Le Clarence de Haut Brion 2007, second wine of Chateau Haut Brion, priced now at 135 euros when it was 65 euros in September. September again with Pavillon Rouge 2007, second wine of Chateau Margaux, at 50 euros. Now 180 euros. Petit Mouton 2007, second wine of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, now 150 euros while it was 60 euros in…September. In a discussion about these prices with wine merchant Benjamin Gabin, from La Maison Gabin based in Bordeaux, he mentionned that most of those wines were now heading to Asia. “China puts more pressure on Lafite Rothschild prices – and the rest of the production of the entire group – than on any other famous estate like Chateau Latour or Margaux. Two particular trends can be noticed. First, pressure on the 2008s with the “Number 8 effect”: Lafite 2008 launched at 180 euros and now available at 1600 euros. For the same vintage, Chateau Latour looks ridiculously cheap at 450 euros… And the second trend is the price pressure on “less generous vintages” such as 1972, 1973, 1974 or 1979, 1980 and 1981. One year and a half ago, Lafite bottles were priced at 200 euros for these vintages and now trade around 700 euros.”

Bordeaux First growths’ prices are skyrocketing…Prices of their second wines are exploding…Where are these prices going to in a near term? On a longer term? In fact the positive trend looks very strong for those wines. But we should also remember that Caruades de Lafite which traded at 130 euros before 2008 crisis went down to 60 euros during the toughest period of the depression. Then it went up again and prices are now reaching their pick since September. Oh Yes September…Ba Ba Ba de Ya say do you remember…Ba de Ya pricing in september…Ba de Ya Golden dreams were shiny days…

(You can reach the writer at info@vitabella.fr)