This morning, Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2009 was released in the UK at £1,360 per 12×75, 3% lower than the 2008 vintage release (£1,400 per 12×75).
The 2009 Sir Winston Churchill is the 18th available vintage since the wine’s inaugural release in 1975, as Pol Roger only makes the wine in “truly outstanding years”. During the wine’s official launch event earlier this month, Pol Roger’s Director, Hubert de Billy, claimed: “If 2008 was a vintage for collectors, 2009 is a vintage for drinkers”. He added humorously, “It’s so that the people who want to age 2008 have something decent to drink”.
Prices for Sir Winston Churchill are not closely correlated to critic score, instead vintages appreciate as they age, as the chart above shows. However, the 2008 vintage is the exception and it is currently the most expensive vintage from the last two decades. It was described by Paul Graham, Pol Roger’s Director of Business Development, as the “best vintage since 1988 and most investible Churchill we’ve ever made”. Buyers confident in its quality might, therefore, see relative value in its price.
Last year, the 2008 vintage increased 28.5% the first day of trading yet remained cheaper than vintages 1998 and older. As the 2009 awaits scores from major critics, the market also waits to see where the vintage will move from release.
