It’s no secret that we’ve been experiencing a golden age of fine wine, with frequently outstanding quality across vintages since the 2000s. But with so many exceptional wines on the market, the real question is: how do we cut through the noise and discern which ones are truly worth our time, cellar space, and investment?
Bordeaux 2019 vs. 2022
There’s a narrative emerging in the fine wine market, particularly around Bordeaux vintages: 2022 is being positioned as the next “legendary” year after 2016. But there’s reason for pause—and perhaps a stronger case for another vintage entirely: 2019.
The 2022 vintage delivered bold, attention-grabbing wines shaped by heat and drought—now common in our changing climate. They are impressive (albeit too young) today, but how well will they age or hold long-term value? In contrast, 2019 offers balance, elegance, and classic structure—a potential benchmark of Bordeaux before climate change reshaped its style.
Motivation Check: Inventory vs. Integrity?
Many fine wine entities are pushing the 2022 vintage hard—likely because they bought lots of it at high prices, and now face financial pressure to sell. This may skew messaging and mislead consumers. Meanwhile, 2019s, bought cheaper, offer better value and less risk but are often overlooked. It echoes Bordeaux’s 2009 vs. 2010 story, when financial interests shaped the narrative. The same happened with the underrated 2001 vintage, overshadowed by the hyped 2000s—yet many 2001s are ageing better. While commercial interests drive the sales pitch, critic scores reveal a different message (see figures below).
A Further Dimension
Aside from quality, the timing of purchase is a crucial dimension for long-term collectors. In times of market volatility such as we’re experiencing today, our strategy is to look backwards, anticipating which wines are likely to present an opportunity in terms of relative pricing now, and will disappear from view the fastest. Having kept our eyes firmly on 2016s for this reason, we’re now beginning to look at 2019s. The time for 2022s will come, but we don’t believe that time is right now.