Best-performing fine wines of 2020 so far

10. Perrier Jouët, 2008 Belle Epoque

Region: Champagne
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £1,692
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £1,824
Six month performance: 8%

The first of three Champagnes in the Top 10, Belle Epoque is not normally the first name to trip off the tongue when discussing top grandes marques Champagnes; these being Dom Pérignon, Krug, Cristal and Comtes de Champagne.

Nonetheless, the 2008 vintage in Champagne was extremely highly regarded and if Belle Epoque found itself as one of the cheaper propositions available, crossed with its memorable and attractive packaging, it would make it an obvious choice as a wine collectors would want to have in their cellars, boosting its performance of late.

We’ll see where it ends up by the end of the year.

9. Giacomo Conterno, 2000 Barolo Riserva Monfortino

Region: Barolo
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £8,268
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £8,964
Six month performance: 8%

Piedmont still hasn’t quite got into gear in the secondary market, buyers finding easier pickings in Tuscany for the moment when it comes to Italian wines.

Nonetheless, Conterno’s wines are increasingly proving pretty robust options. The 2002 vintage of this same wine ended up as the best-performer overall on Liv-ex’s Fine Wine 1000 index last year, seeing its price rise 75% from £5,940 to £10,390 per dozen.

8. Louis Roederer, 2009 Cristal Rosé

Region: Champagne
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £3,600
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £3,950
Six month performance: 10%

As mentioned before, Cristal is one of Champagne’s big draws currently. In or ‘Fine Wine Labels to watch in 2020’ post from the end of last year, we noted that it, “combines the glamour, prestige and global reach of a true grande marque with the scale and craftsmanship of a boutique grower.”

Again, this is an older but well-regarded vintage that may very well have stacked up nicely price-wise against its peers, hence strong performance so far this year.

7. Beaucastel, 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Region: Rhône
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £520
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £580
Six month performance: 12%

The Rhône, a region currently enjoying some real activity in the secondary market. Liv-ex director James Miles even tweeted this morning that the exchange matched four times as much Rhône trade by volume and twice the value in July as it did in January, with the Rhône 100 index up 2.8% this year, second only in performance to Champagne.

Beaucastel from the Perrin family meanwhile is a well known and widely respected name; Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the southern half of the valley’s best known AOC for ‘fine wine’, 2016 was a killer vintage in the region and it’s well under £1,000 per dozen – what’s not to like?

6. Sassicaia, 2010

Region: Tuscany
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £1,600
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £1,790
Six month performance: 12%

The first of the Tuscan wines on the list. Sassicaia was another label in our ‘ones to watch’ article. It’s Italy’s foremost fine wine label, it has brand recognition and power in spades, its distribution is excellent and recent vintages have been blinding, which is likely to be turning buyers onto the back catalogue where they can to pick up any deals going. And something of this quality for under £2,000 a dozen is a ‘no brainer’ for the serious collector.

It has also helped Italy greatly that its wines are excluded from the 25% import tariff the US slapped on other European table wines last October and recently decided to continue.

5. Tignanello, 2010

Region: Tuscany
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £840
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £940
Six month performance: 12%

Another Super Tuscan and another with high brand recognition due to its popularity with UK prime minister Boris Johnson and actress Meaghan Markle, which saw its name splashed across several British newspapers at various points last year.

Deending on your view one might argue this was a bad thing for the wine but again this a brand with reach and in the context of fine wine a known factor and relative value if you want a Super Tuscan fix.

4. Pol Roger, 2002 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

Region: Champagne
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £1,590
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £1,796
Six month performance: 13%

The best of the Champagne performers so far this year. Again, it wouldn’t be surprising if this has seen a boost so far this year due to its price relative to other big names.

We’re looking at a top Champagne from another highly-rated vintage and with 18 years of age for under £2,000 a dozen. Collector catnip.

3. Vieux Télégraphe, 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau (Rouge)

Region: Rhône
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £400
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £456
Six month performance: 14%

Probably the most ‘one-off’ of the wines on this list. Obviously it does tie in with the Beaucastel in that it is part of a recognisable AOC in a region seeing some movement currently but it’s performance is somewhat relative and hardly one to get the blood pumping.

Likely this is the result of one or two trades which have moved the need enough in the first part of the year but it’s almost certain other wines will far outpace it come the end of the year.

2. Sassicaia, 2009

Region: Tuscany
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £1,550
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £1,770
Six month performance: 14%

As per before. Give the eat vintage’s start and end points in terms of their market performance they’re almost interchangeable but what was said for the 2010 holds equally true for the 2009.

1. Domane de la Romanée-Conti, 2007 La Tâche

Region: Burgundy
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (1 Janaury): £33,048
Liv-ex Market price per dozen (30 June): £38,004
Six month performance: 15%

Just when you thought things were changing in the world of fine wine, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti tops yet another list.

Given the headlines this domaine attracts for the outlandish prices some of its wines garner, especially on the auction circuit, it can sometimes appear bewildering that any of the wines from this superstar’s labels can continue to rise in value.

Yet rise they do because, relatively speaking, the domaine has wines in its portfolio that are ‘cheap’ by comparison to the flagship ‘Romanée-Conti’ and allow collectors a ‘foot in the door’ to this storied stable.