Bordeaux 2009
Bordeaux 2009
(Image credit: Bordeaux 2009)

A leading fine wine merchant has questioned 'inadequate' allocations by Bordeaux negociants, and called for them to review their distribution in time for the 2010 campaign.

In a letter to merchants and chateaux seen by decanter.com, London-based company Fine+Rare has asked the Bordelais to enter talks to discuss ‘fairer distribution’ of stock.

Mark Bedini, CEO of Fine+Rare told decanter.com, ‘What really gets on my wick is that at the end of the day the distribution systems does not take into account the growth of businesses when making allocations.

‘The negociants are not interested in knowing anything about our business. They are supposed to be distributing the wines so they are properly spread throughout the market but they have let their consumers down,’ he said

Fellow merchant Gary Boom of Bordeaux Index reported their allocations had been ‘fair’ but criticised negociants for withholding the vintage’s most sought after wines.

‘Negociants tend to sit on stock particularly the first growths so very little is released. I’d like to see the firsts getting together to distribute their own wines.’

The Bordelais have defended their corner. Bill Blatch of Vintex, said: ‘We had to pare down allocations this year and some companies probably didn’t prepare for it. It’s very easy to cry about allocations but the place is a great system.’

While demand for the 2009 wines was higher and supply lower, negociants claim they have sold all of their available wines to clients that could ‘reliably distribute the wines’.

Laurent Ehrmann, managing director of Barrieres Freres, added: We have been particularly faithful to those who bought 2008s.’

Written by Rebecca Gibb

Rebecca Gibb MW
Rebecca Gibb MW
Decanter Magazine & DWWA Judge

Rebecca Gibb MW is a wine journalist and editor who has also founded Bamboozled games, ‘the world’s first wine and spirit puzzle makers’. Having spent six years living in New Zealand, she has recently returned to her native north-east England. While in New Zealand, she became a Master of Wine, graduating top of her class and winning the Madame Bollinger medal for excellence in tasting. A former winner of both the UK’s young wine writer of the year and the Louis Roederer Emerging Wine Writer, her first book The Wines of New Zealand was published in 2018. She also runs wine events and has her own consultancy business The Drinks Project. She was a judge at the 2019 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA).