Branaire Ducru 2018 has been released at €38.40 per bottle ex-negociant, up 14.3% on the 2017’s opening price of €33.6. It is being offered by the international trade for £462 per 12×75, up 12.4% on the 2017 release of £411 per case.
The wine was rated Liv-ex members’ top value wine of 2018 in our annual En Primeur survey.
Critical reception for this year’s Branaire Ducru has also been positive. Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (Wine Advocate) scored the wine a barrel range of 92-94 points and described it as “firm and rugged in the mouth with brawny, muscular fruit and a sturdy frame of grainy tannins”.
James Suckling was also full of praise and awarded 95-96 points. In his tasting note he said that “this is a fantastic Branaire with deep and dark fruit” and added “we’ll see if it’s better than 2016, but on its way”.
Chris Kissack (The Wine Doctor) agreed that the wine was “exceptionally good” (95-97), while Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider) added that “this will be among the best vintages of Branaire ever produced” (93-95).
Prices for Branaire Ducru are 56% correlated to critic scores. Based on today’s release price of £462, the wine is coming to the market below the line implied by Liv-ex’s fair value methodology. Followers of both James Suckling and Lisa Perotti-Brown will find value in this release.
That being said, buyers looking for value may be tempted by the 2016 which was awarded 93 points by Neal Martin back in January and is available at a discount to today’s release.
Looking for more?
Our Bordeaux 2018 pages contain everything you need to know about this year’s En Primeur campaign, including:
- Critic scores
- Release prices
- Bordeaux 2018 analysis tool [members only]
- The conversation on social media
- Liv-ex’s fair value methodology
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