Subscriber login Close [x]
remember me
You are not logged in.

Champagne is no en primeur Bordeaux, warns European Fine Wines

Published:  23 May, 2012

Wine broker and specialist European Fine Wines, is urging consumers not to get carried away with thinking of Champagne as an investment akin the top wines from Bordeaux.

Wine broker and specialist European Fine Wines, is urging consumers not to get carried away with thinking of Champagne as an investment akin to the top wines from Bordeaux.

It says on the back of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the London Olympic Games, "parched" buyers are stocking up on high profile Champagne brands, and it is fielding more enquiries than ever before, with investors increasingly viewing the category as an attractive asset.

According to Scott Assemakis, managing director and founder, people are aiming for are Armand de Brignac (better known as 'Ace') - the tipple of celebrities such as Jay-Z and Chris Brown and city traders, but adds it's important to point out it's not investment grade quality.

"Investing in Champagne can reap solid returns. For example, the price of Krug Brut '96 has jumped to £2,200 over the last five years - giving a return of nearly 50%," he says.

"However investors can't be in a rush. The typical time frame for investment in Champagne to mature is between seven to ten years - it's longer than that with Bordeaux, which is typically between three and five years."

Assemakis adds the "heralded" 2002 vintage is proving to be the most sought after, with Dom Ruinart top of investors' lists.

"Dom Ruinart 2002 is definitely the number one choice at the moment. But the problem is that allocations for the UK are very small, so investors need to be quick to try to secure a parcel of what is arguably Dom Ruinart's greatest vintage."

He says there is also record investor demand for Dom Perignon, Bollinger and Pol Roger.

But Assemakis is advising would-be investors to exercise caution before committing their money into Champagne.

"Compared to the most popular wine investment - Bordeaux - the key point is that with Champagne there's more available simply because more is produced."

"Except for a few specific Champagne house and vintages, it's really more for consumption," he adds.

Vintages we recommend for investment purposes are 1996, 1990 and 2002 - brands like Krug, Salon, Bollinger, Tattinger and Dom Perignon.

"It's a question of quality," says Assemakis.

Keywords: