We caught up with Ch. Belle-Brise’s owner and winemaker Henri-Bruno de Coincy to find out the secret behind this idiosyncratic Pomerol estate Ch. Belle-Brise is a rather inconspicuous Bordeaux property with a “garden” vineyard of just two hectares and an annual production of just 800 cases. With such small quantities produced and a legion of…
Age-worthy yet terroir transparent, Barolo is a fascinating region. Its complex, varied terroir often draws comparisons with Burgundy. Here we delve into “the king of wines and wine of kings” – from its aristocratic beginnings to the villages, vineyards and producers to look out for Barolo remains the most important region in the world for…
Alvina Pernot – grand-daughter of Puligny-Montrachet-based producer Paul Pernot – established her own label in 2018, with her husband Philippe Abadie. About the Producer They currently use the facilities at Domaine Paul Pernot to produce the wines, but are in the process of building their own winery in Puligny-Montrachet. Alvina largely purchases grapes from the…
There are many exciting changes coming your way this year, including a new-and-improved buying and trading platform, industry-leading events and world-class buying and region guides. We examine how these changes will benefit you – and your collection This is a big year for Vinfolio. It has been six months since we first announced our merger…
We’re expecting a record holiday season. To help our customers make the most of this wonderful time of the year—and receive all their wines on time—the Vinfolio team has put together a holiday buying guide, available to download below. From advice on when to buy and ship to the best in-stock bottles to secure…
As one of the country’s leading fine wine companies, we are thrilled to share the first volume of our comprehensive Fine Wine Investment Report outlining the current state of global wine market investments. This guide will explore the best regions to watch, wines with impressive recent growth, and Vinfolio’s predictions for what wines will do…
How much would you pay for a bottle of 1995 Latour? If I told you that the bottle had remained at the Latour estate since it was bottled nearly two decades ago, would you be willing to pay more for it than a bottle that had passed through dozens of hands?
In 2013, collectors had to make this exact choice after Latour decided to drop out of en-primeur sales altogether and sell off older wines from 1995 instead. Latour held onto the 1995 bottles, waiting until they reached peak drinking age, then sold them directly to collectors as ex-château wines.
But what are ex-château wines?
High prices are mistaken too often as a guarantee of high quality. While it’s true that many of the best wines in the world are also among the most expensive, simply buying an expensive wine does not guarantee that you will enjoy it. Nor does a low price tag necessarily mean that a wine isn’t worth adding to your collection.
For example, you can find some of the best Cabernet wines for under $200 if you know where to look.
In the world of wine, less is more—at least when it comes to handling and transportation. Whether you relish local wines or seek to collect cases from around the world, you want assurance that the journey from the vineyard to your doorstep was as straightforward and uneventful as possible.
Why? If you aim to enjoy the wine at your next dinner party, you’ll want to serve nothing less than the best a bottle has to offer. And if you’d prefer to resell the wine for profit instead, you’ll receive the greatest ROI from a bottle that’s all but guaranteed perfect provenance.
In either case, the best approach may be to buy directly from producers.
Most wines travel hundreds, or thousands, of miles and pass through many doors before they complete their journey with the pop of a cork. This process factors into the price and—more importantly—the provenance of these wines. The farther the wines travel, and the more complex the journey, the greater the increase in cost and the higher the chances of a mishap. Winery direct shipping offers a faster, safer alternative that limits the extent to which these wines are handled and the risk of damage occurring during transportation.
Located in the South Australia wine state just a short drive south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is considered to be among the most significant viticultural areas in the world. For a relatively small region, it’s impressively diverse. A number of different red and white grape varieties thrive here thanks to the varied terroirs that coexist within this one appellation. The producers themselves also come in many shapes and sizes; McLaren Vale is home to both industry giants and small, high-end wineries alike.
UPDATE: We are starting to release our allocations of 2019 Bordeaux, and, as expected, it’s a fantastic vintage. Better yet, these wines are being offered at great values for the collector! The 2019 vintage of Château Palmer, for example, was released at a price 33 percent lower than the just-as-impressive 2018 vintage. Additionally, critics such as…