September fine wine releases on La Place de Bordeaux 2023

La Place de Bordeaux’s September 2023 international releases campaign is underway as France begins its official ‘rentrée’ at the end of the summer holidays.

More than 110 fine wines will be released in the coming weeks, as part of the ‘beyond Bordeaux’ release season run by the city’s famous négociants.

New vintages of historic and vaunted California names will join the best of Chile and Argentina, along with other top wines from around the world and elsewhere in France. Things have developed considerably since Chile’s Almaviva and Napa Valley’s Opus One joined La Place de Bordeaux in 1998 and 2004 respectively.

Scroll down to see the top-scoring Place de Bordeaux September releases for 2023

Wines from 32 regions are now represented, across 11 countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa and the USA.

The campaign has increased rapidly in size in recent years, as producers look to establish or enhance their presence in different markets by capitalising on Bordeaux négociants’ global distribution networks.

September 2023 releases: what’s new?

Many winemakers now visit Bordeaux at least once a year to introduce new cuvées and showcase the latest vintages. This usually happens in July, before the August holiday, or in September to coincide with larger, organised press and sales tastings happening in Hong Kong and London to showcase the wines more broadly.

This year, around 20 wines will make debuts on La Place de Bordeaux. New entrants are mainly international labels, and include a soon-to-be-revealed German wine, although some are from elsewhere in France. French wines from beyond Bordeaux may form a category to watch in coming years.

‘We agree that France is underrepresented,’ said Jeremy Quievre, of Excellence Vin. ‘The recent additions of mythical labels such as La Chapelle Hermitage are beneficial for the Bordeaux marketplace and the blossoming of the reputation of our great French wines in the world, we are very proud of this new partnership.’

Alongside France, ‘Spain and Portugal are the ones that are clearly under-represented’, added Mathieu Chadronnier, managing director of Bordeaux négociant firm CVBG.

French debuts

In 2023, Burgundy (Beaujolais, Aloxe-Corton, Mercurey and Corton-Charlemagne) is represented for the first time as well as the Languedoc with the first release of DBR Lafite-owned Château d’Aussières.

Despite an existing presence on the Place, Mouton Rothschild owner Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. has given a wider distribution opportunity to its Domaine de Baronarques grand vin rouge, blanc and second wine La Capitelle de Baronarques, which will be sold on the open market for the first time.

Debuts from the Rhône include Domaine de la Chapelle, Hermitage La Chapelle and Le Chevalier de Sterimberg.

There is even representation for Île de France from a 26-hectare passion project started by the team behind the urban ‘Winerie Parisienne’, with vines planted in Versailles.

Americas debuts

New wines from the USA (Napa Valley and Oregon), Spain (Galicia, Ribero del Duero, Jerez), Italy, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand will also make their debut on La Place this September.

From Napa, these include:

• Paul Hobbs, Cristina’s Signature 2010
• Chappellet, Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
• Pritchard Hill, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

Those wines will be joined by Appassionata, Fortissimo 2012, an 11-year-old wine from the Oregon project of celebrated German winemaker Ernst Loosen.

From Chile, Clos Apalta and Petit Clos 2020 join Vigna Maquis Viola and Franco 2013 and 2019, whilst DBR Lafite’s Bodega Caro 2021 from Mendoza is also making its debut in 2023.

Rest of the world: from Spain and Italy to Australia and New Zealand

Interesting Spanish wines to look out for include a new bottle from the Telmo Rodriguez-Pablo Eguzkiza partnership: Bodegas de la Riva, Vino di Pasto Macharnudo, Jerez 2022, as well as the latest vintage of Yjar.

Vinedos de Matallana also joins La Place with its Ribera del Duero 2020, alongside Galicia’s Bodega Adega Algueira, Dolio, Ribeira Sacra 2019.

Debuts from New Zealand include Craggy Range’s Aroha, Martinborough 2021 and Le Sol, Hawke’s Bay 2021. There will be first-time appearances for Australian wines, too, with Yalumba’s The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz 2018 from the Barossa Valley and a new, one-négociant exclusive with the Giaconda Chardonnay 2021.

The list of Italian wines continues to grow, with La Massa’s Giorgio Primo joining a Tuscan cohort on La Place de Bordeaux this month.

Library releases and Bordeaux wines

There are also library releases and mini verticals entering the market, some for the first time.

In Napa, Opus One is re-releasing limited quantities of its 2018 and 2019 vintages, having only made a very small amount of its flagship wine in the 2020 vintage. Similarly, Favia is releasing its Cerro Sur 2014 instead of a 2020.

More limited-edition Champagnes have been added to the release roster, too, including Philipponnat’s incredible, rare micro-cuvée from within the Clos de Goisses vineyard, Les Cintres Rosé, small quantities of the new 2014 vintage and a library release of Clos de Goisses 1998.

Bordeaux is also represented. New stocks of Château Palmer 2013 will enter the market as part of the estate’s ’10 years on’ re-release strategy. Alongside that, second wines from Château Troplong Mondot (Mondot 2020) and Cheval Blanc (Le Petit Cheval Blanc 2021) will join Y d’Yquem 2021.

How to approach the September 2023 releases

‘There are a number of exceptional wines, worthy of ‘icon’ status and absolutely worth seeking out.’

There’s no denying that market conditions are tough at the moment, with high interest rates, political unrest, new COVID-19 variants and the slow-to-reawaken Asia trade all affecting sales momentum.

This year’s Bordeaux en primeur campaign was not as successful as it potentially could have been given the quality of the 2022 vintage, even if some top wines still found buyers.

Despite early concerns about how the September 2023 releases will sell, it’s too soon to tell just how the campaign will go. This week’s release of star Tuscan name Masseto, generally a strong seller via La Place, could prove to be an early indicator of broader buyer demand.

Quality-wise, there are a number of exceptional wines, worthy of ‘icon’ status and absolutely worth seeking out.

Two 100-point wines among this month’s releases

Masseto 2020 | Allegrini, Fieramonte 2015

Alongside those two standouts, I have given many more wines between 97 and 99 points, representing a superb level of quality. There are also some excellent-value wines to be had from Burgundy and southern Italy.

Price is always a focus, and the La Place model has seen annual increases on some wines. Yet, many winemakers have been encouraged to act with restraint this year, given the sluggish nature of the fine wine market in general in 2023.

‘It’s key to keep in mind that the expertise of the Bordeaux marketplace is to enhance the image and reputation of a wine, and consequently strengthen its demand in the markets. Only strong demand allows for leverage on the price in the long term,’ said Excellence Vin.

‘The success of a launch depends on several factors,’ Quievre added. ‘The coherence of a price compared to the market, confidence in the brand and in its management. The goal for a major brand is to preserve the revenues it generates for all the players: négociants, distributors, retailers…’.

Jean-Quentin Prats, director of Joanne Rare Wines, remained confident. ‘The business for “Hors-Bordeaux” wines has never been so big,’ he said. ‘Diversity as always exists in wine collectors’ cellars, but the number of collectible wines continues to rise. The wineries from other regions we work with are more settled in our distribution network so we are excited to show our clients gorgeous new vintages from many regions with the coming September campaign.’

He added, ‘The Place de Bordeaux is a strong opportunity for them to be able to gain easier access to many markets, secure the loyalty of their distribution across decades and threats, reduce all administrative and commercial issues…and of course gain in global notoriety and success.’

The interest from wineries continues to grow, maintaining La Place de Bordeaux as a key tool for growth, capillary and brand recognition. Several wines have increased their trade pool this year meaning increased distribution efforts.

What to look for alongside this report

So far, 104 wines have been tasted with several still to be sampled and added to the report over the next few weeks.

There are also a number of ‘behind the label’ articles planned for publication over the coming weeks, looking more closely at the new wines entering La Place de Bordeaux this year.

See also

Full score table of all 104 wines with tasting notes

Full schedule for the September 2023 releases

Top-scoring 2023 releases:

100 points

Masseto, Tuscany 2020

Allegrini, Fieramonte, Amarone della Valpolicella (Classico), Veneto 2016

99 points

Philipponnat, Les Cintres, Champagne 2012

Bibi Graetz, Colore Tuscany 2021

Dalla Valle Vineyards, Maya, Napa Valley (Oakville) USA / California 2020

98 points

Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Uco Valley 2020

Kracher, Trockenbeerenauslese Grande Cuvée N° 4, Nouvelle Vague, Burgenland 2020

Jim Barry, The Armagh Shiraz, Clare Valley, 2019

Viñedo Chadwick, Alto Maipo 2021

Allegrini, La Poja, Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto 2018

De La Riva, Vino de Pasto Macharnudo, San Cayetano Spain, Jerez 2022

Telmo Rodriguez, Yjar Rioja (Alavesa) 2019

Quintessa Napa Valley (Rutherford), California 2020

Paul Hobbs Cristina’s Signature, Nathan Coombs Estate Napa Valley (Coombsville), California 2020

What does La Place de Bordeaux expansion mean for the fine wine market?

Report by Chris Mercer, first published in the September 2023 issue of Decanter magazine as part of a focus on US and South American wines being launched via La Place.

La Place de Bordeaux is one of the world’s most famous wine distribution hubs, and its négociants, or trading houses, have played a central role in the international wine trade for centuries.

While this has mostly served to ensure the availability and prestige of top Bordeaux estates, from Médoc to St-Emilion, today’s La Place increasingly handles fine wines from other parts of France, and the globe.

International fine wine releases via La Place de Bordeaux are providing more opportunities for collectors to expand their horizons, but it’s still early days for many La Place-released labels on the secondary market.

There are differing views in the trade on the effectiveness of the model, but négociants can expand revenue streams by selectively signing up international producers, and wineries themselves may hope to reach a wider audience by releasing at least a portion of their top wines via La Place.

For collectors and drinkers, there is the prospect of greater choice and opportunities to discover new favourites. More cellars worldwide may end up with highly prized bottles from California to Mendoza rubbing shoulders with Left Bank first growths and top Pomerols.

‘The Bordeaux négociant system specialises in selling fine wine and has access to a diversity of customers that is unparalleled,’ says Dr Laura Catena, fourth-generation vintner and managing director at Argentina’s Bodega Catena Zapata winery, which has been selling on La Place for six years.

‘We have seen demand for both Nicolás Catena Zapata and Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec increase dramatically since we launched [these wines] through La Place in 2018,’ she says.

‘Last year, Adrianna Mundus Malbec 2019 sold out in just three weeks. We now work with more than 700 importers in 47 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. La Place has really helped our wines become features in collectors’ cellars around the world.’

What makes a good seller?

Mathieu Chadronnier, president of Bordeaux négociant firm CVBG, reports strong interest in ‘beyond Bordeaux’ fine wines in recent years, with no sign of this fading.

He says: ‘There’s no magic formula for success, but those who perform best share a few common traits: brand history and track record, wine identity and quality, clarity of vision guiding the brand development, investment from the winery to promote its wines on the markets with the négociants, [as well as the] commitment and experience of the négociants involved.’

Price is inevitably part of the equation. ‘If the price is right and it’s a wine that has a following, you could sell out in a morning,’ says Robbie Stevens, senior broker and Americas territory manager at Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. A presence on La Place does not guarantee overnight fame, however.

Each wine has its own market context, and prices vary considerably between producers. For example, Liv-ex quoted a market price of £876 for Seña 2020 (12x75cl in bond), with Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Mundus Bacillus Terrae Malbec 2019 at £1,554 and Napa Valley’s Favia, Cerro Sur 2019 at £2,151. All three were launched internationally via La Place last year.

Secondary market: In context

Some ‘Americas’ wines released via La Place already feature in auction rooms and on trading platforms. Despite world-beating quality, though, many have a relatively limited presence on a secondary market that’s still very much dominated by Bordeaux, Burgundy and other key European regions.

In 2023 so far, Chile and Argentina have accounted for about 0.1% of trades by value on Liv-ex, which is one barometer of secondary market activity. France accounted for 79% of trades, with US wines on 7% – albeit up from 2% in 2019.

Opus One, which releases new vintages via La Place to several non-US markets, was the fifth best-selling US wine by value at auction house Sotheby’s in 2022. As reported elsewhere, Opus One 2020 isn’t being released this year, due to the small quantities produced.

Not all La Place releases increase in price immediately following release, but Liv-ex data showed Opus One 2019 was up by some 6% since its debut in September 2022. Stevens said Chile’s Seña and Almaviva are established names on La Place that also see activity on Liv-ex. He highlighted the Harlan family’s Promontory as one to watch.

Seña, a joint venture created by Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi in 1995, is part of the Liv-ex Rest of the World 60 index. Liv-ex data suggests its price performance has been subdued this year, which is broadly in keeping with a trend across the secondary market in 2023 following several years of growth.

Stevens said ‘there will be success stories’ in the upcoming September releases, but also that buyer caution in 2023 in general could be a factor. UK merchant Goedhuis & Co said it would release a brochure to clients to highlight La Place releases it believes are particularly compelling.

September releases 2023: Top La Place de Bordeaux launches

Wines are listed in style order: sparkling, white, red and sweet by score

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