Author Archive

Opus One 2017 has been released at £1370 per 6×75, a 6.8% decrease from the 2016 opening price of £1470 per case.

During the 2017 vintage in Napa, wildfires ravaged the Northern California area affecting both the size and taste (smoke taint) of the harvest. Antonio Galloni in his first impressions on the region, stated “readers will have to be very selective”, there are “some examples where smoke taint is impossible to ignore”. However, Lisa Perrotti-Brown informed that “Opus one had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration”. Volumes released however are said to be down 27% on the previous year.

Antonio Galloni awarded the wine 95 points, saying it is “one of the most complete wines of the vintage,” and “has a distinctly red-toned fruit profile that distinguishes it from the surrounding vintages”.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown also gave the wine 95 points, the top range of her barrel score (92-95). She observed the wine as “medium bodied, the palate has a lively skip in its step, featuring bags of juicy raspberry and cassis-laced fruits and a refreshing line, supported by ripe, plush tannins, finishing long and graceful”.

Prices for Opus One are not closely correlated to critic scores, instead the vintages have appreciated in price with the passing of time. The chart above shows an 81% correlation between the price of the wine and the bottle age.

We have taken our full allocation here – so if you are interested in joining our Opus One 2017 syndicate – please do get in touch. charles.waud@waudwines.com

2018 has been described as the best vintage in the past 20 years in Chile.

Seña was created as a joint-venture between Eduardo Chadwick and Robert Mondavi back in 1995, with the dream of making a wine that would show Chile’s full potential, a wine that would be welcomed, in time, among the world’s First Growths. Modeled on a Bordeaux style, it would have a Chilean soul given by its Carmenere variety, grown under the principles of biodynamic farming in the Aconcagua Valley.

Grape varieties: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Malbec, 15% Carmenere, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot

Alcohol: 14%

Ageing: 22 Months – 85% New French oak barrels 15% Foudres.

It is the highest-ever scored vintage of Seña by the Wine Advocate, beating 315 other Chilean 2018s for 98 points from Luis Gutiérrez who says,“This has to be the finest vintage of Seña to date.” It has also been awarded the perfect 100 points by James Suckling who calls it, “a very intellectual Seña, with a glamorous palate, ultra-fine tannins and toned muscles”.

We have purchased a small parcel of Seña 2018 that is available to the market at £495.00 per six IB.

If you are interested in purchasing some of this wine – please contact charles.waud@waudwines.com

 

As the 2019 campaign comes to a close, Canon has been released at £876 per 12×75, a 16.1% decrease on the 2018 opening price of £1044 per case.

Jane Anson (Decanter) awarded the wine 98 points, describing it as “sleek, elegant and appealing even before you get your nose near the glass”.

Previous vintages of this wine have been very successful with our syndicates – and we take our full allocation year on year.

 

 

Rauzan Segla 2019 has been released at £684 per 12×75, down 24% on the 2018’s opening price of £900 per case and flat on the 2017.

Jane Anson, 96 points. “A serious Rauzan”, noting that “there is the precision of Rauzan Ségla that is reminiscent of the 2016, less of the immediate voluptuous impact of 2018 but the density becomes extremely clear in the glass”.

Today’s release is coming to the market below a number of acclaimed recent vintages such as 2015, 2016 and 2018.

We have taken good allocations of this wine –

 

Nearly at the end of the campaign now – and this morning we received the Carmes Haut Brion release.

Carmes Haut Brion 2019 has been released at £816 per 12×75, down 1.4% on the 2018 release (£828), which has since risen in value. This is very much a cult wine with hardly any allocations available. We have taken as much as we can!

Jane Anson was one of the few major critics to review the wine, awarding it 96 points. In her tasting note, she called it “extremely impressive” and “well balanced, with fine tannins and real discretion but hidden power and depths”.

If you are interested in finding out more about investment wine – please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com

Troplong Mondot 2019 has been released at £762 per 12×75, a decrease of 17% in sterling terms on the 2018 release of £918 per case.

Troplong Mondot is a Premier Grand Cru Classé from Saint-Emilion – and we believe one of the great buys of the campaign.

Neal Martin, 95-97 points. “It is a wonderful Saint-Émilion from Aymeric de Gironde and his team, more approachable than the 2018, to be frank, just a wine you are going to want to drink”.

Antonio Galloni, 96-98 points. “The 2019 Troplong Mondot is sensational. Rich, vibrant and explosive, the 2019 pulses with energy”.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, 96-98 points. “The pH is 3.55—pretty incredible when you consider the alcohol is nearly 15%! I hasten to add that from tasting, I would have guessed this was 14.3% to 14.5% alcohol. It is the kind of wine with so much energy it practically does pirouettes on your palate.” With this ABV, the wine is also exempt from the 25% US tariffs.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about investment wine – please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com

Haut Bailly 2019 has been released at £840 per 12×75, a decrease of 19.5% on the 2018’s opening price of £1,044 per case.

Neal Martin, 96-98 points. Describing it as “more terroir expressive Haut-Bailly that has an effortless allure and a sense of sophistication. Wonderful”.

Antonio Galloni, 95-97 points. Antonio confirmed that “elegance and sophistication are front and center in the 2019 Haut-Bailly”. He added that the “2019 is all about focus, persistence and simply exquisite overall balance. It is easily one of the highlights of the vintage”.

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, 97-99 points. It is “just magic”. According to her, “the palate is achingly elegant, showing off perfumed black fruit layers with a firm frame of very fine-grained, silt-like tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with incredible persistence and fragrance”.

Jane Anson, 97 points.
Jeb Dunnuck, 96-98 points.

This looks like an interesting option for investors and we have taken a small allocation of these wines.

The last of the First Growths to be released this year has now come out. Margaux 2019 was released at £4,200 per 12×75, down 17.8% on the 2018’s release of £5,112 per case.

Neal Martin awarded Margaux 96-98 points – saying that this is “a beautifully proportioned Château Margaux, somehow “effortless”, fanning out nonchalantly with residues of white pepper and fresh tobacco on the finish. Outstanding.”

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW rated the wine 97-100 points. She revealed that “the 2019 Château Margaux is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, accounting for 37% of the crop. The alcohol came in at 13.9%”. Perrotti-Brown added that “the medium-bodied palate quivers with energy, emitting loads of mineral sparks, featuring bold freshness and fantastically ripe, finely grained tannins to support the delicate, perfumed layers, finishing very long and wonderfully poised. The juxtaposition between the acidity and the richness in this Château Margaux is just extraordinary!”

Jeb Dunnuck awarded the wine the same range of 97-100 points, calling it “a quintessential Château Margaux”.

The wine also received 98 points from Jane Anson, according to whom “this is close in character to the 2009 or 2015, two exceptional vintages at Margaux and classic to the graceful yet concentrated signature of the property”.

We have taken our full allocation of Margaux this year – as well as Pavillon Rouge below.

Pavillon Rouge 2019

Pavillon Rouge was released at £1500 per 12×75, a 16.2% decrease from the 2018 opening price of £1790 a case.

Well regarded by the critics, the second wines of the First Growths are very sort after on the secondary market and we have taken our full allocation here.

If you are interested in finding out more about investment wine – please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com

Another big release this morning, with Chateau Ausone from St Emilion playing their hand.

Being released at £2640 per 6 pack, down nearly 25% on the 2018 release.

Looking back, the 2019 is also released at a lower price than the 2015 wine, that is currently performing favourably at nearly 18% up.

In comparison to the 2009 and 2010 releases, this 2019 looks like a good opportunity to snap up a Bordeaux powerhouse.

 

If you are interested in finding out more about investment wine – please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com

 

We are around 65% through the campaign now – and we have received the first release of what is expected to be a big day.

From St Julien, Leoville Barton that historically performs very well on the secondary market, has been released at £325 per 6 pack, this is nearly 17% down on the 2018 release.

94-96 points – Neil Martin – there is a sense of completeness to this Léoville-Barton, certainly on par with the best vintages in recent years. A formidable yet charming Saint-Julien in the making.

96 points – Jane Anson – another hit from an estate that is making seriously great wine right now…

If you are interested in finding out more about investment wine – please contact charles@waudinvestmentwines.com