A news item on Decanter.com last week titled "Yquem goes into nebuchadnezzar" notes that Yquem is creating a limited series of 120 of these 15 liter bottles for the highly-touted 2005 vintage. This marks the first time in the long history of Chateau d'Yquem (since 1593) that this bottle format, named after a King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II, has been used. Until now, the largest bottle format available has been 6 liters which only began in 1982.
The facts
- 120 15L bottles to be produced: 20 to be retained in the library of the Chateau
- 100 of the bottles to be sold via Bordeaux Wine Investments (BWI, UK-based) and Bordeaux Wine Locators (BWL, US-Based), which are sister companies owned by the same sole shareholder.
- The BWI/BWL's price per bottle is €12,850 (about $17,100)
- The wine will be bottled during the first quarter of 2009
- The Wine Spectator has scored the wine its highest possible rating in barrel which is 95-100. Robert Parker has yet to rate it but in writing about the 2005 vintage, he said the 2005 Yquem "should be utterly amazing when released" given that it is a "towering example of profound Sauternes."
- Each bottle is etched and engraved with a bottle number. Bottles will be presented in a special wooden presentation case.
- The names of the 100 buyers will be drawn in April 2007 at the Chateau, providing each purchaser with the opportunity to own bottle #1.
- Special glass was needed so that it would not yellow over an extended aging period.
- Two people are needed to handle a bottle given its weight and size.
- Special Styrofoam shipping cases are to be used for delivery.
Why now?
I decided to email Robert Lench, Managing Director of BWI, to ask if he knew what the motivating factors were behind the decision to produce 15L bottles. Here is his response:
"The idea was conceived and initiated by my brother, Andy Lench [the owner of BWI and BWL]. We believed this would be a unique format for the greatest Sauternes in the world in an historic vintage, the 2005. The 2005 has received a generally high profile and acclaimed as one of the greatest Bordeaux vintages. A very special bottle for both investors and connoisseurs. This is a high profile opportunity to have a piece of history."
Apparently, the market seems to agree as there are less than 10 bottles left for sale between the two companies.
Other questions you might ask
- How do I buy one? The bottles are only available through retailers except in the UK where an individual may buy directly from BWI. Or just email service@vinfolio.com and we'll try to snag one for you.
- Does this portend a new supersizing trend for Bordeaux? Robert Lench did not think so. This concept was something they initiated as wine merchants.
- How much of Yquem's typical production is being diverted to the 15L format? About 65,000 bottles (750ml size) are produced annually. The 120 15L bottles (20 750mls in each) translates into the equivalent of 2,400 750ml bottles or about 3.7% of annual production.
- What is the price premium compared to the 750ml bottle format? $675 is the median 750ml price based on 23 U.S. retail prices taken from Winesearcher. Using $17,100 as the minimum price one could pay, this equates to $855 per 750ml equivalent or about a 27% premium. Two different U.S. retailers have both offered the wine at $20,000 which would be a 48% premium.
- Would this be a good investment? My guess would be "yes" given the quality of the vintage and the producer, the limited number of bottles produced, rising global demand for top wines, the unquestioned sourcing of the wine, and the ability to prove the authenticity of the wine over time (via etched bottles and other certification). The fact that over 90 have already been sold tends to confirm my guess.
If you are interested in Yquem, you might also want to read an earlier post titled "
1860-2003 vertical of Yquem sells for $1.5 million."
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