Wine Selection
The wines the open market never sees.
Why access matters.
Fine wine investment is fundamentally an access problem. The wines most likely to appreciate, including allocated Burgundy, early-release Bordeaux and prestige Champagne, are distributed by the producers before they reach any retail channel. If you are buying from a wine merchant or auction house, you are already in the secondary market, paying a premium on top of whatever the trade paid.
Cellar Advisor sits inside the professional fine wine trade through our Liv-Ex membership and négociant relationships. We receive en primeur releases from the major châteaux. We have allocation at Burgundy domaines that do not sell through any retail channel. We buy at trade prices and pass those savings directly to clients. Our only revenue is a 2% commission when you sell.
This is the structural advantage that most private investors never access, and it is the reason our clients consistently outperform the Liv-Ex index over a 5-year holding period.
Where we source.
En primeur allocations
We receive releases directly from the major Bordeaux châteaux during the annual primeur campaign, wine sold before bottling, priced before the secondary market sets its level. Our allocation is sized to our membership tier and track record of distribution.
Domaine-direct Burgundy
The great Burgundy domaines (DRC, Leroy, Rousseau, Mugnier, Roumier) allocate by long-standing relationship only. Our négociant network has maintained those relationships for decades. Waiting lists for these wines, where they exist, are measured in years.
Champagne house releases
Prestige cuvées from Krug, Dom Pérignon, Salon, and Cristal are released through the same allocation system. We distribute to clients based on portfolio fit; investment-grade formats (magnums, jeroboams) take priority over consumption bottles.
London merchant network
Our relationships with a select group of London fine wine merchants give us access to back-vintage stocks, private cellar releases, and auction acquisition mandates. We buy from estates, not from retail.
International négociants
Through négociant partners in Bordeaux and Hong Kong, we access wines positioned for growth in Asian markets before that demand is reflected in Liv-Ex pricing. This network has been built over 40 years of collective industry experience.
Secondary market acquisition
For clients building a portfolio that requires specific back-vintages, we execute acquisitions through Liv-Ex and at auction. Every wine purchased is authenticated and transferred into your named LCB Eton Park account before settlement.
Typical portfolio allocation.
Regional weightings vary by client strategy. These represent the default allocation for a balanced investment portfolio.
First and Second Growths, Right Bank icons. Deepest liquidity on Liv-Ex.
Grand and Premier Crus only. Allocation-constrained; strongest long-term appreciation.
Prestige cuvées in investment formats. Steady demand from international collectors.
Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Hermitage. Supplementary allocation for diversification.
Discuss allocation strategy with a portfolio manager.
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