Chateau Lafite Rothschild has released at the same price as its peers – and as far as price is concerned, La Mission Haut Brion is now a first growth.
La Mission: ‘First Growth‘
The much-praised Graves property, neighbour and sister to bona-fide first growth Haut Brion, La Mission has come out at exactly the same price as Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Margaux at €600 per bottle ex-negociant.
Its second wine is level with those properties’ second wines at €108.
Lafite is €600, and its second wine, Carruades de Lafite, is €108.
Carruades has been offered on Liv-ex for £3,273 a case – or £272.75 a bottle, nearly three times the ex-negociant price.
Lafite is offered on Liv-ex at just over £1000 a bottle, with no takers at the time of publication.
St Emilion’s Chateau Figeac, to the dismay of some, has released 5% up on last year, at €168 ex-negociant, up from €160 in 2009.
Figeac, made with three-quarters Cabernet Franc, is much admired in the UK for its elegance, but at the same time merchants can find it difficult to sell.
Simon Staples at Berry Bros was unequivocal: he adores the wine but ‘this isn’t the way to do it’ – far better to come out at a lower price with a very small amount of wine.
Other releases include top-flight Pomerol property L’Eglise Clinet, which has held its price from last year at €276.
And St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé Chateau Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, described by James Lawther in Decanter as ‘Harmonious. Follows the progress made in 2009’ has come out at more than 170% up on last year, at €180 according to reports.
ALL PRICES QUOTED ARE PER BOTTLE
Written by Adam Lechmere, and Jane Anson in Bordeaux
