Strong trade for Burgundy pushed Bordeaux’s trade share back below the low 60% mark this week. (Long-term readers will note that just a year ago we were referring to the ‘low’ 70% mark for Bordeaux. The region has been on a downward march in terms of trade share for some time as the market broadens.)
The USA and Italy both traded well – the latter thanks to activity for a handful of high-value Super Tuscans and various Brunellos.
Buyers sought out top-rated wines from a number of different regions this week. The legendary Sassicaia 1985 traded at just under £22,000 per 12×75. It has a string of perfect scores from critics. Jancis Robinson called it “so wonderful I just lost myself in it rather than writing a tasting note”, while Monica Larner deemed it “a most beautiful Italian masterpiece”. Jane Anson advised: “Get hold of this wine if you possibly can”.
Antonio Galloni most recently scored the wine 98, implying bottle variation, having previously awarded it 100.
Other quality-conscious buyers looked to the 1996 Margaux. This wine received a perfect 100-point score from Neal Martin 18 months ago, pipping the 99 points that he recently awarded to the estate’s acclaimed 2015 vintage. The 1996 last traded for £6,000 per 12×75: half the price of the 2015, which has a commemorative bottle and is regarded as perfect by a number of other critics.
Other scores for the 1996 include 16.5 from Jancis Robinson and 97 from James Suckling.
Also in the news
Victoria Moore offered Telegraph readers an introduction into obtaining cellar valuations last weekend. She commented: “If you are seeking to value a collection of blue-chip wines then Liv-ex’s valuation service, used by investors and fund managers, is an industry standard”.
We released our monthly market report, available to Liv-ex members and Cellar Watch subscribers, and also looked back at the progression of Left Bank wines from the 2008 vintage.
If you missed Gavin Quinney’s report on the production volumes of Bordeaux 2017 on Liv-ex Insights last week, it is also well worth a read.
Critic score sources:
Jancis Robinson (www.jancisrobinson.com); Monica Larner (www.robertparker.com); Jane Anson (www.decanter.com); Antonio Galloni (www.vinous.com); Neal Martin (www.vinous.com formerly www.robertparker.com); James Suckling (James Suckling).
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