Ok, so I know that '13 isn’t the world’s greatest vintage, but that doesn’t change the fact that my son was born in '13 and that dad wants a bunch of Bdx in the cellar. I’ve purchased futures before, but always later in the futures “season”. For those of you who have bought right away after en primeur, what is my best strategy? ie: which retailers/merchants should I be looking at to buy from? I’m thinking a case of each of the 1st Growths and maybe a right bank or two. Also, is there an actual date when the floodgates open (or stream’s trickle if you listen to the early press this year!) when pricing is revealed?
There will be no floodgate, and you, along with other dads, are probably going to be the only serious buyers. I would probably hold off for a year or so until the negotiants realize they will be selling at a loss.
Has that happened before that pricing actually falls from the initial levels? I don’t mean to be particularly dense, but this is the first time I’ve ever paid full attention to en primeur…my other purchases were spontaneous buys at random.
My son was born last year but from what I’ve heard, 2013 might have been the worst year in a long, long time. Bordeaux is a huge part of my cellar, but I am not sure I’ll buy anything from this vintage. Prices will need to decline precipitously, like pre-2005 (and they won’t).
Of course, I will be buying from them too. Even though this may be a poor vintage, I have never, ever had an off vintage 1st Growth that wasn’t a pleasant experience. Looking for info on which merchants have historically been the best place to buy from in the past.
Even for a great vintage such as 2005, prices in the secondary market a couple of years later were slightly below primeur. The Chinese came in and put a stop to that. On the hand, 2008 was priced very low, but then it was found to be a better vintage than originally thought (and the Chinese came into the market:-)) and prices increased. What may happen, is that 2013 may be so bad that nobody in the US buys it, which creates a small shortage. I wouldn’t worry if you are planning to buy first growths, and I certainly would not be buying at the opening prices, not unless they go back to 2008 pricing.
It’s a birth year for me too (it looks like 2014 will be too, so hopefully somewhere there will be better luck than 2013). I’ve already written off Burgundy and Bordeaux for 2013 as options and those regions make up over two thirds of my cellar, so as much as I’d love to go deep in those areas I’m not going to force it. I’m thinking Napa at present.
Not being a big Bordeaux person, would vintages like '09 and '10 be drinkable at this point? The Total Wine near me has a pretty good selection and I was considering just picking up some bottles as testers. Last thing I want to do is wait 20 years. Thanks!
Not the classified growths, most likely, unless you really love tannins. They’re really big vintages.
I’m still planning to pick up the usual suspects for my vertical - Pontet Canet, basically. I’ll buy some LLC and Pichon Baron/Lalande as well if the pricing is attractive enough; even from bad years (like a 1992 Pichon Baron I had recently) the “super seconds” make pretty good wine, and it may be more in line with my preference for structure over the “jam” Parker prefers. In 2012 I picked up some LLC for @75 a bottle from Premier Cru (when it arrives, of course ), which is pretty good value value for what performance wise is basically a first growth. I’m not running out to buy them, but I also wouldn’t pass them up.
I have no idea where to buy en primeur in the US - and certainly will buy no ´13 Bx here in Europe …
BUT be sure to buy only from importers with a long reputation and a solid financial basement … because it can well happen that importers offering ´13 won´t be on the market anymore in 2 years when the wines will be released … or won´t have any wine beause they were not able to pay for it.
(BTW: I guess there will be no Latour available, right?)
this is good advice. one must use caution on where to buy Bordeaux futures given the long lag between purchase and reception. I buy mine from K&L and JJ Buckley.
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), which is pretty good value value for what performance wise is basically a first growth. I’m not running out to buy them, but I also wouldn’t pass them up.
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