En Primeur is often referred to as ‘wine future’, it refers to the process of buying wine whilst it is still in the barrel. This is with the understanding that the bottling and physical delivery of the wine won’t be for another 2-3 years.
The Benefits of En Primeur
En Primeur comes with many benefits.
- Lowest Price: En Primeur often offers the chance for collectors to get involved at the lowest market offer price. The opening En Primeur price is almost always considerably cheaper than the future price of the wine, once it’s released into the open market.
- Secure Rare Wines: Buying the wines En Primeur can be the only way to secure wines that are only available in limited quantities, some En Primeur producers release as few as 200 cases per year.
- Youngest Age: When the En Primeur for that year is released, the wines are at their youngest age, this means they have the maximum period for maturity and potential growth in value.
- Secondary Market Buying: Traditionally, the secondary market buying trend is for physical stock, this means you can take advantage of EP gains, with the wine being easily liquidated after delivery.
2020 En Primeur Wine
2020 has been a year of contrasts, and so the best wine to come out of this year is from terroirs that are best able to cope with the change, and winemakers who are best able to help their vines adapt.
The yield in 2020 was around 25% lower than in 2019, particularly with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, in part due to the dry summer. This means smaller berries, thicker skins and lots of concentration. Within the 2020 En Primeur selection you can expect to find tannins that are strong, and give off big energy, or, that are a little dry and sometimes underripe, particularly if the drought led to blockages in the vineyard.