Last week we introduced the triangulation framework shaping our sourcing strategy for 2026. At a time where price, timing, and rarity align to refract into fantastic opportunities, it’s essential to be ultra-selective, capturing only those treasures we esteem top desirables of the future.
Our honing beams are focused on the great Bordeaux 2016 vintage, as the modern Zenith of wine – the 1961 and 1982 of the millennium. As we mark the 10 year anniversary of this iconic year, we’re taking a moment to review its history, and offer more depth on why it deserves such icon status.
Vintage
While top 20th century vintages owe their greatness to serendipity, 2016’s growing season in Bordeaux was far from perfect. And yet, the technical advances made leading up to its birth allowed the 2016 vintage to reach the trifecta of fine wine excellence – extraordinary concentration, balance, and longevity. Bordeaux succeeded in engineering a truly exceptional vintage, and one perhaps as close to perfection across the board as any region has achieved before or since.
Now with 10 years’ perspective, 2016 falls within the golden decade of wine, and sits at the pinnacle of several other close nominees for greatness (2010, 2019, 2015, 2020, 2018 – in descending order). As for the current decade, only one – the 2022 – can be classed as exceptional thus far. Sadly, this is evidence of the potential impact of climate change on vintages to come.
Release
Released en primeur in April 2017, Bordeaux 2016 faced a challenging macro backdrop. The UK – historically the number one major en primeur market, remained shaken from the June 2016 Brexit vote. Sterling remained weak, making euro-denominated releases more expensive.
At the same time, the market was still digesting the aftermath of China’s surge and subsequent retraction from Bordeaux wines, having chased after the high-quality 2009 and 2010 vintages at almost any price. These vintages were still available below their respective en primeur prices when 2016 became available – a complex context all round.
Present
Today the 2016s sit within the shadows of wine’s most recent price decline. While much non-traceable, secondary market stock has been discounted heavily to reignite stagnant demand, so the châteaux and negociants in Bordeaux have been forced to price similarly on pristine cases that have never been moved.
This is a remarkable prospect – buying back a decade of age within shooting distance of original release prices (c.+10-20%). Afterall, these stocks are finite, diminishing, and deserving of a place preserved in fine wine’s great hall of fame. With the magic ingredient of more time, these will become singular drinking experiences tomorrow.
Future
Beyond this, the 2016 holds particular significance for 1275, as the catalyst for change in how we believe Bordeaux should be acquired in today’s market. With few exceptions (keenly-priced 2019, large formats of 2022), 2016 – a 10-year old adolescent that still needs patience to mature – is the youngest Bordeaux vintage we are actively collecting this year.
While timing for this is fortuitous, our driving force for reason needs no stopwatch. It is the simple conviction that the 2016 vintage is fine wine’s Zenith – a genuine contender for the greatest Bordeaux vintage ever made.