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

Liv-Ex unveils plans for coverage of ‘unusual’ Bordeaux EP campaign

Published:  28 May, 2020

With the Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur campaign beginning to unfold in an “unusual manner” with virtual tastings and postponed releases, Liv-Ex has begun to roll out adapted coverage with the publication of its opening report, Bordeaux 2019: the value of time.

Following this opener, available only to Liv-Ex members this year, the online fine wine market company plans to cover releases as they happen, while publishing daily price analysis on its online insights pages.

Much uncertainty surrounds the disrupted 2019 campaign, which comes off the back of a 3.6% fall in Liv-Ex’s Bordeaux 500 index over the past year, with First Growths “still attracting the greatest liquidity”, but second wines leading on price performance.

One of the key findings in the report was that lower supply chain profit margins have led to “waning interest in buying En Primeur, while stock builds up in Bordeaux”.

It also described the 2019 vintage as “abundant and ‘very good to excellent in quality’, particularly across the top appellations”.

As per usual, the company will be running its ‘critics scores grid’, allowing comparison of a range of scores of the 2019 wines from key critics, although updates will now take place sporadically until the end of June as wines are released.

It is expected that releases of 2019 samples will be sent to a reduced number of critics to taste compared with the normal numbers that typically attend the annual tastings in Bordeaux.

On the shifting sands of the campaign and Liv-Ex’s own adaptation to meet this year’s changes, sales director Justin Gibbs said: “Liv-ex has continued to monitor this year's En Primeur campaign and the market and will be analysing releases to help our merchant members guide their clients.

“The big challenge for all concerned this year, is the lack of tastings for both trade and critics alike. Add to this the dire macro economic background and price is likely to be under scrutiny like never before.”



Keywords: