2015 first growths – the offer you can refuse

Normally a mainstay of any en primeur campaign with pricing judged to be fair, the first growths stumbled this year.

Two leading merchants have told the drinks business that for the first time they have either failed to find buyers for some of their first growth allocations or have even had to return many bottles to négoce.

Berry Bros & Rudd and FINE+RARE have both said that they had been disappointed in sales of some first growths.

FINE+RARE’s co-founder, Bud Cuchet, told db that while the business had sold a lot of wines it didn’t usually sell and volumes had been respectable overall, “the first growths were not as successful, it was the first year we haven’t sold through all of them.”

BBR’s fine wine director, Max Lalondrelle, said that the merchant’s final haul of £15 million would have been vastly improved had the first growths been more successful. As it was, “having to send back thousands of bottles was quite painful.”

Lalondrelle added that most of the returned bottles had been earmarked for Asian clients who, once again, failed to show up.

Mouton, Margaux and Haut-Brion all increased their prices by 60% compared to the release of their 2014 wines, while Lafite added a 40% premium.

Margaux was the first premier cru classé to come out and Lalondrelle warned at the time that its €384 per bottle price was not one its fellow first would be advised to follow.

This proved not be the case with Mouton matching Margaux’s price and Haut-Brion pipping it by €1.

Although many merchants have sold good amounts of the firsts nonetheless, as with other areas of this campaign it could have been so much more.