En primeur is a French wine trade term for wine which is sold as a ‘future’, i.e. before it is bottled – usually the year after the en primeur offer. The most important annual offer comes from Bordeaux.
Every spring after the vintage, the great cru classé properties of Bordeaux produce young barrel samples from the previous year’s harvest. These are then tasted and assessed by members of the international wine trade in Bordeaux. The château then release for sale a ‘tranche’ or proportion of their total production at an opening price. This is sold in strict allocation to wine brokers in Bordeaux, known as négociants. The négociants then sell the en primeur offers (Decanter, 2018).
During the en primeur campaign you can expect to find most if not all the wines listed on the classified growths. As quantities are limited, it is recommended to reserve your allocations before the campaign begins!