Beychevelle and Cantemerle release

The Bordeaux 2010 en primeur campaign picked up steam today as Chateau Beychevelle and Chateau Cantermerle released their 2010 prices .

The en primeur campaign picked up steam today as Chateau Beychevelle and Chateau Cantermerle released their 2010 prices.

Beychevelle, a fourth-growth, is up 23% on its 2009 price, at €54 from negociants.

Most observers ascribed this to the fact that Beychevelle is much in demand in China.

Fifth-growth Chateau Cantemerle is up 5.5% on its 2009 price at €21 ex-negociant.

One Bordeaux negociant, who did not wish to be named, told Decanter.com, ‘Beychevelle has already pretty much sold through, because of expected demand from Asia. But this will not be true for every high-profile wine, even though they will all want to follow suit with prices.

‘The reality is that chateaux who raise their prices too much are formally signaling that they no longer care about traditional markets.’

• While high-profile price releases signal a change in gear for the en primeur campaign, one senior Bordeaux official told Decanter.com it was likely the blue-chip wines – First Growths and their siblings – would not release their prices until after the Vinexpo trade fair in mid-June.

Written by Jane Anson in Bordeaux