Bordeaux 2018 en primeur buying guide

I do think 2018 is a Bordeaux vintage to consider buying into – given the right wines at the right price. Here are my ‘en primeur’ scores out of 100 for most of the leading wines, with scores close to 90 or above, from the top appellations. The rating for 2018 is on the left, 2016 on the right. Although the vintages are not the same in style, the wines are often not far apart, quality-wise, and the châteaux will price their new 2018 wines with 2016 in mind.

The first EP price is the opening en primeur price of the wine in the UK in May or June 2017, and the ‘£ now’ is the average list price you’d find, according to Liv-ex. Prices are per case of 12 ‘in bond’ (excl duty and VAT).

These tables are a simple guide to relative values: if my score for the 2018 is the same or higher than the 2016, and the price is the same or cheaper, then it’s worth a look. (And vice versa.) You can compare my 2018 ratings with other critics’ scores on the Livex page here.

The 2016s were bottled in 2018 and are physically available. Many have a long life ahead of them but some are already approachable, such is the purity and freshness of the fruit, and silkiness of the tannins.

In general, the 2018s will require patience, despite the opulence and hedonistic appeal of the wines. I’d reckon on drinking windows of 2028-2043 (10-25+ years) and beyond for many of the top estates.

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are in highlighted in bold/italics.

At the foot, there’s also 50+ ‘Bordeaux on a budget’ 2018 reds en primeur.

Left Bank

Pauillac

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Pichon Baron 97-99 96-98 £1,375 £1,350
Latour 96-98 97-100 NA NA
Lafite Rothschild 96-98 96-99 £6,000 £6,425
Mouton Rothschild 96-98 97-99 £5,180 £5,840
Pichon Lalande 95-98 96-98 £1,420 £1,679
Grand Puy Lacoste 95-96 94-96 £735 £720
Pontet Canet 94-97 95-97 £1,370 £1,250
Les Forts de Latour 94-95 95-96 NA NA
Lynch Bages 93-96 96-98 £1,120 £1,300
Clerc Milon 93-95 92-94 £600 £830
Duhart Milon 93-95 93-95 £640 £643
Petit Mouton 93-94 93-95 £1,600 £2,374
Batailley 92-93 91-93+ £414 £435
Carruades de Lafite 92-93 92-93 £1,600 £2,820
Griffons Pichon Baron 91-93 92-94 NA £370
Tourelles de Longueville 91-93 90-93 £370
d’Armailhac 91-93 92-93 £390 £466
Pedesclaux 91-92 91-93 £396 £385
Lacoste Borie 91-92 89-91 £220 £220
Echo de Lynch Bages 90-92 90-93 £340 £340
Lynch Moussas 90-92 89-90 £310 £310
Haut Batailley 90-91 89-91 NA
Pibran 90-91 90-92 £280 £290
Grand Puy Ducasse 90-91 90-92 £335 £315
Reserve de la Comtesse 89-92 90-92 £355 £361

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Saint-Julien

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Léoville Poyferré 96-98 95-97 £798 £833
Léoville Las Cases 96-98 96-98 £2,100 £2,434
Ducru Beaucaillou 96-98 96-97 £1,704 £1,612
Léoville Barton 96-97 95-97 £744 £819
Saint Pierre 94-96 94-95 £560 £537
Gruaud Larose 94-95 93-94 £620 £658
Beychevelle 94-95 93-95 £678 £905
Talbot 94-95 94-95 £490 £512
Clos du Marquis 93-95 93-95 £470 £470
Langoa Barton 93-95 93-95 £420 £440
Branaire Ducru 93-95 92-95 £465 £480
Lagrange 93-95 92-94 £420 £420
Croix Beaucaillou 92-93 92-93 £420 £380
Gloria 92-93 91-92 £360 £360
Moulin Riche 91-93 £235 £254
Petit Lion de Las Cases 91-93 89-91 £420 £431
Amiral Beychevelle 90-92 NA
Lalande Borie 90-91 89-91 £215 £215
Sarget de Gruaud Larose 89-91 £210 £210
Fiefs de Lagrange 89-91 87-89 £220 £210

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics. Rather a lot in Saint-Julien.

Saint-Estephe

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Montrose 96-99 97-100 £1,212 £1,589
Calon Ségur 96-98 94-96 £750 £1,059
Cos d’Estournel 94-96 96-98 £1,400 £1,887
Phelan Ségur 92-93 91-93 £380 £360
Dame de Montrose 92-93 93-94 £312 £312
de Pez 92-93 91-93 £270 £270
Pagodes de Cos 92-93 91-93 £385 £376
Lafon Rochet 91-93 91-93 £408 £381
Meyney 91-92 90-92+ £240 £245
Crock 91-92 89-91 £200 £210
Cos Labory 90-92 90-92 £310 £295
Ormes de Pez 90-91 90-91+ £250 £269
Tronquoy Lalande 90-91 87-90 NA
Marquis Calon 89-91 £200 £242
Lilian Ladouys 89-91 89-91+ £150 £170
Capbern 89-90 89-90+ £170 £186

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Margaux

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Margaux 97-99 95-97 £5,180 £5,331
Palmer 96-98 96-98 £2,880 £2,850
Rauzan Ségla 96-98 94-96 £732 £866
Brane Cantenac 95-96 93-94 £630 £670
Issan 94-96 93-95 £570 £550
Malescot St Exupéry 94-96 93-95 £500 £560
Pavillon Rouge 93-95 92-94 £1,380 £1,839
Kirwan 93-95 91-93 £378 £363
Cantenac Brown 93-95 92-93 £474 £435
Giscours 92-94 92-93 £540 £560
Marquis Alesme 92-93 £340 £345
Lascombes 91-94 93-94 £650 £650
Prieuré Lichine 91-93 92-93 £350 £340
Labégorce 91-93 91-92 £240 £294
Rauzan Gassies 91-93 90-91 £440 £447
Marquis Terme 91-93 90-92+ £360 £360
du Tertre 91-93 91-92 £348 £361
Dauzac 91-93 89-91 £360 £340
Siran 91-92 89-91 £240 £278
Segla 91-92 NA
Baron de Brane 91-92 £210 £218
Monbrison 90-92 89-91 £280 £288
Angludet 90-92 89-91 £250 £288
Blason d’Issan 90-92 £225 £225
Desmirail 89-91 89-90 £310 £310
Mongravey 89-91 90-91 £190

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Haut-Médoc

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Sociando Mallet 91-93 91-93 £315 £300
La Tour Carnet 91-92 90-92 £240 £270
Poujeaux (Moulis) 90-92 89-90 £260 £250
Charmail 90-91 88-90 £120 £130
Cantemerle 89-91 90-91 £258 £250
Lamarque 89-91 87-89 £200
Lanessan 89-91 £112 £112
Citran 88-90 87-89 £135 £135
Beaumont 88-90 89-90 £100 £107

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Pessac-Léognan

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
La Mission Haut Brion 95-97 93-95 £3,960 £3,642
Haut Brion 95-96 94-96 £4,980 £5,200
Haut Bailly 95-96 95-96 £996 £1,082
Domaine Chevalier 94-96 93-94 £648 £605
Smith Haut Lafitte 94-95 93-95 £920 £920
Carmes Haut Brion 93-95 92-94 £670 £1,500
Pape Clément 93-95 94-96 £790 £863
Malartic Lagraviere 92-94 92-95 £480 £470
Latour Martillac 92-94 90-91 £260 £285
Carbonnieux 91-93 £300 £270
La Clarte de Haut Brion 91-93 91-93 £700 £700
Haut Bailly II 91-93 91-93 £260 £250
Olivier 91-93 90-92 £250 £230
Larrivet Haut Brion 91-93 89-91 £270 £286
Clarence Haut Brion 91-92 89-91 £1,200 £1,158
De France 91-92 £155
Chapelle de la Mission 90-92 89-91 £770 £740
Louviere 90-92 £240 £240
Haut Bergey 90-92 90-93 £160 £170
Picque Caillou 90-91 87-88 £157 £155
Bouscaut 90-91 88-89 £240 £248

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Right Bank

Pomerol

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Lafleur 97-100 97-99 £5,160 £11,609
Petrus 97-98 97-100 £22,000 £36,778
Vieux Chateau Certan 96-98 97-99 £2,300 £2,871
Eglise Clinet 95-97 94-96 £2,740 £2,700
Le Pin 95-96 97-99 £22,200 £36,915
Fleur Petrus 94-96 94-96 £1,900 £1,984
Conseillante 94-96 94-95 £1,860 £2,035
Evangile 94-96 94-96 £2,125 £2,003
Trotanoy 94-95 94-96 £2,600 £2,600
Clinet 94-95 93-95 £864 £950
Pensees Lafleur 93-95 94-95 £1,102 £1,460
Vray Croix De Gay 93-95 93-94 £500 £524
Gazin 93-95 91-93 £720 £700
Feytit Clinet 93-95 92-94 £596
Hosanna 93-94 93-95 £1,080 £1,582
Nenin 92-93 93-95 £590 £566
Croix de Gay 92-93 91-92 £339 £330
Petite Eglise 91-93 91-93 £350 £350
Latour à Pomerol 91-93 91-93 £850 £800
Clos Vieille Eglise 91-93 90-92 £490
Pointe 91-93 90-92 £320 £340
Certan May 91-92 90-93 £1,060 £1,143
Beauregard 91-92 91-92 £564 £520
Bon Pasteur 90-92 90-92 £620 £602
Cabanne 90-92 £274
Vieux Maillet 90-92 89-90 £250 £250
Commanderie 90-91 91-92 NA
La Grave Pomerol 89-91 89-91 £474
Taillefer 89-91 87-89 £190 £190

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Saint-Emilion

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Figeac 96-98 96-97 £1,860 £2,077
Beauséjour Duffau 96-98 94-96 £1,026 £1,103
Cheval Blanc 96-98 96-98+ £6,400 £6,260
Troplong Mondot 95-97 95-97 £1,200 £1,200
Ausone 95-97 96-98 £7,250 £7,404
Canon 95-97 93-94 £875 £1,639
Clos Fourtet 95-97 94-96 £1,010 £1,000
Le Dome 95-96 94-96 £1,200 £1,685
Angelus 94-96 96-98 £3,576 £3,359
Pavie 94-95 96-98 £3,588 £3,530
Belair Monange 94-95 93-95 £1,320 £1,340
Chapelle d’Ausone 94-95 95-95 £1,700 £1,700
Trottevieille 93-95 91-93 £700 £730
Mondotte 93-95 95-96 £2,200 £2,217
Larcis Ducasse 93-95 94-95 £642 £679
Vieux Chateau Mazerat 93-95 92-94 £750 £900
Petit Cheval 93-94 92-94 £1,420 £1,550
Peby Faugeres 93-94 92-94 £1,460 £1,357
Gaffeliere 93-94 92-94 £540 £535
La Tour Figeac 93-94 92-93 £280 £333
La Dominique 93-94 91-92 £500 £470
Bellevue 93-94 90-93 £400 £385
Pavie Macquin 92-95 94-96 £720 £687
Pressac 92-94 90-93 £230 £230
Beau-Séjour Becot 92-94 92-94 £624 £600
La Clotte 92-94 90-93 £570 £621
Valandraud 92-94 £1,550 £1,434
Les Asteries 92-94 92-94 £1,000
Le Carré 92-94 91-93 £650
Quintus 92-94 92-94 £1,120 £1,014
L’If 92-94 93-94 NA £3,010
Clos Saint Martin 92-93 £958
Le Prieuré 92-93 91-94 £360 £428
Fleur Cardinale 92-93 90-92 £316 £336
Couvent Jacobins 92-93 £230 £258
Serre 92-93 88-90 £423
Rochebelle 92-93 £500
Laforge 92-93 90-92 NA
Corbin 92-93 90-93 £260 £283
Grand Corbin Despagne 92-93 90-92 £260 £267
Canon la Gaffeliere 92-93 95-96 £775 £742
Cote Baleau 91-93 £170 £178
Grand Mayne 91-93 92-94 £360 £340
Sansonnet 91-93 91-93 £270 £272
Couspaude 91-93 89-90 £400 £414
Laniote 91-93 £262
Franc Mayne 91-93 90-92 £300
Magrez Fombrauge 91-93 90-92 £900 £900
Clos Jacobins 91-93 91-92 £240 £250
Laroque 91-93 NA
Dassault 91-93 90-92 £330 £330
Chauvin 91-93 91-92 £285 £285
Faurie Souchard 91-93 £300 £280
Mondot 91-93 NA
Fleur Morange 91-92 £324
Soutard 91-92 90-91 £370 £390
Berliquet 91-92 90-91 £320 £322
Quinault l’Enclos 91-92 89-91 £286 £275
Saint Georges Cote Pavie 91-92 £250 £250
Bellefont Belcier 90-93 92-93 £300 £302
Pavie Decesse 90-93 92-94 £1,100 £1,128
Villemaurine 90-93 90-92 £350 £360
Marzelle 90-93 91-93 £370
Bellevue Mondotte 90-92 93-95 £1,320 £1,568
Fonroque 90-92 90-92 £270 £292
Faugeres 90-92 90-92 £336 £336
Fonplegade 90-92 90-92 £300 £335
Moulin Saint Georges 90-92 89-91 £280 £289
Grand Pontet 90-92 £210 £210
Destieux 90-92 90-91 £410 £390
Yon Figeac 90-92 90-91 £220 £220
Rol Valentin 90-92 89-91 £268
Carillon Angelus 90-92 89-91 NA £831
Cadet Bon 90-92 £296
Commanderie (Saint Emilion) 90-92 £200
Larmande 90-92 88-90 £240 £250
Petit Faurie Soutard 90-92 £180 £180
Aromes Pavie 90-91 91-92 £850 £785
Laroze (Larose) 90-91 91-93 £220 NA
Daugay 90-91 £190

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Right Bank – other

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Plus Fleur Bouard 91-93 £837
Fleur de Bouard 91-92 £227
Chambrun 90-92 90-92 £160 £169
Cruzelles 90-91 89-91 £200 £200
Fontenil 90-92 87-89 £180 £191
Dalem 90-91 89-91 £170 £170
Vieille Cure 90-91 90-92 £160 £160
Riviere 90-91 89-91 £140 £140
Trois Croix 89-91 88-90 £142
Moulin Haut Laroque 89-91 £150 £152
Dauphine 89-91 88-89 £135 £137
Montlandrie 90-92 89-91 £175 £175
Joanin Becot 89-91 £165
Gaby 89-90 88-90

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Whites

Sauternes

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Lafaurie Peyraguey 93-94 90-92 £410 £405
Rieussec 92-94 89-92 £480 £441
Tour Blanche 92-94 92-93+ £320 £324
Sigalas Rabaud 92-94 92-94+ £295 £319
Clos Haut Peyraguey 92-94 89-90 £280 £267
Suduiraut 92-93 92-94+ £520 £480
Doisy Daene 92-93 91-93 £300 £301
Coutet 91-92 91-93 £318 £305
Rayne Vigneau 91-92 90-91 £328 £367
Doisy Vedrines 90-92 89-91 £275 £252
Bastor Lamontagne 90-91 87-89 £180 £184

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Pessac-Léognan blanc

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Mission Haut Brion Blanc 94-96 93-95 £5,450 £5,763
Haut Brion Blanc 94-95 93-95 £6,900 £7,127
Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 93-94 92-93 £860 £876
Pape Clement Blanc 92-94 93-94 £1,185 £1,080
Domaine Chevalier Blanc 92-94 92-94 £850 £790
Larrivet Haut Brion Blanc 91-93 88-90 £250 £259
Latour Martillac Blanc 91-93 89-90 £275 £251
Malartic Lagraviere Blanc 91-92 91-92 £430 £458
Olivier Blanc 90-92 89-91 £240 £230
De France Blanc 90-92 88-89 NA
Picque Caillou Blanc 90-91 88-90 £170 £165
Carbonnieux Blanc 90-91 89-91 £260 £245
Haut Bergey Blanc 90-91 90-91 £210 £214

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

Other top dry whites

Vintage 2018 2016
EP = En Primeur
Prices by Liv-ex
GQ score EP £ GQ score EP £ £ Now
Pavillon Blanc 93-94 92-94 £1,512 £1,876
Cos D’Estournel Blanc 93-94 92-94 £985 £1,040
Aile d’Argent 92-94 92-93 £610 £660
Champs Libre 92-93 91-93 £500 £500
Lynch Bages Blanc 92-93 92-94 £552

Some personal favourites in their class in 2018, and for which we hope pricing is reasonable, are highlighted in bold/italics.

50+ ‘Bordeaux on a budget’ 2018 reds en primeur

Margaux – Siran, Labégorce, Mongravey, Baron de Brane, Blason d’Issan

Saint-Estèphe – Le Crock, de Pez, Phélan-Segur, La Dame de Montrose, Lilian Ladouys

Saint-Julien – Moulin Riche, Sarget de Gruaud Larose, Lalande Borie

Pauillac – Lacoste Borie, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Les Tourelles de Longueville

Moulis – Poujeaux

Listrac – Fourcas Hosten

Médoc – Potensac, Tour de By (plus several more after bottling, I’d wager)

Pessac-Léognan – de France, Seguin, Latour Martillac, Larrivet Haut Brion, Haut Bergey, Picque Caillou (red and white from all)

Graves – Crabitey, Clos Floridène, Haura

Haut-Médoc – Sociando-Mallet, Charmail, Lanessan, La Tour Carnet, Lamarque

Saint Emilion – La Tour Figeac, Pressac, Cote de Baleau, Corbin, Teyssier

Pomerol – La Croix de Gay, La Petite Eglise, La Pointe

Lalande de Pomerol – de Chambrun, Les Cruzelles, La Fleur de Boüard, Siaurac

Fronsac – Dalem, De la Rivière, La Dauphine, Fontenil

Montagne St-Emilion – Vieux Château Palon

Bordeaux Supérieur – Grand Village, Reynon (both red and dry white)

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