The 2019 Bordeaux are coming out.

Probably worth starting it’s own thread as the Bordelais are seriously reducing prices in what looks to be a very good vintage. Two major chateaux have released at 30% below the 2018s.

Today Palmer at around £1000 a six pack, roughly translated to $2500 a case of 12 just under $210 a bottle.
Pontet Canet is roughly $80 a bottle.

Palmer pricing

Vintage GBP per 6
2000 GBP 1,535
2005 GBP 1,300
2010 GBP 1,285
2015 GBP 1,210
2016 GBP 1,270
2018 GBP 1,445
2019 GBP 999

Cantemerle is also now out and down nearly 18% in price, I normally can’t resist it and am wondering what the critics will think. A lighter vintage than 2018 is reported which sounds promising.

My report on over 500 wines will be out next week. Wines are still arriving on a daily basis.

If this trend holds I know where those refunded 2017 futures dollars are going.

Been seeing all your instagram posts and stories. That’s a full time job receiving and bringing in all those wine boxes! [wow.gif] [cheers.gif]

At least 40 cases of wine, so he is getting his exercise. Sometimes when I look at a ton of cases, I wish I had gone into stamps

Palmer at $209 today.

What’s the general view on the quality of this vintage? Comparisons to past vintages?

I’ve seen no reason to buy futures in any recent vintage, but think this may be the year. I’m still surprised the Bordelais are really reducing pricing.

Yeah, no kidding. I don’t need any more good vintages!

This is EP pricing only, right?

Alter Ego price is attractive.

The tariff issue is an interesting one. K&L, for example, offered the Pontet-Canet at $85. Wine.com just e-mailed an offer at $80. But K&L’s terms and conditions, if I read them right, said “this price is based on current tariffs” and reserves certain rights if the tariffs increase (also with no promise of a partial refund if the tariff goes away, though they have also apparently not been trying to back out of deals on wines offered before the tariffs, as in the TWM example from another thrad). Wine.com’s e-mail, in contrast, says that their price is based on no tariff and reserves certain rights if any tariff is in place at all (though it does not say that the buyer will be obligated to pay the tariff as opposed to any other option, it just says, essentially, “we’ll deal with it then”).

This issue has far more significance with wines under 14% ABV, obviously, but I thought one of the other threads said that Pontet-Canet is 13.5% in 2019.

Anyway, I find it interesting. Seems like buying at one vs the other is not only betting on the future price of the wine and the viability of the retailer, but also the state of the tariff 2 years hence.

So much for the theory that prices always go up.

I suspect that every retailer offering futures will have a “based on existing tariffs” clause somewhere on their site or in the invoices. It would not be prudent to leave that to chance.

Although I will not be buying any futures, no matter what, I do like the fact that the bordelais are recognizing the economic and geopolitical situation in which their products are being offered. Sensible.

Mark, is the view 2019 is similar to those vintages in quality/repute, vs. say a 2014?

1 Like

No tariffs for me, as a European. Should I sink my teeth into this?

I have not tasted them.
The data points that I have is from talking to owners and from various sheets by the chateaux post malolactic.

  1. They are less alcoholic, perhaps up to 1.5%
  2. They are agreeably fresh.

All this is as per owners, so take with pinch of salt. I had promised myself I would not buy, and here am I taking a couple of flyers, because these prices are relatively weak. I bought magnums of Palmer and a little Pontet Canet.