Bordeaux 2013: Calls for price cuts as chateaux gear up for quick-fire campaign

(Decanter) - Chateaux, negociants and buyers expect a short-lived en primeur campaign for the 'early drinking' 2013 vintage, amid growing calls for the top estates to drop their prices.

Several chateaux could release next week on the basis that there is no point waiting around with a 2013 vintage which is not expected to excite those buying wine for financial returns.

'The light is orange and it will turn to green very soon,' said Hubert de Bouard, of Chateau Angelus in St Emilion and also a consultant to around 60 estates in the region.

'Demand will be small because of the reputation of the vintage,' Justin Onclin, managing director of Chateau Prieure Lichine told Decanter.com. 'This year, en primeur will be calm. There's just not a big demand.'

Despite several producers referring to 2013 as one of the most expensive vintages to produce - thanks to a combination of low yields and extra effort required to battle bad weather - there are calls for prices to drop.

'Even if it were symbolic, we would prefer to see a slight change in prices,' said Christian Moueix, of Lafleur-Petrus and also the negociant business Jean-Pierre Moueix.

At Dourthe, managing director Patrick Jestin, told Decanter.com, 'The question is will you keep the same price or will you go down, not will you go up.'

Of the first and second growths, he said, 'I think they should go down, but we will see.

Some have named €200 as a 'magic number' for first growths. 'If they say €200, they still have money. €200 is a good price,' said Jestin.

It does, however, depend on the particular chateau's circumstances. At Angelus in St Emilion, executive manager Stephanie de Bouard said the chateau had 'no regrets' about raising its price by 30% last year. The estate is pleased with the wine that is has produced in 2013, albeit at lower volumes, and de Bouard said it would make no sense to erode last year's increase by a significant margin.