Bordeaux 2012: Duhart Milon, Alter Ego and Carruades

Duhart Milon, Carruades de Lafite and Alter Ego de Palmer are the latest releases as the Bordeaux 2012 en primeur campaign starts to pick up.

Pauillac property Duhart Milon was released late yesterday afternoon with a 7% drop from 2011’s €57 p/b to €53 p/b (all prices ex-négociant).

Alter Ego meanwhile, the second wine of Margaux third growth Château Palmer, dropped 5% from €39.5 p/b to €37.5 p/b.

Headlines were dominated by the release of Lafite yesterday but also pushed through with little fanfare was the second wine, Carruades de Lafite with a 12% drop on its €108 p/b 2011 release.

Bidding on Liv-ex currently stands at £850. With the exception of the 1998, that makes it the cheapest on the market – most Carruades costing in excess of £1,000.

Having risen extremely far very fast, Carruades, perhaps more than the first wine, is in need of serious price correction.

On the other hand its quality is meant to have risen as high as its former price. Lay & Wheeler described it as a, “truly remarkable wine”.

The rise of Bordeaux prices in recent years has meant that Alter Ego and Duhart Milon did not need to drop prices too much to make the 2012 the cheapest (though not in the case of Alter Ego where the 2008 and 2001 are both quite competitively priced under £400 a case).

However, those hoping for a return to 2008 levels will be aware that Duhart Milon is still 89% above its 2008 price of €23 p/b and Alter Ego 63% above 2008’s €23 p/b release.

With the second wine out, all eyes will now be on Palmer itself. It released last year at €162 p/b.