Bordeaux En Primeur: Frequently Asked Questions
Back to: The Complete Guide to Buying Bordeaux Wine Futures →
The basics
What is En Primeur? En Primeur — also called wine futures — is the system through which Bordeaux châteaux sell their wines while still ageing in barrel, typically 18 to 24 months before bottling. You taste the vintage from barrel samples in spring, commit to a purchase, pay upfront, and receive the finished wine roughly two years later. The system has operated in Bordeaux for generations and remains the primary route through which serious collectors build their cellars.
Why does Bordeaux sell wine this way? Historically it gave châteaux early cash flow to fund barrel ageing and vineyard investment. In return, merchants and collectors secured allocations before the wines reached the broader market. That dynamic still holds — for the most sought-after estates, En Primeur is often the only realistic way to secure an allocation at a fair price. Once a well-reviewed vintage is bottled, the secondary market prices in the demand and prices rarely come back down.
Which regions offer En Primeur? Bordeaux is by far the most significant. Its scale, classification system, and global collector base make it the only region where En Primeur functions as a proper annual campaign with transparent pricing and widespread merchant participation. Burgundy, the Rhône, Tuscany, and Champagne release some wines En Primeur, but these are more ad hoc — no structured campaign, less price transparency, and allocations are harder to access unless you have direct producer relationships.
Pricing and value
How is En Primeur pricing determined? Châteaux set release prices based on vintage quality as assessed at barrel tasting, positioning relative to previous vintages, and global market demand. Currency movements, critic scores, and appetite from key markets — particularly Asia and the United States — all play a role. Pricing is released in tranches over the campaign period, so early releases from benchmark estates often signal where the rest of the campaign will land.
Is En Primeur always cheaper than buying after release? Not always. In great vintages with strong critical consensus, En Primeur prices can be set aggressively and then appreciate significantly once the wines are bottled. In average vintages — or when châteaux overprice relative to quality — secondary market prices can actually fall below the original release price. The discipline is buying selectively: En Primeur makes most sense for specific wines at specific estates where scarcity and quality align.
Are En Primeur wines a good investment? The track record for the top Bordeaux estates in genuine collector vintages is strong. The 2009, 2010, 2016, and 2019 vintages have all appreciated meaningfully from release price. But this isn't universal — plenty of En Primeur releases in weaker vintages have gone sideways or declined. We'd frame it this way: buy En Primeur primarily to secure wines you want in your cellar, at the best available price and with clean provenance. The appreciation potential is real, but it shouldn't be the only reason to buy.
What happens to pricing if a vintage receives poor reviews after bottling? It's rare that a barrel sample gives a dramatically different picture from the finished wine — experienced tasters can read structure and potential even in unblended barrel samples. But it does happen occasionally. If a wine underperforms at bottling, secondary market prices will reflect that. This is one reason to focus on estates with consistent track records rather than chasing scores from lesser-known producers in a single vintage.
How buying works
When does the 2025 En Primeur campaign open? The Bordeaux 2025 campaign is expected to run May–June 2026. Châteaux release in tranches over roughly six to eight weeks. The most sought-after wines — First Growths, top Right Bank estates — typically release early in the campaign. We publish pricing and availability as each release lands. Browse current 2025 allocations →
How do I place an order? You can order directly through our webstore or contact us if you'd like advice before committing. Payment is due at the time of order. We'll confirm your allocation and provide a full breakdown of pricing, estimated delivery timeline, and storage options.
What formats are available? Where châteaux allow, we offer standard 75cl bottles, magnums (150cl), and alternative pack sizes such as 3×75cl — useful if you want to build a varied cellar without committing to a full twelve-bottle case. Format availability varies by estate and is noted on each product listing.
Is there a minimum order? This varies by wine. Most are sold by the case — typically six or twelve bottles — though we offer three-bottle packs where châteaux permit. Contact us if you're unsure about a specific wine.
Delivery, storage and duty
When will I receive my wines? Bordeaux 2025 wines will be bottled approximately 18 months after harvest, with delivery expected in 2027. We'll notify you as delivery approaches and confirm your preference for bonded storage or direct shipment.
What does "In Bond" mean? In Bond means the wine is held in a government-approved bonded warehouse, where duty and VAT are suspended until the wine is removed. For collectors, this has two practical advantages: you defer tax until you actually want to drink or sell the wine, and bonded storage provides optimal temperature and humidity conditions that protect the wine's provenance and resale value.
Can I store my wines with Fine Wine Library? Yes. We store wines with our partner Verhoeven, a professional bonded warehouse based in the Netherlands. It is a government-regulated facility operating under Dutch customs and excise law, with 24-hour monitoring and advanced traceability systems that track every item in storage. Temperature is maintained at 16–18°C throughout. Verhoeven was recommended to us by our own suppliers, who had been working with them for over ten years before we did. See our storage options →
How long do I have to keep my wines in storage? There is no minimum holding period. We charge per month and you can withdraw your wines whenever you like — whether that's two years after delivery or twenty. You're in the driver's seat on timing entirely.
What duties and taxes apply when I take delivery in the Netherlands or Belgium? When wines are released from bond for delivery, Dutch excise duty and VAT (currently 21%) apply. We handle all customs and import documentation — there are no hidden fees or surcharges added at the point of delivery. Our In Bond prices are clearly labelled, and we explain the full duty-paid cost before you order. Full pricing explanation →
Risk, provenance and security
What are the main risks of buying En Primeur? Three worth taking seriously. First, your capital is committed for roughly two years before you receive the wine — plan your cash flow accordingly. Second, barrel samples are not finished wines; while major surprises at bottling are rare, they do happen occasionally. Third, market prices can move against you, particularly in vintages where initial enthusiasm doesn't hold. The mitigation for all three: buy from estates with consistent track records, in vintages with genuine quality rather than hype, and only at prices that make sense relative to comparable back vintages.
What happens if Fine Wine Library ceases trading before my wines are delivered? Your wines are stored with Verhoeven, a government-regulated bonded warehouse in the Netherlands. Once your order is invoiced, the wine is never listed as an asset on our balance sheet. Legal title remains with you at all times. In the event that Fine Wine Library were to close for any reason, your wine does not form part of our bankruptcy estate and is not accessible to creditors. You retain full legal right to your wine, and Verhoeven can facilitate direct client access independently of us.
In practice, you are not relying on Fine Wine Library's financial continuity to protect your wine. You are relying on a government-regulated third-party warehouse with a decade-plus track record — the same facility our own suppliers had been using for over ten years before they recommended it to us.
What happens if a château doesn't produce the wine I've ordered? This is extremely rare at established Bordeaux estates. In the unlikely event that a château cannot fulfil an order, you would receive a full refund. We only offer En Primeur from châteaux with a reliable production and commercial track record.
Can I cancel or sell my En Primeur order before delivery? En Primeur orders are non-cancellable once placed, as we commit to our allocation from the château at the point of your order. However, if your circumstances change, we can often help you sell your allocation — either through our own network or via the secondary market. Contact us to discuss options.
How do you ensure chain of custody and provenance? For Bordeaux, we purchase exclusively through the official La Place de Bordeaux négociant system — the established commercial infrastructure through which Bordeaux châteaux release their wines. This is the most transparent and traceable supply chain in fine wine. For non-Bordeaux wines, we buy through official distributors or trusted partners we have worked with for over ten years. We don't buy through grey market channels or unofficial intermediaries. Every wine we sell has a clear, documented chain of custody from château to bonded warehouse to your cellar.
Fine Wine Library specifics
Why buy En Primeur through Fine Wine Library rather than directly or through a larger merchant? We hold direct allocations through La Place de Bordeaux, which means access to wines that aren't widely available through general retail. We travel to Bordeaux each En Primeur week and taste extensively across the region — our recommendations are based on what we found in the glass, not aggregated press scores. And as a focused fine wine merchant, En Primeur is core to what we do, not a side product of a larger drinks business.
Do you offer advice on which wines to buy? Yes — and we'd encourage you to ask before committing, especially if this is your first En Primeur campaign or you're working to a specific budget. We'd rather help you allocate well across a few wines than sell you more than you need. Contact us here →
How do I choose which wines to prioritise? Start with estates you know and want in your cellar long-term. Then consider vintage character — 2025 favours precision and elegance over power, which tends to suit Left Bank Cabernet-dominant wines and the more restrained Right Bank producers. Our 2025 vintage report and release-by-release pricing commentary will guide you through the campaign as it unfolds.
Still have questions? Contact us directly → — we're happy to talk through any aspect of the campaign before you commit.
Ready to buy? Browse Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur allocations →