Bordeaux 2012: Ducru, Cos and La Conseillante

Cos d’Estournel, Ducru Beaucaillou and La Conseillante were among the Bordeaux 2012 releases this morning.

Pomerol-based La Conseillante dropped 20% on last year’s price from €72 per bottle ex-négocient to €57.6.

One of the biggest names to emerge this morning was leading Saint-Estèphe estate, Cos d’Estournel. Out at €89 p/b, it dropped 18% on last year’s €108 p/b, a price for which it was roundly savaged and caused it to become one of the poorest performers of the 2011s.

This cut brings the estate’s pricing back onto slightly less ambitious ground, but with a price of £995 a case on Liv-ex, it is still pricier than its 2008 (market price £775), 2006 (market price £840) and 2004 (market price £775).

The same can not be said of Saint Julien property Ducru Beaucaillou, which released at €69.6 p/b, a 7% drop from the 2011 release price of €75 p/b. At roughly £765 a case, it is comfortably cheaper than its back vintages.

Meanwhile, Lagrange came out at €24 p/b, down 10% on 2011 (€26.7 p/b), still up 11% on 2008 (€21.6è).

Margaux second growth, Lascombes, also emerged at €38.4 p/b, an 11% fall on 2011’s €43 p/b.

The campaign had slowed again recently as yet another bank holiday occurred in France. The last round of releases was last Thursday when Clinet and Montrose were released.

Although many châteaux have now released, there are still a great many Right Bank names yet to appear as well as some key Left Bank ones.

With a bank holiday here in the UK next Monday, hopefully this week will see a good tranche of releases to keep some sort of momentum going – though, in all likelihood, it is too late.