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Talking Trade – Bordeaux increases its market share

The Fine Wine market closed July having traded 2,214 distinct wines (LWIN11s). This was the second broadest month ever for the fine wine trade.

Even with the market broadening, Bordeaux trade share by value increased to 48.7% in July and started August even higher, at 51.5% in the past week.

Movement of First Growths is what is spurring the rise in Bordeaux trade share. However, it is not only the pallets of wine that are moving but the prices too. The Fine Wine 50, an index consisting of the 10 latest physical vintages of the First Growths, has risen 7.79% year-to-date, and 3.02% in July alone.

Chateau Latour 2005 was the top traded wine of the week. The wine released at £4,500 per 12×75. It traded as high as £11,000 per 12×75 just two years after its release. Since then then wine has seen a steady drift to roughly £6,000 a case last year. In the past year, the wine has risen 16.9%.

Petrus Pomerol 2016 and 2015 were in the charts this week. Neal Martin has the 2015 scored slightly higher at 98+ points, compared to 97+ for the 2016.

Petrus 1989 is the only perfectly scored vintage from Neal Martin. 1998, 1964, and 1949 are all close behind with scores of 99 points.

Fine Wine Indices

Both major Liv-ex Fine Wine Indices posted gains in July. The Fine Wine 100 celebrated its 20th year of tracking fine wine prices. The Fine Wine 1000 rose for the 11th consecutive month as it closed in on a year of gains.