With BBX, our fine wine exchange, you can buy and sell through Berry Bros. & Rudd’s community of fine-wine lovers. With around 8,000 wines listed, it can be hard to know where to start. So we asked the secondary market experts from our BBX team for some pointers on what to buy, sell (or drink) and bid on this summer.

USA

Buy: 2016 and 2018 Oregon Pinot Noir

Oregon is fast becoming the counterweight to the Cabernets of California; those in the know are enjoying the incredible array of Pinot Noir produced in the state. You can find reliably expressive wines here that belie the challenges with which this fickle grape is often associated. Oregon has attracted a fascinating mix of collaborations from renowned Burgundy producers: Domaine Nicolas-Jay in conjunction with Domaine Méo-Camuzet; Lingua Franca with the influence of Dominique Lafon; and Résonance with investment from Maison Louis Jadot. While you wait for the latest releases, the 2016 and 2018 vintages are particularly noteworthy. They are worth seeking out before the region sees Burgundian levels of demand – and the consequent impact on pricing.

Sell or drink: back vintages of Opus One

There is a real buzz surrounding this iconic wine, with Jane Anson scoring the new 2021 vintage a perfect 100 points. Back vintages such as 2004, 2007 and 2008 are drinking wonderfully now and are in a prime position to enjoy this autumn. I would make some room in your cellar by enjoying some of your back-catalogue from this wonderful producer. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: top-tier Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-style blends have become the hallmark of California, and the Napa Valley in particular. The sheer depth of exceptional wines coming out of the region is increasingly impressive. With the French eye for opportunity and the American can-do attitude, the Bordeaux influence is prevalent – and nowhere more so than at Dominus. Here, the same meticulous details that make Petrus the most sought-after Bordeaux are applied by Christian Moueix to ensure the estate’s wines are equally absorbing. With several recent vintages available on the exchange, there are also vintages dating back to 1991, waiting to be bid on. You can find them here. Other Napa Cabernets that have attained a cult-like status and are worthy of a bid include Harlan Estate, Promontory and Scarecrow.

Tuscany

Buy: 2016

Considered to be the vintage of the decade, the growing conditions were perfect throughout Tuscany in 2016. This was an outstanding year for both Bolgheri and Brunello di Montalcino; the wines have power and precision. They are built for cellaring. There is value for money to be found in Chianti Classico in 2016, where the wines are of very high quality while pricing remains relatively reasonable.

Sell or drink: 2011, 2012 and 2014

Both 2011 and 2012 were warm vintages, producing approachable wines that are now in their drinking window. Conditions in 2014 were much cooler, producing wines in a lighter, earlier-drinking style. If you have any of these vintages in your cellar, now would be a good time to withdraw and enjoy them or, alternatively, sell them on for another collector to enjoy. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: hard-to-find producers

Some of Tuscany’s finest wines are particularly hard to find on initial release. With tight allocations worldwide, there is often not enough supply to meet demand for the most sought-after names. Placing bids on BBX is a great way to secure a case or two of these illustrious wines for your own cellar. In Bolgheri, Masseto has developed a huge following for its Merlot-based Super Tuscan wines; some collectors consider it to be the “Petrus of Bolgheri”. With Brunello di Montalcino, we see a lot of interest in Il Marroneto, Poggio di Sotto and Soldera Case Basse.

Piedmont

Buy: 2013 Barolo and 2016 (Barolo and Barbaresco)

The 2013 vintage is excellent overall for Piedmont, especially for Barolo. Barolo from this vintage generally has less grip than 2010, more freshness than 2011 and more overall structure than 2012, with fine tannins. The best examples will blossom with further ageing. This is considered a classic vintage for the area. For the whole region, including Barbaresco, 2016 is already a classic. It was one of the longest and latest vintages in recent memory; the Nebbiolo grape thrived in ideal conditions. This resulted in wines with the structure and aromatics necessary for long-term ageing – though some are already drinking well now.

Sell or drink: 2011, 2012 and 2014 (Barolo and Barbaresco)

There is plenty of personality now showing in the 2011s – especially in those from Barolo’s most prestigious sites. However, the silkiness and generosity of these wines probably suggest that they are not built for long-term cellaring. Barbaresco 2011 is considered excellent, and is drinking beautifully now. For Barolo 2012, the wines are generally mid-weight, with higher acidity and lower alcohol; they have great early drinking appeal. Barbaresco 2012 is ripe, juicy and deep. Both Barolo and Barbaresco 2014 are characterised by freshness, fine aromatics and purity; they are a pleasure to drink now. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: Bartolo Mascarello, Roagna and Fratelli Alessandria

These three are among the very best producers in the region. Each has a variety of vintages and crus available to bid on. Stronger than usual availability can create competition between sellers – and therefore bid acceptance, too.

Rhône

Buy: 2017

Wine collectors will often allow the quality of a Bordeaux vintage to sway their opinion of the quality across the whole of France – or even all of Europe – for that year. There has been deserved focus in both Northern and Southern Rhône on some excellent vintages such as 2016, 2019 and 2020. This has allowed a stellar Rhône vintage like 2017 (relatively decent but not outstanding in Bordeaux) to slip quietly under the radar. Guigal’s trio of Côte-Rôties, affectionately known as the La La’s, were particularly noteworthy in 2017.

Sell or drink: 2012, 2013 and 2014

With a decade or so of bottle age behind them, the trio of vintages from 2012 to 2014 are in the absolute right place to be drinking now. Aside from the very best plots, the conditions from the harvest suggest that these vintages might not improve a huge amount more. They are, however, at their optimum maturity to enjoy over the coming months. If you aren’t in a position to enjoy these wines yourself, listing them on BBX will allow another wine lover to do so in your stead. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe

A perennial favourite, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe is among the most renowned estates in the Southern Rhône. Blessed with the finest locations in the area, on the famed Le Crau plateau, there is an emphasis on terroir expression and natural winemaking. This excellent location was, sadly, not enough to protect the vines from a ferocious hailstorm in August 2022; all the leaves and grapes were stripped from the vines. Devastatingly, this left Vieux Télégraphe with no wine to make from Le Crau for the first time since 2002 – leaving a huge hole in collectors’ cellars. You can bid on back vintages back to the mid-to-late 1990s here.

Champagne

Buy: 2008 and 2012

The growing season in 2008 was cooler than average until conditions finally changed; the bright, dry and sunny days helped push the grapes to the desired ripeness. This resulted in wines with plenty of freshness and rich, ripe fruit – and great acidity, too. The 2012 vintage was equally challenging, with a hailstorm that devastated yields. The end of that summer brought steady and warm conditions. The result: wines with great depth, complexity and aromatic flavours along with balanced acidity. Both vintages are widely acknowledged as two of Champagne’s greatest in decades. Many of the wines will develop in the cellar for years to come.

Sell or drink: 2004 and 2006

These are two very good vintages but without quite the magic of the above-mentioned. The 2004 and 2006 vintages have now reached maturity in appreciation and drinkability. If you have, for example, some Dom Pérignon, Cristal or Taittinger Comtes de Champagne in your cellar, now is a good time to either withdraw them and pop the cork, or sell them on to another enthusiast. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: Salon and Krug

Champagne has been among the first regions to be affected by price contractions in the fine wine market. So if you are looking for something rather legendary, for a very special occasion: Salon and Krug are both very well priced compared to a few months ago. You might also find favourable pricing – and collectors open to bids – on small-scale growers like Ulysse Colin, Cedric Bouchard, Egly-Ouriet, Marguet and Savart.

BURGUNDY

Buy: 2019 red Burgundy and 2020 white Burgundy

For red Burgundy, look to 2019. This was a “solar” year, where precise vineyard work produced wines with density and freshness. As for white Burgundy, the 2020 vintage was recently tasted at the annual Burgfest event. There was talk of this being the best white vintage since 2017. Some of our favourite producers to look out for include Jean-Benoît Droin, Jean-Claude Bachelet, Dujac, Michèle & Patrice Rion, Thibault Liger-Belair, Méo-Camuzet and Rossignol-Trapet. To help you, we’ve rounded up the best-priced red 2019s and white 2020s here.

Sell or drink: 2017 red Burgundy

We’ve seen an increase in the number of 2017s being listed for sale, which have been matched by a number of customers withdrawing them to drink. So if you have some 2017 red Burgundy in your cellar, now is the time to take action. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: Domaine Ghislaine Barthod

Customers that have been collecting Burgundy for decades speak with misty-eyed nostalgia about the days when getting a case of Ghislaine Barthod’s Chambolle-Musigny was not only achievable, but wouldn’t break the bank. Her star has risen astronomically since. And yet, there is an incredible treasure-trove of back vintages stretching to 1999, which are worth placing some bids on. Explore what’s available here.

BORDEAUX

Buy: 2016 and 2019

The 2016 and 2019 vintages are fast becoming legendary. The quality was immediately recognised when the wines were tasted in barrel, but after a few years in the bottle it has become impossible to ignore. Put simply, every collection should have at least one wine from both vintages in it. To help you, we’ve rounded up the best-priced wines from the two vintages here.

Sell or drink: 2008, 2011 and 2012

The supply-and-demand dynamic of the fine wine market is simple enough. We’re seeing it in action with a few vintages which are really hitting their stride, notably 2008, 2011 and 2012. More and more customers are withdrawing these vintages to drink. And, with more of these wines being consumed, we’re also seeing increased selling activity. Browse your cellar here.

Bid on: Château Talbot

Château Talbot is one of those deeply dependable Bordeaux estates which is beloved by our customers. As a result, we have vintages stretching back to the much-lauded “victory vintage” of 1945 which you can bid on. If you fancy adding a piece of history to your cellar, have a look at the back vintages of Talbot available to bid on here.

Explore BBX, our fine wine exchange.