Wine Glossary E-F
Some wines are offered for sale en primeur, usually in the first year following the harvest and before bottling. It is a form of futures market where buying decisions are made based on tastings of cask samples alone. The practice originated in Bordeaux when the new wines were sold, in their barrels, to merchants who would age and subsequently bottle them in their own cellars. With the advent of château-bottling the market has continued owing to its popularity with producers, who enjoy a publicity and cash flow advantage, and with buyers, who expect to benefit from the lowest possible price. Many UK merchants have become specialists, offering detailed notes to prospective buyers who order cases of their chosen wines for subsequent delivery once in bottle. For further information, please see our guide to purchasing wines En Primeur.
Fine Wine
A much used but rarely defined term applied to wines of complexity and distinction. Implies refinement as opposed to coarseness and alludes to silken textures. Often such qualities arise after an extended period of bottle maturation, varying according to the wine but frequently ten years or more. Only a small percentage of the world's wine production merits 'laying down' however and most everyday wines simply do not have the requisite structure, balance and general constitution to cope with long term ageing without risk of deterioration. Wines bought en primeur are normally intended to be laid down to mature and to improve.
First Growth
In French, Premier Cru. The highest quality band in the 1855 Classification in Bordeaux, comprising five red wine properties, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Margaux and Haut Brion. In the white wine classification, Yquem was ranked in a category of its own, Premier Grand Cru Classé. Whilst not included in the 1855 classification, Pétrus (Pomerol), Cheval Blanc and Ausone) are normally grouped in any current listing of First Growths. See also Cru Classé.