If the Bordeaux 2008 En Primeur campaign was unexpectedly dramatic, 2009 seems to be more ‘business as usual’, at least in terms of the Bordelais’ capacity to sell another nominal ‘vintage of the century’.

Early assessments of the 2009 reds have noted higher alcohol levels, typically lower acidity, but in the best examples high quality fruit and the structure to ensure longevity.

Whites and especially Sauternes seem to have come out very well - with Doisy-Daene and Raymond Lafon looking very attractive in terms of price and quality - whilst the reds of the Medoc/Left Bank are generally attracting more attention than those of the Right.

But with a weak US dollar and, until recently, a relatively strong Euro, the Bordelais are looking increasingly to Asia for buyers (and were out in force at last week’s Vinexpo Hong Kong).

But what about mainland China, where the concept of en primeur is extremely new?

As the campaign started off, Decanter Magazine asked us to survey some significant figures among importers, merchants, wine clubs and wine lovers in the Chinese mainland.

Is it all about Lafite? To find out, read the full survey here.

Posted on Saturday, May 29th, 2010 at 10:13 am You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.