The Sauternes 50 has long been a slow mover. As the chart above shows, it was barely affected by the Bordeaux market’s rally of 2009-11, but then drifted for several years after the end of the boom.
Recently, its fortunes appear to have changed. Last month we posted about Yquem’s recent successes, particularly among older vintages. On Tuesday, we highlighted the best and worst Bordeaux performers this year. Three Sauternes featured among the top ten.
It is perhaps unsurprising, therefore, to see the Sauternes 50 index performing well relative to other Bordeaux sub-indices. So far this year, it has risen 7% compared to gains of 5% for the broader Bordeaux 500 index. Only the Second Wines 50 index has done better, as shown below.
Performance has not been equal across the board, however. The chart below shows the movements of the five wines that make up the Sauternes 50 Index. It has been a divided effort. Coutet, Yquem and Rieussec have made strong gains, earning places among the top risers of Bordeaux this year. Meanwhile, Suduiraut and Climens have been less impressive.
Both of these fell into the bottom ten in Tuesday’s post, suggesting that their prices are not exciting buyers. However, with other Sauternes rising, perhaps their moment in the sun is not far away.
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