Bordeaux 2014: getting it right

Rauzan-Segla and a “sublime” Canon appeared to put a little spring in the merchants’ step yesterday afternoon with identical release prices of £375 a case.

Château Canon is owned by fashion house Chanel

The two Chanel-owned properties – the former in Margaux the latter in Saint Emilion – both rose a little over 16% from their €33 per bottle 2013 price to €38.5.

Fine & Rare’s Joss Fowler quickly took to Twitter to declare Rauzan-Segla, “proper wine” and then, a short while later, called Canon a “bargain”.

Stacked against back vintages and with a score of 90-92 from Neal Martin Rauzan-Segla perhaps doesn’t look that brilliant a deal but Giles Cooper at Bordeaux Index said that from the earliest days the estate, “stood out a mile from among some of the more ordinary wines in Margaux.”

Canon on the other hand presents a very strong case for itself. A little more expensive than back vintages like the 2008 and 2012 it nonetheless has the same score – 93-95 – as its 2009 yet is some £600 a case cheaper.

Martin heaped praise on the wine, writing: “This is outstanding for the vintage – a sublime Château Canon that might dare rank alongside the 2009 and 2010. If this represents the valedictory Canon from John Kolasa, then what a way to bow out.”

Kolasa, the managing director of both estates, is stepping down this summer and handing the reins to Nicolas Audebert but has garnered a lot of good will from merchants for his frank speaking about the mistakes of en primeur.

As Cooper noted: “Right from the start John has said, ‘we got this wrong and need to put it right’ and he’s been true to his word.”

Returning to the question of “value”, both wines appear to have hit a “sweet spot” in what has been a slightly up and down campaign.

Although a 25% discount to the current price of back vintages such as 2008 has been singled out as especially plush, sheer appeal is clearly playing a part as well; with some wines which, on paper, don’t look like spectacular deals nonetheless striking a chord – La Mission Haut-Brion a case in point.

As Cooper continued, what turns buyers off a wine can be as little as £25. But for buyers who may be happy to spend a few thousand pounds buying back vintages of first growths, the idea of buying a good wine from a good vintage that they’d be happy to have in their cellar and for under £400 a case is, as they say in the ad business, a “no brainer”.