APRIL 2018 NEWS LETTER : BORDEAUX 2017 EN PRIMEUR
Welcome to the Cru Wine Investment April 2018 Investment update
Fact of the Month
“Germany, France, China, USA and Italy together consume over half of all wine drunk in the world”
This month sees the start of the 2017 en primeur campaign in Bordeaux with ‘En Primeur Week’ – when the Chateaux open their cellar doors to the press and the wine trade to taste the 2017 vintage for the first time, while still in the barrel. This event is the precursor to the initial release of prices through the Bordeaux negociants, when the top wines are first sold as futures – traditionally at the lowest prices. We were of course in attendance, securing our allocations of the best wines for our clients.
Feedback on Bordeaux en primeur week
There is no need to underline that much of the French vineyard, and especially the Loire and parts of Bordeaux had been hit by hard frosts last April, which destroyed 40% of the Bordeaux production alone. This has been the leading topic of conversation, and is seen as the biggest influence on prices. The appellations of Saint Emilion, Margaux, Sauternes, and to a lesser extent Pomerol were the worst hit. However, prestigious vineyards mainly located in front of the Dordogne were protected and will offer high quality wines. We particularly observed that the white wines from Pessac Léognan are especially good – Haut-Brion and Domaine de Chevalier were outstanding!
Critics release their scores for Bordeaux 2017
On Tuesday 3rd April, James Suckling was the first critic to release his scores for the “surprising” Bordeaux 2017 vintage. Chateau Latour (superb) and Yquem (wonderful style) both received the highest scores of 98-99. The following day, it was James Molesworth from Wine Spectator who released his notes, giving his best scores to Pavie, Mondotte and Trotanoy – also well scored by Suckling. Jean Marc Quarin gave his highest score (98) to the prestigious producer of Pomerol: Pétrus. Roger Voss from Wine Enthusiast considered that the highest potential wine is Haut Brion, with a score of 98. Remember, these scores are revised as wines evolve in the barrel and are eventually released in bottle. No perfect 100 score to be found yet among the critic scorers for this vintage.
Online retail shop is now live! www.cru-wine.com
On Friday 6th April, we opened our cellar doors, albeit virtually, to our clients with the launch of cru-wine.com – giving you on-line access to purchase prestigious wines from around the world, which can even be delivered to your door. Indeed, thanks to our deep roots in France and strong buying capabilities, we are able to offer you a unique experience to acquire prestigious bottles from Bordeaux, Burgundy, California and Tuscany. This is another demonstration of CWI’ commitment to reduce the distribution chain between producers and consumers. You can now buy on-line, or contact us directly for in depth advice.
Tasting Trip to Bordeaux (June)
We are looking forward to our visit to Bordeaux on the 1st and 2nd June with some of our clients. For those of you who are coming, you can expect a superb tasting weekend in the heart of this fine wine region. Three nights in a central hotel in the magnificent city of Bordeaux itself, with two days being chauffeured around some of the top Chateaux, for exclusive tastings on prestigious private estates, and great lunches in the French countryside. This will be an experience to remember – there are a few spots left if you would like to join us.
Link: http://cruwineinvestment.com/events/cwi-3rd-year-private-tour-of-bordeaux/
The Cru Wine Investment Team – www.cruwineinvestment.com
Performance update:
Our performance on behalf of our clients remains strong at +11.3% year-to-date, outperforming the market index.
Lafleur ’82 Magnums Fetch More Than $12.000 Each at Sotheby’s
Bloomberg, 21 April 2018
Bordeaux dominated the results.
Read more here
