Liv-ex’s 2022 ranking of the top 100 most powerful fine wine brands in the world highlights which wines investors should consider for 2023.
The most powerful fine wine brands in 2022
- Burgundy’s Leroy ranked the most powerful brand for the third consecutive year
- Domaine de la Romanée Conti ranked first for value of wine traded on Liv-ex
- Louis Roederer (Cristal) ranked first for the volume of wine traded on Liv-ex
- Arnoux-Lachaux ranked first for price performance with 487.2% average growth in 12 months
Wine investments have delivered stronger returns than equities, property and other assets during the most economically challenging and uncertain period for investors in decades. Liv-ex’s Power 100 ranking allows us to look at which investment wines have shaped the market and delivered the strongest growth during the Covid-19 pandemic and the first six months of Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Top 10 fine wine brands in 2022
2022 Rank | Brand | Region | 2021 Rank | Av. growth in 12 months | Av. trade price in 2022 |
1 | Leroy | Burgundy | 1 | 59.5% | £6,703 |
2 | Arnaux Lachaux | Burgundy | 62 | 487.2% | £10,110 |
3 | Leflaive | Burgundy | 13 | 94.1% | £5,519 |
4 | Armand Rousseau | Burgundy | 9 | 63.5% | £18,848 |
5 | Prieure Roch | Burgundy | 38 | 43.8% | £7,815 |
6 | Dom Perignon | Champagne | 4 | 39.3% | £2,343 |
7 | Louis Roederer | Champagne | 9 | 34.9% | £2,851 |
8 | DRC | Burgundy | 5 | 42.6% | £77,687 |
9 | Jacques F Mugnier | Burgundy | 47 | 85.8% | £6,860 |
10 | Krug | Champagne | 11 | 39.6% | £3,635 |
Source: Liv-ex Power 100 Report, 2022 (published 25 November 2022)
The Power 100 2022 data is measured during the period 1st October 2021 to 30th September 2022, a period of significant political uncertainty, volatility in financial markets and which has seen UK inflation rise 10% from 3.1% to 13.2% in the last year.
Power 100 ranking critieria
To qualify for the ranking each brand had to have had a minimum of £10,000 traded and at least three individual wines or vintages. 12,332 different wines were traded in the period from 1,694 brands, 442 of which qualified. The brands were then ranked on the following criteria:
- Liv-ex Market Price comparison for a case at 01.10.2021 and. 30.09.2022
- Trading performance by value and volume
- Number of unique wines and vintages traded
- average price of the brand’s wines
How have investment wine brands performed in 2022 compared to 2021?
The fine wine market has seen trade levels grow throughout the period under review and the Liv-ex 1000 recorded average value growth of 22% across the period under review.
The 2022 ranking however, shows a more targeted focus on Burgundy and Champagne. In terms of Liv-ex’s ranking criteria, seven of the top ten most powerful fine wine brands this year were from Burgundy, with Champagne accounting for the remaining three.
Average Price Growth of Top Ten Brands in 2022 compared to 2021
| 2022 Wine | Av. 2022 Growth | No of wines | 2021 Wine | Av. 2021 Growth | No of wines |
1 | Leroy | 59.5% | 93 | Leroy | 39% | 129 |
2 | Arnoux Lachaux | 487.2% | 75 | Lafite Rothschild | 16.87% | 86 |
3 | Leflaive | 94.1% | 81 | Armand Rousseau | 21.88% | 101 |
4 | Armand Rousseau | 63.5% | 98 | Dom Perignon | 22.11% | 69 |
5 | Prieure Roch | 43.8% | 84 | DRC | 19.5% | 124 |
6 | Dom Perignon | 39.3% | 71 | Mouton Rothschild | 10.13% | 75 |
7 | Louis Roederer | 34.9% | 59 | Petrus | 15.37% | 49 |
8 | DRC | 42.6% | 136 | Sassicaia | 19.27% | 37 |
9 | Jacques F Mugnier | 85.8% | 58 | Louis Roederer | 14.05% | 50 |
10 | Krug | 39.6% | 36 | Margaux | 8.96% | 71 |
Source: Liv-ex Power 100 Reports 2022 and 2021
The 2021 ranking reflected more regionally diverse trade in the secondary market that year with the top ten labels including Bordeaux First Growths Lafite Rothschild (2), Mouton Rothschild (6) and Margaux (10), along with Right Bank icon Petrus (7). Super Tuscan Sassicaia also featured, ranked eighth and along with Burgundy’s DRC, Leroy and Armand Rousseau, and Dom Perignon Champagne made up the top ten. This year’s Power 100 shows the significant trade focus on wines from Burgundy and Champagne.
Top ranked investment wine brand by average price in 2022
Rank | Brand | Region | Av. Price (12 x 75cl) |
1 | Domaine de la Romanee Conti | Burgundy | £77,687 |
2 | d’Auvenay | Burgundy | £75,435 |
3 | Chateau Petrus | Bordeaux | £36,611 |
4 | Screaming Eagle | California | £24,555 |
5 | Georges Roumier | Burgundy | £19,661 |
6 | Armand Rousseau | Burgundy | £18,848 |
7 | Rayas | Rhone | £17,768 |
8 | Le Pin | Bordeaux | £17,156 |
9 | Harlan Estate | California | £10,940 |
10 | Salon | Champagne | £10,805 |
Source: Liv-ex Power 100, 2022, November 2022
What is starkly apparent is the significant uplift in returns. The average growth for the top ten most powerful fine wine brands in 2021 ranking was 18.7%, and in 2022 this rose to 99.3%. Given the environment and the losses suffered by investors in shares and cryptocurrencies this fact alone states the case for investing in fine wine.
Regional investment wine highlights
Burgundy
The region has led the fine wine market in 2022 delivering average growth of 28.5% YTD to 31st October and 37.5% over the last twelve months. The very small production level and supply of Burgundy investment wines coupled with rising global demand has supported significant growth which is expected to continue. We look at the top investment wine brand performers below:
Domaine Leroy has been ranked as the most powerful fine wine brand again for the third consecutive year. It has seen average price growth of 59% across its stable of wines, up from 39% in the 2021 review period. The number of Domaine and Maison Leroy wines traded on the secondary market may have reduced from 129 wines / vintages to 93 in the period under review, but this didn’t affect its overall first place ranking.
Domaine Arnoux Lachaux was ranked first for price performance with an average growth of 487.2% across its wines in the twelve months under review. A magnificent performance includes individual wines from the producer rising more than 1000% and average price of £10,110 per case (12 x 75cl, 30th September 2022) driving a sixty-place rise in the rankings year on year. Prices have drifted recently however so buyers should monitor performance over the coming months.
Domaine Leflaive, one of the region’s mega-brands is up ten places in 2021, now third in the ranking with average price growth of 94.1%.
Domaine de la Romanée Conti, with record-breaking, ‘unicorn’ sales grabbing headlines all over the world, continues to be the most aspirational brand for many wine investors. DRC was ranked first for most traded wine by value and for Average Trade Price on Liv-ex in the 2022 Power 100 ranking.
Champagne
Champagne investment wines have been a popular investor choice and over the twelve months to 31st October 2022 delivered an average return on investment of 42.7%.
Consistency is the name of Champagne’s game and power-house brands Dom Perignon and Louis Roederer both retain top ten positions in the 2022 ranking for the third year running and are joined by Krug in 2022. Cristal’s owner, Louis Roederer ascends the ranking two places from 9 to 7 and Krug entered the top ten having been ranked 11th last year.
Nine Champagne brands made the Power 100 this year with Louis Roederer’s Cristal first entering the Ranking in 2019. In 2022 Cristal was the top traded wine by value and the third by volume traded on Liv-ex overall. Salon Le Mesnil was the highest ranked Champagne price performer with average growth of 64.2%.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux continues to be important for prolific brand prestige, market liquidity, longevity and increasingly good value when compared to soaring prices in Burgundy and some Champagne. The 2022 En Primeurs campaign failed to ignite the market this year as the higher pricing strategy and smaller allocations made available by the chateaux frustrated buyers.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild was ranked 2nd by value and 9th by volume of trade on Liv-ex in the period.
Chateau Figeac saw increased attention ahead of the announcement of its elevation to Classe A status in the St Emilion 2022 Classification in September.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild was the highest ranked First Growth in the Power 100 at 13th place. Lafite was placed 17th, Latour 24th, Margaux 33 and Haut Brion 34.
Italy
The region has had a more subdued trading year on Liv-ex following a particularly strong 2020 / 21 when Italian wine’s exemption from US Tariffs boosted demand. Market share has declined from 15% to 11% year-on-year however, total trade by value and volume is still strong.
Sassicaia remains the top ranked Italian investment wine brand by value and volume on Liv-ex. Fellow Super Tuscan, Tignanello was the only regional label to rise from its 2021 position in the ranking, up 16 places to 49th.
Rest of the World
California was the key country from the RoW Liv-ex regional index. Screaming Eagle was the US top performer, ranked 29th, down from its 20thplace in 2021. Harlan Estate was the next most powerful US wine brand, at 49th.
Both of these great US investment wines made the Ranking’s top ten average price performers, Screaming Eagle ranked 4th with an average case price of £24,555 and Harlan Estate 9th, recording an average £10,940 for 12 x 75cl.
Scarecrow, Dominus and Opus One all made the Top 100 at 76, 79 and 82 respectively.
Our view
The Power 100 2022 ranking illustrates the brand demand and top performances of the staple blue-chip wine investments and trends in the secondary market. Price growth in the period under review was record-breaking in certain months and the year-on-year growth in average prices of top performing brands is remarkable.
The data shows why it is important to diversify wine investment portfolios by region and brand. The market saw further growth in the number of producers qualifying for the ranking, up from 421 in 2021 to 442 this year. The most powerful fine wine brands have delivered strong growth throughout the Covid era to date and during the Ukraine crisis. Fine wine is demonstrably protecting capital, adding strength, stability and value to wine investment portfolios and delivering outstanding tax-efficient returns.
For more information see our latest Market Report and contact our team on 0203 384 2262.