- Château Lafite Rothschild led the charge of the Fine Wine 50 this year.
- The Second Wine 50 remains the best-performing sub-index in the Bordeaux 500 since 2003.
- The Right Bank 50 has risen strongly but the Right Bank 100 has lagged a little.
The Bordeaux 500 index has been one of the slowest-rising sub-indices of the Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000 over both the last year and year-to-date, rising 9.2% (the Rhone 100 by contrast has risen 12.5%).
The index is comprised of six sub-indices of its own: the Fine Wine 50, Right Bank 50, Right Bank 100, Left Bank 200, Second Wine 50 and Sauternes 50.
All of the Bordeaux sub-indices have risen in 2021, but its blue chip wines – the First Growths, their second wines and leading Right Bank estates – have carried the biggest price rises.
The Fine Wine 50 has been the strongest performer, up 12.7%. The Second Wine 50 and the Right Bank 50 (which tracks five labels including Petrus, Lafleur and Cheval Blanc) are up 9.7% each. The Sauternes 50 and Right Bank 100 (tracking 10 Right Bank estates including Angélus, Pavie, Troplong-Mondot and Vieux Château Certan) have been the weakest, up just 5.3% each.
Since 2003, the Second Wine 50 has been the strongest performer of all the sub-indices, rising 860%.
Château Lafite Rothschild leads Bordeaux’s performance
As explained in our Power 100 and Fine Wine Market in 2021 reports, this has been a good year for blue chip labels and the performance of the Fine Wine 50, Second Wine 50 and Right Bank 50 is an example of this.
Château Lafite, Mouton Rothschild, Margaux and Petrus are all among the top five wines traded by value this year – across all regions and categories. Château Haut-Brion and Latour are in the top 10.
Furthermore, none of the First Growth vintages included in the Fine Wine 50 have turned in a negative performance this year.
Of all the First Growths, however, Lafite has had the best year. It is the top traded brand by value, with its 2018 vintage being the top-traded wine.
Its best-performing wine though has been the 2017 (see chart above), which has risen in price 31.3% year-to-date. It is also the third most-traded wine by value this year.
The 2009-2017 vintages of Lafite have risen 25% on average this year. The next best-performer is Mouton Rothschild, whose same vintages have risen 12.6%. Haut-Brion and Margaux’s wines have risen 10.0% on average and Latour 7.0%.
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Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 530+ merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £80m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines. Independent data, direct from the market.
