How does Primeur wines work?
What makes Bordeaux unique is its way of selling. The wines are not traded directly by the chateaus themselves, but through negociants (intermediaries). The producers obviously want to offer optimum quality every year, something that entails a lot of costs. In order to offer a certain financial security, a pre-sale of the wines has been created.
Sometimes up to 2 years before the wine comes on the market, it is already sold during the En Primeur period. During this period, some of the bottles, not physically, but on paper are put on the market to be traded. The juice that is still maturing in the barrels is then tasted by wine professionals from all over the world. The quality of the vintage that is then determined by all critics, together with the status of the chateau and the price that other chateaus charge, then forms the guideline for the price that the bottles will cost. The interesting thing, however, is that the price is then about 15 to 30 percent lower than the market value at the time the wine comes on the market. Buying early can therefore be a very nice investment form. Especially given the current interest rates that you get at banks.
The great thing about Bordeaux wines is that they often have a very long aging potential. Good wines can age for 30 to 50 years with exceptions that go far beyond that. The longer the bottles are stored after arrival in the Netherlands, the scarcer the wine becomes, so that the value often grows automatically.
After all chateaus have announced the prices and we have also tasted in Bordeaux (with the exception of this year due to Corona) to be able to advise you well, we will come back to you with a nice range of wines to choose from. The wines will be available in all price ranges. From about 10 euros to hundreds of euros per bottle. Actually there is something for everyone. The wine can therefore be purchased for personal consumption, an investment or a combination of these.