What Is En Primeur? A Brief History of Bordeaux’s Wine Futures System
Written by - Cult Wines Team
En Primeur remains one of the most distinctive systems in fine wine, allowing buyers to secure Bordeaux while it is still ageing in barrel. Rooted in centuries of trade, the model has evolved from a practical financing tool into a global event shaped by critics, merchants, and market sentiment.
Today, the system operates in a far more transparent and data-driven environment, where pricing, value, and timing are under constant scrutiny. As the 2025 vintage comes into focus, En Primeur continues to test Bordeaux’s ability to balance tradition with modern buyer expectations, proving its relevance in an increasingly informed market.
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News in brief
End of House Wine Era Questioned
Rising costs and shifting consumer expectations are putting pressure on the traditional concept of “house wine” in restaurants, long associated with cheap, generic options. Increasingly, diners are more knowledgeable and selective, expecting transparency on origin, grape variety and quality rather than settling for anonymous pours. At the same time, hospitality businesses face tighter margins, making it harder to offer low-priced wines without compromising quality. As a result, some venues are moving away from the classic “house red or white” model, instead offering carefully chosen, entry-level wines that still reflect provenance and style. The shift suggests a broader move towards value, clarity and trust in wine lists, rather than purely price-driven offerings.
McIlroy’s Champions Wine Bill Hits $65K
Rory McIlroy reportedly spent more than $65,000 on wine for the 2026 Masters Champions Dinner, selecting a line-up of iconic bottles from Augusta National’s cellar. The wines served were 2015 Salon Brut Champagne, 2022 Domaine Leflaive Bâtard-Montrachet, 1990 Château Lafite Rothschild, and 1989 Château d’Yquem. These choices followed a classic fine dining structure, moving from Champagne to white Burgundy, then mature Bordeaux and finishing with Sauternes. The selection reflects both rarity and personal significance, with the Lafite tied to McIlroy’s Masters win and the Yquem from his birth year, underscoring the role of fine wine in elite sporting traditions.
Roger Taylor Launches Provence Rosé Wine
Queen drummer Roger Taylor has entered the wine world with the launch of Cuvée Rock n’ Roll rosé, a Provence wine created in collaboration with Les Caves du Commandeur. The 2025 vintage is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Cinsault, designed to offer fresh citrus notes alongside red berry flavours. Taylor worked closely with the winemaking team to shape the style, aiming for an accessible, well-balanced rosé rather than a purely celebrity-driven product. The wine will retail at around £18 in the UK, positioning it competitively within the premium Provence category while targeting broad appeal among consumers.
Image credit: Queen Côtes de Provence Rosé
What we’re drinking
Clos du Marquis, Saint-Julien 2025
Léoville Las Cases Estate · En Primeur 2025 · 94–96+
Jonathan Stevenson, EVP North America - Cult Wines
Wow, this is really good. Beautiful red fruit on the nose. Vibrant and fresh. Mineral. Polite but juicy fruits. Balanced. Crunchy apples on the finish. Elegant and long. Keeps giving.
Clos du Marquis occupies a fascinating position in the Bordeaux firmament. The vineyard sits on the plateau of Saint-Julien, adjacent to the grand enclos of Léoville Las Cases itself, and shares much of the same gravelly, well-drained terroir that makes this corner of the Médoc so special. The vines are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and smaller parcels of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot rounding out the blend - classic Left Bank proportions in the hands of a team that knows exactly what they are doing.
The estate is always keen to make one thing clear: this is not a second wine. It is produced from specific, dedicated parcels with its own identity, its own winemaking approach, and its own sense of place. It is a wine that happens to be made by the same brilliant team at Las Cases, not a wine made from whatever is left over. That distinction matters, and it shows in the glass.
In 2025, a vintage where Léoville Las Cases itself was stunning, there is no shame whatsoever in being mentioned in the same breath. The Clos du Marquis showed many of the same traits - a floral, perfumed bouquet on the nose, an explosion of red fruit on the palate, followed gracefully by smooth, balanced tannins. Everything integrates in harmony. It is a quintessential expression of Saint-Julien: poised between the power of Pauillac to the north and the silkiness of Margaux to the south, with that classic combination of structure and generosity that makes the appellation so beloved.
At an expected release of around £35–40 per bottle on the table with all duties paid, you are getting a remarkable amount of wine for your money. This will be a joyous wine for years to come, approachable almost immediately and will age with grace.
Our fine wine feature
The Southeast Asian Inflection: A New Cycle of Conviction
Written by - Connor Adams, Senior Relationship Manager - Cult Wines
Southeast Asia’s fine wine market is evolving, with a new generation of collectors driving demand beyond traditional Bordeaux and Burgundy. Across key cities, fine wine is becoming part of a broader lifestyle, with buyers favouring quality, diversity, and a more data-led approach.
Singapore remains the region’s central hub, while emerging markets like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are accelerating growth driven by rising wealth and shifting consumer habits. As 2026 progresses, the region is set to play a key role in market recovery, with strong demand for blue-chip wines and increasing global influence.
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Explore & travel
Old World Treasures in the Tropics: Tasting in Maceió
Written by - Paul Declerck, Relationship Manager - Cult Wines
A rare fine wine tasting in Maceió highlights the challenges of accessing aged Old World wines in Brazil, where high import taxes and regional trade dynamics limit availability. In a market dominated by South American and Portuguese labels, the opportunity to experience mature Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne remains uncommon, making such moments both impactful and eye-opening.
Set against a personal celebration, the tasting brought decades-old wines to a new audience, showcasing the depth and evolution that define fine wine at its peak. Alongside this, Brazil’s own wine industry continues to develop, with leading producers gaining recognition and signalling a growing appreciation for quality, both locally and globally.
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