Ones to keep on your radar in the La Place September Releases 2022
September releases from La Place to have on your radar
September sees the release of the latest vintages from some of the globe’s most sought-after names via the historic Place de Bordeaux marketplace. Ahead of the 2022 releases, we’ve picked out some of the bottles to have on your radar.
Traditionally, La Place was used to sell wines produced in Bordeaux around the world via a network of over 300 négociants, but in the last 20 years this has grown to a collection of wines from over 30 regions. Whilst Bordeaux En Primeur remains the major event in the calendar, the September releases have become an important fixture, with a growing number of iconic wines around the world garnering more and more attention.
This trend has been growing every year since the first non-Bordeaux wine was offered through La Place in 1998, the joint venture between the late Philippine de Rothschild of Château Mouton-Rothschild and Concho y Toro – Almaviva.
This year the Chilean winery are releasing their 2020 vintage, which celebrates their 25th bottling anniversary. James Suckling gives the wine 98 points, describing it as “a medium-to full-bodied Almaviva with supple, silky tannins and a wealth of black and blue fruit that provides a lot of charm now.”
Next month brings us a host of exciting new wines and releases, kickstarting on 1st September with the 2020 Seña and the first ever release of Seña’s second wine, Rocas de Seña.
Since 2004, Opus One has released its new vintages through La Place and has seen consistent rise in demand for their wines. Last year’s release of Opus One 2018 was the top-traded wine from the clutch of releases and the market price has risen 8.7% in value since. Galloni scores the 2019 vintage, which will be released on 5th September, one point higher (97), stating that, “tasted next to the 2018, the 2019 possesses a bit more textural nuance and body, yet it has all the classicism that is such an Opus One signature.”
You’ll also find key releases such as Super Tuscan giants Masseto and Solaia in the second week of September. Masseto was the first wine without a specific tie to Bordeaux to join La Place back in 2009 which initiated an influx of Italian fine wines to the market. Galloni calls both of these “fabulous”, declaring that the 98+ point Masseto is “silky, gracious and super-refined, the 2019 is a total knock-out.”
The September releases aren’t just limited to wines from further afield, with a handful of estates in Bordeaux also joining in.
One of the highlights this year is the perfect, multi 100-point Latour 2010, which will be released on 13th September from the first growth chateau in highly prized ex-chateau cases. Robert Parker Jnr calls it “One of the perfect wines of the vintage,” with Neal Martin simply summing it up in two words: “The king.”
2022 sees several new names join the September releases. First up is Craggy Range, who become the first New Zealand winery to sell their wines through La Place. Founded by the Peabody Family in 1998, the winery’s 2020 vintages of Le Sol Syrah and Aroha Pinot Noir will be available from 14th September.
Viña Cobos will be exclusively distributing their flagship wine Cobos Malbec through La Place from 19th September. The winery was founded in Lujan de Cuyo at the foot of the Andes Mountains by American winemaker, Paul Hobbs in 1998. James Suckling is a big fan, giving their 2019 Cobos Malbec a perfect 100-point score, stating that the “Archetypal malbec” was “Sensational. So sophisticated and thoughtful.” He’s also rated various vintages with a flawless 100 on three occasions in the last decade.
Coming from Oakville in the very heart of Napa, Morlet’s Couer de Vallée joins a host of the leading wines from Napa already released on La Place, with 10,000 bottles of their 2019 vintage released on 28th September.
Register your interest in upcoming releases and browse those that are already available to purchase.
