It was another slow week for Bordeaux: the region continued to take less than 70% of trade by value. The First Growths accounted for around half of the region’s activity, with Lafite and Mouton Rothschild trading most. Trade for Burgundy was strong at 18.3%, boosted by activity for Ponsot Clos Roche 2012.
Latour 1989 found the bid this week. The wine has not historically been favoured by Robert Parker who criticised its “insufficient quantities” of the characteristics “that make great vintages of Bordeaux so alluring”. He awarded it 89 points. James Suckling, who awarded it 94 points, has called it “underrated by many”.
Today, Montrose 1990 traded at an all-time high of £6,180 per 12×75. The wine, which was previously scored 100 points by Parker, received a “100?” from Neal Martin in his recent vertical report of the Chateau. The critic had awarded it 97/100 in 75cl bottle (possibly affected by brettanomyces), but later tasted from mangum – potentially “a safer bet”. Martin compared the balance in the wine to a “ballerina-like poise” and the structure to the Forth Bridge.*
Bordeaux 2016
Chris Kissack’s scores for key wines from Pauillac and St Estephe were added to our critic scores page this week. These include three potentially perfect samples: Lafite, Latour and Pontet Canet were all awarded 98-100 points. You can view these here. Liv-ex members have been sent the 15th annual En Primeur members survey. Their verdict on the vintage will be published in the coming weeks.
*The Forth Bridge is a railway bridge that connects Edinburgh with Fife.
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