2011 Bordeaux Futures

[d-kauf]

I've never dabbled in Bordeaux wine futures, but my wife and I welcomed our first offspring into the world this year and I wanted to pick up a case of Bordeaux from her birth year to hold until she turns 21, gets married, etc.

I find the 'retail' prices of recent Bordeaux first and second growths to be completely absurd, which is why I'd like to inquire about purchasing the '11 juice before its releases - preferably "En primeur" to really keep the price as low as possible.

I understand there can be a risk in purchasing these wines prior to release (or even prior to bottling in the case of en primeur), but I am not buying as an investment; I am buying for my family to enjoy over time.

Does anyone have experience purchasing Bordeaux futures En primeur? I don't even know where to begin to look. When will the 2011 futures begin selling?

[Davies]

Given that you are in Arizona, your best bet for finding and buying 2011 Bordeaux futures is probably through JJ Buckley in Alameda, CA. You can visit their website and read their detailed report on the vintage and consult their offerings at the following address:

http://www.jjbuckley.com/

Good luck!

Jeffrey M. Davies
Signature SelectionS
Bordeaux, France

[theobordeaux]

Yesterday I was with a friend, David Sichel, wintner in Bordeaux and owner of Chateau PALMER in Medoc (and others chateaux) (http://www.sichel.fr/). It was noon, closing time for 2011 Bordeaux primeurs. In his opinion the futures 2009/10/11 recent years are at exorbitant prices. Their purchase is not a short-term investment because it takes at least 10 to 15 years for resale without certainty that the sale price is far higher than the purchase price. On the other hand, it is to consume smarter buying years as from 2003 to 2007 because their price is lower than the price of futures this year.
They are of English origin, wintner in Bordeaux since 1883 and worthy of credibility.

[George Vosburgh]

I collected first growth Bordeaux for twenty years, the prices have gotten so insane that I auctioned off most of my vertical collection. I realized significant profit, now I drink super tuscans. Cheaper, more friendly!

[arizonaitalian]

Originally Posted by Davies

Given that you are in Arizona, your best bet for finding and buying 2011 Bordeaux futures is probably through JJ Buckley in Alameda, CA. You can visit their website and read their detailed report on the vintage and consult their offerings at the following address:

http://www.jjbuckley.com/

Good luck!

Jeffrey M. Davies
Signature SelectionS
Bordeaux, France

Mr Davies,

You read F-chat? Wow, that's cool! But, I have to ask, why refer someone to JJB with your first ever post here? There are loads of places I'd refer someone before there (yes I've bought plenty from them and had mostly good results, but still...)

OP - There are several reputable places to buy EP. I've bought from most of them over the years. There is nowhere in AZ, that's for sure! Why First and (super) Second growth? They will be $$$ and there are plenty of other wines that will be very good and long aging and can be bought for a fraction of the price...PM me if you want some recommendations...but, that said, fwiw and ymmv, but I don't think there is any/much value to be gained buying EP anymore...

[Steelton Keith]

David. I have purchased bdx futures many times, going back to the 80's. I do not recommend this for 2011. Best to wait until the wine is properly reviewed and is safely here in the U.S. Then you can buy froma reputable dealer who can assure the wine was properly shipped, warehoused, and stored. Not all bdx can improve for 20 years, in fact, most don't. Many fine bdx have their ideal drinking windows within the first 10 years of their life. I would also stay away from 1st growths unless prestige is of prime importance to you. You can select at your leisure after general release on your schedule in a couple of years, and compare prices and ratings. You can also taste the wine (will obviously be different in 2013 than
2031) you'll buy. There are many choices, but check out Trotanoy, Ponet Canet, LaFleur, Ausone. A fairly priced wine with a history of taking 20 years to mature is Montrose.

[bounty]

Noel dabbles a lot if memory serves me correctly.