The Bordeaux En Primeur 2020 campaign is well underway and the general consensus from the trade and from critics is that this is an excellent vintage, the third in a row:
‘We have a reputation in Bordeaux to say the last vintage is the best one. But we did with 2018, 2019 and now 2020… after we did our tastings in the spring I can say it is a really great vintage. It is different from 2019 with more freshness, more tension, more balance. It’s a good one. Maybe a bit less powerful than 2019 but it made really great wine. I think that we can call it a trilogy now (three consecutive high quality vintages: 2018, 2019 and 2020).’ – Michel Rolland in conversation with James Suckling
Ahead of the Bordeaux En Primeur 2020 campaign, we’ve all been expectantly waiting to see how this year’s prices compare to 2019’s, as last year’s prices were considerably lower than previous years, due in part to the ongoing global pandemic that caused significant disruption, especially when it came to mass tastings being cancelled. Initial releases have come in either at the same price as last year or slightly higher. Increased prices are due largely to volumes being down some 25% on the year before.
The quality of the vintage has been declared as very good to excellent and the wines that have been released so far have commanded varying scores that range all the way from very good to 100 points.
As Jane Anson writes in Decanter: ‘Bordeaux 2020 is a year of contrasts, so it favoured terroirs that are best able to cope with the changes – and winemakers who were able to follow closely and help their vines adapt.’ There are some stunning wines being released and those who have done their research will reap the benefits. For expert advice, schedule a call with one of our investment analysts.
Interested in reading the Bordeaux En Primeur 2020 report in full? Access it here.
