Updated regularly in June: So the big guns have left it until after the World Cup kicks off before launching their 2009 sales campaign. In the meantime, I’ve been looking at prices and scores against the last vintage of the decade/century/lifetime: 2005. The table below should give you a feel for what the right price should be on 175 leading wines. All things being equal, a 2009 – still in barrel – should be cheaper than the 2005 from the same estate, yet things aren’t always that simple.
The 2009 columns, on the left, are my scores (GQ) and Robert Parker’s, using the 100 point system, Jancis Robinson’s out of 20, and then the price in £ En Primeur from UK merchants. The spaces indicate the wines that have yet to be released, although I’ll keep the list updated.
On the right hand side, I tasted all the top 2005s in bottle (except Château Ausone, sadly) for Wine & Spirit magazine for the December 2007 issue, five months before Robert Parker released his final scores, shown here also. Buyers are dipping back into the market for the 2005s against the more expensive 2009s: there’s a lot of sense in that.
The last two columns show the price En Primeur for the 2005s in June 2006 – during the last World Cup – when the exchange rate was €1.45/£, and the price today. A 2009, at €1.20/£, will be 20% more expensive for UK buyers than the 2005 even if the price ex-Château is unchanged. In fact, the average increase from Châteaux to date is around 20% – bringing many 2009s up to the current level of the 2005s.
In short, compare the scores and the prices of the two vintages. Follow me on Twitter for some recommendations.
Château | Appellation | GQ 2009 | RP 2009 | JR 2009 | £ EP 2009 | GQ 2005 | RP 2005 | £ EP 2005 | £ Now 2005 |
Alter Ego de Palmer | Margaux | 91-93 | 89-92 | 16.5 | £395 | 91 | 90 | £240 | £450 |
Angélus | St-Emilion | 94-96 | 96-100 | 18- | £2350 | 99 | 98 | £1,450 | £2,150 |
d’Angludet | Margaux | 89-91 | 88-91 | 17 | £219 | 91 | 90 | £150 | £200 |
d’Armailhac | Pauillac | 91-93 | 90-93* | 16.5+ | £330 | 91 | 90+ | £235 | £280 |
L’Arrosée | St-Emilion | 89-91 | 92-94 | NT | £320 | 93 | 93 | £255 | £375 |
Batailley | Pauillac | 90-92 | 90-92 | 17 | £265 | 90 | 91 | £180 | £320 |
Beau-Séjour Bécot | St-Emilion | 93-95 | 93-95 | 16.5 | £520 | 93 | 94 | £420 | £480 |
Beaumont | Haut-Médoc | 87-88 | NT | 16.5 | £92 | 87 | NT | £70 | £130 |
Beaurégard | Pomerol | 90-92 | 88-90 | 16.5 | £310 | 90 | NT | £215 | £320 |
Beauséjour Duffau | St-Emilion | 94-97 | 96-98+ | 16.5+ | £900 | 92 | 91 | £550 | £450 |
Belair Monange | St-Emilion | 90-92 | 94-96+* | 16.5 | ? | 90 | 87 | £330 | £400 |
Belgrave | Haut-Médoc | 90-92 | 88-90+* | 16 | £180 | 90 | 89 | £135 | £200 |
Belle-Vue | Haut-Médoc | 88-89 | 90-92* | 16.5 | £125 | NT | 88 | £95 | £180 |
Bellefont Belcier | St-Emilion | 91-93 | NT | 17+ | £252 | 91 | 94 | £190 | £350 |
Berliquet | St-Emilion | 91-93 | 87-89 | 16 | £220 | 90 | NT | £190 | £276 |
Bernadotte | Haut-Médoc | 88-90 | 90-92* | 16 | £140 | 86 | NT | NA | £120 |
Beychevelle | St-Julien | 90-93 | 92-94+ | 16.5 | £520 | 91 | 90 | £280 | £550 |
Blason d’Evangile | Pomerol | 90-91 | 90-92* | 16.5+ | ? | NT | 86 | ? | £380 |
Bouscaut | P-Léognan | 87-89 | NT | 16 | £180 | 88 | NT | £135 | £240 |
Branaire-Ducru | St-Julien | 92-95 | 92-95 | 16.5+ | £495 | 95 | 95 | £370 | £490 |
Brane-Cantenac | Margaux | 90-93 | 93-95 | 16 | £500 | 94 | 94 | £300 | £410 |
Calon Ségur | St-Estèphe | 92-95 | 92-94+ | 18 | £600 | 95 | 92+ | £430 | £500 |
Camensac | Haut-Médoc | 89-91 | NT | 16 | £170 | 88 | NT | £120 | £200 |
Canon | St-Emilion | 92-95 | 93-95 | 17.5 | £995 | 91 | 90+ | £500 | £550 |
Canon La Gaffelière | St-Emilion | 91-93 | 94-96 | 17 | £695 | 95 | 94 | £500 | £550 |
Cantemerle | Haut-Médoc | 90-92 | 92-94* | 15.5 | £240 | 90 | 90 | £160 | £190 |
Cantenac Brown | Margaux | 90-92 | 94-96* | 16 | £395 | 89 | 87+? | £210 | £285 |
Carbonnieux | P-Léognan | 90-93 | 89-92* | 17 | £225 | 90 | 91 | £170 | £295 |
Les Carmes Haut Brion | P-Léognan | 92-94 | 90-92 | 17.5 | £440 | 91 | 92 | £344 | £480 |
Carruades de Lafite | Pauillac | 91-93 | 92-94+* | 17 | £800+ | 91 | 89 | £380 | £2,400 |
Certan de May | Pomerol | 93-95 | 93-95 | 17.5 | £720 | NT | 92 | £500 | £590 |
Certan Marzelle | Pomerol | 90-92 | 91-93 | 16.5 | £425 | 89 | 89 | £350 | £470 |
Chantegrive | Graves | 87-89 | 87-89 | 16 | £100 | 83 | NT | £85 | £130 |
La Chapelle de la Mission | P-Léognan | 89-91 | 91-94* | 17.5 | £695 | 89 | 91 | £240 | £425 |
Chasse-Spleen | Moulis | 90-92 | 90-92 | 16.5 | £195 | 88 | 88 | £153 | £205 |
Cheval Blanc | St-Emilion | 97-100 | 98-100 | 18.5 | £7990 | 99 | 96 | £4,700 | £5,250 |
Le Clarence de Haut-Brion | P-Léognan | 90-92 | 90-93* | 17+ | £1000 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Clerc Milon | Pauillac | 91-93 | 90-92+ | 17 | £420 | 93 | 92 | £270 | £380 |
Clinet | Pomerol | 94-96 | 97-100* | 17 | £820 | 94 | 92 | £550 | £600 |
Clos des Jacobins | St-Emilion | 90-92 | 92-94* | 16.5 | £250 | 90 | 91 | £212 | £350 |
Clos du Clocher | Pomerol | 91-93 | 89-91 | 16.5+ | £260 | 90 | 89 | £189 | £350 |
Clos du Marquis | St-Julien | 91-93 | 91-93 | 17 | £375 | 91 | 91 | £275 | £350 |
Clos Fourtet | St-Emilion | 93-96 | 95-98 | 17.5 | £700 | 95 | 98 | £430 | £900 |
Clos l’Eglise | Pomerol | 92-93 | 96-100* | 16.5 | £1500 | 95 | 96 | £660 | £1,000 |
Clos St Martin | St-Emilion | 91-94 | 92-94+ | NT | £500 | 96 | 98 | £350 | £1,300 |
La Clotte | St-Emilion | 92-93 | 92-94 | NT | £335 | 93 | 93 | £260 | £360 |
La Conseillante | Pomerol | 93-95 | 95-98 | 17 | £1500 | 95 | 96 | £725 | £1,400 |
Cos d’Estournel | St-Estèphe | 94-97 | 98-100* | 16.5+ | £2350 | 97 | 98 | £1,120 | £1,350 |
Cos Labory | St-Estèphe | 88-90 | 87-88+ | 17 | £255 | 90 | 89+ | £175 | £250 |
La Couspaude | St-Emilion | 89-91 | 90-92 | 16 | £400 | 89 | NT | £370 | £420 |
Croix de Beaucaillou | St-Julien | 91-93 | 88-90 | 16.5 | £300 | 91 | 91 | £170 | £300 |
Croizet Bages | Pauillac | 88-90 | 87-89 | 16.5 | £200 | 85 | 86 | £140 | £200 |
La Dame de Montrose | St-Estèphe | 88-91 | 91-93* | 16 | £360 | 89 | 88 | £160 | £250 |
Dauzac | Margaux | 90-93 | 88-90 | 16.5 | £270 | 91 | 91 | £200 | £275 |
Desmirail | Margaux | 88-90 | 85-87 | 17 | £215 | 86 | NT | £145 | £240 |
Destieux | St-Emilion | 89-92 | 91-94* | NT | £315 | 93 | 93 | £220 | £330 |
Domaine de Chevalier | P-Léognan | 90-92 | 94-96* | 17.5+ | £540 | 91 | 92 | £290 | £395 |
La Dominique | St-Emilion | 90-93 | 92-94 | 17.5 | £330 | 90 | 90 | £240 | £250 |
Ducru Beaucaillou | St-Julien | 93-96 | 96-98 | 17 | £2000 | 96 | 97 | £980 | £1,250 |
Duhart Milon | Pauillac | 93-95 | 94-96* | 17.5 | £540 | 91 | 94 | £240 | £630 |
Durfort-Vivens | Margaux | 90-92 | 87-89+ | 17 | £290 | 90 | NT | £210 | £260 |
L’Eglise Clinet | Pomerol | 94-97 | 98-100 | 17.5+ | £3500 | 97 | 100 | £1,300 | £4,350 |
L’Evangile | Pomerol | 95-97 | 96-100* | 18 | £2100 | 97 | 95 | £1,100 | £1,800 |
Ferrière | Margaux | 90-92 | NT | 16.5 | £240 | 91 | NT | £175 | £295 |
de Fieuzal | P-Léognan | 91-93 | 91-93+* | 15.5 | £260 | 88 | 90 | £160 | £220 |
Figeac | St-Emilion | 90-93 | NT | 17+ | £1750 | 92 | 90 | £650 | £700 |
Fleur Cardinale | St-Emilion | 91-93 | 90-92 | 16.5 | £270 | 94 | 95 | £200 | £400 |
La Fleur de Boüard | Lal Pomerol | 88-90 | 91-93 | 16.5 | £235 | 90 | 89 | £195 | £240 |
La Fleur-Pétrus | Pomerol | 94-96 | 96-98+* | 17+ | £930 | 93 | 93 | £550 | £1,350 |
Fonreáud | Listrac | 85-87 | NT | 17 | £90 | 85 | NT | ? | £130 |
Fonroque | St-Emilion | 89-90 | 91-93* | 16 | £225 | 88 | 90 | ? | £240 |
Les Forts de Latour | Pauillac | 91-94 | 93-95* | 18 | £1100 | 93 | 92 | £650 | £1,300 |
Fourcas Borie | Listrac | 87-89 | 87-88 | 15.5 | ? | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Fourcas-Dupré | Listrac | 87-89 | NT | 16 | £110 | 87 | NT | £75 | £125 |
Fourcas-Hosten | Listrac | 87-88+ | NT | 17 | £110 | 86 | NT | £75 | £110 |
Franc Mayne | St-Emilion | 89-90 | 90-93* | 16 | £260 | 91 | 91 | £180 | £275 |
La Gaffelière | St-Emilion | 92-95 | 94-96 | 15.5 | £695 | 94 | 96 | £400 | £605 |
Gazin | Pomerol | 91-93 | 94-96* | 16.5 | £540 | 92 | 94 | £320 | £480 |
Gironville | Haut-Médoc | 88-89 | 89-91* | 14.5 | £90 | 87 | 88 | £65 | £120 |
Giscours | Margaux | 90-92 | 91-93* | 16 | £430 | 93 | 91 | £330 | £395 |
Goulée | Médoc | 89-90 | 89-91 | 16.5 | £180 | NT | 89 | £140 | £155 |
Grand Corbin Despagne | St-Emilion | 89-91 | 90-93 | 16+ | £200 | 90 | 90+ | £135 | £200 |
Grand Mayne | St-Emilion | 90-93 | 91-94 | 16 | £260 | 91 | 93 | £250 | £317 |
Grand Pontet | St-Emilion | 90-92 | 91-93 | NT | £250 | 91 | 93 | £210 | £295 |
Grand Puy Ducasse | Pauillac | 90-92 | 90-93* | 16.5 | £265 | 89 | 91 | £165 | £280 |
Grand-Puy-Lacoste | Pauillac | 92-94 | 91-93 | 17.5 | £575 | 93 | 95 | £430 | £650 |
Les Grandes Murailles | St-Emilion | 91-93 | 90-93 | NT | £420 | 91 | 91 | £250 | £420 |
Gruaud Larose | St-Julien | 90-93 | 92-94+ | 16.5 | £470 | 92 | 89? | £330 | £384 |
Haut Bergey | P-Léognan | 91-92 | 92-94 | 16 | £230 | 90 | 92 | £160 | £215 |
Haut-Bages Libéral | Pauillac | 91-93 | NT | 15.5 | £285 | 90 | 90 | £200 | £265 |
Haut-Bailly | P-Léognan | 94-96 | 96-98+* | 16.5 | £920 | 94 | 95 | £420 | £630 |
Haut-Batailley | Pauillac | 91-93 | 88-90 | 17.5 | £290 | 91 | 89 | £215 | £250 |
Haut-Brion | P-Léognan | 96-98 | 98-100 | 19 | £8000 | 98 | 98 | £3,000 | £6,000 |
Hosanna | Pomerol | 93-95 | 98-100* | 17 | £1050 | 94 | 95 | £590 | £1,200 |
d’Issan | Margaux | 90-92 | 93-95 | 17 | £475 | 94 | 95 | £300 | £530 |
Kirwan | Margaux | 90-92 | 90-92 | 16 | £390 | 92 | 92+ | £300 | £400 |
La Lagune | Haut-Médoc | 93-95 | 94-96 | 15 | £395 | 94 | 95 | £260 | £500 |
Labégorce | Margaux | 90-92 | 85-87 | 17 | £165 | 88 | NT | £160 | £180 |
Lafite Rothschild | Pauillac | 96-99 | 98-100 | 19 | £10000 | 98 | 96+ | £3,750 | £10,500 |
Lafleur | Pomerol | 95-97 | 94-97 | 18.5 | 96 | 95+ | £6,000 | £9,500 | |
Lafon-Rochet | St-Estèphe | 90-92 | 91-93* | 16.5 | £340 | 91 | 90 | £215 | £280 |
Lagrange | St-Julien | 92-94 | 90-93 | 17 | £400 | 93 | 91? | £275 | £370 |
Lalande Borie | St-Julien | 87-89 | 88-90* | 17 | £180 | 89 | 90 | £120 | £152 |
Langoa Barton | St-Julien | 91-93 | 90-92+ | 16.5 | £470 | 91 | 90? | £390 | £390 |
Larcis Ducasse | St-Emilion | 94-96 | 91-94 | 17 | £480 | 97 | 98 | £670 | £1,050 |
Larrivet Haut Brion | P-Léognan | 89-91 | 91-93* | 15.5 | £220 | 91 | 90 | £165 | £220 |
Lascombes | Margaux | 91-93 | 94-96 | 16.5 | £650 | 93 | 95 | £420 | £520 |
Latour | Pauillac | 98-100 | 98-100 | 19 | £10000 | 100 | 96 | £4,500 | £9,000 |
Latour a Pomerol | Pomerol | 90-92 | 92-94* | 17.5 | ? | 89 | 90 | ? | £480 |
Latour Martillac | P-Léognan | 89-90 | 90-92* | 14.5 | £210 | 89 | 89 | £151 | £250 |
Léoville Barton | St-Julien | 92-94 | 93-95+ | 17+ | £750 | 96 | 94? | £470 | £750 |
Léoville Las Cases | St-Julien | 95-98 | 96-100 | 18 | £2450 | 98 | 98 | £1,630 | £1,950 |
Léoville Poyferré | St-Julien | 93-95 | 97-100* | 17.5 | £860 | 96 | 93 | £450 | £650 |
La Louvière | P-Léognan | 88-90 | 88-90 | 16 | £170 | 88 | 87 | NA | £165 |
Lynch Moussas | Pauillac | 87-88 | 88-90 | 16.5 | £240 | 87 | 88 | £170 | £220 |
Lynch-Bages | Pauillac | 94-96 | 94-96+ | 17 | £900 | 93 | 91 | £470 | £800 |
Magdelaine | St-Emilion | 93-95 | 92-94+ | 16+ | £540 | 90 | 90 | £350 | £400 |
Malartic-Lagravière | P-Léognan | 92-95 | 93-95+* | 15.5 | £410 | 93 | 92 | £250 | £300 |
Malescot St-Exupery | Margaux | 93-95 | 95-97 | 17.5 | £670 | 93 | 97 | £355 | £850 |
Château Margaux | Margaux | 97-100 | 98-100 | 19+ | £8800 | 99 | 98+ | £4,500 | £7,800 |
Marquis de Terme | Margaux | 89-92 | 89-91* | 17 | £240 | 90 | 88 | £210 | £260 |
La Mission Haut-Brion | P-Léognan | 95-97 | 98-100 | 18 | £6200 | 99 | 97 | £1,950 | £4,600 |
Monbrison | Margaux | 90-92 | NT | 16 | £225 | 89 | NT | £160 | £220 |
Montrose | St-Estèphe | 96-98 | 96-100* | 16.5+ | £1280 | 93 | 95 | £630 | £820 |
Mouton Rothschild | Pauillac | 94-97 | 96-98+ | 18.5 | £7800 | 95 | 96 | £3,350 | £5,200 |
Nenin | Pomerol | 89-91 | 91-93* | 17.5+ | £450 | 90 | 90 | £355 | £360 |
Olivier | P-Léognan | 88-90 | 88-90+ | 16 | £200 | 89 | NT | £160 | £200 |
Les Ormes de Pez | St-Estephe | 90-92 | 88-90 | 17+ | £240 | 88 | 86 | £165 | £235 |
Les Pagodes de Cos | St-Estèphe | 91-93 | 91-94* | 15.5 | £400 | 91 | 90 | £200 | £295 |
Palmer | Margaux | 96-99 | 94-96 | 18 | £2500 | 98 | 97 | £1,370 | £1,850 |
Pape Clément | P-Léognan | 93-95 | 95-97+ | 17 | £1100 | 97 | 98 | £850 | £1,100 |
Pauillac de Latour | Pauillac | 90-92 | 91-93* | 17 | 89 | 89 | ? | £580 | |
Pavie | St-Emilion | 94-96 | 96-100 | 18 | £2200 | 98 | 98+ | £1,800 | £2,500 |
Pavie-Macquin | St-Emilion | 94-96 | 94-96+ | 16 | £780 | 98 | 98 | £450 | £1,100 |
Pavillon Rouge | Margaux | 92-94 | 91-93 | 17 | 94 | NT | £350 | £650 | |
Pensées de Lafleur | Pomerol | 91-93 | 89-91 | 17.5 | 91 | NT | £720 | £900 | |
Le Petit Cheval | St-Emilion | 91-94 | 91-93 | 16.5 | £1250 | 91 | 89 | £700 | £800 |
Le Petit Lion | St-Julien | 86-88 | 87-89 | 17 | NA | NA | NA | NA | |
Le Petit Mouton | Pauillac | 89-91 | 90-92* | 16 | £700 | 92 | 88 | £420 | £825 |
Petit Village | Pomerol | 92-93 | 88-90+ | 16.5 | £400 | 90 | 87 | £285 | £360 |
Pétrus | Pomerol | 97-100 | 96-100 | 19 | 100 | 96+ | £12,000 | £26,000 | |
de Pez | St-Estèphe | 89-91 | 90-92* | 16 | ? | 88 | NT | £140 | £300 |
Phélan Ségur | St-Estèphe | 90-92 | 90-92 | 17- | £250 | 90 | 89 | £200 | £276 |
Pibran | Pauillac | 89-91 | NT | 16.5 | £215 | 90 | NT | £150 | £260 |
Pichon Lalande | Pauillac | 92-94 | 96-98 | 17 | £1500 | 91 | 86 | £780 | £750 |
Pichon-Longueville Baron | Pauillac | 95-97 | 93-95 | 18 | £1000 | 95 | 94 | £725 | £795 |
Picque Caillou | P-Léognan | 89-91 | 85-86 | 16.5 | £140 | 88 | NT | £95 | £185 |
Le Pin | Pomerol | 93-95 | 95-98 | 18 | 96 | 93 | £9,000 | £18,500 | |
La Pointe | Pomerol | 88-90 | 88-90 | 17.5 | £255 | 88 | 86 | ? | £240 |
Pontet-Canet | Pauillac | 95-97 | 97-100 | 18 | £900+ | 96 | 96+ | £460 | £760 |
Potensac | Médoc | 89-91+ | 89-91* | 17 | £175 | 89 | NT | £130 | £180 |
Poujeaux | Moulis | 90-92 | 90-93* | 16 | £210 | 90 | 89 | £150 | £240 |
Le Prieuré | St-Emilion | 89-91 | 89-92 | 15.5 | £280 | NT | 86 | ? | £210 |
Prieuré Lichine | Margaux | 90-92 | 91-93 | 16.5 | £350 | 91 | 92 | £240 | £300 |
La Providence | Pomerol | 93-95 | 92-95* | 17- | £700 | 91 | 90 | £450 | NA |
Rauzan Gassies | Margaux | 89-91 | 89-91 | 16 | £210 | 89 | 92 | £225 | £290 |
Rauzan-Ségla | Margaux | 92-95 | 92-95 | 17.5 | £695 | 93 | 94+ | £480 | £700 |
Rouget | Pomerol | 91-93 | 91-93* | 17 | £310 | 90 | 90 | £210 | £280 |
Saint Georges Cote Pavie | St-Emilion | 90-92 | 88-91* | 16 | £230 | 90 | NT | ? | £280 |
Saint Pierre | St-Julien | 92-93 | 94-98* | 17+ | £535 | 94 | 93 | £300 | £375 |
Smith Haut Lafitte | P-Léognan | 93-94 | 96-98+* | 16+ | £725 | 94 | 95 | £375 | £520 |
Talbot | St-Julien | 90-92 | 92-94 | 17 | £400 | 90 | 90 | £280 | £400 |
du Tertre | Margaux | 90-91 | 90-92 | 17.5 | £260 | 90 | 90 | £210 | £265 |
La Tour Carnet | Haut-Médoc | 90-93 | 91-93* | 16.5+ | £230 | 91 | 91 | £180 | £280 |
La Tour de By | Médoc | 87-89 | NT | 17 | £115 | 86 | NT | £80 | £180 |
La Tour du Pin | St-Emilion | 89-91 | 92-94* | 16.5 | £290 | NT | NT | ? | £320 |
La Tour Figeac | St-Emilion | 92-94 | 91-93 | 16 | £245 | 92 | 91 | £200 | £340 |
Tourelles de Longueville | Pauillac | 90-92 | NT | 16.5 | 90 | NT | NA | £245 | |
Tronquoy Lalande | St-Estèphe | 89-91+ | 90-93* | 16.5+ | £240 | NT | 89 | NA | £240 |
Troplong Mondot | St-Emilion | 94-96 | 94-97 | 16.5- | £1080 | 95-97 | 99 | £850 | £2,000 |
Trotanoy | Pomerol | 95-97 | 97-100* | 18 | 93 | 95 | £900 | £1,400 | |
Trottevielle | St-Emilion | 89-91 | 91-93+ | 16.5 | 94 | 92 | £550 | ? | |
Vieux Château Certan | Pomerol | 93-96 | 96-99* | 18 | 95 | 95 | £980 | £1,050 | |
Vieux Maillet | Pomerol | 88-90 | 89-91* | 16.5 | £240 | 90 | NT | £180 | £250 |