En Primeur - How it works

Contrary to cynical opinion, buying wine En-Primeur does not really mean buying bottles of thin air. One can see where the perception might arise; the wine is purchased not in the physical form of juicy liquid captured in glass, just waiting to be uncorked, but rather it involves buying wine in advance, often well before it has actually been bottled. 

Often called ‘futures’ these wines tend to come (although not exclusively) from the prestigious wine districts of France: Burgundy, Rhone and, chief among them, Bordeaux.  Wine producers will show cask samples of their nascent wines, sometimes only a few months since they have undergone fermentation, for merchants and critics alike to evaluate; prices will then be set and the wines offered to the public.   With Bordeaux, a further two years will pass before the wines are bottled and shipped, whereas in other regions -  Burgundy and Rhone for example- it is more usually 12-14 months between the initial offer and shipping to our bond in Octavian. 

The rationale for En Primeur is to secure sought-after wines at the earliest and most reasonable price. 

As worldwide demand for fine wines grows and emerging markets spring up, demand for the crème de la crème frequently outstrips supply. In theory then the most cost effective time to buy wine is when allocations are initially released. Thereafter it may be more difficult to obtain the wine on the open market and, if available, it will tend to be at significantly higher prices. 

A further consideration is that the buyer will know the provenance of the wine from the beginning – many wines purchased later are often traded many times on the open market and traceability of provenance will inevitably diminish. 

In terms of payment, only the price of the wine itself is due initially, but when the wine is shipped, UK Duty, VAT, storage cost and a delivery charge will be applied when the wine is released from our bonded warehouse.

In short then, buying En Primeur is the best way of obtaining fine and rare wines at the cheapest possible prices whilst guaranteeing total authenticity and provenance.

For further information contact Kenny Stewart, Head of Fine Wine.

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