2005 Bordeaux soaring in value since release, says Berry Bros & Rudd

Berry Bros & Rudd is finding cases of Bordeaux 2005 that it sold ‘en primeur’ have increased in value more than any other vintage between harvest and being shipped to the UK. Some of the wines are now worth over 300% more than they were when they were released two years ago. For example, a 12-bottle case of 2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, released at £3,300, is now worth £10,100.

Many top wines are now unavailable, making them even more valuable, said Britain’s oldest wine merchant, which sold over £60 million worth of the 2005 vintage ‘en primeur’. This is the practice whereby wine lovers, investors and prospectors buy the wine before it’s bottled with the hope that they will have got it at a more favourable price than when it is actually available.

The interest in the 2005 vintage is as a result of many people lauding it as the most impressive vintage ever, says the company, which has seen furious trading in anticipation of the wine’s arrival. In the last week alone, Berry Bros has sold over 1,700 cases worth £6.8 million – an average of £4,000 a case.

Sales director Simon Staples said, ‘2005 Bordeaux is an incredibly impressive vintage and demand from the Far East and Russia has pushed prices sky high. Despite the fact most of the 2005 red wines won’t be ready to drink for at least 10 years, we are expecting some Berrys’ customers who have been waiting in anticipation for their wine to arrive to show up to collect it.’

Simon reckons that, on average, wine from top quality vintages will see a return in the region of 10-15% per annum over five years, making wine more profitable than some conventional investments over the long term.