Bordeaux 2024: Branaire-Ducru ‘sets example’ before big second week
Château Branaire-Ducru’s release price has received strong praise early in the Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, as anticipation builds for more big-name debuts this week, including Châteaux Lafite Rothschild and Angélus.
Château Branaire-Ducru and several sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac have joined the vanguard of an early Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, alongside Pontet Canet, Batailley and Right Bank wines from JP Moueix.
UK merchants rallied behind Branaire-Ducru 2024 late last week, offering it at around £159 per six-bottle case in bond (IB).
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Branaire-Ducru: Setting an example?
Several critics have not yet published scores and tasting notes on Bordeaux 2024 barrel samples, but the St-Julien fourth growth appeared to encapsulate the pricing strategy many UK merchants were rooting for amid challenging market conditions.
‘More of this please, Bordeaux,’ said Corney & Barrow, which previously called for a ‘proper reset’ on release prices at many châteaux.
Farr Vintners said: ‘This is the lowest-priced release here for 10 years and there is no vintage of Branaire in the market today for less. This will hopefully set a positive trend for the campaign ahead.’
On an ex-négociant basis, Branaire-Ducru 2024 was released at €26.5 per bottle, down 17.6% on the 2023-vintage release last year, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.
Consultancy group Wine Lister pointed out that Branaire-Ducru’s co-owner, François-Xavier Maroteaux, was recently elected president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB).
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‘He has set an example early in the campaign,’ it said.
Anticipation builds for Lafite release
First growth Château Lafite Rothschild 2024 was set for release on Tuesday (29 April). There were rumours of a particularly eye-catching price on the horizon, but nothing has been confirmed by the estate.
Bordeaux Index had an estimated price range for Lafite Rothschild 2024 of £1,350 to £1,850 per six-bottle case (IB), but Farr Vintners’ guidance range was £1,700 to £2,200.
Even the top-end of this range would place the 2024 vintage below the release price of Lafite 2023, in pound sterling terms.
This will undoubtedly be one to watch, as will the expected debut of star St-Emilion estate Château Angélus on Wednesday (30 April).
Sauternes: Guiraud 2024 price broadly flat
In Bordeaux’s sweet wine heartlands of Sauternes and Barsac, Château Guiraud 2024 was released on Monday (28 April) at €38.5 per bottle ex-négociant, and offered in the UK at £492 (12x75cl IB), according to Liv-ex.
That’s level with Liv-ex’s quoted ex-négociant price for Guiraud 2023, which was around £480 on UK release. Both the 2024 and 2023 vintages are above market prices for other recent Guiraud vintages, said Liv-ex.
Monday as also saw releases for Doisy-Védrines and Doisy-Daëne, at £147 and £177 respectively (6x75cl IB, Farr Vintners).
Other major names set for release this week include Château Climens.
Headline price cuts vs market context
While year-on-year price discounts are a factor, market context is important. Château Chasse-Spleen 2024 was released early on Monday (28 April) at €17.70 per bottle ex-négociant, and offered at £216 (12x75cl IB), said Liv-ex.
Despite dropping 13.6% on the 2023 vintage debut price, Liv-ex said the new release is still, ‘one of the more expensive vintages on the market’.
Although release prices were broadly expected to fall for the second consecutive year in the Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, said that it was unlikely a one-size-fits-all approach.
This is due to producers’ individual circumstances and varying experiences of a tricky 2024-vintage growing season. Much also rests on critics’ vintage quality reports and ratings.
Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers
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Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.
He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.
Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.
Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.