As unpredictable June weather heralds the midpoint of the year, we already know from the falling of the Liv-ex 100 that the first half of 2012 has not been a successful one for the fine wine market. The last ten vintages of the First Growths have experienced a similar downward trajectory, as shown in the chart below.
Lafite is proving to be the worst performer of the Firsts, falling by almost 12% since the start of the year. Its successful 2011 release has not been enough to draw the market back to a once-favoured brand.
By mid-May Latour was the only First that had risen year to date, helped by sales of the 2009 and 2010: the latter comprised 53% of all 2010 Bordeaux sales in May. While it originally seemed that the market was keen to buy vintages from a label that will no longer release its wines En Primeur, in the last month its fall mirrors that of its fellow Premier Crus.
