Burgundy leads non-Bordeaux trade – but not DRC

Comte de Voguë and not Domaine de la Romanée-Conti led the trade in non-Bordeaux wines last month according to Liv-ex.

Voguë accounted for 12.3% of non-Bordeaux trading during January and DRC only 8% “a signal perhaps”, said the index, “that more of the region’s leading labels are gaining traction in new markets.”

Sandwiched between the two Burgundy estates was Chapoutier, whose wines made up 8.9% of trading in the non-Bordeaux category. Fellow Rhône producer Guigal was behind DRC on 7.7%.

Guigal was followed by two other Burgundian producers, Bouchard Père et Fils and Ravenau on 5.8% and 5.7% respectively.

Trading in Bordeaux accounted for only 87% of January’s turnover, while Burgundy’s top producers registered 7% when combined.

Interest in the region due to the recent en primeur tastings has no doubt helped but a gradual broadening of the market will also have played its part.

What is interesting, however, is that all the talk of Burgundy and its growing prominence in Asia has focused on the names of DRC, Rousseau and Jayer.

Jack Hibberd, research manager at Liv-ex, told the drinks business that not too much should be read into the findings.

He said that de Voguë had not suddenly become “hot property” overnight. Availability and keen pricing had played a key role in the estate’s final positioning.

However, its trade by volume and value was greater than that of DRC, with attention particularly falling on 2008 and 2009 wines and also some 2006s.

Hibberd also said that Liv-ex’s re-evaluated index out today (1 February) showed a rise for the first time in seven months.