BI announces its best performing champagne for 2016
One of the world's leading fine wine merchants and traders has announced its top performing champagne of 2016.
BI, formerly Bordeaux Index, said this year's best champagne on its LiveTrade platform was the 2007 Louis Roederer Cristal, with sales up 53 per cent since it was added to the live, two-way buying and selling platform in June.
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Giles Cooper, BI's head of marketing said 2007 wasn't a particularly great year for champagne vintages, but Cristal got it "absolutely right". The wine had top scores from critics, and after the 2009 vintage was released this year to less fanfare, buyers went back for more of the 2007.
BI's best performing champagne this year (Source: BI)
Cristal was the fourth-best wine on the platform, with the number one spot held by a Haut Brion 1989, which was the wine served at Buckingham Palace when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited in late 2015.
Its popularity skyrocketed in China and it was given top marks by a leading Bordeaux critic. Since then, the price has risen this year from £13,000 per case to £17,500 currently.
Cooper said champagne investment opens up interesting opportunities for investors.
"Bordeaux still makes a lot of sense at the top end, but the champagne explosion has really reminded us that champagne is a different kind of investment vehicle," Cooper said.