Bordeaux 2011
A Vintage Unlike Any Other
Bordeaux 2011 En Primeur
After the frenzied pace of the previous two Bordeaux En Primeur vintages, we are looking forward to the relative calm of 2011 campaign. Not every year has to be a blockbuster. Some Bordeaux vintages suit earlier drinking and, for most devoted claret drinkers, this is fine by them.
There have been suggestions the 2011 vintage shows similarities with the 2008 and 2001 vintages. However, the weather conditions were unlike anything ever seen in Bordeaux. As Professor of Oenology at Bordeaux University has said, it was "the strange case of an early-maturing vintage when summer was in spring... conditions were indeed strange, with unpredictable consequences."
For buyers of Bordeaux En Primeur, this is a variable vintage and advice from your wine merchant is essential. There are some star wines and regions emerging and the canny buyer will be able to find some good drinking claret this year.
Download the Bordeaux 2011 Brochure
Bordeaux 2011 - Lowdown on The Vintage
The weather is the key to understanding the vintage. For the 2011 vintage, it is even more important than in recent vintages to pick out the wines that will be good value in the long term. The Fine Wine Team will be in Bordeaux reporting from the Chateaux and will provide a full report on their return. Follow their blog on B Times during the first week of April to stay up-to-date with the latest news.
Bordeaux 2011 - Send us your Wishlists Now!
Express your interest and let us know which wines you are interested in now, so send us your wishlists.
Bordeaux 2011: The Wines
The Bordeaux 2011 Wines will be offered on release from the Chateaux (via email) and some wines may be subject to allocation.
Come and Taste The Bordeaux 2011 Wines at the Tasting
Come and taste the wines and meet the producers at our annual Bibendum Bordeaux 2011 En Primeur Tasting on the 9 May.
Keep in touch
You can send us you wish lists and we will contact you when the wine has been released. Sign up for email updates and we will send you an email with all the latest releases.
What is En Primeur?
En Primeur is a kind of wine futures, where wines are offered for sale before they have been bottled. The wine producers (chateaux) show cask samples of the young wine after just a few months development in barrel, and then prices are set and an offer made. Originally this was a way for wine brokers or negociants to buy the young wines direct from the Chateaux, which they would only bottle and sell on when the wine was ready to drink. Nowadays, such is the demand for them, that the wines are offered for sale to the customer in this state.
Why buy En Primeur?
Buying 'En Primeur' is probably the only way to secure a sought after wine at a reasonable price. Demand for the best wines from these regions has grown hugely in the last few years, and will often easily outstrip supply. For this reason, some wines will not be available commercially later in their lives, and if they are, will command much higher prices.
