Every time we purchase Bordeaux, Burgundy, and other fine wines online, we place our trust in a seller. We’re relying on them to deliver a wine that is authentic, properly stored, and safely shipped. If you frequently buy French wine online, I recommend checking out Millesima. This family-owned business is headquartered in Bordeaux, and has sold fine wine for almost four decades. Whether you’re in America, Hong Kong, Singapore, or other parts of Europe, Millesima gives you access to thousands of wines, futures, and pre-arrivals. Read on for our full Millesima review, including the online shopping and delivery experience.
Overview
Millesima was founded in 1983 as a fine wine mail order merchant. But over the years, it has become much more than that. Today, it is one of the top online sellers of wine, has a physical store in New York City, and also is a marketplace for wine futures and pre-arrivals.
Millesima has built up so many direct relationships with wineries that it is able to sell directly from them, yielding better prices. In fact, Millesima is one of the top five buyers of Bordeaux futures. Futures are wine en primeur, or before it is bottled. If you’re an avid Bordeaux drinker, futures are an excellent way to pay a lower price. They usually cost less because the estate also saves by selling the wine sooner.
If you aren’t sure which bottle to buy, the Millesima team is a great resource for wine knowledge. Its Senior Fine Wine Specialist, Michaël Peltier, has over fifteen years of experience as a sommelier and wine director in New York City. A team of wine advisors are also available to help provide personalized service and recommendations to customers seeking their next bottle. They were helpful in giving me an honest perspective on differences in flavor profiles for various wines, as well as history and backstory for selected chateaux.
The Shopping Experience
When shopping for wine, my top requirements are price, selection, ease of use, and reputability. I found Millesima to be excellent on all of these dimensions.
Price
Millesima wins major points for its compelling pricing. I did a quick spot check on Millesima’s Champagne inventory, and found their prices to all be competitive or even lower than other shops. For example, a Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé costs $89.99 on Millesima, which is actually less than than Wine.com ($93.99) and Total Wines ($94.99). I will not buy from wine shops that charge more for the same bottles I can buy elsewhere. To me, Millesima’s pricing validates the strength of the relationships it has built.
Ease of Use
When it comes to website usability, Millesima is comparable to other major wine eCommerce sites. I found their site easy to use, both on desktop and mobile. Shoppers can search for wines by varietal, region, producer, and price. I especially appreciate the additional filters for sweetness, environmental impact, and classification. Most French wineries don’t publicize whether they are sustainable or organic. As such, it’s very helpful to have Millesima locate these wines for me.
Selection
Millesima’s Bordeaux cellars had over 2.5 million bottles in stock at the time of our writing. This breadth of selection makes it a haven for fine wine and value seekers alike. Wine enthusiasts can secure limited releases, rare vintage wines, and coveted first growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy. Value seekers can likewise access hundreds of premier cru, village, fourth growth, and fifth growth wines. Most of us can’t afford a $7,500 Chateau Margaux, but we might be able to buy the $59 Chateau Prieure-Lichine also from the prestigious Margaux region. It also carries thousands of wines from the rest of the world, including America, Europe, South America, and Africa.
Reputability
Whenever I make a transaction with an overseas company, I want the purchase to be secure. Millesima has a badge from Trusted Shops, a leading European security firm for online shopping. This is a guarantee that your data is secure, there is a fair cancellation and return policy, and that customers are consistently giving Millesima a high rating.
Fortunately, I found Millesima held up to its promise as a reputable retailer. They were communicative and thorough at every step of the way. After purchasing, I received an email confirmation, and was even asked to sign an invoice. While somewhat atypical, the invoice is useful for people buying futures. Since they will not receive their wine immediately, it is helpful to have an official record of the purchase.
Once the order was shipped, I received another email with tracking information. Millesima uses FedEx, who provides frequent tracking updates. To note, FedEx tells you the day your package will be delivered, but not the exact time. You will need to be home on the day of the shipment. Making sure I didn’t miss the delivery person was the only tricky part of this experience! FedEx also required proof of ID when the wines arrived.
As you can see above, the wines arrived intact, snugly tucked into pulp wine carriers. It happened to be temperate weather when I made the order, so I selected ground shipping. However, if you are going through a heat wave, I would definitely recommend expedited shipping. If you accidentally miss your delivery window, the wines will bake in the back of the delivery truck for an extra day — not desirable.
The Final Pour
From desktop to doorstep, the shopping experience with Millesima was smooth and well-attended to. If you are looking to taste more Bordeaux, Burgundy, or Champagne wines, I highly recommend checking out their selection. Visit Millesima-usa.com to learn more.
Enjoyed our Millesima review? Check out our other wine club reviews, including the Wall Street Journal Wine Club, Wine Access, and more on TheWineDaily.com.