2017 Bonneau du Martray | Queen-worthy wine in billionaire hands

“This was an impressive set of wines from Domaine Bonneau du Martray” – Willian Kelley, Wine Advocate

The Bonneau du Martray vintage that was the subject of Kelley's enthusiasm was the 2017, whose Corton-Charlemagne is now available for investment. He awards 96 great points, cementing the greatness of this white Burgundy.

This is a case of quality-heavy white Burgundy Grand Cru. It is a case of an entrenched Burgundy domain whose growth potential has been spotted by a visionary rich man who has now taken the helm. And the course is set for success, already kick-started by a stroke of genius. Read more about the potential of the 2017 Bonneau du Martray here. 

Bonneau Du Martray | Queen-Worthy Wine In Billionaire Hands

Domaine Bonneau du Martray is a historic winery in Burgundy. They are one of the largest producers in the great Grand Cru appellation of Corton-Charlemagne. They are a Burgundian pioneer of biodynamics. And their legitimacy as a coveted world wine was truly written in stone when their wine was served at a private birthday celebration in 2006 for England's late Queen Elizabeth II.

Bonneau du Martray's history dates back to the French Revolution. In 1791, the revolutionary government sold the church's properties, which meant the monks had to let go of Charlemagne's vineyards. These were auctioned off and some of the vineyards were now in the hands of Simon Very.

Simon Very's daughter Marie-Eugénie married Charles Bonneau du Martray (descendant of Nicolas Rolin, founder of Hospices de Beaune). And her dowry was approximately 60 hectares of vineyards in Aloxe-Corton and Volnay, among others. And from here, Bonneau du Martray passed and survived generation after generation. They refined and advanced the house's vineyards, which is why today the house is recognised as a major wine player in Burgundy - and thus throughout the world.

And perhaps this solid groundwork is the reason why Domaine Bonneau du Martray is now owned by a billionaire with a flair for serious business.

The family ownership ended in 2017 when property and sports mogul Stanley Kroenke bought Domaine Bonneau du Martray. Kroenke is an extremely talented businessman, and the success of Screaming Eagle - Napa Valley's top wine - can largely be attributed to Stanley Kroenke. And in 2017, he has embarked on a new winery.

2017 Bonneau Du Martray: Wine Advocate Favourite

When it comes to Bonneau du Martray, there is a consistently high level, although the 2017 vintage scores 96 points from Wine Advocate, placing it among the best rated Bonneau du Martrays of this millennium - only surpassed by the 2020 and potentially 2022 vintages, which currently have an initial score of 96-97 points.

The 2017 Bonneau du Martray gets 94 points from Burghound and 92 points from Vinous Neal Martin in 2021. However, it's worth noting that in 2020, Antonio Galloni from Vinous awarded 2017 Bonneau du Martray 96 points. And although we always use the most recently awarded score from the critics, it is still unusual for a rating on a wine from the same wine media to vary by four points.

Even with its 92 Vinous points, the 2017 Bonneau du Martray scores 94 points across the three critics and therefore represents the consistently high levels of excellence Bonneau du Martray delivers at Corton-Charlemagne:

Bonneau Du Martray Corton-Charlemagne And Kroenke's First Stroke Of Genius

Normally Bonneau du Matray has 9.5 hectares in Corton-Charlemagne, but in 2018 it was announced that they would be leasing 2.8 hectares to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti itself, allegedly due to the demanding nature of biodynamic farming. Reducing the acreage would thus mean that Bonneau du Martray can increase the quality of the remaining acreage. But there's no getting around the fact that the arrival of perhaps the world's most hyped winemaker at Corton-Charlemagne will significantly increase the wine world's focus and interest in the vineyard. This could lead to price increases and drive up prices across the region. A Kroenke masterstroke.

The first release of DRC's Corton-Charlemagne was the 2019 vintage, which scored 95 points from Wine Advocate, and the cheapest price on wine-searcher.com is currently €6,138^*. Your price for 2017 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne (96 points) is €400^*.

With its lease, DRC has also set new standards for what a Corton-Charlemagne can cost.

With its remaining 6.7 hectares and a yield of 45 hectolitres per hectare in the 2017 vintage, it leaves Bonneau du Martray with a production of 40,200 bottles of 2017 Corton-Charlemagne.

*ex. Duty, VAT and tax. In full cases and perfect condition.

Demand for Bonneau du Martray - Demand for white Burgundy

In February 2024, Burgundy saw the most significant increase in weekly trade share by value according to Liv-ex from week to week, growing from 13.1% to 24.6%. And this increase was particularly driven by Domaine Bonneau du Martray, Roumier and Dujac. In March 2024, Bonneau du Martray appeared again on Liv-ex. This time on the list of most traded wines in terms of value represented by 2020 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne.

Thus, there is demand for Bonneau du Martray. And the same is true for white Burgundy.

According to the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), the growing demand for white wine and rosé means that these account for more than half of global wine consumption today. Furthermore, it states that white wine consumption has been growing at a rapid pace since 2010.

"Over the past decades, the world wine sector has seen an overall positive trend of production and consumption of white and rosé wines, while red wines have decreased. This structural shift can be mainly attributed to overall changes in consumer preferences.", continues the OIV.

And when it comes to white wine, it is very hard to ignore the giants of Burgundy.

How Bonneau Du Martray Performs

With its status as a white wine stronghold and increasing white wine interest over the past decade, it is no wonder that Bonneau du Martray has also experienced price increases. According to Liv-ex, the last ten vintages^* of Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne that have been on the market for at least five years have risen an average of 137.7% over the past five years, which equates to an average annual return of 19%.

If you look at the price trends of previous vintages, which also score 94 points across the critics above, the picture is the same. 2014 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne has been on the market for nine years, and in that time the average asking price has risen 16% per year on average, according to wine-searcher.com. In ten years, the average asking price of 2009 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne has also increased 16% per year according to wine-searcher.com.

The fact is that Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne has historically performed very well.

*vintage 2007-2016

Price Corrections Offer Favourable Entry

2023 has been characterised by hesitation and weakened liquidity due to geopolitical and macroeconomic realities. This has also affected the wine market, resulting in price corrections on a number of wines.

Back in October 2023, the 2017 Bonneau du Martray cost €450^*. And price corrections mean that your price right now is €400^*. We have argued before that the core product and its core value should remain unchanged. History has shown that wine prices rise when liquidity returns to the market and purchasing power regains its usual strength.

If you trust history, this correction seems particularly favourable - the premise is otherwise unchanged.

Add to this the fact that, according to Wine Advocate, this 2017 Bonneau du Martray will not enter its drinking window until 2025 and will be drinkable until 2045. So there is plenty of time to regain strength and follow its predecessors.

*ex. Duty, VAT and tax. In full cases and perfect condition.

RareWine Invest's Opinion

If we assume that the demand for white wine is increasing, it may prove advantageous to be exposed to white Grand Cru from the white wine stronghold. And while €400 for a bottle of wine may not be cheap, it is nothing compared to the cost of a DRC Corton-Charlemagne.

Bonneau du Martray is an entrenched Burgundy domain. A domain with growth potential. Otherwise, a hardcore businessman like Kroenke would not have embarked on another wine adventure. He did, and his first stroke of genius was to lease to DRC. Who knows what's next?

Regardless of future strokes of genius or not, Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne has historically performed well across vintages, and the price correction is currently offering a particularly favourable investment entry. Only 10 can secure the minimum investment on this one, so as always, it's first come, first served.