Are Bordeaux reds still in the panetheon of modern greats?

Ten years on from Bordeaux’s acclaimed 2016 vintage, does it represent a buying opportunity?

With ‘10 years on’ tastings taking place and ratings starting to appear, now is a good time to take a closer look at red Bordeaux 2016. While this year will be the acid test for 2016’s critical reception, the current thinking is that the reds are up there in the pantheon of modern greats. Looking at Bordeaux 500 brands, Neal Martin currently ranks 2016 second (96.1 points), just behind 2022 (96.5). Martin has so far awarded two 100-point scores to the 2016s included in the Bordeaux 500 – Cos d’Estournel and Latour. Last year saw the much anticipated release of Latour 2016, with UK merchants reporting it a success.

HAVE THE 2016S BOTTOMED OUT?

Seven of Martin’s top 10 2016s have recorded mid-price (the middle point between the highest bid and lowest offer on the Liv-ex exchange) rises over the past six months. While Vieux Château Certan and La Mission Haut-Brion Rouge are recovering after swift price falls in the first half of 2025, others point to a more gradual bottoming out. This is part of a broader trend across Bordeaux 2016, with prices generally stabilising over the past six months.

Is now an opportunity?

The mid prices of 31 of the 45 red Bordeaux 500 2016s currently sit below their ex-London release price, while 14 sit below their ex-négociant release price, and six sit below their ex-château price. However, with prices stabilising, there is an argument to be made that now is a time to gently lean into the 2016s. Returning to recent price performance, there might be two sets of wines to focus on, depending on your current appetite for risk.

Wines that are up over one year, six months, three months and one month, such as Cheval Blanc and Haut-Brion, look to have decisively stabilised and would appear to represent a lower-risk option.

Wines that have found stability over the past six months include the likes of Palmer, Léoville Las Cases and Grand-Puy-Lacoste. While price stability is not yet quite so certain with this set, they are perhaps showing enough to make them worth consideration, particularly if they receive favourable ‘10 years on’ ratings. Cheval Blanc 2016’s trade over 2025 is indicative of recovery. From a low of £4,580/US$5,762 per 12x75cl (equivalent to €462.20 per bottle), trade prices rose consistently across the year, albeit with a recent outlier at £6,508/€7,991 or €624.40 per bottle. While both of these trades were in three-packs, six-pack trade prices showed stability in the second half of 2025, narrowing to Market Price.

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