“Some of the most exciting red Bordeaux produced in the last two decades”
William Kelley, The Wine Advocate

When you buy En Primeur, this means you’re buying a wine before it’s been bottled, straight from the producer. While this system started in Bordeaux, it has now been adopted in Burgundy, the Rhône Valley and Italy.

The benefit of purchasing wines En Primeur means that you can secure a price exclusive of Duty and VAT, which you won’t have to pay until you withdraw them. The wines are usually shipped out from the producers anywhere between eight to 18 months after the vintage, depending on which region they come from. This is because ageing requirements and local laws can differ across different regions.

What are the critics saying about the 2022 Vintage? Read our latest Blog Post now. 

 How does En Primeur work?

Wines that are purchased En Primeur are still with the producer, usually still in barrel. When they are ready, the producer will bottle and ship them. When the wines arrive in Ireland, they will be brought into WineOnline.ie in Dublin. Vat and duty will only be payable when the wines land in Ireland. 

We’ll let you know when your wines arrive, giving you the option to have us store them or have them delivered to you. If you plan to keep them stored in our warehouse, bear in mind that you’ll have to pay a minimum annual charge of €100. This will cover the storage charges for the first three 12-bottle cases that you have with us, including cases under beneficial ownership (such as wine bought as a gift in trust for a child). 

Why buy En Primeur?

If you’re interested in building a collection of fine wine, it makes sense to buy En Primeur. The En Primeur release price is usually the best price for a wine; buying En Primeur is your best chance to secure highly sought-after wines for your collection, especially if they are produced in very small quantities.

There is also great merit in buying En Primeur for early drinking. Not all wines are expensive, meaning you could invest a little now in wines that you can enjoy upon release. this ensures you are paying the lowest possible price for wines that can be enjoyed as soon as they are released less than 2 years later.  This is wise if the year is a good one. 

There’s also the more personal side to buying En Primeur: investing in a particular producer, and in a particular year, gives you a strong sense of connection with the wine, adding to its appeal. What’s more, you’re supporting the producer now, before they’ve bottled their wines. This lets them invest in their vineyards and winemaking, and in the estate’s long-term future.

What is included in En Primeur prices?

When you buy a wine from us En Primeur the prices quoted are In Bond. This price includes the cost of shipping to our Irish warehouse and, subsequently, delivery to you. It also includes insurance: wines are insured at the original invoice value until ownership of the wines passes to you, at which point they are insured at current market prices at the time of loss or damage.

The price you pay for the wine does not include Duty and VAT. You don't need to pay Duty and VAT until the wines are withdrawn from Bond.

How much is the duty and VAT on wine?

€3.25 per 75cl bottle of still wine
€6.70 per 75cl bottle of sparkling wine
€12.00 per 75cl bottle of Port wine
Irish VAT is 23% (applied after duty)
Rates are subject to change by the government at any time 

Shipping from producer to warehouse

En Primeur wines are usually connected to a specific vintage, with a set closing date for orders. The relevant closing dates will always be included in our specific vintage brochure, or on our website. We’ll indicate an anticipated date by when we expect the vintage to be bottled and shipped to Ireland. Exactly when the wines are shipped is down to when the producer thinks they’re ready, so we can't guarantee exact dates.

After your wines are shipped to Ireland, they’ll be entered directly into your cellar, In Bond. Once the wines are in the warehouse, we’ll let you know by email. You’ll need to pay a storage charge for every case you keep in our Bonded warehouses, but we won’t charge you initial rent until your account’s cyclical annual rent date.

 Explore Our En Primeur Offers in May 2023- Fill in your contact details now to receive En Primeur Release Offers as they become available.