Professor Rod Phillips gave an hour-long interview on the history of the Bordeaux wine trade for Areni Global, a fine wine think-tank based in London, UK. His interview is the sixth episode of a seven-part series on La Place de Bordeaux, the network of agents that has effectively controlled Bordeaux’s wine sales for centuries. It’s a somewhat mysterious but very important institution because Bordeaux’s top wines are the most sought-after in the world by collectors and investors (and some drinkers).
Rod discussed the origins of the Bordeaux wine trade in the Middle Ages and its evolution. He also talked about the origins of the 1855 Classification, a ranking of wines from some districts of Bordeaux that is still very influential. The top wines from the four producers that were listed in the first rank (Premier Cru) in 1855 currently sell for well over a thousand dollars a bottle on release.
You can listen to the interview and read an abbreviated transcript at: https://areni.global/inside-la-place-de-bordeaux-episode-six/