A late flurry of 2011s were released today, among them the Bordeaux big guns Latour and Cheval Blanc.
Latour, in its last year of being sold en primeur, released without a recommended resale price, but its estimated ex-negociant price is €440 p/b. This seems reasonable (although volumes are again tiny). As such, Latour saw steady trade on the exchange at around £4,500 per case.
Cheval Blanc came to market at the same price, but this places the 2011 as the most expensive recent vintage outside of 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010. Unsurprisingly, Cheval failed to garner much demand on the exchange.
In contrast, Eglise Clinet's release at €102 per bottle – a large reduction from 2010's price of €276 (-63%) – was greeted enthusuastically. It was among many critics' favourite wines of the vintage (including a score 96 from Tim Atkin MW) and as one merchant wrote: "Eglise Clinet is one of the very few 2011’s that we can wholeheartedly recommend."
A selection or today's releases are listed below and can also be viewed on twitter or the Liv-ex 2011 En Primeur Pages.
With Vinexpo commencing on Sunday it seems surprising that so many chateaux are yet to release. With just one working day to go before many of the trade head to Hong Kong, we are still waiting on Ausone, Carruades de Lafite, Ducru Beaucaillou, Duhart Milon, Evangile, Gruaud Larose, Le Pin, Leoville Las Cases, Petrus, Talbot, Yquem and Vieux Chateau Certan.
Can we expect to see a last rush of releases tomorrow, or perhaps, as Las Cases has done before, might some chateaux elect to not release until after the campaign proper has ended?
