Enough Bordeaux bashing: top 2015 vintage lifts prices

The banner year enjoyed by Bordeaux winegrowers in 2015 will allow the most prestigious chateaux to hike their prices by some 60 percent, equalling the great vintages of 2009 and 2010, experts said.

But the price tags on second-tier Bordeaux will rise only by between five and 35 percent, they added.

The boon follows a relative drought that saw only two vintages deemed "good" in the past few years, those of 2011 and 2014.

The ideal growing conditions of 2015 produced what wine critics called an "exceptional" vintage with prices to match.

The top grands crus --  a classification dating to 1855 -- are on average 56 percent dearer than in 2014, at around 600 euros ($685) a bottle in the wine shop.

"These are the luxury labels, in demand around the world," one dealer said, voicing annoyance at "Bordeaux-bashing" claims that the wines are over-priced.

The 2015 grand cru prices may shock, coming after a fall in prices following the spikes of 2009 and 2010, said Thomas Hebrard, president and founder of U'wine, a dealer for wine investors.

The star quality of the 2015 vintage will be a major boost for the Bordeaux region, further aided by the weak euro, he said.