Our mission is to make it easy, safe and to maximise your returns when you sell wine online
We focus on a few key criteria that will determine our level of interest and also our ability to assist you in selling your wine. By understanding these criteria, you should be able to understand whether we will be able to help.
1. Wine Condition
In an ideal world we are looking for wines that have been well cellared, and are therefore in excellent condition.
Here are some indicators that a wine has been maintained in excellent condition and therefore will command the highest possible resale price:
Original Casing (OC) – Wines still held in their Original Wooden Casing (OWC) or Original Cardboard Casing (OCC) achieve a ‘cased premium’. Loose bottles can, however, still be interesting – especially for iconic wines.
Fill Levels – Wine naturally evaporates over the course of its life, however, an unusually low fill level is a red flag and might indicate that the wine has not been properly stored and that there may potentially be a fault in the wine.
Corks – Should not be raised or sunken; both are a bad sign and might potentially indicate a fault in the wine.
Capsules – Should be intact and not corroded.
Labels – Should ideally be intact and free from blemishes. The age of a bottle is a consideration as the paper that labels are made from may naturally start to show signs of age over time.
Woodworm – Cases showing signs of woodworm will be destroyed as a precaution and to prevent contagion to non-affected cases in storage. These will essentially be considered as loose bottles.
2. Storage & Provenance
Storage
Ideally wines will have been held in professional storage (In Bond), however, we are also interested in wine that has been well cellared in private residences (Duty Paid). The main components of good wine storage are:
- Constant temperature (10C – 15C)
- Dark (no UV light)
- Reasonably humid (60% – 70%)
- No vibrations
- Safe and secure
Provenance
In wine, provenance refers to a wine’s verifiable history, including its origin, ownership, and storage conditions. This history is important for ensuring the authenticity of the wine, protecting against counterfeiting, and maintaining its value. Provenance also includes information about how the wine was stored, as proper storage is essential for its quality and longevity.
Whilst it’s not necessary to retain a thorough and documented history for every wine you are thinking of selling, it will be beneficial for items that are more rare and expensive and sometimes will be required.
3. Producers, Regions & Vintages
Last, but not least; the wines themselves..
Whilst we appreciate the wonderful diversity of wine, there are certain producers, regions and vintages that our clients are more interested in and that we are therefore better placed to assist you with. Generally speaking we are looking for vintages that have a good – great reputation for that particular wine region.
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Bordeaux
Bordeaux produces some of the most recognisable wines in the world. For the Left Bank the 1855 Classification is a helpful guide and we have particular interest in those ‘classified growths’. The Right Bank is home to some of the most iconic names and those too are in high demand. Here are some notable producers that we trade very frequently.
The ‘First Growths’:
- Mouton Rothschild
- Lafite Rothschild
- Latour
- Margaux
- Haut Brion
The ‘Super Seconds’:
- La Mission Haut Brion
- Cos d’Estournel
- Leoville Las Bases
- Leoville Poyferre
- Leoville Barton
- Palmer
- Pichon Lalande
- Pichon Baron
- Montrose
- Rauzan Segla
- Lynch Bages
- Ducru Beaucaillou
- Pontet Canet
The ‘Second Wines’:
- Petit Mouton
- Carruades Lafite
- Forts Latour
- Pavillon Rouge
- Clarence Haut Brion
Right Bank Icons:
- Petrus
- Lafleur
- Le Pin
- Vieux Chateau Certan
- Eglise Clinet
- Cheval Blanc
- Ausone
- Figeac
- Pavie
- Angelus
- Canon
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Burgundy
Burgundy is a complex and at times confusing region. Generally speaking the most in demand wines are the Grand Cru but Premier Cru wines from the top producers are also of interest. Here are some notable producers that we trade very frequently.
Red Burgundy:
- Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)
- Domaine Armand Rousseau
- Domaine Georges Roumier
- Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue
- Domaine Leroy
- Domaine Dujac
- Domaine Lucien Le Moine
- Domaine Sylvain Cathiard
- Domaine Prieure Roch
- Domaine Comte Liger Belair
White Burgundy:
- Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC)
- Domaine Coche Dury
- Domaine Leflaive
- Domaine Ramonet
- Domaine Raveneau
- Domaine Roulot
- Domaine Etienne Sauzet
- Domaine Comtes Lafon
- Domaine d’Auvenay
- Domaine Bonneau Martray
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Italy
Italy produces some world class wines, in particular the reds from Tuscany known as the Super Tuscans and some of the top producers from Piedmont extremely well regarded. Here are some notable producers that we trade very frequently.
The ‘Super Tuscans’:
- Masseto
- Sassicaia
- Ornellaia
- Tignanello
- Solaia
Piedmont:
- Angelo Gaja
- Giacomo Conterno
- Bruno Giacosa
- Roberto Voerzio
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Champagne
Champagne is synonymous with luxury and celebration and a region that is in high demand. Here are some notable producers that we trade very frequently.
‘Super-Premium’ Champagne:
- Krug
- Cristal
- Dom Perignon
- Bollinger
- Taittinger
- Philipponnat
- Pol Roger
‘Niche Growers’:
- Jacques Selosse
- Salon
- Jerome Prevost
- Egly Ouriet
- Agrapart
- Ulysse Collin
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U.S.A. / Napa Valley
U.S.A. and in particular the Napa Valley produce some of the most powerful wines and the top Napa wineries have now achieved high critical acclaim. Here are some notable producers that we trade very frequently.
- Screaming Eagle
- Harlan Estate
- Dominus
- Opus One
- Sine Qua Non
- Promontory
- Scarecrow
- Verite (Joie, Desir, Muse)
- Kistler
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Rest of the World
The world of wine is so diverse, we could go on and on. Generally, we are always interested in the top expressions from a particular country or region, whether that may be Yquem (Sauternes) or Penfolds, Grange & Astralis (Australia) or Rayas, Chave, Guigal & Jamet (Rhone) or Almaviva (Chile) or Vega Sicilia Unico, Pingus & Alvaro Palacios (Spain) or Clos Rougeard & Dagueneau (Loire).
To get started enter your wines into our Wine Valuation Tool to receive a free instant Wine Valuation. We look forward to assisting you!