Bordeaux 2014: good value for l’Eglise Clinet?

L’Eglise Clinet ended yesterday’s releases with a release price 24% above its 2013, while this morning has seen Climens and Issan emerge.

At €132 a bottle the Pomerol estate is the latest estate to price its latest vintage at a premium of 20% or more on its 2013 wine. This began earlier this week with La Mission Haut-Brion at a little over 20%, followed by Pichon Baron with 22% yesterday morning and then Eglise Clinet.

Having reduced its price by 15% from 2012 to 2013, Eglise Clinet’s 2014 price is also at a 5.6% premium to the 2012 release of €125 p/b.

At £1,300 a case it stacks up reasonably well against back vintages, the 2012 has appreciated well now being over £2,000 a case, the 2008 is a little cheaper (£1,200) but otherwise the only vintages lagging seriously behind are weaker offerings such as the 2007, 2011 and 2013.

Furthermore, winemaker Denis Durantou has gained a certain following in recent years thanks to a quality drive.

Sauternes estate Climens came out up 13.5% this morning to €43.8 p/b – the only Sauternes estate to issue a price rise so far.

Despite the generally mournful air surrounding Sauternes at en primeur, prices for Climens on the secondary market have held rather well and the 2014 is the same price as the (stylistically slightly different) 2013 and only more expensive than the (generally disappointing) 2004 and 2012 vintages.

Margaux third growth d’Issan also released this morning at €30 p/b, also 13% up on its 2013 price of €26.50 and a little over 7% up on its 2012 bottle price of €28.

A big winner in Robert Parker’s in-bottle scores for the 2012s where it rose from 87-89 to 95, a score equal to the one it got for its 2010, the 2014 is more expensive than its 2011 and 2013 but at just under £300 a case, all other physical vintages are at a premium.