Recent trading activity
Trading activity fell heavily on Champagne in the early part of the week. The region accounted for 30.1% of the market over Monday and Tuesday. Dom Pérignon and Krug were the leading brands, with 2012 and 2008 being the most in-demand vintages.
The USA also enjoyed increased activity, with Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 and Opus One 2018 changing hands.
Italian wine was on the move too, with Sassicaia’s 2019 and 2017 vintages and Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015 seeing demand.
Château Ausone vintages offering relative value amid rising demand
Over the past three years, Château Ausone has underperformed compared to its fellow Right Bank 50 components; rising just 2.6% compared to a 27.3% move for its parent index.
Additionally, Ausone prices have increased less than its Saint-Émilion Grand Cru neighbours: Château Angélus, Château Pavie and Château Cheval Blanc.
As a result, Château Ausone has started offering relative value compared to these other leading Right Bank estates, and demand for its wines has been growing.
Year-to-date, Ausone has been the third most-traded Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wine, having ranked fifth in previous years. Its 2009 vintage has been at the centre of trade, rising in price 10.0% since the beginning of the year. The2017 vintage has been the next most traded.
Meanwhile, the 2005 has been the best-performer, up 24.1%, followed by the 2008, up 13.5%. Yet, while Ausone offers value versus its fellow Right Bank heavyweights, fair value opportunities also exist among its own recent vintages.
Ausone Market Prices are 74% correlated to Benchmark Critic scores, as the chart below shows.
Some of the best value vintages in the market today are the 96-point 2012 and 2017. The 95-point 2014 vintage also looks attractive at £4,600 per 12×75 case.
Buyers might also wish to consider the highest-scored vintage, the 99-point 2019, which is £6,350 per case. Neal Martin (Vinous) said that ‘there is an abiding sense of completeness here’. The wine also boasts 100-points from James Suckling.
There are currently close to 900 LIVE opportunities for Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines on the exchange.
Opportunities to buy Ausone and other Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines
Liv-ex analysis is drawn from the world’s most comprehensive database of fine wine prices. The data reflects the real time activity of Liv-ex’s 600 merchant members from across the globe. Together they represent the largest pool of liquidity in the world – currently £80m of bids and offers across 16,000 wines.
