ABOUT EN PRIMEUR

En_primeur_about

The process of purchasing wines prior to their release is known as buying ‘en primeur’. It is a great way to secure allocations of wines that may not be easily available later on and often get them at a discounted price. If you are in the process of building or maintaining a wine cellar or are looking to buy wine as an investment, then buying en primeur is the best way to purchase your wine.

Roberson Wine has direct access to the wines of many top producers and we issue regular offers to our customers. This gives you the opportunity to take advantage of the benefits of buying en primeur.


BENEFITS OF BUYING EN PRIMEUR

  • Prices are usually lower than they will be once the wine is bottled and released onto the secondary market.
  • Small production and highly sought after wines are likely to sell out during the en primeur campaign, making them difficult (and expensive) to obtain later.
  • The wines are effectively being purchased direct from the producer and therefore the provenance is perfect.
  • Large (or small) formats can be easily catered for at this stage, but they will be difficult to find in the future.
  • The wines can be sold ‘in bond’ so that the buyer doesn’t have to pay the UK VAT or duty immediately. This is ideal for those looking to sell their wine in the future.

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND

  • In many cases the wine is yet to be bottled, and therefore will not be delivered to you immediately. Different wine regions and styles bottle at different times, so check the details of each offer to get specific delivery dates.
  • Orders that are delivered into bond will not be subject to UK VAT or duty, but those sold ‘DPD’ (duty paid and delivered) will include all charges and local delivery (nationwide delivery is available at a small additional charge). Personal circumstances will decide which one of these is the better option.
  • The wine regions that dominate the en primeur scene are Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône, although Vintage Port and, increasingly, top Italian, Spanish and New World producers are releasing their new vintages in the same fashion.
  • The last few years are littered with examples of upstart merchants reneging on en primeur promises to their customers (and suppliers). Always buy your wines from a reputable and well established merchant. The IWC London Wine Merchant of the Year is a good place to start - we have been selling wine en primeur for the last eighteen years.

MORE INFORMATION

Feel free to call the store on 020 7371 21 21 or e-mail primeur@roberson.co.uk with any questions.

For a comprehensive look at the en primeur buying process please visit the WSTA website.