MAU ISSUES EN PRIMEUR PRICE WARNING

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Christian Davis

Expectations that Bordeaux en primeur prices could be 10-20% higher due to the small but good-quality 2003 vintage have been described as dangerous' by Jean-Christophe Mau of Yvon Mau, the Bordeaux trading house that merged with Freixenet. Mau was in London last week for a preview tasting of wines from the 2003 vintage from Chteau Preuillac, Chteau Taillefer, Chteau Ducla and Yvon Mau VIP. He told Harpers: A lot of chteaux are thinking about 10 and 20% increases. I think this is very dangerous as there is still a lot of stock out there. Three million cases of 12 bottles is a huge amount to sell every year and while the 2000 vintage sold well, most Grand Cru Class chteaux managed to sell 60 to 70% of their stock in 2001 but only 5 to 10% in 2002. The supermarkets have a lot of stock to sell,' said Mau. He said that he had seen a 1994 wine from a well-known chteau cheaper in a supermarket than from a ngociant and a 1998 St-Estphe chteau cheaper than a 1999 en primeur.

Printer friendly version