Bordeaux: Leading Bordeaux châteaux are demanding sophisticated temperature-controlled transport for their fines wines.
Bordeaux Winebank operates a ‘five-star provenance’ promise, which includes documented sourcing direct from the château, guarantees professional storage in Bordeaux since bottling, and ensures the transport is temperature and humidity controlled – while every case shipped is equipped with a temperature recording sensor that can be used to check for changes, says Michael Egan, director of auctions at Bordeaux Winebank.
Egan expressed concern at the number of leading Bordeaux labels changing hands due to the rise in fine wine trading, which, he said, is increasing the risk of fakes and damage to the wine, particularly when it comes to heat exposure.
“If the wine is superheated it will affect its long term longevity, it will taste older when it’s younger,” he explained, comparing the effect to the premature ageing of the skin due to excessive sunbathing.
“The châteaux are now asking more and more searching questions – they want to know what’s happening to their wine – and you see more châteaux owners travelling to promote themselves, they are much slicker when it comes to marketing,” he said.
