U.K. Merchants' Bordeaux '17 En Primeur Sales Drop by Half, Liv-ex Says

Sales by U.K. merchants of Bordeaux 2017 en primeur wines dropped by half to 45 million pounds, according to London-based online market Liv-ex. While the average sterling release price fell 12 percent from 2016, volumes sold plummeted 60 percent, it said in a report on the 2017 marketing campaign.

``The sales balance was focused heavily toward `winners' such as First Growths and popular brands, while the majority struggled and will weigh heavily on the market for years,'' Liv-ex said. ``There was a reluctance to pay close to 2015 prices for wines considered to be around or below 2014 in quality.'' The 2017 vintage, coming on the back the critically-acclaimed 2015 and 2016 harvests, was overshadowed by Bordeaux's worst frosts in a quarter century, although many of the top estates escaped damage and benefited from favorable growing conditions later in the season. En primeur wines are those sold into the market while still in barrel and not physically available. The 2017 wines will become available during the course of 2019, typically after 12 to 18 months of maturing in oak.