How to Access Fine Wine Allocations
The most sought-after wines are rarely on open sale, because the leading producers in Burgundy and Bordeaux release them through allocations to buyers they know and trust. This guide explains how allocations work, where en primeur fits and what to look for in anyone offering you access.Grand Cru Burgundy from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Leroy, or Rousseau - arrive through allocation systems built on decades of producer relationships. Understanding how allocations work, and securing reliable access, transforms wine investment from speculative purchasing into strategic portfolio construction with demonstrably superior returns.
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How Allocations Work
Allocation exists because demand for the finest wines far exceeds what the vineyards can produce. The leading Burgundy domaines farm small parcels of Grand Cru vineyard and make some of their wines in very small quantities, while a Bordeaux First Growth produces many times as much from a single estate. When there is not enough wine to go round, producers decide who receives it, and they favour buyers who have bought consistently through good and difficult vintages, who know the region and who place wine with clients who hold it rather than resell it quickly.
That is why access is usually a matter of relationships rather than budget. Individual investors rarely receive allocations directly from the top domaines, so they reach them through a merchant or adviser who already holds a place on the producers' lists, as our article on accessing Burgundy allocations explains from the inside. The quality of that access shows in whether an adviser can buy full cases at or below the market price, because an inflated price usually means the wine has passed through several hands before it reaches you.
En Primeur, Back Vintages and Our Approach
En primeur, buying wine while it is still in barrel, was long seen as the cheapest way to secure scarce wines, but the picture is now more mixed. Liv-ex has reported average prices falling after release on recent Bordeaux vintages, leaving many buyers of those campaigns with paper losses (Decanter, May 2025), and in the 2024 campaign Lafite Rothschild cut its release price by around 30%, its lowest release price in 16 years (Decanter, May 2025). En primeur can still make sense for the right wine at the right price, but a back vintage already in bottle is sometimes the better buy, and our page on Bordeaux wine investment looks at that choice in more detail.
Our founder has worked as a professional wine buyer since 2008 and has built direct relationships with the allocators of some of Burgundy's most sought-after domaines, including Romanée-Conti, Leroy, Rousseau and Roumier. We buy at acquisition cost without an allocation premium and aim to secure full cases at prices in line with or below the market, so that the price you pay reflects the wine rather than the chain it passed through. Our articles on Domaine Armand Rousseau and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti explain what makes these estates so hard to buy.
We are an independent advisory based in Geneva and we hold no stock, so every wine is bought for your portfolio and in your name. Every wine is bought at its documented cost, with our commission disclosed separately. How It Works sets out the process in full, our guide to portfolio diversification explains how allocated wines fit a wider holding, and our wine investment page explains our approach as a whole.
Further Reading on Burgundy and Allocations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wine allocation?
An allocation is a share of a producer’s limited release reserved for trusted buyers rather than sold on the open market. Producers decide who receives wine based on purchase history, knowledge of the region and how the wine will be held.
Can I buy allocations directly from the domaines?
Very rarely. The leading domaines receive far more requests than they can meet and favour long-standing merchants and advisers, so most investors reach these wines through someone who already holds a place on the list.
Why are Burgundy allocations so hard to secure?
Production is small. The leading domaines farm small parcels of Grand Cru vineyard, and demand for their wines from around the world far exceeds what they make.
Is en primeur always cheaper?
No. Liv-ex has reported average prices falling after release on recent Bordeaux vintages, so a back vintage already in bottle is sometimes the better buy. We compare both before recommending either.
Does allocation access guarantee better returns?
No. It gives access to wines that are otherwise hard to buy, but returns still depend on the price paid, the wine and the length of the hold, and past performance is no guide to the future.
How can I judge an adviser’s access?
Ask whether they can buy full cases from the estates they name, at prices in line with or below the market. Inflated prices usually point to limited access or several intermediaries in the chain.
Discuss the Wines You Want to Own
If there are producers you would like to hold, or you want to know whether the access you have today is as good as it could be, a private conversation is the simplest place to start. We will tell you honestly what we can source, at what price and over what timescale.