What 'En Primeur' Means
En primeur is how serious Bordeaux — and increasingly other regions — is sold before it exists as a finished wine. Here is what it means, who it's for, and whether it's worth it.
· 6 min read
Key takeaways
- En primeur means buying wine as a futures contract: you pay now, and the wine is delivered two to three years later when it is bottled.
- The system works best in exceptional vintages. In ordinary years, the theoretical saving rarely materialises.
- You need storage: en primeur wine arrives unready to drink. Serious Bordeaux bought en primeur typically needs eight to fifteen years before it reaches its peak.
- Selective buying — only in genuinely exceptional vintages — is the appropriate strategy for non-specialist buyers.
Frequently asked questions
- Is en primeur a good way to save money on Bordeaux?
- In exceptional vintages, yes — historically. The 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2019 Bordeaux vintages all held or appreciated after en primeur release. In ordinary or good-but-not-great vintages, the saving often fails to materialise, and the same wine can be bought later as a finished bottle at similar or lower prices. Selective participation — only in clearly exceptional years — is the appropriate strategy for buyers who are not professional négociants.
- Who can buy en primeur wine?
- Anyone, in principle. En primeur wine is sold through merchants, négociants, and specialist wine retailers who hold allocations from the châteaux. In Switzerland, several wine merchants (including some online platforms) offer en primeur campaigns in spring. The practical barrier is minimum order quantities — most allocations require a minimum of three or six bottles of the same wine — and storage arrangements for the two to three years before delivery.
- Do I need special storage to buy en primeur?
- Yes. Wine arrives from an en primeur purchase in peak condition but years away from its drinking window. Storing it at room temperature for a decade will degrade it significantly. You need either a temperature-controlled wine cabinet (12–14 °C), a private cellar, or a professional bonded storage service. For investment-grade en primeur, bonded storage is preferred because it maintains provenance documentation — essential for resale.
- Is en primeur available for wines other than Bordeaux?
- Yes, though Bordeaux dominates the market. Burgundy has an en primeur system for its most sought-after domaines, but access is controlled by allocation through established merchant relationships — effectively inaccessible for new buyers. Vintage Port is declared in exceptional years and sold en primeur through port shippers; this is more accessible and consistently good value. Some Rhône producers (notably Guigal's La-La wines) also sell en primeur to a limited allocation list.
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