Lafleur releases 2019 vintage at £5,800 per case

Pomerol-based estate Château Lafleur has gone against current trends in Bordeaux by releasing its 2019 vintage with the same price tag it gave to the previous year’s wine.

Lafleur 2019 is being offered by merchants at £5,800 per 12-bottle case, the same as last year’s opening price.

The price is controversial, as so far, estates in Bordeaux have been offering their 2019 vintages at much lower rates, as the en primeur season was disrupted by travel restrictions throughout Europe. Pauillac fifth growth Châteay Pontent-Canet offered its 2019 at €58 (£61) per bottle ex-negociant last week, 31% cheaper than last year’s release, and one of the lowest-priced Pontet-Canet vintages available.

In Chailland, Château Beaumont launched its 2019 on La Place de Bordeaux 25 May at €7.98 per bottle ex-negociant, down -8.8% on the 2018.

Pauillac’s Château Batailley 2019 was released at £336 per 12-bottle case in a Youtube video last week, down 17.6% on the 2018 release (£408).

The wine received 95-96 points from James Suckling, who described it as “full-bodied, tight and powerful” and “classic”. Decanter critic Jane Anson, meanwhile, gave it 94 points.

Graves’ Domaine de Chevalier was also released this morning (4 June) at £247 per 6-bottle case,

Why the same price?

Lafleur’s 2018 has since risen in value by 135.6% to now command a Market Price of £13,644 per case, according to market analyst Liv-ex.

Due to the estate’s record for wines appreciating in value, analysts at Liv-ex have said that, if most critics score the wine at above 94 points, it would still be considered “fair value”. So far, Critic Jean-Marc Quarin has given the latest vintage 98 points.