En Primeur Burgundy Wines: Investing in the Future

Why Buy Wine En Primeur?

En primeur wine, or wine "in its prime," refers to the practice of buying wine while it's still in the barrel, before it is bottled and released. The en primeur system allows consumers, collectors, and investors to secure wines at a lower price than they may pay after release, while also giving winemakers the opportunity to gauge demand for their vintages early on.

The en primeur process begins during the harvest season when winemakers offer their wines to merchants, brokers, and consumers. Although buyers don’t receive their bottles until a number of months later, the current wine market has seen a steady increase in interest and excitement surrounding en primeur purchases, particularly for en primeur Burgundy wines.

Burgundy is renowned for its labor­intensive viticulture and vinification methods, which yield some of the most sought­after wines in the world, but can also push up the prices to quite astonishing levels. The relatively small yields compared to other regions, and the fact that Burgundy wines are often produced in small lots, means buyers look for other ways to ensure value. En primeur offers a unique opportunity for buyers to secure desirable wines before they become too scarce.

But buyers don’t just want to blindly take a punt and hope for the best – they are looking, understandably, for a knowledgeable and trustworthy partner in­region to guide them towards the best bets. That’s what we do best at BurgundyWine.com by Elden Selections!

The Best En Primeur Burgundy Wines on BurgundyWine.com

So if you’re wondering how you can get your hands on such wines early on, and secure these savings for yourself, look no further because here at BurgundyWine.com we have a number of these en primeur Burgundy wines available for you right now. They include wines from our very own vineyards in Burgundy! Let’s meet a few of them along with some tasting notes:

• Cromey Bourgogne Le Clos Blanc 2022: This wine, from three­year old vines (hence a very small yield), was fermented in neutral barrels. The intent was to see, as much as possible, what nature would give us from this relatively new plantation; so there was no artifice, no filtering or fining before bottling. The resulting wine definitely benefits from leaving the bottles to stand upright, to allow sediment to settle (part of the initial intention was to taste the lees, and, for that, the wine is cloudy by nature). The nose is expressive, with a combination of clear bright fruit and a dominant note of the ferment. Pleasant berry fruit, with appley acidity and straightforward structure with a satisfying finish, this wine shows great promise.

• Cromey Bourgogne Le Clos Blanc 2023: The second harvest (from fourth­year vines) produced a wine with enough fruit yield to give a true impression of the qualitative and quantitative potential of the Le Clos vineyard. It has a crystalline green­gold robe; on the palate it’s a bright nugget of clean, balanced fruit that runs from attack, through mid­palate and on to the finish. Slight flinty minerality, carried on by good acidity, takes you to a juicy finish. These are signs of an interesting terroir, and the marks of a well­made wine. The impression of potential in the Le Clos vineyard is reinforced by the overall harmony of this young­vine Chardonnay, which already shows character and class.

• Cromey Bourgogne Le Clos Rouge 2023: Blackberry fruit and crunchy tannins lead the attack of this first red issue of the Cromey Le Clos vineyard. Deep color, a hallmark of 2023 red Burgundy, brings with it a youthful rusticity. But the excellent fruit of an excellent vintage make this young wine impetuous; the underlying balance, while not fully formed, is firmly in place. Bottle age will mellow this into a very pretty Pinot.

• Cromey Beaune 1er Cru 'Champimont' 2022: This Pinot Noir is from a vineyard in the heart of the noblest Beaune premier cru. The color is dark, rich ruby, and the attack is fresh and acidic with bright, spicy fruit and an overlay of chocolate velour. The finish is long and very fruity, carried forward by the balance of the acidity. Density and tension mark the overall impression.

• Hospices de Beaune Wines: Every year there are charity wine auctions in Burgundy which have been held for decades and raise millions of dollars for charity – there is the Hospices de Nuits auction in March, and the Hospices de Beaune auction in November. Here wines are auctioned in the barrel, en primeur. Follow this link to learn more about the Hospices auctions, and see how you can buy a barrel share of a Hospices de Beaune wine. You can also buy Hospices wines by the bottle view recent Hospices wines we have bought click here.

We hope these five en primeur Burgundy wines have whetted your appetite for this type of wine purchase. It’s undeniable that Burgundy has been experiencing a big shift in terms of how people buy. Buyers have begun taking en primeur wines more seriously, resulting in strong sales. The quality of the wines, along with the surrounding hype and marketing strategies employed by both producers and merchants, has made them an attractive proposition for collectors.

Buying en primeur Burgundy wines allows enthusiasts to invest in wines that may grow significantly in value over time. Certain vintages can see significant price increases once released, such is Burgundy’s reputation. By purchasing wine en primeur, buyers hedge against potential price inflation, making their initial investment a sound financial decision. Plus it creates a real sense of anticipation between buying your wine and having your first glass...

As the En Primeur Burgundy trend grows for both collectors and aficionados alike, it’s clear that en primeur will continue to be an important method of navigating the ever­changing landscape of fine wines in Burgundy. We hope you too will go on that journey, with us as your guide.

Have You Joined Our Burgundy Wine Club Yet?

Elden Selection's Burgundy Wine Club provides members with an opportunity to explore the wines of Burgundy with four shipments each year. Members also enjoy exclusive invitations to member­only virtual events in the US, receive two specially­selected wine glasses, and get tasting notes with each shipment. CLICK HERE TO JOIN. Additionally, there is a chance to win a stay at our Burgundy manor house Domaine de Cromey.