by Wine Owners
Posted on 2019-02-19
Petrus 1998
Price: £32,000 per 12
WO average score: 97
Robert Parker: 98
Neal Martin: 98+
There is a compelling case to be made for Petrus ’98. Petrus is Petrus and trades in a rarefied right bank bracket, with the only other occupant being Le Pin. Their following is immense, with prices to match yet these have now been sustained for decades. These are properly premium wines.
’98 was very much a right bank vintage and only 2,400 cases of Petrus were produced compared the normal 4,000. The wine is now approaching its prime and satisfies the most important of current investment criteria, namely scarcity, in spades.
Some of Neal Martin’s (admittedly more exuberant) notes:
"The 1998 Petrus is the best Right Bank of the decade and here, against the 2000 and 2001, there is no contest. The aromatics are a masterclass of control and precision, yet it is also one of the most intense bouquets that has ever been produced at the estate. This is a "complete" Petrus that is magnificent in every department."
It makes one wonder why it has not been accredited the full 100 points but maybe Neal has reverted to being more conservative in his scoring having left WA? Parker and Robinson are equally effusive about the wine at various points over the course of its development, but Martin’s notes are by far the most recent. The slightly ridiculous premium that the 2000 vintage enjoys means that Petrus ’00 currently trades at £45,000 per 12. It is interesting to note that since the summer of last year the ’98 has begun to outperform the ’00 and both the WO150 Index and the WO Bordeaux Index. We think this is set to continue.
The tasting notes and the scarcity together with the more regular analysis of MPS (market price versus score) and RVS (relative value score), as viewed in the charts above and below, further the investment case.
Recommendation: BUY
by Wine Owners
Posted on 2016-03-23
With the base price taken on January 2008, the WO Bordeaux Index has significantly outperformed the Dow Jones Index, peaking at 147.33% as of 17 March, 2016, dwarfing Dow Jones' seemingly modest gains of 40.40%. With growing demand for Bordeaux market within the Asian market, such inflation in prices is undoubtedly set to increase. The WO Bordeaux Index's ability to weather through financial instability is also illustrated in its appreciation in the midst of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, obtaining a 74.73% increase compared to Dow Jones' depreciation of 43.60%.
Note: The Dow Jones Industrial index (DJIA) is a price-weighted average of 30 significant stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq.
by Wine Owners
Posted on 2016-03-22
Undoubtedly, the market potential for wine producers and trading platforms is set to growth, the number of wealthy households in China expected to expand at an annual rate of around 16% for the next 5-7 years. Moreover, there has been high increases in Chinese internet penetration with an increase of 31 million new Internet users in 2015 (reaching a total of 649 million). Such a catalysis, together with general perception of foreign brands being of superior quality (i.e. Burgundy, Bordeaux markets) has hence led to strong import dependence of the Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets, with consumers importing as much as 96-100% of their wines.
However, wine producers must recognise that expansion into Asia, specifically China would face several restrictions with Xi JingPing's government-initiated austerity drive and anti-corruption drive hampering the premium wine market for gifting and banqueting. Hence, firm compliance with central authorities are imperative for the business to thrive. Furthermore, with China's economy growing at a rapid rate of around 6-7% (2016 predictions), China's economy has become multi-dimensional, facing transition challenges as the structure adapts to various economic and market reforms implemented by the central authorities.
by Wine Owners
Posted on 2015-02-10
It’s become apparent over the last few weeks and months that consumers who’ve already been taken advantage of by companies like European Fine Wines (EFW) are being targeted yet again with advance fee frauds and ‘White Knight’ scams.
What’s more, the cold-callers approaching those people who had previously bought from EFW seem to know an awful lot about their prior purchases. We can only presume that the EFW customer base was filched and passed around the London and Bromley wine underworld?
One of our members was approached recently by Rothstein Capital & Partners, who purported to be working in partnership with the receivers of EFW to assist former clients in recovering losses.
On that basis they offered to find buyers for her stock. The prices quoted were well ahead of market levels, for example £14k for her case of 2003 Latour (actual market price £6,500).
They then advised that the case of Latour 2003 she had received in 2013 had been misallocated, and that 'her' case was still held at the Chateau. She was told that she could not sell the case of Latour in her possession, as it did not bear her ‘log number’. She was told that her case needed to be exchanged for the correct case before they could proceed to sell it, and offered to arrange shipping of the 'correct' case from Bordeaux, provided she cover the insurance costs associated with shipping, which would cost £1,000 up front.
As reported in Jim Budd’s excellent resource on wine fraud, Investdrinks Blog, The liquidator, Nedim Ailyan of Abbott Fielding Limited, was understandably scathing of this advance fee fraud and according to Jim Budd of Investdrinks has reported Rothstein Capital to the police.
This isn't an isolated instance reported to us: another member was approached with a similar proposal, requesting that she pay for shipping fees plus a commission fee of £1,500 to get her wine to Hong Kong where it would sell at a premium.
EFW ex-customers are not alone in being targeted.
An elderly gentleman who had bought from Bordeaux Fine Wines previously, was contacted before Christmas with an offer to place wines for sale at auction in Hong Kong, again on the proviso that he pay £2,000 for shipping (and insurance). He was informed by the cold-caller – going by the name of Jay Kingsley - that his case of Montrose 2009 for which he’d paid £3K (at a time when it was worth no more than £1,500) would fetch £7,000 in Hong Kong due to heightened demand ahead of the Chinese New Year.
If you’ve bought from EFW or other cold callers from so-called wine investment companies, watch out for these scams, demand to know how the cold-caller got your information, and do not be taken in. Collect as much information as you can about the caller and their contact details, and report them to Jim Budd. Check the value of your wines on the Wine Owners website, and do let us know.
The bottom line is: if it sounds too good to be true, it will almost certainly be a scam.
