Bordeaux’s futures campaign for the 2023 vintage has begun. Will the wines (and their prices) be tempting enough to attract consumers? In coming weeks, Wine Spectator will report and analyze the latest releases from Bordeaux, compare them to past vintages available now and see how sincere the châteaus are in their plans to woo back wine consumers. Check back for prices and analyses.
May 14: Haut-Brion, Lynch Bages and Ducru Beaucaillou Bring The Savings
The big Bordeaux savings are back. Château Haut-Brion joined the campaign, releasing its first trancheof 2023 futures at €312 per bottle ex-négociant, down 39.5 percent on the 2022 release price of €516 per bottle. Top American retailers are selling 2023 futures for $429 per bottle, $5,148 per case. That’s 39 percent less than the 2022 futures on release and well below the current prices of the 2020, 2019 and 2018 vintages. The château also released its white wine, Haut-Brion Blanc, pricing futures at €540 per bottle, down 10 percent on the 2022 futures.
Haut-Brion’s owners also released La Mission Haut-Brion, pricing its 2023 futures at €180 per bottle ex-négociant, down 31.8 percent on the 2022 release price of €264 per bottle. American retailers are offering it for $244 a bottle, down 33 percent from 2022 futures. That’s less than half the current price of the 2019 vintage.
Château Lynch Bages also released, pricing its 2023 futures at €72 per bottle ex-négociant, down 31.8 percent on the 2022 release price of €105.60 per bottle. Top U.S. retailers are selling it for $98 a bottle, $1,176 per case, 31 percent below 2022 futures and well below recent vintages available in the bottle. Lynch Bages regularly offers excellent quality and value, making a price below $100 very attractive.
[article-img-container][src=2024-05/ns_clouet-cheval-blanc-vineyard-051424_1600.jpg] [credit= (Deepix)] [alt= Winemaker Pierre-Olivier Clouet in the vineyard at Château Cheval Blanc.][end: article-img-container]May 13: Cheval Blanc and Léoville Barton Release and Price Reductions Are Rapidly Shrinking
After a few holidays in France, Bordeaux wineries have restarted the campaign with several notable releases. ?Château Cheval Blanc released its first tranche of 2023 futures at €384 per bottle ex-négociant, down 18.3 percent compared to the 2022 futures price of €470 per bottle.
Leading U.S. retailers are offering the 2023 futures at $529 per bottle, or $6,348 per case, 21 percent less than the 2022 futures. That’s lower than the current prices of Cheval Blanc’s 2021 and more than 40 percent lower than the 2018 and 2019 vintages. It’s not as big a price drop as Left Bank first-growths Lafite Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild, however. What’s more concerning is that as the campaign enters its third week, the price reductions are getting steadily smaller.
Château Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton, owned by the same family, also released their first tranche of 2023 futures. Léoville Barton released at €55.80 per bottle ex-négociant, down 13.1 percent on the 2022 release price of €64.2 per bottle. American retailers are offering the 2023s for $79 per bottle, down 12 percent on 2022. That’s below the current retail price of the 2020 vintage and well below prices for the 2018s and 2019s. While the reduction is smaller, Léoville Barton offers consistently excellent quality at its price.
2023 Futures Prices
These estates represent a selection of leading wineries. Retail prices are an average of trusted retailers we follow. Prices for the 2023s are listed alongside the current prevailing retail price for Bordeaux’s recent vintages, so you can measure where the wines are vis-à-vis those currently on retail shelves.
Data compiled by Cassia Schifter
| Château | 2023 initial futures offering at U.S. retail |
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Source : https://www.winespectator.com/articles/bordeaux-2023-futures-prices-and-analysis
