Place de Bordeaux March 2023 releases: from 100-point Napa to Italian gems

Promontory winery — Credit: Promontory

(Image credit: Promontory)

Merchants making up La Place de Bordeaux distribution system are continuing to take on new fine wines from around the world and the latest round of ‘beyond Bordeaux’ international releases has arrived in March 2023.

In Bordeaux itself, this month has marked the first release of Château Latour 2015 and is set to also see Château d’Yquem 2020’s market debut on the 23 March (tasting note coming soon).

See our round-up of debut releases below, including insight into the wines and background on the market.

Scroll down to see our top-scoring international fine wine releases via La Place de Bordeaux in March 2023

Promontory 2018

Promontory 2018, recently rated a full 100 points by Decanter’s Georgie Hindle and part of the Harlan family’s wine portfolio in Napa Valley, has been among the highest-profile new releases, although only a portion of the production is released via the Bordeaux Place.

In the UK, merchant Lay & Wheeler was this month offering Promontory 2018 at £840 per bottle in bond, or at £2,520 (3x75cl in bond), with a limit of six bottles per customer.

Promontory remains a relative newcomer to the fine wine world, with 2009 its first vintage release, but this Cabernet Sauvignon has rapidly garnered fans. ‘A thrilling wine that really shines and is all the more likeable because it’s not showing off or shouting too loudly,’ said Hindle of the 2018 vintage.

Several wines have made their debut on the Place de Bordeaux system this month.

New Bibi Graetz wines

From Italy, top Tuscan producer has revealed three single-vineyard, single-varietal wines forming the ‘Balocchi di Colore’ range. A total of 900, three-bottle cases were released via La Place de Bordeaux as of 2 March.

The wines, featuring a ‘No.1’ 100% Sangiovese, ‘No.3’ 100% Colorini and ‘No.8’ 100% Canaiolo from the 2020 vintage, explore the DNA of the winery’s flagship Colore label.

‘It’s a project that’s really giving me the freedom to do something different,’ Bibi said during an exclusive first taste at the Wine Paris trade fair in February.

Baolocchi di Colore ‘No.1’, the 100% Sangiovese wine, was one of three wines – all Italian – among the March 2023 La Place releases to receive 99 points from Decanter’s Hindle. ‘Beautiful scents that put you squarely in Tuscany’, she wrote.

‘A scintillating texture follows on the palate, thrilling with such liveliness, energy and poise.’

Top-rated Barolos make their debut

The other 99-point scores went to Barolos from two celebrated Piedmont producers, Ceretto and Giacomo Borgogno & Figli, who also announced their Place de Bordeaux debuts in March 2023, for the Bricco Rocche 2019 and Cannubi 2011 respectively.

Borgogno said La Place would globally distribute (excluding Italy) its never-been-commercialised Barolo crus ‘Cannubi Riserva’ (2009, 2011 and 2012 vintages) and ‘Liste Riserva’ (2009, 2012 and 2014 vintages). Ceretto was releasing four wines via La Place, including Cannubi San Lorenzo Barolo 2012, Bricco Rocche Barolo 2019, Brunate Barolo 2019 and its Bernadot Barbaresco 2020.

With fewer than 2,000 bottles produced, Ceretto’s Bricco Rocche Barolo 2019 was particularly impressive at a recent tasting. ‘This has it all,’ wrote Hindle in her tasting note. ‘The minerality, strawberry and raspberry, salt, smoke, tobacco, dried herbs and powdery white pepper elements come together so harmoniously.’

Of Borgogno’s Cannubi (Riserva) 2011, Hindle wrote, ‘A wonderful balance of concentration and energy, fullness but with such a juicy, plush core.’ Fewer than 200 bottles of this particular wine were set for release via La Place de Bordeaux.

Other Italian debuts on La Place to look out for include:

A trio of wines from celebrated producer Romano Dal Forno, including its 95-point Amarone della Valpolicella 2008
Tenuta di Biserno 2020 from Tuscany (94 points), a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Talenti’s Brunello di Montalcino 2018 (92 points), previously named one of 10 great-value Brunello 2018s by Decanter Italy expert Michaela Morris.

Bordeaux in California: Cathiard Vineyard

One notable debut release with a Bordeaux connection is the first vintage from Cathiard Vineyard in Napa Valley.

The Cathiard family owns Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte in Bordeaux’s Pessac-Léognan appellation, and bought a Napa vineyard estate with ‘exceptional terroir’ in 2020.

‘A delicious first vintage,’ said Hindle of the 2020-vintage Cathiard Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, rating it 96 points.

New wines from Chile, plus Rioja and Champagne debuts

Chile’s VIk, founded by Alex and Carrie Vik in 2006 in Millahue, in the Cachapoal Valley, is another newcomer to La Place in March 2023.

‘VIK’ 2019, a base of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon with 23% Cabernet Franc, is ‘richly textured, layered and well-constructed with energy and lift,’ wrote Hindle, scoring the wine 94 points.

‘Smooth and likeable with a juicy core and appealing red fruit flavours alongside sticky liquorice, sweet oak and smokey earth.’

The wine joins debut library releases from Vinedo Chadwick on La Place négociants’ roster this month. These included the Errazuriz, Viñedo Chadwick, Puente Alto, Maipo Valley 2011, which scored 96 points as well as the 2009 and 2012 vintages.

‘Really well constructed with a balance between the ripe fruit, crushed stone minerality, fresh and juicy acidities, minty aspects and lovely just-grainy tannins,’ Hindle wrote, after tasting it in Bordeaux last month.

Other debutants on La Place de Bordeaux’s March 2023 campaign include 2020-vintage Alma Rioja, scoring 92 points and produced by Bodega Contador, as well as stocks of Champagne Boizel, Joyau de France 2008, rated 97 points.

Rioja is a growing presence on modern-day La Place de Bordeaux, while Champagne’s celebrated 2008 vintage has been in hot demand on the fine wine market in recent years, following several high-profile releases.

Ornellaia 2020 coming soon

There were several other high-profile releases via La Place de Bordeaux this month, too, all of which can’t be named here.

Following the recent release of top SuperTuscans Sassicaia 2020 and Tignanello 2020 on the market, drinkers and collectors can also expect the arrival of Ornellaia 2020 (96 points, Decanter) from 1 April.

A winery spokesperson told Decanter that Ornellaia wines are available through La Place de Bordeaux ‘with the exception of Europe, United States and Canada’. The winery has direct partnerships with merchants in some markets, such as Goedhuis & Co in the UK.

See our full score table with 53 tasting notes for the ‘beyond Bordeaux’ March 2023 releases via La Place

Why is La Place de Bordeaux growing as a distribution hub?

March and September are now key months for international releases. For wineries, there is often a balance to be struck between the Place de Bordeaux and existing distribution partners and models.

Yet, a presence on La Place can offer a route to new customers via Bordeaux négociants’ strong international distribution networks, as well as a certain degree of prestige. For Bordeaux merchants, the selective expansion of their lists with international labels also offers a new business avenue.

Ceretto said recently of its March 2023 La Place debut: ‘This announcement is the culmination of a strategy pursued over several years to widen and diversify the global distribution of Ceretto’s Barolos and Barbarescos to wine consumers and collectors.

‘We strongly believe that La Place will strengthen further the awareness of our products that are already present in over 60 countries.’

Andrea Farinetti, vigneron of Giacomo Borgogno & Figli, said, ‘Making our debut on La Place de Bordeaux means becoming part of an elite club amongst the most prestigious wines in the world.

‘Liste and Cannubi are two historical vineyards which embody the soul of our estate. Liste is our history because it was our first vineyard, the place where it all started in 1761.’

Some UK merchants have also reiterated the importance of direct relationships with producers in order to help foster understanding of a wine, particularly if it is less well-known.

In practice, several international producers that have joined La Place de Bordeaux also work with other release models, for example by having a separate pre-established distribution system in their domestic markets or by building up direct partnerships with certain merchants or importers in specific countries. Some specific cuvées may be offered exclusively via La Place, however.

Fine wine market snapshot: a mixed picture

There are different views on how the fine wine market will perform in 2023. Recent months have seen greater caution creep into the sector following a period of record-breaking price increases on the secondary market.

Several merchants and auction houses have continued to report good levels of buyer demand, however. Bordeaux Index recently highlighted a series of potential tailwinds that could buoy the market this year.

Some data suggests the momentum of price growth has waned. It’s just one market indicator, but the Liv-ex 1000 index is down by 1.6% year-to-date, according to data up to the end of February.

Performance of Liv-ex 1000 regional sub-indices over one year

Liv-ex 1000 index chart, March 2023 — How the Liv-ex 1000 index’s regional sub-indices have performed over one year.

As the chart above shows, all regional sub-indices dipped to varying degrees in February, apart from the Italy 100 index, which rose 1%.

A Liv-ex report on the September round of international fine wine releases via the Place de Bordeaux last year said that pricing is key in determining a label’s initial success on the market. While wine quality is crucial, it said buyers are ‘increasingly aware of value’.

‘Whether the wine is from Bordeaux or elsewhere, it needs to be priced correctly relative to the ever-broadening market,’ said Robbie Stevens, Liv-ex’s Americas territory manager. In the current economic climate, this arguably seems even more pertinent.

Place de Bordeaux March 2023 releases: from 100-point Napa to Italian gems