Burgundy Futures
(En Primeur)
Buying Burgundy en primeur—as 'futures'—means reserving wines while they are still in barrel at the domaine. You lock in a pre-release price and receive the wine later, once bottled and ready to ship.
This is not a financial scheme. It is simply how Burgundy has worked for generations.
What Futures Really Are
Wine futures (en primeur) are offers on unfinished wines aging in the cellar. You commit now, at an early price, and the wine is delivered when the grower has finished their work.
In practice, it is the most direct route to the wines that rarely make it to the general market. And we are delighted to make this exceptional opportunity available to you on burgundywine.com.
What You Gain
Many top Burgundies are fully allocated before release; buying as futures secures your share before they disappear.
Price ProtectionFutures prices are typically below release prices, and once a wine is in bottle, prices almost never move down.
CertaintyNo mailing lists, no scramble, no “sold out”—you know exactly what is coming and what you paid.
TimeBurgundy is made to age; futures align your buying with how these wines are meant to be enjoyed—after a few years in the cellar.
Why Futures Fit Burgundy
Buying en primeur builds tomorrow’s drinking window today, quietly and steadily. You can spread purchases over time without sacrificing quality. You can plan for vintages tied to births, anniversaries, and milestones, instead of wishing later you had bought more. You avoid the release-day rush, when small-production Burgundy can sell out in hours.
| Futures (En Primeur) | Released Wines |
|---|---|
| Lower pre-release price | Market pricing at release |
| Guaranteed allocation | Limited or uncertain availability |
| Ships later | Ships immediately |
| Built with cellaring in mind | Often already scarce |
Both belong in a serious Burgundy cellar. Futures are simply how you make sure there is a future.
How Futures Work on burgundywine.com
When a wine is offered as a future on burgundywine.com:
- You pay the pre-release, discounted (futures) price.
- Shipping is charged only when the wine is ready to ship.
- Your allocation is guaranteed at that price.
No hidden conditions–just the traditional Burgundy model, made transparent.
Why burgundywine.com Emphasizes Futures
Because Burgundy rewards patience.
Because great winemakers don’t make enough wine to meet demand.
Because our customers aren’t buying for tonight — they’re building cellars.
Buying Burgundy futures offers our clients several key advantages, centered on securing limited allocations, potential value, and guaranteed provenance.
- Access to limited releases: Many top Burgundy wines are made in such small quantities that futures are often the only way to secure an allocation.
- Potential for better pricing: In strong vintages, buying early can mean lower prices than those seen at release, though this is not guaranteed.
- Guaranteed provenance: We purchase directly and oversee proper storage and handling from the start, ensuring continuity of care.
- Customization: Certain futures, such as our Hospice barrel shares, allow for personalized naming.
- The romance of following a vintage: Futures allow collectors to follow a wine’s journey from barrel through maturity.
- Potentially a good investment: Wines purchased en primeur often increase in value as availability tightens.
Futures are purchased based on barrel samples and early assessments rather than the final bottled wine, and profiles may evolve before release.
While rare, delivery risks can exist, which is why purchasing from a trusted source matters.
We cover the costs of raising, storage, handling, and shipment to our U.S. cellars.