The rise of ‘other’ fine Burgundy

The investment end of the Burgundy market is in strong growth but if one removes Domaine de la Romanée-Conti from the equation what labels are buyers turning to instead?

In early December Liv-ex noted that Burgundy’s share of trade on the Exchange had risen from 9% in 2017 to 11% this year.

Importantly, a greater part of this value trade was focused on other labels and not the famous Vosne-Romanée property.

DRC has still dominated headlines thanks to some remarkable sales results such as the record price paid for a bottle of the 1945 at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.

The average case price for DRC is also the highest of any (active*) brand in the secondary market at over £30,000.

Nonetheless, as Liv-ex explained, if you strip out DRC from the list of ‘top traded wines by value’ one can get a clearer impression of which wines and brands are on the move in the sphere of fine wine collectors.

Having done so, top of the list is Domaine Ponsot’s 2015 Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes, followed by the first of four Leroy wines the 2007 Chambertin from Maison Leroy (the négoce business) and then in fourth, ninth and tenth place respectively: the 2014 Vosne-Romanée ‘Beaumonts’, 2013 Nuits-St-Georges ‘Allots’ and 2015 Musigny from Domaine Leroy.

The preponderance of Leroy in this adjusted top 10 and its strong price performance overall is the reason why it was ranked as the strongest brand in this year’s ‘Power 100’ list.

Two famous ‘clos’ are also high up on buyers’ lists it would seem, 2016 Clos des Lambrays and 2007 from Clos de Tart being present.

Armand Rousseau’s 2010 Chambertin was in fifth place – Rousseau’s Chambertin or Clos de Bèze is frequently mentioned when discussing ‘where else’ Burgundy collectors are putting their money.

Emmanuel Rouget’s 2010 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux was placed eighth. It’s worth remembering that Rouget is the nephew of the celebrated Henri Jayer and took over his uncle’s vineyards following Henri’s death, subsequently building a following of his own.

The only non-Pinot on the list is Coche Dury’s 2015 Meursault, one of the hottest names in white Burgundy at the moment.

*Excluding a label such as Henri Jayer for example