Since the glory days of Robert Parker, the power of the wine critic on the market has been a topic of heated debate.
Last Friday, we reported on the flurry of trading activity and rising prices for Leoville Barton 2016 shortly after being announced as Wine Spectator’s wine of the year for 2019. The wine peaked in the ensuing hours, trading as high as £1,166 per 12×75.
This week things have calmed a little but Leoville Barton 2016 remains very much in play – it last traded at £855 per 12×75 representing a 22% increase on its trade price pre the Wine Spectator announcement. It has also been the most active wine by both value and volume since then.
But Leoville Barton 2016 has not been the only wine to enjoy the market’s attention since the publication disclosed the full rankings.
Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape 2016, which ranked 6th, saw multiple trades earlier this week, and last sold for £536 per 12×75, up 12% on release (£480). It is also the second most traded wine from the Rhone by both value and volume so far in November.
Another wine from the 2016 Bordeaux vintage, which ranked 10th, has also been in buyers’ sights. Having been adrift for much of the year, buyers were back on the bid for Pichon Baron 2016, pushing trade above the £1,200 level.
The full list of the top 100 Wine Spectator’s wines of the year, which “reveals a breadth of offerings from both emerging regions and lesser-known appellations” according to the publication, can be found here.
