“En Primeur” or “Wine Future” is the process of pre-purchasing wines that are just a few months old, are not yet released to the market, are still in cask, have not finished their barrel ageing and have not even been put into bottles. In other words, you can say that these wines are still raw. This happens only in some wine regions of the world such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, in France.
An exciting event has been happening for the past decades in the wine calendar called the “En Primeur” tasting week. Basically, professionals from all over the globe gather for example in Bordeaux and taste unfinished, raw wines while assessing the quality and potential age evolution of each wine by the time it will be ready for consumption. A price for each wine is then set and offered to be pre-purchased.
Why buy “En Primeur”:
- Attractive Prices: “En Primeur” prices are considerably much lower than the finished bottle when released on the market. Imagine enjoying a wine worth €50 but paying a 1/3 of the price!
- Access to Fine & Rare Wines: the only way to secure some rare wines that are available in very limited quantities.
- Investment Opportunity: With the continuous international high interest and demand that by far exceeds the supply of these wines, the acquisition of “En Primeur” has become a very lucrative form of investment.
If you consider getting “En Primeur” you should always buy from a reputable merchant who will also be able to recommend wines based on your needs and wants.
Another significant factor you should take into consideration is the vintage reputation. 2018 was without a doubt one of the best vintages as wines were concentrated, fresh, velvet- and silk-textured, pure and succulent.
The process of tasting unfinished wines is challenging since most of the times they are tough with puckering palate fatigue. This year I was lucky enough to taste an unprecedented vintage, the 2018!
If you ever get the chance of tasting En Primeur, below you’ll find some tips that will definitely be handy:
First of all, DO NOT wear white – I learned this the hard way!
Be prepared for a black mouth, paired with black teeth and probably, sore burning lips!
Have some fun while doing it! It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to visit an amazing Chateaux, taste big, legendary wines and enjoy the scenery.
See you next week!
Cheers, Santé and Yiamas…
Until then.. Strike for a glass half full !
Nicole x
