VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux

What VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux does

VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux is an independent French wine merchant founded in 1998 and headquartered in Bruges, near the Bordeaux wine region. The company curates and distributes Bordeaux fine wines sourced from more than 250 Fine Wine Châteaux and Grand Cru Classés, including 1855 Classified Growths, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, and Sauternes. Its core revenue drivers are En Primeurs (advance purchases of the latest vintage offered through 265 annual allocations), direct château purchases, and resales of classified growths to collectors, wine retailers, and hospitality venues. The business operates with a team of approximately 8–10 people led by co-owners Jérôme Conche and Sébastien Carbon, who took over the company in 2015.

The business model is transaction-based fine wine trading: VINTAGES buys from châteaux and approximately 7 Bordeaux wine brokers, holds inventory (€2 million in stock value, purchasing roughly 20,000 cases per vintage), and resells at markup. Distribution is concentrated in Off-Trade wholesale (60% of mix), with Export to Europe and Asia (35%) managed by a dedicated Export Manager and a smaller On-Trade channel (5%) serving restaurants and hotels. The company reported €10 million in turnover in 2022. There is no proprietary technology platform; the company relies on a website (vintages-bordeaux.com), direct sales relationships, and participation in Bordeaux wine trade events. Marketing is relationship-driven rather than digital or AI-enabled, and the value proposition centers on preferential allocation access, expert curation by the co-owners, and multi-decade château relationships.

Name

VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux

Legal name

VINTAGES

Website

https://vintages-bordeaux.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux is an independent French wine merchant curating and distributing Bordeaux fine wines from 250+ châteaux to collectors, wine retailers, restaurants, and hotels across Europe and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Wine Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

Keywords

• Fine wine merchant
• Bordeaux wine trading
• En primeur sales
• Wine allocations
• Classified growths distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Bruges

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fine Wine Trading: Buying and selling Bordeaux wines including En Primeurs (wine futures), direct purchases, and allocation-based sales. Revenue generated through markups on wine sales to collectors, restaurants, and private clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux is an independent Bordeaux-based fine wine merchant that sources, holds, and distributes classified-growth Bordeaux wines. It runs annual En Primeur campaigns and manages 265 active allocations from 250+ châteaux, purchasing roughly 20,000 cases each vintage and carrying about €2 million in stock.

Product overview

VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux is a single, unified wine merchant service offering Bordeaux fine wines through two primary product lines: en primeur purchases (advance buying of the latest vintage) and allocations of classified wines from established and rare Châteaux. The company does not operate a technology platform but rather serves as a traditional wine merchant connecting clients with wines from over 250 Bordeaux estates, including all major 1855 classified growths.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fine Bordeaux Wines

Quantifiable outcome

• 265 En Primeurs allocations from classified growths annually

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 265 Bordeaux Châteaux (Classified Growths)coreOthersVINTAGES maintains established relationships with over 250 Fine Wine Châteaux including classified estates from 1855 Classification, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Émilion, and Pomerol. These Château partnerships provide access to allocations and preferential purchasing terms for En Primeurs and direct purchases. Key partners include prestigious estates like Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Pétrus, Château Angélus, and Château Cheval Blanc.
• 7 Bordeaux Wine BrokerscoreOthersPartnership with 7 Bordeaux wine brokers providing market access, pricing information, and supply chain connections within the Bordeaux wine trade ecosystem.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• iDealwine: French online wine auction and merchant platform with strong Bordeaux fine wine coverage. Emerging digital player competing for the same collector and investment-grade customer base that VINTAGES serves.
• Acker Merrall & Condit: US-based fine wine auction house and merchant with significant Bordeaux classified growth activity. Comparable allocation and secondary-market exposure with focus on collector and investor clients.

Broad incumbents

• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Long-established UK wine merchant with extensive Bordeaux fine wine offering alongside Burgundy, Rhône, and Champagne. Broad incumbent with overlapping allocation access and collector customer base.

Regional players

• La Cave d'Affinez: French regional wine merchant and broker focused on fine Bordeaux and Burgundy allocations. Regional peer with comparable supply-chain position but more limited international reach than VINTAGES.

Direct peers

• Bordeaux Index: Fine wine merchant and investment platform focused on Bordeaux and Burgundy, with strong international (notably Asian) collector base. Direct peer with overlapping allocation access and a more digitized customer experience.
• Compagnie Médocaine des Grands Crus: Bordeaux négociant specializing in sales of classified growths and grand cru wines to international markets. Direct competitor with similar châteaux relationships and En Primeurs activity.
• Justerini & Brooks: UK fine wine merchant (part of Berry Bros. & Rudd group) with deep Bordeaux classified growth and En Primeurs portfolio. Direct peer serving collectors, restaurants, and international clients with comparable allocation model.
• Millésima: Bordeaux-based fine wine merchant and online retailer specializing in En Primeurs and classified growth allocations across Europe and Asia. Direct competitor to VINTAGES with overlapping châteaux relationships, allocation business, and export focus.
• Joanne (Maison Joanne): Historic Bordeaux négociant house trading fine wines from major châteaux, including classified growths. Direct peer operating the same négociant/allocation model with comparable customer mix of collectors, restaurants, and exporters.

Others

• Sotheby's Wine: Global auction house with a dedicated wine division handling rare Bordeaux. Adjacent player in the fine wine collector ecosystem, providing liquidity and authentication services relevant to VINTAGES' customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vintages-experience-bordeaux

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VINTAGES Experience Bordeaux