Margaux and Grand Puy-Lacoste rounds off latest en primeur releases

This week has seen a flurry of activity as the Bordeaux en primeur campaign comes to a close, including a Margaux down 25% on last year's release price and L’Evangile down nearly 40% on the previous year.    Released on Monday, the 2024 vintage from Chateau Margaux 2024 came out at €276 per bottle ex-negociant - making it the cheapest release price  since the 2014. Available at around £3,240 per case of 12 to the London trade, this marks a 25% reduction on the 2023's opening price. Although one of the biggest names, it was by no means the biggest cut however, with Chateau L’Evangile  released yesterday (4 June) at €95 per bottle ex-negociant. This made it the cheapest vintage since the 2013 released back in 2014, around 39.9% less than last year’s release, at £1,140 per case of 12 to the London trade, and a whopping 54.7% below the 2022’s opening price. Also out yesterday was Vieux Chateau Certan, just a fraction below it in reduction terms at 35.6% less than last’s year’s opening price. The 2024 vintage came out at €120 per bottle ex-negociant, the cheapest since the 2014 vintage, and is available to the London trade at £1,416 per case of 12. According to Liv-ex, this makes it one of the least expensive recent vintages from Vieux Chateau Certan on the market, just below the 96-point 2017 and 2021 vintages. Meanwhile Pauilliac’s Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2024 came out on Wednesday at €36 per bottle ex-negociant, or £426 per case of 12 ex-London, down 22.0% discount on the 2023's opening price. However, according to Liv-ex, it is still one of the least expensive vintages from the estate on the market – just a fraction above the 93-point 2021 vintage. La Conseillante 2024 has been released at €125 per bottle ex-negociant (cheapest since the 2019 at €120) and £1,414 per case of 12 to the London trade -- down 20.7% on the 2023's opening price. At this release price, there are similarly rated, less expensive options for buyers in back vintages, including the 93-point 2012 and 2017 vintages at £1,188 and £1,020 per case of 12 respectively. Canon 2024 has been released at €72 per bottle ex-negociant  (cheapest since the 2019 at €69.2 per bottle) and £852 per case of 12 ex-London -- down 20.7% on the 2023's opening price. Pichon Lalande 2024 has been released at €90 per bottle ex-negociant (a return to 2017 pricing) and £1,062 per case of 12 -- down 19.5% on the 2023's opening price, but still above the 95-point scoring 2021. Meanwhile L’Eglise Clinet has been released at €180 per bottle ex-negociant - the cheapest release price since the 2017 vintage six years ago, and is selling at £2,124 per 12x75 ex-London - down 15.3% on the 2023's opening price, but according to Liv-ex, the release price is still at around a 50% premium on “the theoretical average for a 95-point ex-cellar”.