Medoc cru bourgeois Chateau Angludet is the first Bordeaux 2011 to release - at £198 a case in bond from London merchants.
Angludet is €16 a bottle ex-cellar, sold via negociants Maison Sichel.
Commentators have been quick to point out this may be 20% less than 2010, but it is still £20 more than the 2008 vintage, which some are using as benchmark for 2011, both in terms of price and quality.
The chateau has jumped in price in recent years, London merchant prices going from £150 on release in 2008 to £250 in 2010. The 2008 is currently selling for around £170 a case.
The 2011 from the Sichel-owned Margaux property has been praised by critics.
Steven Spurrier, whose reviews of the Medoc en primeur wines will be published on 16 April, said it is ‘certainly worth £198’.
Simon Staples at Berry Brothers called it ‘damn fine’.
Other commentators have pointed out that the price of producing wine in Bordeaux made a reduction of more than 20% very difficult when a wine is below £300 a case in the first place.
Decanter’s full Bordeaux 2011 ratings and vintage report will be published at 9am on Monday 16 April.
[image: uncorked.co.uk]
Written by Adam Lechmere
