Lafite Rothschild, Sassicaia and Mouton Rothschild, the most sought-after labels on Liv-ex

Every month we analyze and deepen the trend of the secondary market for fine wines using data from the Liv-ex, reference index and channel through which thousands of negotiations and exchanges pass, among its 620 members, every day. Purchases and sales, however, are not the only factors to consider when assessing the level of interest in a label. Another useful tool in this regard is the searches conducted on the Liv-ex website by its members, which reveal that Château Lafite Rothschild, Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia), and Château Mouton Rothschild are on the podium of the “most searched” in the first half of 2023.
It is also worth noting that the most sought-after older vintage is 2008, and by analysing these search rates by region - the United States, the United Kingdom, Asia, and Europe - different patterns and interests have emerged, resulting in a different evolution of demand. The focus in the United States is incredibly straightforward: the top ten most sought-after wines by US wine merchants correspond to different vintages of Promontory, a Napa Valley label, with the 2018 vintage, which has a market price of 9,410 pounds per case, at the top of the ranking. This is a significant improvement over last year when searches in the United States included several vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru.
Similarly, interest in Asia was catalysed entirely by Château Lafite Rothschild, which occupies all of the top ten positions, with the 2022 vintage at the top, which was released en Primeur in June at 7,150 pounds a case: it received a score of 96-98 points from Neal Martin (Vinous) and currently has a significantly lower market price than the release price, i.e. 6,715 pounds.
Unlike in the United States and Asia, European and British markets displayed a much more diverse range of searches. In Europe, if Champagne brands captured the attention in 2022, Bordeaux wines deserve the spotlight in the first half of 2023, with the 2020, 2022, and 2019 vintages of Château Lafite Rothschild, as well as the 2020 and 2019 vintages of Château Mouton Rothschild, securing five spots in the top ten. Champagne, still, maintains a strong presence in the top ten, with the 2008 and 2014 vintages of Cristal by Louis Roederer and Dom Pérignon 2013. At the top, however, on Bordeaux and Champagne, Bolgheri has the upper hand, with Sassicaia 2020 by Tenuta San Guido, which also earns the position n. 4, with the 2019 vintage.
The trends in the United Kingdom are similar, with an emphasis on Bordeaux, Tuscany, and Champagne, to the detriment of Burgundy, which is missing from the top ten, where it placed four labels a year ago. The Dom Pérignon 2013 is at the top, followed by four different vintages of Château Lafite Rothschild, and the Barolo Lazzarito 2019 by Vietti, which is at number six. At number seven, however, is the Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2020, followed by two other vintages of Dom Pérignon and, once again, Sassicaia, with the Tenuta San Guido 2016. The 2022 vintage, en primeur, of Bordeaux, is the notable absentee from the top ten most sought-after wines, according to British wine merchants and investors.