The 2025 en primeur campaign appears to have got off to a somewhat haphazard start with a spattering of big name releases but little rhythm thanks to a succession of bank holiday weekends and now a week-long lull.

Nonetheless, some key wines have appeared so far, including Lafleur (newly rebadged as Vin de France), Château Cheval Blanc, Château Pontet-Canet and Château Cos d’Estournel.

More recent releases have included Château Lafite Rothschild and its stable, Château Angélus and Château Palmer, as well as châteaux Branaire-Ducru, Lynch-Bages, Lascombes and Léoville-Barton among others.

First of the firsts

The most notable release of all so far has been first growth, Lafite Rothschild. The wine was rated 97-points by Decanter’s Georgie Hindle, who said it was: ‘A bit more lively, energetic and upfront than Lafite can sometimes be.’

With consistently high scores from other major critics too, there was hope that Lafite – as has been the case in the past – could help keep the campaign on course and set an example with its pricing.

Yields were very small in 2025 (27hl/ha) and quantities are very limited. Berry Bros & Rudd is offering the wine in packs of three for £1,047 (£4,164 per 12x75).

The 2025 is around 16% more expensive than the 2024, but for a much higher quality wine and one that is still much cheaper than many older vintages of Lafite – especially other highly-rated vintages.

Second wine Carruades de Lafite was also released at £432 per three bottles.

A smile on the face of angels

Right Bank grand cru Angélus hit the market on 21 May. Another wine with 97-points from Hindle who wrote: ‘The energy and balance is flawless. Really an elegant, elongated wine with such nuance of flavour. I love this and think they've done a super job – juicy, this brings a smile to your face.’

The wine is being offered for £606 per three bottles or £1,200 per six at BBR. Fine wine marketplace Liv-ex noted that the 2025 was one of the more expensive vintages available and some recent older vintages with equal or higher scores are currently available for less.

And finally, Palmer, which was released on 22 May and is being offered by BBR and other merchants for £1,158 per six bottles (or £585 per three).

Likewise scored 97-points by Hindle – who called it, ‘sturdy, stately, complex’ and ‘compelling’ – it was again noted by Liv-ex as being one at the more expensive end of comparable recent vintages.

Slow and steady

Reaction to many wines has been broadly positive so far. Big hitters such as Cheval Blanc and Lafite have sold well, several merchants said.

Corney & Barrow noted that its exclusives from the Moueix and Mitjaville stables had also found a ready audience.

Speaking to Decanter, one merchant said pricing was ‘sensible’ but also ‘not necessarily at a level where the wine becomes a must buy’.

Nonetheless, they added, buyers recognised ‘this is truly a vintage of excellent quality and a future great’.

This was leading to ‘reasonable’ levels of interest and, ‘significantly more large format bottling requests than normal given this is a vintage where buyers will want to own and drink’.

June offensive

Many of the Bordelais are currently in Asia at the Vinexpo trade show, hence the quiet end to May.

Various insiders, however, have caught wind of a number of big name releases that are lined up for early June.

A select few can be seen below.

Early June releases

1st June: Giscours

2nd June: Pichon Lalande, La Mission Haut-Brion, Lagrange, Pavie

3rd June: Mouton Rothschild, Haut-Bailly, Brane Cantenac

4th June: Cantenac Brown

8th June: Clos Fourtet

9th June: Haut-Brion

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From the southern Château de Taillan, on the edge of the Bordeaux metropolitan area, to the northernmost Château Noaillac, the distance is about 70km – more than an hour’s drive.

Some estates are close to the estuary, others further inland; some are on gravel, others on clay-limestone or sandy soils. The diversity of terroir is therefore considerable.

In the hot and dry 2025 vintage, vineyards with clay or limestone subsoils had a better chance of avoiding hydric stress, which can shut down the vines, stop photosynthesis, and hinder tannin ripening, resulting in bitter, astringent wines.

Even the rain at the beginning of September did not help much in vineyards on very free-draining sandy or gravel soils, where water drained away quickly.

On clay soils, however, vines were able to retain more water, slightly increasing berry size, lowering concentration, and marginally improving yields, which are extremely low this year.

Some Cru Bourgeois estates harvested as little as 17hl/ha, a level that is not financially sustainable in the long term.

A question of quality

In terms of quality, some estates in St-Estèphe, where clay content is higher, performed particularly well.

With many partially shrivelled berries, strict sorting was key to success. As most Cru Bourgeois estates harvest by machine, much has depended on technical parameters and financial possibilities.

Given the already low yields, sorting was often limited, which in some cases resulted in coarse tannins and cooked fruit.

Surprisingly, despite the hot vintage, alcohol levels are almost universally moderate, barely exceeding 13.5%, due to the vine shutdown and the consequent pause in sugar accumulation.

Overall, as elsewhere in Bordeaux, 2025 was a heterogeneous vintage for Cru Bourgeois estates, with both very successful wines and others that struggled.

The range of scores clearly reflects this.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from the Crus Bourgeois

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Despite significant summer heat and drought, many producers crafted wines with adequate acidity and moderate alcohol levels, thanks largely to early harvesting decisions and, in many cases, naturally small berries with concentrated acids.

As Antoine Médeville, enologist with the Médoc wine consultant Oenoconseil, explained, the pace of the harvest was unusually rapid.

‘We never picked grapes as early or as quickly as we did this year, starting around 15 August,’ Médeville said.

‘It had to happen quickly, as we were already seeing low acidities and wanted to preserve freshness.

‘In a normal harvest, many of our clients would make three passes in the vineyard, but this time, many only did the harvest in just one quick go.’

Such haste and extremes are rarely ideal, and not all wines found their balance.

A longer, more gradual harvest window generally allows for greater precision. And 2025 cannot match such excellent dry white vintages in Bordeaux as 2014 or 2017.

And yet, concerns about the unusually compressed picking period may be somewhat overstated.

The dry white at Château Margaux, for example, showed strong balance and freshness, suggesting that timely decisions could deliver convincing results even under pressure.

As director Philippe Bascaules observed, such conditions are in fact less problematic for whites than for reds.

‘It is enough to harvest earlier,’ he noted, even if a shorter ripening period is not ideal.

He added that hot, dry conditions are ‘more concerning’ for reds than for whites, remarking: ‘Now I finally understand why Greek dry whites are better than their reds.’

Well-timed picking

This perspective helps explain why, even in a challenging year, well-timed picking preserved freshness and avoided excessive alcohol: key factors behind the vintage’s success.

One of my favourite wines from the Médoc is the Brane-Cantenac blanc, harvested between 20–28 August from vines on cooler clay soils, and a marked improvement over the inaugural 2019, which showed a more overtly varietal profile.

Some readers may wonder whether the late August rains played a role, but most producers say they were not decisive, as many white grapes had already been harvested.

‘The grapes were ready to pick before the rains,’ Médeville stressed.

That said, cooler terroirs, whether due to microclimate or deeper clay and limestone soils, allowed for harvesting into early September.

In these cases, producers such as Olivier Bernard of Domaine de Chevalier suggest that waiting slightly longer helped to achieve better ripeness and balance.

Outcomes nevertheless vary. While some wines lean toward either softness or angularity, the stronger examples reconcile freshness with sufficient ripeness.

Winemaking choices also proved critical: Médeville emphasised that lees stirring (bâtonnage) played an important role in not only building texture and mid-palate weight, helping to integrate the vintage’s naturally high acidity, but also for binding oxygen and oxidative compounds, slowing down oxidation.

What's new?

Dry whites are one of the clearest growth stories in Bordeaux right now.

2025 marked the first widespread commercial releases under the new AOC Médoc Blanc designation.

White cuvées such as Baron de Brane, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Caillou Blanc de Talbot and De Malleret Blanc will be designated under the new label.

First-ever or expanded white projects have appeared across the region.

Château Meyney produced Bordeaux’s potentially only Blanc de Noir dry whites – 100% Cabernet Sauvignon vinified as white from silt and gravel soils with a 9,000-bottle production.

Ormes de Pez released the first vintage from newly planted Sauvignon and Sémillon inside St-Estèphe (replacing Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon on 4ha).

Château du Tertre introduced the second vintage (but first EP tasting) of its new white wine project, Alba, a blend of Chardonnay and Gros Manseng on sandy soils as a sister wine to its main white wine.

Château Siran made its first dry white in 50 years – a single barrel of Chardonnay and Chenin bottled as Vin de France.

Château La Lagune launched the first vintage of its white wine made from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc from 3ha of vines grafted in 2023 and a further 2ha grafted last year.

Château Montrose incorporated Marsanne and Roussanne into its blanc for the first time.

Château Léoville Las Cases presented the first vintage of its white white, a project that started in 2019 with the purchase of seven vineyard plots (2.5ha) in the northern Médoc.

It is a blend of 50% Sémillon, 25% Roussanne and 25% Marsanne and will be labelled as a Vin de France.

Its inception co-incided with the arrival of Arnauld Hubert who wrote his thesis on Bordeaux whites for his degree at Bordeaux Sciences Agro, an elite engineering school specialising in agricultural sciences, food, environment and related fields..

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top dry white wines

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Sauternes and Barsac produced a host of pure and luscious sweet wines in 2025.

The Ciron river’s morning mists combined with warm, sunny days and late August/early September rainfall created near-perfect conditions for the spread of rapid and even noble rot; while the clay-limestone and gravel terroirs retained just enough moisture to prevent excessive shrivelling.

The late-August rains refreshed the vines without diluting sugars, and the cool September nights preserved acidity with a window of dry, sunny and windy weather concentrating the grapes towards the end of September and beginning of October.

Château Coutet completed six passes between 17 September and 14 October with homogeneous noble rot each time.

Château Filhot, Château Lamothe Guignard and Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey all noted the ideal mist-and-sun cycles that produced pure, concentrated musts.

The result is wines of remarkable aromatic purity and precision – rich in botrytis-driven notes of quince, apricot, honey and exotic fruit, yet supported by vibrant freshness, refined texture and a saline minerality that gives them lift and ageing potential.

Many estates achieved high residual sugars (140-158 g/l) with excellent acidity and lower pH than in hotter years, producing a classic yet energetic style that sits comfortably between the concentration of 2023 and the harmony of 2015.

Flirting with perfection

Yields in Sauternes are always tiny (25hl/ha is the maximum allowed) but some 2025 crops were wince-inducingly small, such as Château Broustet's 8hl/ha.

Château d'Arche was below average at 11hl/ha but Château Guiraud managed 15hl/ha, and both Château Caillou and Château Doisy-Védrines 14hl/ha.

Pierre Montégut technical director of Château Suduiraut described the 2025 as ‘like 2023 for sugar’ (the 2025 is a very rich 158 g/l), and comparable to the great 2009 and 2010 vintages.

Sandrine Garbay at Château Guiraud (145 g/l residual sugar) said the conditions were ‘great for the vines’ with an ‘early start, no frost and no issues with the weather’.

She added that after the first rain at the end of August and beginning of September, the period from mid-September to mid-October was ‘perfect with humidity in the morning sometimes from rain and then dry in the day’.

This allowed three successful sortings with a ‘high concentration of sugar’ but als, ‘high acidity giving a classic expression not so far from 2023, and from 2015 which was such a perfect vintage’.

What's new

Château d’Yquem: Lorenzo Pasquini officially took over from Pierre Lurton. Pasquini had been estate manager / technical director / operations director since 2020 and was mentored by Lurton who originally recruited him in 2015 for Cheval des Andes. Pierre Lurton remains chairman, focusing on external relations and strategic direction.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from Sauternes

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St-Emilion delivered wines of striking diversity and terroir transparency.

Limestone and clay-limestone plateau plots – the appellation’s signature soils – produced the most refined, balanced and vibrant expressions.

The slower sugar accumulation leading to wines with naturally higher acidity, refined tannins and lifted aromatics that gave the vintage a classic yet energetic feel.

In contrast, parcels with more gravel influence faced greater water stress, leading to extremely low yields and tighter, more concentrated fruit that required very precise management.

Frédéric Faye, technical director at Château Figeac, detailed the extreme drought after flowering (only 400mm of rain vs 850mm in a normal year), slow sap flow, cold nights and phenolic ripeness arriving before sugar, resulting in intense flavours and classic vinification.

He said: ‘We had 10 days throughout June, July and August over 40 degrees but the nights were cold so the vines could breathe.’

The late-August rains and cool September nights proved decisive everywhere, refreshing the vines and preserving acidity without dilution.

What emerged was a vintage of real personality: floral and mineral-driven, with juicy red and blue fruit, focused structure and a stony finish – less opulent or heavy than 2022, more balanced and drinkable than many recent warm years, yet still serious and age-worthy.

Lifesaving rain after the heat

Heat (and its consequences) is a major theme of the vintage

Nicolas Corpandy, technical director at Château Cheval Blanc, noted that there were 10 days above 35°C and a peak of 41.6°C on 11 August.

But, he added, that the 59mm of rain between 20–31 August, ‘revitalised the vines and freshened up the style’ and helped aromatics, freshness and phenolic maturity.

At Château Quintus, part of the Domaine Clarence Dillon stable, the message was: ‘without the rain at the end of August, we would have produced syrup’.

David Suire, technical director at Château Laroque, highlighted the ‘best possible conditions in the area for this kind of vintage’ on limestone and clay with old vines, noting the terroir ‘shines this year’ and the rain was ‘beneficial for freshness’.

He added; ’the vines really preserved themselves this year, they produced less sugar so less alcohol and had a slow evolution of the aromatics’.

He also noted that many of the previous ‘best vintages’ had much high alcohols: ‘For 25 years at least all outstanding vintages have had higher alcohol than this year which changes the sensation and balance of the wines. It’s possibly a new 2016 but with less alcohol and less firm than 2016.’

He said it was, ‘a vintage that will stay in our memories for a long time’.

Yields (and the lack of them)

Despite the rain, the heat meant grapes were ready for picking early. Nicolas Audebert, technical director at Château Canon and Château Berliquet, noted that his teams were out as early as 28 August.

Château Troplong-Mondot began exactly a month later – 28 September – but still a record early start, while Château Ausone started on 2 September.

Something that is a big feature of the 2025 vintage is the extreme disparity in yields.

Cheval Blanc's Corpandy reported an exceptionally low yield of only 15hl/ha – one of the lowest of any major estate and something the team has never experienced before.

Charlotte Krajewski, technical director and chief winemaker at Château Clos Cantenac (and also Château Seraphine in Pomerol), recorded a yield of 25hl/ha, the smallest harvest ever.

At Troplong-Mondot, the picking teams noted extreme variations in yield from one plot to another – from 12hl/ha to 40hl/ha giving an average of 27hl/ha.

Then again, Château Canon achieved great yields of 40hl/ha – mostly due to the homogeneity of Canon’s vineyards on the plateau.

Diminishing returns

Others also intentionally sought lower yields. Gregory Leymarie, new managing director at Château Valandraud, after Jean-Luc Thunevin sold his majority share earlier this year, oversaw stricter selection and lower yields of 36–37hl/ha.

He said for the first time not everything harvested on ‘grand vin’ plots will make it into the top red wine with a strict selection decreasing production from roughly 40-50,000 bottles down to around 35,000 bottles.

Similarly for the estate’s second wine, Virginie de Valandraud, the production will also decrease by roughly half to give the wine ‘a better signature’.

But while lower yields can mean higher quality, the balance with commercial viability comes into play.

The team at Château Bellefont Belcier, for example, picked 28hl/ha when closer to 40hl is considered necessary to start covering costs.

And such is the size of the harvest that certain cuvées won't appear this year, especially second labels such as Petit Cheval and Chapelle d’Ausone.

Happy overall

Nonetheless, most châteaux seemed happy with what they had accomplished given the tricky circumstances.

Benjamin Laforet, technical director at Château Angelus, said the biggest flex was, ‘to say we can produce wines people are eager to drink in bottle even in these conditions’.

Comparing and contrasting years, Jean-Christophe Meyrou, general manager of Vignobles K described 2025 as having ‘better potential than 2020 and 2022 with more balance and more definition’ as well as an ‘interesting touch of tannins and lower alcohol’.

Nicolas Audebert described 2025 as a combination of, ‘parts of 2016 and something of 2022 – there’s a balance between freshness and maturity with energy, intensity, concentration and density’.

Julien Barthe at Château Beauséjour Becot praised his 2025 as a ‘distinguished, racy wine – where we have the true identity of the vineyard – you know you’re in Bordeaux’.

Constance Vaulthier at Château Ausone noted: ‘There’s not the opulence of 2022 but a nice balance’.

Finally, Aymeric de Gironde, technical director at Château Troplong Mondot, described 2025 as a mix of 2022 and 2023 expressions with ‘brightness of aromas from 2023, some intensity of the 2022, but more mineral – salivating, fresh, lots of energy’.

However, there was a touch of ruefulness as he concluded: ‘We’ve seen heatwaves in August in every vintage for the last seven years, we know we need to protect freshness and ensure the berries don’t lose their brightness.'

‘2025 is exactly the style of wine we want to make – if only we made more’.

What's new

Chanel has brought its four estates – Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux), Canon and Berliquet (both St-Émilion), and Domaine de l’Île (on the island of Porquerolles) – together under a single unified banner: 'Les Vignobles’.

Each estate will retain full operational autonomy, its own team and its distinct winemaking identity while Nicolas Audebert will continue to oversee the four properties as a whole.

The 2025 vintage will be Jean-Luc Thunevin’s last at Château Valandraud after 35 years.

Planned changes have now formally taken hold for his estates that now mean Marie and Christophe Lefevere, who already own Moulin du Cadet, Soutard-Cadet, Villemaurine, and Sansonnet, have taken full ownership of Château Valandraud as well as the Thunevin négociant business.

At 75, Jean-Luc Thunevin is stepping back from day-to-day involvement at Valandraud while retaining owership of his other projects, including Clos Badon-Thunevin and Clos du Beau Père.

Château La Couspaude (St-Émilion) completed its final vintage under Aubert family ownership before its January 2026 sale with the winemaking now handled by Jean-Christophe Meyrou of Vignobles K.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from St-Emilion

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Pomerol, the smallest and most clay-dominant of Bordeaux’s great red-wine appellations, turned the 2025 vintage’s challenges into one of its quiet successes.

Its heavy clay soils with the distinctive iron-rich subsoil (crasse de fer) retained more moisture than the gravel-heavy Left Bank communes, allowing the vines to reach full phenolic ripeness without the extreme stress or over-concentration seen elsewhere.

The late-August rains were described as ‘miraculous’ by several growers, refreshing the vines at exactly the right moment and delivering the vintage’s signature freshness and lower alcohols.

The result is classic Pomerol character – plush blue and black fruit, floral lift and velvety textures – but with greater purity, transparency to terroir and a cool, mineral edge.

Eric Monneret, technical director at Château La Pointe, emphasised that, ‘terroir is 50-75% of the result. If you don’t have some clay or limestone then 2025 would have been difficult'.

Many wines sit between the opulence of 2022 and the precision of 2020 or 2016: fragrant, drinkable and structured, yet without the heat or heaviness that can sometimes mask the clay’s natural elegance.

Tiny black marbles

Quality aside, this already small appellation also produced some of the lowest quantities of wine in Bordeaux this vintage.

Yields are capped at 49hl/ha in Pomerol but many estates recorded crops under half that in 2025.

Although some such as Château Clinet (34hl/ha), L’Eglise Clinet (33hl/ha) and Château Clos du Clocher (32hl/ha) were not so hard it was a different story elsewhere.

Château Seraphine recorded 22hl/ha, the smallest harvest ever. Château Lafleur and Petrus just 20hl/ha, while Château Petit Village recorded just 16hl/ha.

The key cause of this was the water deficit at the start of the season, which gave rise to very small berries and therefore very low amounts of juice.

By way of example, a 'normal' Merlot berry at harvest time would weigh between 1.4 to 1.6 g.

Christian Moueix, president of the négociant house Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix, noted that since they recorded no rain between 22 May and 22 August, this led to tight small clusters and berry weights of 0.8–0.9 g for Merlot (even 0.7 g on some gravel parcels).

Marielle Cazaux director of and noted the 30mm rain on 20 August ‘watered the plants, gave more juice and softer phenolics’.

Small measures of relief

Although extremely dry and frequently very hot, many winemakers noted that the season was less relentlessly hot than in, say, 2022.

And, even in summer, cooler evenings helped maintain levels of freshness and aromatic definition in the final wines.

Juliette Couderc, technical director of Château L’Evangile, noted that the vintage was drier than 2022 but benefited from cooler evenings, resulting in ‘less density than 2022’ and the need to be careful with tannins.

‘In 2022 we had 22 days of heatwaves, in 2025 we had eight or nine and we had cooler evenings in 2025,' he said.

Ronan Laborde, owner and winemaker at Château Clinet, agreed, saying that despite, ‘six days in the summer above 40°C , the nights were barely above 20°C and the 35mm rain on 20 August ‘changed the landscape’.

Extraordinary measures

Nonetheless, teams sometimes used various and novel ways to beat the heat when the mercury rose. For example, at Château La Conseillante they applied zinc oxide to protect against harmful UVA and UVB rays during the 10–16 August heatwave.

At Société Agricole de Lafleur, water stress became critical. Rather than traditional irrigation, the team performed what it calls ‘soil water correction’ on only the highest-need plots – less than one-fifth of the vineyard surface.

They repurposed an old harvest machine to open the soil in the middle of the rows, delivered a minimal 10 litres per square metre directly into the ground (15 cm deep), then covered it again.

‘No water to the vines directly,’ Techincal Director Omri Ram explained. ‘Just the minimum necessary to keep the soils alive.’

No correction was applied at Grand Village or Les Perrières; only selected parts of Lafleur received it.

At other times, natural methods proved they still worked perfectly well too. Marie-Laure Latorre, new general manager at Château de Sales (previously at Château Jean Faure), reported ‘no problem with drought’ thanks to deep roots penetrating 2–3 metres in the clay-rich, water-retaining soils.

Harvests were early – very early at times. Château Lafleur experienced its earliest ever harvest starting with the whites on 19 August and reds on 26 August.

Noëmie Durantou Reihac, winemaker of the Durantou estates including L’Eglise Clinet, described 2025 as a ‘tip-toe vintage, walking on tightrope’ with balance between the tannins, alcohol and acidities being the hardest element to achieve.

They started the harvest on 27 August – the earliest ever – with the team, ‘having to make decisions about blending even before the vinifications’ due to such limited yields.

A counter-intuitive result

Olivier Berrouet, technical director at Château Petrus, was pleased with the final result: ‘What impressed us was the gap between what happened during the season and what we could have expected and what’s in the glass.

'It’s the real strength of the clay – the wines don’t carry the wounds of the vintage’.

In terms of style, he said it’s a ‘powerful Petrus’ where the goal was to ‘control the tannic power and to not allow the structure to dominate the aromatic intensity’.

Jean-Baptiste Bourotte owner of Château Clos du Clocher calls 2025 a, ‘counter-intuitive / paradoxical vintage because of the weather and the surprising resulting style’.

Christian Moueix, president of the négociant house Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix and owner of family properties that include Châteaux Bélair-Monange, La Fleur-Pétrus and Trotanoy described the vintage as ‘saved by the rain’ and something ‘miraculous’ and ultimately calling it, ‘a good to very good vintage’.

What's new

One of the most striking and widely discussed moves of the vintage came from Société Agricole de Lafleur in Pomerol.

The estate took the significant step of designating all six of its wines as Vin de France, stepping away from Pomerol AOC rules.

This decision reflects both a philosophical commitment to flexibility in the face of climate extremes and a desire for greater freedom in winemaking and labelling.

The guiding philosophy was clearly explained by Techincal Director, Omri Ram.

He said: ‘Soils [are the] number one victim of climate change – we just don’t see it. We try to mitigate the extreme moments of the year.’

The result, according to Ram, was an ‘amazing vintage’ with record-early picking dates (whites harvested 19 August, reds 26 August) and yields of 35hl/ha.

The full 2025 range under Vin de France is:

Lafleur 2025 Vin de France Rouge

Les Pensées 2025 Vin de France Rouge

Les Perrières 2025 Vin de France Rouge

Les Champs Libres 2025 Vin de France Blanc

Le Grand Village Rouge 2025 Vin de France Rouge

Le Grand Village Blanc 2025 Vin de France Blanc

Elsewhere, Domaines Jacques Thienpont (Le Pin, L’IF, L’Hêtre): It was announced during the Primeurs that Vianney Gravereaux (ex-Ornellaia/Masseto) has joined as managing director with Diana Berrouet Garcia promoted to chief winemaker and estates manager. Jacques Thienpont will gradually step back while remaining involved.

Château de Sales: Marie-Laure Latorre (agricultural engineer and oenologist) was appointed general director in September 2025 arriving from Château Jean Faure in St-Émilion where she handled technical, commercial and large-scale restructuring projects

Further reading from this report

• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from Pomerol

Related articles

St-Julien delivered classic poise and personality in 2025.

The appellation’s gravel soils with pockets of clay provided good drainage yet retained enough moisture through the dry summer to support even ripening, while the late-August rains and cool September nights preserved acidity and delivered the vintage’s signature freshness.

Nonetheless, yields were among the lowest ever for some estates (20–28 hl/ha range), but the resulting wines show supple tannins, vibrant colour, stony grip and excellent balance – elegant, structured and age-worthy, with the low pH/fresh acidity and fine tannins that define successful St-Julien vintages.

Sara Lecompte Cuvelier owner of Château Léoville Poyferré highlighted, ‘the unusual balance between concentration, fruit and freshness’ and noted she, ‘didn’t expect low alcohols and so much freshness’.

Mathieu Bordes director of Château Lagrange called the 2025 vintage the ‘fourth warmest ever’ with a ‘cooler September’ leading to their ‘earliest harvest ever’. and noted the smallest berries since 1984, the shortest maceration in 19 years, and a style ‘like 2009 on the attack’.

Tiny quantities

Although yields fell across Bordeaux, a striking fact about St-Julien is how many were lower even than in 2013 – a year marked by poor weather and ruined crops.

Château Langoa Barton recorded a yield of 20hl/ha – ‘worse than 2013’ – with maturation blocked by lack of water until the August rain.

Sister property, Château Léoville Barton, which this year celebrates 200 years of Barton family ownership, likewise produced a yield of 22hl/ha, ‘one of the lowest ever’. Even the poor 2013 vintage conditions produced a yield of 27hl/ha.

Jean-Michel Laporte at Château Talbot reported a yield of 28.3hl/ha – ‘one of the lowest since 2013’.

Part of the issue was berry size, as noted by Mathieu Bordes. At Château Ducru-Beaucaillou recorded grape weights were as low as 0.6-0.8g for Cabernet Sauvignon (in a good year 1.1-1.3g) and 0.8g-1.1g for Merlot (in a good year 1.4-1.6g).

Making wine like it's 1989

Despite a lack of quantity, Jean-Michel Laporte added more hopefully that 2025, ‘could be a year full of great bargains’.

François-Xavier Maroteaux, owner of Château Branaire-Ducru, and president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) described the vintage as, ‘a nice ambassador for Bordeaux – a great vintage’ that ‘will be nice for people to drink early if they want to’.

He said it has ‘impressive fragrance’ and a style where, ‘concentration could have given something similar to 2022 but finally the alcohol is not the same and the style of the tannins and freshness is more similar to 2020’.

Nicolas Sinoquet, president director general of Château Gruaud Larose said they had made ‘the wines we like, fresh and silky’.

‘The vines seem to have found the right balance this year,’ he said.

'When you pick at the right time, the wines will be as they should be’ he said, adding that the 2025 style reminds him of 1989 – ‘a wine I love a lot’.

Anniversaries

The 2025 vintage coincided with impressive milestones. Château Gruaud Larose celebrated its 300th vintage and the Barton family reached 200 years at Château Léoville Barton.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from St-Julien

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Margaux produced one of the most elegant and surprising expressions of the vintage, with varying styles dependant on harvest and vinification decisions.

While June was exceptionally dry during cell multiplication and multiple days exceeded 40°C, the lighter late-August/early-September rains (around 60 mm) arrived at precisely the right moment.

These showers eased stress, moderating sugars without dilution, and delivering the 'miracle' freshness that turned potential 2022-style opulence into something far more classical.

The result is wines with ripe but non-heavy tannins, unique floral expression, juicy yet precise fruit, and a supple, silky texture framed by tension, energy and minerality.

Thomas Duroux, technical director at Château Palmer, explained that the rains brought the three elements of ripeness together perfectly.

These wines are less 'solar' or exuberant than 2022, more classical and fresh (close to 2016 in many winemakers’ minds), with the concentration and density of warmer years but far greater drinkability and subtlety.

Axel Heinz technical director at Château Lascombes was surprised by the freshness and precision: ‘We have power, richness and density but framed by freshness and crisp and vibrant aromatics’.

The resulting wines are a real, ‘surprise from such an extreme year – these are still unmistakably Bordeaux. In the past we’d have a cold growing season saved by an Indian summer but this year we had a cooler and rainier end to the season which stopped it being so solar and exuberant.’

Unforeseen fermentations

Small berries were universal (‘as small as 2022’). For Château Margaux, 2025 will represent the smallest volume of grand vin production since 1856 with only 37% of the total yield of 22hl/ha going into the top wine.

Château Siran recorded its smallest yield without hail or frost at 32 hl/ha, and Château Brane-Cantenac's owner, Henri Lurton, reported the Margaux average yield of 28hl/ha with very small berries (Merlot down 30%, Cabernet 15%).

Winemakers also emphasised the need for adaptive, thoughtful vinification.

Philippe Bascaules, technical director at Château Margaux, called it a ‘great vintage’ that required more precise decisions on temperature, maceration and length than 2018 or 2022.

‘The vinifications were uneven – not as good as 2018 or 2022 in terms of homogeneity. We saw that when we the grapes entered into the vats, some had alcohol levels less than 13% ABV and others at 15.5% which meant we had to really adapt the vinifying conditions. Some tanks took 12 days and 28 days for others – we’ve never seen that before in the cellar.’

Château Giscours had already used cover crops and a lowered canopy to retain water in the heat, and was then also able to put it new thermo-regulated cellar for cold maceration to use for the first time this year.

The 'miracle' vintage

During our tasting, Château Rauzan-Ségla’s director of development, Axelle Araud, highlighted the wine's unique floral expression, and a perfect marriage of 2022 ripeness with 2016 energy and tension.

Henri Lurton called the style ‘close to 2016 which was really fresh… less alcohol than 2022’.

Gonzague Lurton owner of Château Durfort-Vivens called it a ‘miracle year’ and remarked on the ageing ability with ripeness, lots of tannins and high acidity.

At Château Marquis d’Alesme, Aymone Fabre, said he and his team found, ‘more complexity in the wine than 2023 – it’s the same kind of modern style in terms of keeping the freshness but also there’s something really drinkable about these wines’.

Daisy Sichel at Château Angludet described it as, ‘a really good drinking vintage. It’s one you can drink young and find pleasure with but also keep for 30 years. There’s matter and silkiness, and tension, but subtle’.

Anniversaries

Château Giscours marked 30 years under the ownership of the Albada Jelgersma family and with general manager Alexander van Beek at the helm.

Château Margaux completed its final year of organic conversion (certification expected 2026).

The Lurton family marked 100 years at Château Brane-Cantenac

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from Margaux

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Pauillac stood out as one of the most classically powerful yet refined appellations of the vintage.

Its deep gravel soils, which can be unforgiving in pure drought years, benefited enormously from the heavier late-August rains in the northern Médoc (70mm fell at Mouton, 20mm more than normal) and the cool summer nights.

Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy, technical director at Château Mouton Rothschild, explained: ‘It was the earliest water deficit we’ve ever registered here at veraison but the vines didn’t appear to be stressed. In June 2022 we had 115mm of rain at the end of the month, in June 2025 we had 60mm.

'But unlike 2022 where we could see some stress on the leaves, leaf loss and the beginning of dehydration, we didn’t see any of that in 2025. Because of the early deficit the berries grew with the water restriction.’

The late rain arrived at exactly the right moment, easing water stress, moderating sugars without dilution, preserving acidity and allowing perfect phenolic ripeness.

Pierre Montegut technical director at AXA Millésime's estates explained how dryness delivered concentration while the early-September rain was ‘wonderful for the Cabernets’ at Pichon Baron, producing ‘more fruit, more freshness and more elegance’ than 2022.

Frédéric Casteja at Château Batailley called it, ‘quite an amazing vintage’ and one where ‘we had time to wait until each grape variety was ripe’.

The result is classically structured, mineral-driven Pauillac wines with intense colour, graphite, wet stone and liquorice notes, but delivered with unusual freshness, lower alcohols (mostly 12.5–13.5%) and a transparency that can be described as ‘hands-off’ and ‘terroir-led’.

High Cabernet percentages (98% at Mouton the highest ever in the blend) and precise winemaking amplified the precision and energy.

The wines are typically less dense than 2022, they don’t carry the same muscular structures and yet many of the IPT levels are just as high but with lower pHs giving a feeling of intense freshness, coolness and perhaps more streamlined at this point.

Game-changer

Winemakers were unanimous that the late rain completely changed the profile from what was expected at the end of August.

Eric Kohler technical director at Château Lafite Rothschild called it, ‘a vintage of happiness… a symphony of all the perfect parameters’, noting a yield of 27hl/ha and a style ‘closer to 2020 but perhaps more delicate’.

Nicolas Glumineau technical director at Château Pichon Comtesse stressed the dramatic contrast in rainfall, noting that 70mm fell between May-July 2025 while it was 280mm in May-July 2024.

Château Pedesclaux’s director, Christophe Congé, noted the north half of the appellation’s extra rain as an added benefit and one reason behind the unusually low alcohol levels of only 12.5% ‘with such mature tannins’.

As in other appellations, it was an early start for pickers, and the earliest harvest ever at Pichon Comtesse (young Merlots were picked from 28 August)

Meanwhile, the Mouton team finished the harvest on the 20 September, the earliest ever and just one day after Château Margaux started to pick its Cabernets.

Abundant aromas

Winemakers continually mentioned the aromatic intensity and profile of the 2025 wines in their descriptions and comparisons.

Nicolas Glumineau described an, ‘aromatic complexity close to 2020'.

Mathieu Bessonnet, technical director at Château Pontet-Canet said the wine style was ‘like 2023 with aromatics and brightness but a higher quality of tannins’.

Emeline Borie at Grand Puy Lacoste and Hélène Genin, technical director at Château Latour, both emphasised the freshness and abundant aromas.

For Danjoy, 2025, ‘brings us back to “classic” weight, balance and fruit expression.'

It's 'a very complete vintage like 2010, 2016 and 2020,' agreed Glumineau, while Genin said it had, 'the power of 2016 but the elegance and quality of tannins as 2020’.

AXA Millèsimes' managing director, Christian Seeley, summed it up as: ‘The charm of a solar vintage but with the advantages of freshness and slightly lower alcohols… that’s what everyone wants’.

Recent changes

In a personnel change at the group, long-time general manager of Pichon Baron, Corinne Illic, will head to the United States in July 2026 as general manager of AXA’s American properties; Outpost Wines on Howell Mountain and Platt Vineyard in Sonoma.

For the Jacky Lorenzetti-owned properties, nephew Félix Pariente Lorenzetti expanded his role significantly.

Already presiding over Châteaux Pédesclaux (Pauillac) and Lafon-Rochet (St-Estèphe) since July 2025, he is now also director of the family’s fine-wine trading subsidiary LD Vins (the Grands Crus Classés specialist négoce founded by Thierry Decré and Frédéric de Luze).

At co-owned Château d’Issan (Margaux), Edgard Kappelhoff Lançon joined to head commercial and marketing after Augustin Lacaille’s departure to Pape Clément.

Internal technical-director swaps included Vincent Bache-Gabrielsen (now at Lafon-Rochet & Lilian Ladouys) and ex-Lafite’s Christophe Congé at Pédesclaux.

Coming soon

Château Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac, 1st Growth) made its last vintage in the historic cellar before transitioning to a major new stone winery due in time for the 2026 vintage (a 4,500m² extension + 6,000m² renovation by Bernard Quirot and Atelier EGR).

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from Pauillac

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Pessac-Léognan and Graves produced wines of striking purity and mineral precision, but the vintage exposed clear differences across the appellation’s patchwork of terroirs – both for styles and yields.

However, Fabien Teitgen at Château Smith Haut Lafitte described 2025 as the third warmest year after 2022 and 2023 but with, ‘more rain in 2025 than 2022’ and cooler minimum temperatures.

Gravel-dominant sites, while well-drained, were more vulnerable to the prolonged summer drought and recorded tighter, lower-yielding crops.

Meanwhile, estates with deeper clay or limestone influence benefited from better water retention and cooler night-time temperatures, delivering more balanced, vibrant wines with fresher acidity and refined tannins.

Despite the, at times intense, heat, Jean-Jacques Bonnie owner of Château Malartic-Lagravière observed that the vineyard, ‘didn’t look like it was feeling the stress… [we] didn’t have the long and tiring heat like in 2022’.

As elsewhere in the region, the late-August rains (lighter here than in the northern Médoc but still transformative) eased hydric stress without causing dilution, while early harvesting for white wines preserved exceptional aromatics and acidity.

The overall result is elegant, terroir-transparent wines – cool fruit, wet-stone and graphite minerality, with Cabernet freshness balancing Merlot roundness – emphasising vibrancy, texture and energy rather than sheer power or opulence.

Many winemakers noted a successful marriage of 2010/2016 structure with 2022 ripeness but without the heat or heaviness, though the vintage required careful extraction and sorting to manage thick, drought-stressed skins.

A paradox vintage

As always, temperature extremes call for more attention in the cellar.

At Château Pape Clément winemaker Matt Turner focused on, ‘texture and energy and vibrancy rather than just power’, using optical sorting and careful extraction on thick drought-stressed skins.

Turner was joined by Pablo Laborde (formerly of Penfolds/Treasury Wine Estates), who as group director in early 2026, overseeing blending and ageing across the portfolio – including a major refocus at Château Pape Clément on its historic heart plots in Pessac (fruit from Martillac is now directed to the second wine, Clémentin)

There were many comparisons to 2022 as well, but with some nuance.

Guillaume Alexandre Marx, commercial director for Domaine Clarence Dillon, the owner of Château Haut-Brion, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, and Château Quintus said: ‘For us 2025 is really in the style 2010, 2016 and 2022 – a combination of the three. We have fruit ripeness and a lot of freshness.’

However, Guillaume Pouthier director of Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion called 2025, ‘a paradox vintage – warm and dry with lots of tannins,’ but ‘there’s less volume in the mouth because of less alcohol and less glycerol’.

He said there, ‘is the same energy as 2022 but the balance is different’.

What's new

In one of the year’s biggest transitions, 90-year-old Bernard Magrez has just handed over leadership of his extensive estate group to his son Philippe Magrez (who has long overseen commercial and export strategy).

Pablo Laborde (formerly of Penfolds/Treasury Wine Estates) joined as group director in early 2026, overseeing blending and ageing across the portfolio – including a major refocus at Château Pape Clément on its historic heart plots in Pessac (Martillac fruit now directed to the second wine, Clémentin).

Smith Haut Lafitte (Pessac-Léognan): Tracey Dobbin MW joined the Executive Board for international strategy earlier this year while Florence Cathiard stepped into a co-chair role alongside her children Mathilde and Alice.

The 2025 vintage was the last for the late Daniel Cathiard who passed away in January 2026 with a special commemorative label already in place for the primeur sample bottles.

Maison Dourthe (owner of Châteaux Belgrave, La Garde, Le Boscq, etc.): Pénélope Godefroy (ex-Artémis Domaines) took over as CEO/Managing Director in May 2025, focusing on international growth.

Coming soon

Château Haut-Brion (Pessac-Léognan, 1st Growth) has its striking Annabelle Selldorf-designed, carbon-neutral winery complex (built with rammed earth using estate soils) nearing completion.

The project includes production areas, a museum/library, and research centre. It opens to visitors in January 2027, so the 2025 wines were made in the existing setup – but this remains a defining milestone for the estate.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from Pessac & Graves

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St-Estèphe’s clay and gravel mix that defines much of the area proved a major advantage in 2025.

It retained just enough moisture through the intense dry summer to avoid the extreme stress seen on pure gravel sites further south, while the late-August rains (heavier in the northern Médoc) allowed perfect completion of ripening without dilution or overripeness.

Château Cos d’Estournel noted that: ‘70mm of rain at the end of August helped avoid high sugar content and finish ripening of the skins.’

The result is wines with classical St-Estèphe power and structure, but delivered with unusual freshness, lower alcohols (mostly 12.7–13.6%), powdery/chalky tannins and a cool, mineral-driven precision that shows real terroir-transparency.

Overall, the heavier clay soils and extra northern rain delivered the vintage’s signature combination of concentration and lift better than many gravel-dominant neighbours.

This was not the showy, high-octane style some feared after the heat; instead, it is refined, energetic and age-worthy – a vintage where the best estates turned the blending challenge (‘more tannins, less acidity and alcohol’) into an elegant success.

Acceptable yields and early starts

Yields were low but not catastrophic compared with Pomerol (25.9hl/ha) or St-Julien (26.4hl/ha).

Indeed, several estates, like Château Pedesclaux, achieved a relatively generous yield of 41hl/ha thanks to clay's water retention and precise, intra-plot selection.

Pickers were called out early – 3 September at Château Cos d’Estournel, breaking a record set only as recently as 2022. The 2025 vintage was the final year of their organic conversion (certification expected 2026).

It was a little more stop-start at Château Montrose, where the team extended picking to 16 days (normally 11–13) to wait for each terroir and grape variety to be properly ripe.

One of a kind

Winemakers emphasised the importance of balance in what Vincent Millet, technical director at Château Calon Ségur, called a ‘one of a kind vintage'.

He said: 'The key was to get the right balance between power and elegance… we find the tannins of 2005, 2010, 2015 – all great vintages’,

The estate celebrated the first vintage in its brand-new cellar, equipped with smaller vats (10 hl, 25 hl, 34 hl, and one 73 hl) for even greater selection across its key plots.

Winemaking techniques were key in this appellation, which has a reputation for tough and grippy tannins.

Fabrice Bacquey, cellar master at Château Phelan Ségur described how he and his team conducted a short maceration (average 24 days for Merlot and 25 for Cabernet, whereas the minimum time is usually around 26 days) aiming for a style with ‘tannin finesse, balance and freshness like 2020’.

Montrose likewise changed its extraction by stopping mid-alcoholic fermentation for the first time after shortening the average maceration to 18 days (some vats at 15 days).

Montrose's team described the 2025s as sitting, ‘between 2016 and 2020 where you get concentration without the level of alcohol. Not so easy to get both'.

Château Ormes de Pez's new white (first vintage of planted Sauvignon and Sémillon inside St-Estèphe) marked another step in the appellation’s white-wine development.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: Top wines from St-Estèphe

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‘Paradoxical’ and ‘miraculous’ are just two of the many words that can be used to describe the 2025 vintage in Bordeaux.

They join ‘small’, ‘classic’, ‘modern’ or even ‘post-modern’, ‘fresh’ and ‘drinkable’. And that’s across all styles where there are some excellent and exciting reds, whites and sweet wines.

Let’s begin with paradoxical – firstly because this was a year of extremes that somehow produced wines of balance and poise rather than the heavy, opulent, high-alcohol style many expected after such a hot and dry summer – indeed the third hottest in the last 30 years alongside 2003 and 2022.

And miraculous because the ‘magical’ late-August rains (60-90mm across the region) replenished soils with much-needed water after almost three months of drought and completely reshaped the outcome.

While the vintage certainly carries comparisons to 2022 due to the extreme weather, the results in the glass are entirely different.

The 2025 vintage experienced cooler nights and harvest conditions as well as rainfall at different times. There was hydric stress in both vintages but not the same accumulation of sugar and alcohol.

While there’s plenty to celebrate in 2025, and some truly exceptional wines on offer, the picture isn’t as complete as 2022 where the weather homogenised the wines to the extent that pretty much everyone made a good wine.

Further vintage comparisons seem futile with the best wines carrying elements of all the top years – the structure of 2016, poise of 2019, freshness of 2020, depth of 2022 and charm of 2023.

It really sits in a league and style of its own. At the top it’s extraordinary but there are pitfalls and not every wine was a success – it’s not a year to buy blind.

Terroir and winemaking

Terroir played a large part with unavoidable hydric stress on vines too young or too old as well as in the most well-drained sites.

Harvest dates and picking decisions were critical as were cellar decisions on fermentation lengths and temperatures as well as maceration and extraction levels.

Thick skins and high levels of anthocyanin ensured winemakers worked more delicately in the cellars to avoid over extraction or harsh tannins, they will also dictate the length of ageing and percentage in new oak.

As one winemaker put it: ‘It would have been easy to have made a monster in 2025.'

Looking back at the growing season

Early in the season, the narrative pointed firmly towards another 2022: historic heat, drought, tiny berries and the earliest harvest on record.

Yet the wines in barrel tell a far more nuanced, balanced and interesting story.

These are concentrated, aromatically pure, vibrantly coloured reds with powdery, chalky tannins, cool blue and red fruit, saline minerality – with the phenolic density and structure of a warm vintage, but none of the opulence or heaviness.

On the whole tannins are high and come across as either ‘chewy’ or more ‘structured and dense’, some up to 90IPT and around the level of the 2010s but acidities are also extremely high with low pHs.

This is fine where there’s ripe fruit and softness but wines can become angular and sharp, even with a citric / lemony citrus aspect to the acidity if the maturity wasn’t perfect.

Expect vivid and vibrant colours to the wines with intense and expressive aromatics - particularly from ripe Cabernets.

It’s inevitable that there are differences in style across the region, as there should be, and this is definitely a year where terroir shines through, but producers also faced the realities of quick decision making and allowing a ‘hands off’ approach in the winery.

There’s also a question of yields with many simply having less choice and fewer grapes to work with.

As one winemaker put it: ‘We had to make decisions about blending as we picked in the vineyard just to fill the tanks.'

Alcohols sit comfortably between 12.5% and 13.6% for the vast majority (from one to two degrees lower than 2022 and other ‘great’ vintages like 2020 and 2018), pH levels are low (frequently 3.3–3.7), and acidity drives a mouthwatering freshness that makes the wines almost ready to drink.

As Olivier Berrouet, winemaker at Petrus reflected: ‘What impressed us was the gap between what happened during the season and what we could have expected, and what’s in the glass. The wines don’t carry the wounds of the vintage’.

As Château Quintus pointed out, ‘without the rains we would have made syrup’.

The five prerequisites for a great vintage

I’ve already written about the weather conditions throughout the growing season, as well as five key takeaways from the vintage however it’s still worth noting that 2025 fulfilled – and in many ways exceeded – all five of the classic ISVV (Bordeaux School of Oenology) preconditions for a great red vintage, something that has happened only twice since 2021.

The growing season delivered quick and even flowering and fruit set thanks in part to heavy rains during Easter weekend in April that replenished the water tables.

Dry and warm late-spring/early-summer conditions caused gradual hydric stress that stopped vegetative growth before véraison, there was continued photosynthesis right up to harvest, and mostly dry, moderate conditions during picking itself.

There was also a sixth bonus: almost no losses from frost, hail or mildew, something that has plagued Bordeaux in recent years and is often the cause of such low yields.

Flowering was abundant and regular in mid-May. Fruit set in June was more difficult due to some rain and cooler temperatures, particularly for the Cabernets, but the overall result was still successful.

A dry July and August then induced the crucial water stress that slowed and eventually halted vine growth before colour change, although a little late in some cases given how early the season was.

The pivotal late-August rains (50–70mm or more in many places, up to 90mm in parts) arrived at exactly the right moment, swelling berries slightly, moderating sugars and preserving freshness without causing dilution on the best-drained terroirs.

Good weather continued into September with cool nights and helpful rain at key moments, allowing almost all varieties to reach full ripeness under ideal conditions.

Harvests took place largely under dry conditions, with dry whites from mid-August, Merlot from the end of August, and Cabernet in mid-to-late September – one of the earliest on record.

What the winemakers say

Yet the wines don’t taste like it.

‘Until mid-August we were on track for another 2022,’ Thomas Duroux at Palmer told me.

‘Then with the rains the three ripenesses came together - technological, phenolic and aromatic.’

Axel Heinz at Lascombes echoed the surprise: 'It’s surprised everyone because the wines are not exactly what we thought they were going to be before the summer finished.

'Unlike many years where we see a cold season saved by an Indian summer, this year we had a cooler and rainier end to the season which stopped it being so solar and exuberant. There’s power, richness and density but framed by freshness and crisp and vibrant aromatics.'

Philippe Bascaules at Château Margaux summed it up neatly: ‘It’s definitely not a solar vintage, much more classical and fresh with the concentration and density of the 2022, energy, vivacity and tension and balance of 2016.’

The team waited until after late September rains (longer than many) to harvest the Cabernets and have produced a brilliant, if atypical style for the vintage.

The result in the glass is concentration without heaviness. The berries were tiny – many estates described them as the smallest since 2022 or even earlier – giving high skin-to-juice ratios and beautiful natural intensity.

Weight wise they were less than 1g – commonly 0.6-0.8g for the Cabernets and 0.8-1.1g for Merlot.

‘It wasn’t a year that favoured one grape over another’ explained one winemaker ,with both grapes ripening at roughly the same time in places.

Tannins are ripe and refined rather than green or aggressive, and the fruit is cool and vibrant rather than jammy.

pH levels on the reds are often pleasingly low (many sitting in the 3.6–3.8 range), and you get that lovely combination of power and tension.

In the Médoc and Graves the Cabernet Sauvignon often showed the vintage’s classic side - tight, focused and mineral, with ripe but refined tannins.

Pierre Montégut at Château Pichon Baron described it as ‘like 2022 for richness and opulence but also like the more classic style and powerful tannins from 2018 – and for size of the berries. At the end we have more fruit, more freshness and more elegance.’

On the Right Bank the picture was similar but with its own character.

Nicolas Audebert at Châteaux Canon and Berliquet said the wines had ‘balance between freshness and maturity with energy, intensity, concentration, density.

'Everything in the same wine. You are expecting something riper, more fat, heavy, but it’s fresh and vibrant.’

Dry whites and sweet wines

Dry whites were successful if still mixed. Many estates reported aromatic intensity and lively acidity despite the earliness, with pH values often around 3.1.

It’s a good but not necessarily great year for the dry whites but there are plenty of new cuvées to get excited about as well as a cohort of wines joining the newly established Médoc Blanc AC.

Sweet wines in Sauternes and Barsac also benefited hugely from the clean noble rot that followed the late rain, producing concentrated yet vibrant wines with high sugar levels (often 145-158 g/l+) but retaining excellent freshness.

Winemaking choices

Winemaking this year required real precision and restraint. With such small berries and high skin-to-juice ratios, several estates shortened macerations and extracted more gently.

Fabrice at Phelan Ségur told me it was the shortest maceration they’ve ever done – averaging 24 days for Merlot and 25 for Cabernet instead of the usual minimum of 26 days.

Château Montrose stopped extracting mid-alcoholic fermentation in some vats, averaging only 18 days instead of 21.

Many producers mentioned using optical sorters more aggressively and paying extra attention to plot-by-plot selection to either cut sun-damaged grapes in advance of the harvest or remove the grapes to avoid overripe or dried fruit flavours.

At Château Lagrange, winemaker Matthieu Bordes noted there had been time to adapt: ‘We did the shortest maceration in 19 years with a maximum 21 days and minimum 15 days.’

The low alcohols and high tannin levels forced careful decisions in the cellar. ‘We’re in Bordeaux, we still need to have tannins and density,’ Guillaume Pouthier at Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion said.

‘We have the same energy as 2022 but the balance is different – it’s how you manage this [that is important].’

Yields and economic reality

This is the fifth consecutive small crop, and 2025 has taken it even further.

The Gironde produced roughly 290 million litres – the smallest harvest since 1991 and about half the volume of 2016.

Many classed-growth estates reported yields of 25-35 hl/ha, with some white plots even lower.

Château Margaux recorded its lowest grand vin production since 1856 at 22hl/ha while Château Cheval Blanc received 20hl/ha onto the sorting table and only 15hl/ha into the vats.

Pomerol and St-Julien were hit particularly hard at 25.9hl/ha and 26.4hl/ha – decreases of 29.2% and 27.3% respectively on the 10 year average.

In a region that can comfortably make great wines at 50hl/ha these numbers are stark, even for Margaux (28.8hl/ha) and Pauillac (30.2%).

The low fruit set was partly a hangover from 2024’s difficult flowering, made worse by the dry summer.

Add in the ongoing reduction in vineyard area (the Bordeaux vineyard is now down to around 86,000 ha) and one can understand why there is simply not very much wine this year.

From a purely economic point of view this is tough for many growers with several expressing minimum yields closer to 40hl/ha to break even or remain economy viable to continue business.

But quality-wise there’s no doubt 2025 has pockets of greatness. The best wines have real class – elegant, age-worthy and full of personality.

It will be fascinating to see how the campaign unfolds.

Market context

The first major release – Pontet-Canet, traditionally one of the earliest – came out at a modest +4% on its 2024 price.

That small increase, in a vintage of genuine scarcity and high quality, is being watched closely as an early signal of pricing discipline.

Liv-ex data shows the broader fine wine market has stabilised after years of correction, with the bid-to-offer ratio finally turning positive for the first time in three years.

Whether that translates into stronger en primeur demand will depend on whether producers, merchants and customers all play their part in moving good wine to where it will be enjoyed.

Methodology

For this report, I made 82 individual estate visits, a tasting of all the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux châteaux, two consultant tastings and two négociant tastings.

There is additional reporting and tasting from Panos Kakaviatos, a long-time Bordeaux writer for Decanter who covered the St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé and dry whites, and Valeria Tension, a St-Emilion resident and current MW student who covered the Cru Bourgeois wines.

In total just over 800 wines were reviewed and scored.

Further reading from this report

• Pomerol
• St-Emilion
• Pessac-Léognan & Graves
• Dry whites
• Crus Bourgeois
• Pauillac
• St-Estèphe
• Margaux
• St-Julien
• Sauternes

Bordeaux 2025: The vintage's top wines

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There’s been something of the stench of death around en primeur of late.

In early April, Decanter ran a story with the suitably dramatic declaration that: ‘If the Bordeaux 2025 campaign isn’t successful then en primeur is dead!’

The source of that quote was Edouard Mouiex, owner of the négociant Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix, which distributes top Bordeaux to more than 500 importers.

Or there was the analysis from Bordeaux Index in the May issue of Decanter, which likened recent campaigns to ‘a zombie franchise’ that was ‘hard to kill’.

Fine wine marketplace, Liv-ex, said in its pre-campaign report: ‘We are all rooting for the en primeur system… But, its longevity and success are by no means guaranteed.’

Doom and gloom over en primeur is nothing new. Successive years have brought repeated warnings around rising prices, a broken system, low customer sentiment, négociants on the brink of collapse, piles of unsold stock in cellars and warehouses.

It’s hard, though, to quantify how stretched exactly the system really is.

How much relief has the non-Bordeaux component really brought to négociants account books? How much stock are we actually talking about?

The warnings are dire but the hard facts are scarce. Push someone on what they actually know and they get all tight-lipped. One is merely left with the vague sense of the Damoclean but rarely a palpable threat of the sword.

At this point, all one can do is shrug and see if adding one more card will bring the whole house crashing down.

Here then are some things we do know as this new campaign begins.

Losing friends and allies

Last year’s campaign was dire. The 2024s were a reasonably solid if unspectacular set of wines offered with substantial cuts on the 2023s.

And yet, said Liv-ex, ‘several of our members [reported] declines of over 50%.’

Château Lafite Rothschild 2024 was the cheapest vintage of the first growth available on the market. In quite limited quantities too.

But, ‘it remains readily available’, added Liv-ex.

It’s not just long-term wine collectors who have felt let-down by the process, it’s the people selling the stuff too – nominally Bordeaux’s stalwart allies.

With sales in the doldrums meaning its waning importance as a headline sales event, frustration with en primeur has become more openly manifest among leading merchants in the UK and the US.

It started with little acts of rebellion – refusing to buy certain wines or openly expressing disappointment with certain offers and has grown from there.

As Liv-ex noted, last year merchants took increasingly stronger stances, ‘most cutting their purchasing significantly or buying solely on request, others publicly abandoning the system altogether’.

And it seems this is going to be the case this year as well, with reports of major merchants slashing their buying budgets and drastically limiting the number of wines they intend to offer.

Just when Bordeaux is starting to need it most, its open avenues to market are shrinking before its eyes.

Additional concerns

Then there is the overall economic situation. Looking again at last year’s market overview, things arguably felt a little bleaker.

The threat of US tariffs on European wines felt especially destabilising last year but, while they are now in place, one can at least plan around them. Even if, predicted Liv-ex, US participation will probably be limited as a result.

But there’s no doubt people are not feeling flush. There’s lethargy and caution in languid measure.

The war with Iran and subsequent standoff in the Strait of Hormuz gave financial markets a shock earlier in the year though the situation looks a little less choppy at present.

Bordeaux Index commented that: ‘Buyer sentiment remains weak and, in this era of omni-crises, only a fool would assume the outlook will surprise on the upside.’

Finding bright spots

None of the above exactly sets this year’s campaign up for a strong start. But there are a few positives to be found.

Market conditions are improving – The fine wine secondary market appears to have arrested its deep decline which means prices are less volatile.

Liv-ex noted that: ‘As the Bordeaux 500 moves its way out of (technical) oversold territory, price stability (rather than rapid rises) is likely.’

This is somewhat positive for the new vintage as it gives it a chance of offering some value relative to older wines rather than immediately looking overpriced.

It’s a good vintage – It really is. Maybe not great, and many commentators seem torn on exactly how good it really is – there are many comparisons being made to recent notable vintages such as 2022, 2019 and 2016 – but it’s certainly a BIG step up from 2024.

Despite some tough conditions, there is broad agreement that the good wines are going to be very, very drinkable.

The exchange is in collectors’ favour – if you’re not buying in euros that is. But recent strengthening of the US dollar and sterling increases the purchasing power in two core markets.

And, noted Liv-ex, if the Bank of England holds interest rates while European Central Banks cut, that purchasing power may strengthen further.

Possibility for ‘bargains’? – All things being relative of course but if prices don’t move much from last year’s heavily discounted level… there’s the chance to pick up some top wines for a song.

It’s a small vintage – Very small actually. Last year it was announced that 2024 was the smallest yield since the frost-struck 1991. That title lasted until, well, 2025.

Overall production in 2025 was well under half that of 2016 (admittedly a big vintage) and production at some estates is miniscule. As well as very limited quantities of first wines, a few estates won’t even be producing second wines at all, including Cheval Blanc and Ausone.

Now, this does raise problems for the Bordelais – see below – but as Bordeaux Index said, ‘in a market still grappling with excess supply, it may prove helpful [to prevent further over-supply].’

And from the Bordelais point of view it somewhat puts the ball back in your court. If you want it (and the price is right) you may not want to hang around.

If the price is right

Which brings us on to that ultimate thorny question of every en primeur campaign – the price.

The mantra of commentators and more vocal merchants like Liv-ex and Bordeaux Index respectively is always along the lines of ‘listen to the market’ and ‘pricing must reflect reality’.

The simple fact is that Bordeaux producers are in a bind this year. The wines are better than last year but with expectations and buyer confidence ‘muted’ there’s very little room for rises.

Anything over 15% probably risks all-out mutiny. And this is a vintage that the Bordelais need to sell.

As mentioned above it’s a very small vintage. And while small vintages can involve higher quality wines (as this one proves) as Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, has been at pains to stress, there comes a point where small vintages don’t become commercially viable.

This was the case last year as well, and we’re now in a string of several small vintages in a row.

After a while, the cost of production – expensive sorting machines, labour to pick grapes, new barrels (close to €1,000 a pop now) etc. etc. – starts to add up and outweigh the return being achieved.

If you’re being hard-nosed you might shrug and say that’s the price of past mistakes. A longer-term approach to pricing strategies and building relationships would have been the sensible option, rather than chasing the quick money.

But there’s always room to make right and the first two releases of this campaign – Château Pontet-Canet and Château Batailley – suggest Bordeaux is once again willing to make amends.

Learn the hard lessons

The campaign has just begun of course. If this is going to be a quick campaign (as some think) then there is always a danger that momentum starts to see prices rise and positive early murmurs turn to disinterested grumbles by the mid-to-late point.

The Bordelais need to bear in mind that market stability is not full recovery and, said Liv-ex, ‘it is tenuous, contingent on supportive geopolitical and economic conditions and the perseverance of buyers’.

Bordeaux Index laid out a reminder that, ‘today’s buyer is better informed and more selective than ever,’ referencing the shift in buying habits to other French, Italian, and global fine wines that have taken such a chunk out of Bordeaux’s market share in recent years.

‘Bordeaux isn’t essential,’ it concluded, ‘but it can still be irresistible.’

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1. One of the earliest harvests on record but the wines don’t taste like it

From the very beginning the 2025 season was in a hurry. Budbreak was nearly two weeks ahead of average, flowering flew through in mid-May under perfect dry conditions, and véraison hit in late July.

Temperatures were above the 10-year average for almost all of the growing cycle and record levels of water deficits during the ripening period explain the extremely precocious nature of the vintage.

Dry whites were picked from mid-August (Sauvignon as early as the 11th), Merlot kicked off historically early at the end of August at some estates and Cabernet followed in mid-September.

It’s one of the earliest harvests most growers can remember yet it has delivered remarkable aromatic purity and surprising freshness with overall low pHs (meaning high and fresh acidity).

2. The weather delivered the perfect mix of stress and relief

A mild winter, rapid even flowering and a long dry summer built serious concentration.

June and August were scorching (2025 sits second only to 2003 for days above 35°C), but crucially the nights stayed relatively cool, preserving acidity.

The real hero moment came at the end of August when the tail-end of Hurricane Erin brought 25–100 mm of rain depending on where you were (up to 90mm in Pauillac but around 25mm in Pomerol).

That timely shower eased the vines and, while it didn’t add any significant volume, it finished ripening the late Cabernets, prevented over-ripeness and kept alcohols surprisingly moderate (mostly 12.5–13.5 %).

Growers are calling it the ‘blessing’ and without it a style that would have been much more in keeping with that of 2022.

The 2025s also benefited from limited mildew pressure, no frost and no real risk of rot.

In short, it ticked all five classic preconditions for a great vintage – something that has happened only twice since 2021.

3. The style is concentrated yet fresh - reds, whites and sweets all shining

Tastings show reds with beautiful skin-to-juice ratios, thick-skinned small berries, high colour, ripe but refined tannins and juicy, cool fruit.

Despite all the heat and drought, they don’t have the opulence of 2022. Many people (myself included) are finding them closer in feel to 2020 and especially 2023 with some elements of both 2016 and 2019.

Cabernets are tight and compact for now, Merlots fruit-forward and supple on the best limestone/clay sites.

Dry whites are astonishingly aromatic and lively despite the earliness, with pH around 3.1 (so acidities are fresh).

Sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac also did tremendously well: noble rot arrived cleanly after the late-August rain, giving concentration yet vibrancy.

It’s rare for every category to look this promising at once. While not universally brilliant like 2016 or 2022, quality is excellent at the top level and the best wines are genuinely exceptional.

4. Yields are tiny – the smallest since 1991

This is the fifth year in a row of low production and 2025 has taken it even further. The Gironde expects around 290 million litres (average 33.6hl/ha) – roughly half the volume of a big year like 2016.

Many classed-growth estates are reporting 26–35hl/ha, with some white plots as low as 20hl/ha.

The low volumes were partly expected from the outset because of poor floral initiation caused by the difficult 2024 growing season (small flower clusters meant fewer bunches right from the start).

On top of that, the severe hydric stress this year further reduced berry size and weight.

Add in the fact that 20,000 hectares of vineyard have been ripped up or abandoned in the past three years and you can see why supply is now extremely tight.

Quality-wise the concentration is ideal; economically it’s a real challenge for growers.

5. Market-wise, this could be one of the smartest buys in years

With production this low (it will be the smallest number of Château Margaux grand vin bottles since 1856!) and quality high, the 2025s are going to be scarce.

If opening prices rise only modestly from 2024 (which is what many négociants are hoping for) – or not at all – the 2025s will be sitting at roughly half the current secondary-market level of the legendary 2010 vintage.

While that feels like proper value, especially when the wines combine early drinkability with the potential to age, these are not easy times for the Bordeaux market or wine market in general.

In any case, with the campaign already underway (Pontet Canet announced its price on 29 April), it's going to be interesting to see it unfold.

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Edouard Moueix, owner of the négociant Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix, which distributes top Bordeaux to more than 500 importers across 87 countries, is under no illusions as to the significance of the impending En Primeur season.

And he is well positioned to know.

Something of a Bordeaux kingpin, his family also owns of a string of stellar properties on the region’s Right Bank, from the Pomerol estates La Fleur-Pétrus, Hosanna and Trotanoy to the St-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé Château Bélair-Monange.

Coming from such an authoritative source, it is a bold statement.

‘En Primeur is a wounded animal’

It is while in London to showcase his wines to the high-end clientele of Swiss fine-wine merchant Vintage Cellar that Moueix shares with me some candid reflections on the market.

‘En Primeur is a wounded animal,’ says the 49-year-old, citing the past three campaigns.

‘2024 was not a great vintage; 2023 was good but the volumes were huge, so there was no urgency; and the 2022 wines were fantastic but the prices were extremely high so it didn’t work.’

2025, he says, will be a ‘good-to-very-good-vintage’ across the board, with small volumes, which could help stimulate the market.

He predicts, with some confidence, that prices will be ‘very similar’ to 2024 – most likely with a modest increase, but for much better quality.

‘Put all those elements together, and it should be a successful campaign,’ he says. ‘If it isn’t, there’s a real problem.’

The hot, dry summer of 2025 yielded fewer but also smaller grapes, while the major rain events of the season were relatively localised.

As a result, says Moueix: ‘What I’ve tasted so far suggests the difference between the Left Bank and Right Bank. The elegance and controlled power on the Left Bank versus full-bodied and rounded juiciness on the Right Bank is more exaggerated this year.’

He expresses hope that En Primeur will be a relatively early and quick campaign – something that would further bolster the likelihood of a successful market response.

‘Our dream, as a négociant, is that the wines are all released by the time of [the trade show] Vinexpo in Hong Kong.'

This is set for the final week of May.

‘Worldwide crisis’

Moueix is adamant that Bordeaux producers know they need to keep prices down in a depressed market, but is keen to stress that the challenges are not just linked to the Gironde.

‘There's a massive crisis in wine all around the world,’ he says.

He is also quick to point out that it’s not just Bordeaux where prices have risen to an extent where consumers have been priced out.

‘I can’t afford to drink Burgundy anymore,’ he adds.

Though he is too diplomatic to say so, I sense a lingering frustration that Bordeaux has borne the brunt of price criticism compared to his counterparts in the Côte d’Or.

‘Bordeaux-bashing has become a national sport,’ he laughs. ‘There is a perception that Burgundy producers are always in the vineyard, while we are holed up in our big châteaux.’

Part of the problem, he believes, is that most Bordeaux producers don’t sell their wines themselves, which keeps them a step removed from the market.

‘What are they waiting for?’

Pouring Hosanna 2009 and La Fleur-Pétrus 2010 for the well-heeled customers of Vintage Cellar, however, Moueix says there is one trend for which Bordeaux producers should be grateful to Burgundy – the move to lower the age at which its wines are opened.

‘My grandfather never drank wines that were 50 years old,’ he said. ‘It’s only more recently that people started venerating wines of that age. Take the [Bordeaux] 2000s. That was a quarter of a century ago, yet some people still say they’re too young. What are they waiting for?’

Part of the reason, he says, is that the 1990s and 2000s yielded many ‘over-extracted’ wines which were ‘undrinkable’ on release.

‘That and the scourge of investment,’ he adds, which made such wines ‘better for the ego’.

Today, such hoarding is less in vogue, with consumers seemingly keen to broach wines earlier – a fashion that Moueix is pleased to see.

‘We should be drinking Bordeaux like Burgundy, at 10 to 15 years old. At 15 years old, you still have some fruit, but you have tertiary aromas too. The wine has found its balance. You have more pleasure.

'The older the wine, the more it loses its identity. With a 50-year-old wine, you’re lucky if you can even tell it’s from Bordeaux.’

‘100% Merlot… no faking it’

In general, however, fashion is not something of which Moueix takes heed. He remains a staunch champion of Merlot in the face of less-than-popular consumer perceptions – and viticultural challenges.

‘We’re very much into 100% Merlot for most of our properties,’ he says. ‘That way, there's no faking it. It’s the expression of a terroir through one variety.’

‘You can plant Cabernet Sauvignon wherever you want and you're going to produce a good to very good wine. There are very few places in the world where Merlot thrives and produces such a great level of quality and complexity, across an entire region, as it does on the Right Bank.’

That is something worth championing, he argues. And yet… ‘Most Right Bank wines are 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, but all people talk about is the Cab Franc. Why?’

The one place where the Moueix clan does focus on Cabernet is Napa Valley, where Edouard’s father Christian, who turns 80 this year, still manages the family’s Dominus Estate.

The project, begun in 1983, provides the family with an even broader perspective on the global market – and things are no rosier in California, Edouard says.

A quarter of the grapes in the Napa Valley went unpicked last year, he claims, with producers unwilling to buy from growers when they couldn’t be sure of selling the final wine.

‘It’s not a pretty time for the US’

Meanwhile, political tensions mean the $1bn Canadian market, as well as pockets elsewhere, has all but disappeared.

‘It’s not a pretty time for the US,’ he says. ‘They’re hurting. It’s a big concern. We’re going to release the 2023 Dominus soon, and I’m not quite sure what to do.’

There are challenges beyond financial and political upheaval, he adds. ‘Our biggest competition in the US is drugs.’

‘Cannabis?’ I ask.

‘That and Ozempic,’ he replies, of injectable appetite suppressant. ‘Ozempic is a massive problem.’

It all makes for something of a perfect storm. Yet this dynamo of the Bordeaux scene is far from downbeat.

‘Wine is such a magical product. It makes you feel better, makes you more social, brings inspiration to your conversation, loosens boundaries. What other product can offer that?’ Certainly not Ozempic.

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All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Julien | St-Estèphe | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Margaux | Dry whites | Cru Bourgeois | Sauternes & Barsac

‘Value’ is of course relative – Château Mouton Rothschild’s 2024 release price is 25% less than last year, and the cheapest since the release of the 2014 vintage, at €252 per bottle ex-négociant. Lafite Rothschild is also the cheapest since 2014 at €288 per bottle ex-négociant. Margaux also dropped 25% from the 2023 release price with a per-bottle offer of €276 ex-négociant.

For some, the 2024 vintage will be the first ‘reasonable’ opportunity to buy a first growth, at least for the past decade. Indeed many wines usually priced at the upper end of the scale are more affordable this year given the market conditions and widespread calls to drop prices.

It’s good news for first time buyers or those who want to buy specific large formats.

And even though 2024 is not a top Bordeaux vintage there are still plenty of excellent bottles, and at the lower end, lots of wines great for opening and enjoying young.

I’ve selected a number of wines below that I think should offer ‘good value’ for their respective appellations. Most should be priced between £20 and £30 – based on 2023 prices where the 2024 one was not available.

In general, value can be found at the cru bourgeois level and within the right bank satellites but there are gems to be found in all the major appellations.

Whites

Pessac Léognan

• Château Brown, Blanc 92 points
• Château de Rochemorin, Blanc 92 points
• Château Picque Caillou, Blanc 92 points
• Château Baret, Blanc 90 points
• Château d’Eyran, Blanc 90 points

Bordeaux Blanc

• Château Cos d’Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos, Blanc 94 points
• Château Virginie de Valandraud, Blanc 94 points
• Château d’Aiguilhe, Blanc 92 points
• Château Fonréaud Le Cygne 92 points

Château Les Charmes-Godard, Blanc, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 93 points

Reds

St-Estèphe

• Château Le Boscq 92 points
• Château Meyney 92 points
• Château de Pez 92 points
• Château Capbern 92 points
• Château Ormes de Pez 91 points

St Julien

• Château Gloria 93 points
• Château Beychevelle 92 points
• Château Branaire Ducru 92 points

Margaux

• Château du Tertre 92 points
• Château Siran 92 points
• Château Labégorce 92 points

Pauillac

• Château Fonbadet 93 points
• Château Pauillac 92 points

Pessac-Léognan

• Château La Garde 93 points
• Château Latour-Martillac 93 points
• Château Les Carmes Haut-Bron, C de Carmes 92 points
• Château Couhins Lurton 93 points
• Château de Fieuzal 92 points
• Château Larrivet Haut-Brion 92 points
• Château Couhins 91 points
• Château La Louvière 91 points

Cru Bourgeois

• Château Barreyres, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois) 91 points
• Château Beaumont, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur) 91 points
• Château Beauvillage, Médoc (Cru Bourgeois) 91 points
• Château Bel Air Gloria, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur) 91 points
• Château de la Croix, Médoc (Cru Bourgeois) 91 points
• Château Le Crock, St-Estèphe (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel) 91 points
• Château Ramage la Batisse, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur) 91 points
• Château Reverdi, Listrac-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel) 91 points
• Château Tour Saint-Fort, St-Estèphe (Cru Bourgeois) 91 points
• Château La Cardonne, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur) 91 points
• Château de Malleret, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel) 91 points

 St-Emilion

• Château Bellefont-Belcier 94 points
• Château Sansonnet 94 points
• Château Lassègue 94 points
• Château La Dominique 94 points
• Château de Ferrand 92 points
• Château Fonplégade 93 points
• Château Fleur Cardinale 93 points
• Château Franc Mayne 91 points
• Château Laroque 93 points
• Château Carillon d’Angélus 92 points
• Château Fombrauge 92 points
• Château Moulin St Georges 92 points
• Château Cadet Bon 92 points

Pomerol

• Château Fayat 93 points
• Château La Petite Eglise 93 points
• Château Bonalgue 92 points
• Château Château La Cabanne 91 points

Right Bank satellites

• Château La Fleur de Boüard, Lalande-de-Pomerol 92 points
• Château Clarisse, Vieilles Vignes, St-Émilion (Puisseguin-St-Émilion) 92 points
• Château Le Rey, Les Rocheuses, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 92 points
• Château Le Rey Les Argileuses Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 92 points
• Château Clarisse, Cuvée Allegria, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 91 points
• Château Marsau, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 91 points
• Château Puygueraud, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 91 points
• Château La Couronne Reserve St-Émilion (Montagne-St-Émilion) 90 points
• Château de Carles, Fronsac 90 points
• Château La Chenade Lalande-de-Pomerol 90 points
• Château Les Cruzelles Lalande-de-Pomerol 91 points
• Château Roc de Bécot, St-Émilion (Puisseguin-St-Émilion) 90 points

Sauternes

• Château De Myrat 92 points
• Château Haut-Bergeron 90 points

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

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Pauillac’s Château Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, St-Emilion’s Château Canon and Pomerol’s Château Clinet continued a trend for price cuts in the Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, following on from first growth Château Margaux 24 hours earlier. 

Pichon Comtesse 2024 debuted this morning (3 June) at €90 per bottle ex-négociant, which marks a return to release pricing last seen on the estate’s 2017 vintage, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. 

UK merchants offered the wine at around £531 per six bottles in bond, which is around 20% lower than the debut price of the 2023 vintage. Below, see more analysis of the latest releases.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Pichon Comtesse 2024 analysis 

Pichon Comtesse 2024 received 96 points from Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, who highlighted it as one of the standout success stories in a challenging Bordeaux growing season.  

‘Mouthwatering acidity and precise balance showcase [winemaker / CEO] Nicolas Glumineau’s skill, creating a svelte, energetic wine with a lot going on,’ wrote Hindle.

At £1,062 per 12-bottle case IB in the UK, the 2024 vintage is around 19.5% below last year’s release price for the 2023 vintage. 

Analyst group Wine Lister said the wine is nearly 50% below the en primeur price for highly regarded Pichon Comtesse 2022. It also noted that production in 2024 was around half of the usual level.  

Yet, it said remaining stocks of the 2021 and 2017 vintages were available on the market for less, and that some critics have previously scored these wines higher than the new release. 

Pichon Comtesse is considered to have been on a strong, upward quality trajectory in the past decade or so. Liv-ex also noted that Pichon Comtesse 2014 may be of interest to buyers looking through this estate’s back catalogue. 

The estate’s second wine, Reserve de la Comtesse 2024 (92pts, Decanter), was offered in the UK at around £340 (12x75cl IB).

Château Canon 2024 – one to watch

Canon is another estate that has been on the rise in the last decade and its 2024 vintage was also deemed by Hindle to constitute a highlight of recent en primeur tastings.

She gave 96pts to Canon 2024, making it one of her top-scoring wines of the vintage.

‘Such a great wine and one where you really can’t taste the difficulties of the year in the glass,’ Hindle said. ‘Crystalline and pure, elegant and super charming.’

Canon 2024 was released at €72 per bottle ex-négociant, the cheapest release price since the 2019 vintage debuted five years ago.

In the UK, the wine was offered at £852 (12x75cl IB), down by nearly 21% on the opening price of the 2023 vintage, according to Liv-ex.

UK merchant Farr Vintners said: ‘This excellent château consistently receives scores that are as high as those of the other top names of the appellation, but it is priced well below its neighbours. That is true again this year with a release price of £426 per case of six bottles (IB).’

Liv-ex, though, said some recent vintages of Canon were available on the market for less, including the 2021 and 2017.

Clinet 2024 ‘a good buy’

In Pomerol, Clinet 2024 emerged en primeur at €44 per bottle ex-négociant, joining a group of estates that have returned to release pricing last seen for the 2014 vintage.

At £528 per 12-bottle case IB – and offered by many merchants at £264 per six-pack – the wine is one of the cheapest iterations of Clinet available on the market.

Hindle gave 93 points to Client 2024, describing it as ‘totally moreish’. She said, ‘Sleek and really well made with energy and focus.’ 

Wine Lister said: ‘Coming onto the market at a significant discount on all recent back vintages, Clinet 2024 looks like a good buy.’ 

Prices drop across the campaign

Wine Lister data showed how prices have fallen across the board in this year’s campaign. 

It said: ‘On the wines we’ve covered so far in the 2024 campaign, ex-négociant prices are down 16% on the 2023 and down 33% on the 2022, while average recommended UK onward selling prices are down 21% on the 2023 and down 39% on the 2022.’

While some buyers have shown healthy interest in several big names, initial merchant reports suggest the campaign overall has lacked a spark.

Bordeaux’s 2024 vintage has entered a particularly challenging fine wine market. Some buyers may also be waiting to see how the vintage looks once reassessed in-bottle, around 18 months from now.

Click here for more scores from the vintage

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• Bordeaux 2024: Full vintage review and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2024: ‘Marvellous’ Mouton cuts price by a quarter
• Bordeaux 2024: Château Cos d’Estournel price falls by 29%

Château Margaux 2024 was released this morning (Monday 2 June) with a 25% price cut on its 2023 vintage’s opening offer.

Its release is the last of the first growths this campaign, and like the others its 2024 vintage is among the cheapest wines available to collectors.

Also out was Château Ducru-Beaucaillou as this en primeur campaign moves into its final stages.

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Analysis: Château Margaux 2024

The Margaux appellation’s eponymous first growth was released ex-négociant at €276 per bottle. This is a cut of 25% on the 2023 vintage.

UK merchants are currently offering the wine for £1,620 per six bottles in-bond.

It was a difficult vintage for the first growth for many reasons. As consultancy group Wine Lister noted, the estate lost a number of tractors in a fire just before the harvest and had to borrow equipment from neighbours.

Furthermore, the estate took the decision to not break its organic farming despite the extremely wet weather that the region experienced throughout the growing season.

The results have garnered strong scores from critics. Margaux was Decanter Bordeaux editor Georgie Hindle’s top-rated first growth.

She gave it a score of 97-points saying it was a ‘tremendous effort from Margaux’.

She added: ‘Beautiful, this is just what you expect from Margaux, precision and perfection with a lively acidity and crushed stone chalkiness on the finish.’

The substantial cut in price places the new vintage at a compelling price for collectors.

Fine wine platform Liv-ex pointed out that the 2021 was available for a slight discount but Wine Lister thought that its price, ‘combined with its powerhouse brand, should encourage demand’.

Other releases

Second label, Pavillon Rouge, was also released and is being offered for £528 per 6x75cl IB.

The 2024 looks even more compelling when compared to back vintages and is available at a ‘significant discount’ said Wine Lister.

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou was released a little later this morning, at €90 p/b ex-négociant. Offering a cut of 26% on its 2023, the new vintage is being offered at around £528 per 6x75cl IB.

Hindle rated the wine 95-points, calling it, ‘elegant and enjoyable’.

The new vintage also compares favourably to older vintages, sitting at a considerable discount to those already available by quite some margin.

Recent releases

Margaux’s appearance shakes up a relatively quiet spell in this year’s campaign. Other releases of late have included Château Palmer, Brane-Cantenac and Trotanoy.

Both Brane-Cantenac and Trotanoy were judged as offering reasonable value to potential buyers.

However, Liv-ex noted that Palmer 2024, ‘is priced above several similarly or better rated recent vintages’, which included the 99-point 2019.

The wines are available for the following prices per six bottles IB (and their Decanter score):

• Château Palmer – £950 (95)
• Château Brane-Cantenac – £213 (95)
• Château Trotanoy – £850 (95)

Click here for more scores from the vintage

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Full vintage review and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2024: ‘Marvellous’ Mouton cuts price by a quarter
• Bordeaux 2024: Château Cos d’Estournel price falls by 29%

All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Julien | St-Estèphe | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Margaux | Dry whites | Cru Bourgeois | Top value | Sauternes & Barsac

Cru Bourgeois 2024: Wines offering early-drinking pleasure

Average yield Médoc: 26.2hl/ha, Haut-Médoc: 29hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -55.5% (40.9.hl/ha), -31.7% (38.2hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from Cru Bourgeois 2024

Vintage overview

The 2024 Cru Bourgeois tasting revealed a vintage marked by low alcohol levels – rarely exceeding 13% – and generally delicate tannins.

Quality was notably heterogeneous, with some estates crafting refined, perfumed wines while others struggled with balance and ripeness.

Interestingly, cuvées with a higher proportion of Petit Verdot stood out for their perfumed floral, peppery character and fuller body.

In some wines, the wood overwhelmed the delicate fruit, dulling the aromatic clarity. However, the best examples showed an elegant, floral character and lifted aromatics that added charm and freshness.

Many wines are already quite accessible, with soft structures and open-knit profiles that suggest they’ll be enjoyable on release, even if not destined for extended cellaring.

Overall, 2024 for the Cru Bourgeois is a vintage of early-drinking pleasure rather than long-haul ageing, with finesse and fragrance talking over power.

Highlights and value

• Château Barreyres, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois)
• Château Beaumont, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur)
• Château Beauvillage, Médoc (Cru Bourgeois)
• Chateau Bel Air Gloria, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur)
• Château de la Croix, Médoc (Cru Bourgeois)
• Château Le Crock, St-Estèphe (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)
• Château Ramage la Batisse, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
• Château Reverdi, Listrac-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)
• Château Tour Saint-Fort, St-Estèphe (Cru Bourgeois)
• Château La Cardonne, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur)
• Château de Malleret, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel)

See all 57 Cru Bourgeois 2024 wines

See the top-scoring Cru Bourgeois 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Weather & growing conditions
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• All the latest Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur wine releases

All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Julien | St-Estèphe | Pauillac | St-Emilion | Margaux  | Cru Bourgeois | Dry whites | Top value | Sauternes & Barsac

Pessac-Léognan 2024: Vibrant tangy whites and uneven reds but with some standouts

Average yield reds: 39hl/ha

Variance from 2023: 2.2% (38.1hl/ha)

Average yield whites: 42.3hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -18.9% (50.3hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from Pessac-Léognan 2024

Vintage overview

Pessac-Leeognan was the highest yielding appellation for reds on the Left Bank and, together with the Graves, one of only two to increase yields from last year. For still whites, Pessac is third to the Entre-deux-Mers and Bordeaux Blanc appellations.

The 2024 vintage in Pessac-Léognan presented a mixed picture, shaped by the region’s higher-than-average rainfall during the beginning of the season.

Overall, classified châteaux performed well, likely thanks to greater resources enabling more rigorous sorting in a challenging year.

Some white wines, like Larrivet Haut-Brion, were the standout, offering vibrant, tangy acidity and aromatic clarity that promise excellent ageing potential.

They are precise, refreshing, and stylistically consistent, with a fine balance between ripeness and tension.

The reds were more uneven. While some estates managed to craft elegant, structured wines – especially those leaning more heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon – many lacked concentration and definition.

In some cases, the tannins came across as slightly green, and the fruit a touch diluted.

The top red wines will benefit from mid-term cellaring, but a significant number are best enjoyed in the first decade, as they may not have the structure or fruit depth for extended maturation.

White standouts

• Château Smith Haut Lafitte
• Château La Louvière
• Château Couhins-Lurton

White highlights

• Château Haut-Brion Blanc
• Château La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
• Château Larrivet Haut-Brion
• Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc
• Domaine de Chevalier Blanc
• Château Lespault-Martillac Blanc
• Château Pape Clément Blanc
• Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Les Hauts de Smith Blanc
• Château Cantelys Blanc
• Château de Fieuzal Blanc
• Château Carbonnieux Blanc
• Château Latour-Martillac Blanc
• Château Olivier Blanc
• Château Carbonnieux Blanc

Red standouts

• Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
• Domaine de Chevalier

Red highlights

• Château Haut-Brion
• Château La Mission Haut-Brion
• Château Smith Haut Lafitte
• Château Carbonnieux
• Château Couhins-Lurton
• Château La Garde
• Château Cantelys
• Château Haut-Bailly
• Château Malartic-Lagravière
• Château Pape Clément
• Château Latour-Martillac

See all 79 Pessac-Léognan 2024 en primeur wines tasted

See the top-scoring Pessac-Léognan 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Weather & growing conditions
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• All the latest Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur wine releases

All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Julien | St-Estèphe | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Margaux | Cru Bourgeois | Dry whites | Top value

Sauternes & Barsac 2024: Fresh and moderately sweet wines with vibrancy

Average yield Sauternes:13hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -4.6% (12.4hl/ha)

Average yield Barsac: 11.5hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -4% (12hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from Sauternes & Barsac 2024

Vintage overview

The 2024 vintage in Sauternes and Barsac delivered a fresher, more elegant expression than usual, with lower residual sugar levels contributing to a less opulent, more vibrant style.

Quality was uneven across the appellations, with some wines lacking precision in their fruit expression.

Sémillon, the backbone of most blends, often showed a marked bitterness this year. Château la Tour Blanche even increased the proportion of Muscadelle for its floral lift and softening effect that helped balance the bitter component.

Among the highlights, Château Coutet and Château Suduiraut stood out for their balance, aromatic purity, and refined structure.

The 2024 sweet wines may not be built for long-term cellaring, but their freshness and moderate sweetness make them particularly appealing for earlier drinking within the first 10 to 15 years.

Standouts

• Château de Rayne Vigneau
• Château Suduiraut
• Château Coutet

Highlights

• Château Suduiraut
• Château Coutet
• Château Bastor-Lamontagne
• Château Doisy-Védrines
• Château Guiraud
• Château La Tour Blanche
• Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
• Château Guiraud
• Château La Tour Blanche
• Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
• Château Rieussec
• Château Suau
• Château Doisy-Daëne

See all 25 Sauternes & Barsac 2024 en primeur wines tasted

See the top-scoring Sauternes & Barsac 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings 

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Château Figeac, Château Ausone, Château Léoville Las Cases and Château Pavie are among the big name releases over the last few days of the 2024 en primeur campaign.

Price cuts have been as high as 41%, and several of the big names have been earmarked as offering potential buying opportunities for collectors.

Average selling prices of the 2024 vintage so far this campaign are 21% down versus the 2023 vintage and 38% down on the 2022s.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Analysis: Figeac

The St-Emilion 1er grand cru classé ‘A’, was released ex-négociant at a price 37% below that of the 2023 vintage (and one of the biggest discounts so far).

UK merchants were offering the wine for £564 per six bottles in-bond (IB). Decanter’s Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, scored the wine 96-points.

She commented: ‘It’s elegant, leaning into the vintage in terms of density, but wow there is such delicacy and detail here. I love it because it’s so relaxed and so charming and full of fruit.’

The estate has a good amount of market-momentum behind it at the moment after its promotion to cru classé ‘A’ status and a series of critical hits.

Fine wine marketplace Liv-ex noted that it ‘may well present value to buyers’ – particularly if it secured some of the higher predicted scores awarded by various critics.

The 2017 and 2021 vintages – both of a similar calibre to the 2024 – are still available for slight discounts if buyers were looking for already-cellared stock.

Léoville Las Cases, Pavie, Ausone & Léoville-Poyferré – the 95-pointers

These four châteaux all received scores of 95pts from Hindle. All cut their prices versus the 2023 vintage, ranging from a 16% discount from Léoville Poyferré, 29% from Ausone, 31% from Léoville Las Cases and a huge 41% from Pavie.

Pavie’s price drop is the largest of the campaign so far and consultancy group Wine Lister commented that it was: ‘A very welcome move by the Saint-Émilion premier grand cru classé ‘A’.’

Pavie’s bold move makes its 2024 vintage ‘by far’ the cheapest on the market noted Liv-ex, which should definitely catch the eye of any interested buyers.

Hindle said of the 2024: ‘Less accessible now with real bite and tang of limestone, liquorice and clove, although this carries the Pavie signature and is built for the long haul.’

Commentators and merchants had similarly positive words for some of the other releases. Goedhuis Waddesdon called Léoville Las Cases ‘a firm buy’, while Corney & Barrow thought Ausone could be ‘an opportune buy’.

The wines are being offered by UK merchants for the following (priced at 6x75cl IB) – all were rated 95pts by Hindle:

• Château Pavie – £816
• Château Léoville Las Cases – £573
• Château Ausone – £1,842
• Château Léoville Poyferré – £283

Other releases

Also released over the last few days were Château Cantenac Brown (£171 per 6x75cl), Château Phélan-Ségur (£188/6×75) and Clos du Marquis (£186/6×75).

Wine Lister thought Cantenac-Brown had made a ‘persuasive offer’, as did Corney & Barrow.

Hindle wrote: ‘Becomes a little taut towards the finish but there’s great refinement here. Will be yummy with a mineral, liquorice, clove and graphite and black pepper finish.’

Click here for more scores from the vintage

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Full vintage review and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2024: ‘Marvellous’ Mouton cuts price by a quarter
• Bordeaux 2024: Château Cos d’Estournel price falls by 29%

All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Estèphe | Margaux | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Pomerol | Cru Bourgeois | Dry whites | Top value | Sauternes & Barsac

St-Julien 2024: Wines with a sense of classicism, elegance and finesse

Average yield: 32.5hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -54.7% (50.3hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from St-Julien 2024

Vintage overview

Slightly higher average yields here than Pauillac and slightly lower than St-Estèphe.

The smallest and most homogeneous appellation in terms of terroir of the big four in the Médoc produced some delicious wines with an easy-drinking and approachable style.

For Bruno Borie, owner of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, he is ‘pretty proud’ of what they have made in 2024. ‘We work with nature, it’s never easy, and there’s always a risk’ but the estate doubled vineyard workers for spraying, leaf removal and during the harvest.

‘We lost some yield earlier in the season but that meant we had better concentration in the remaining grapes,’ he said.

The estate didn’t present Le Petit Ducru for the en primeur tastings instead choosing to focus the attention on a smaller range of wines for sale.

Sara Lecompte Cuvelier, owner and director of Château Léoville-Poyferré, said the 2024s are ‘a bit like 2017 – easy to drink and digestible, but with more concentration’.

The team waited for optimal ripeness and so sacrificed some grapes to botrytis and sorted three times; in the vines, by hand then using an optical sorting machine. ‘The Cabernets just weren’t ready so we had to wait’, she said.

Their 2024 is remarkable, chewy and fleshy but still with refinement – a real success for the vintage.

The team used reverse osmosis to concentrate the wines – a method less common than chaptalisation in 2024, as it removes water and further reduces already low yields.

Technical necessity

Château Lagrange (the St-Julien, one) used the same technique despite 2024 being its ‘lowest ever yield’, at 26hl/ha, said director Matthieu Bordes. A further 10% of the grapes were removed from the sorting line and optical sorter before reverse osmosis.

François-Xavier Maroteaux, owner of Château Branaire Ducru, and new president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, said ‘hydric stress was achieved during the summer’.

The team saw 42mm of rain during July and August compared to the more usual 90-100mm.

They sorted grapes in the vineyard, then on sorting tables, a de-stemmer, vibrating table and optical sorting machine – ‘we changed the settings for colour and size for each plot’, Maroteaux said to be as precise as possible.

At Château Gruaud Larose, technical director Virginie Sallette, said: ‘The most strategic parameter in 2024 was picking the right date to harvest.’

She added: ‘Analysis is important but the aromatics, juice and skins of tasting the grapes during the harvest were critical.’

The team used low temperatures for fermentation and chaptalised to increase the alcohol by up to 1% ABV.

For Damien Barton Sartorius, owner and general manager of Château Léoville Barton, the 2024 vintage was all about ‘hard work’. ‘We had to be careful about the rot, but we could pick when we wanted,’ he said.

‘The vintages that need more attention are those with more alcohol because extractions are much faster. Of course you don’t want to overextract in a vintage like 2024 – tannins were ripe but there’s not huge concentration.’

This year’s grand vin has 92% Cabernet Sauvignon compared to a normal amount of around 80%.

Standouts

• Château Léoville Poyferré
• Château Léoville Las Cases
• Château Ducru Beaucaillou

Highlights

• Château Gruaud Larose
• Château Léoville Barton
• Château St-Pierre
• Château Beychevelle
• Château Lagrange

Value

• Château Beychevelle
• Château Branaire Ducru
• Château Gloria

See all St-Julien 2024 en primeur wines tasted

See the top-scoring St-Julien 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Weather & growing conditions
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• All the latest Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur wine releases

All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Julien | St-Estèphe | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Pomerol | Cru Bourgeois | Dry whites | Top value | Sauternes & Barsac

Margaux 2024: The appellation with some of the most exciting, charming and friendly wines of the vintage

Average yield: 33.1hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -13.8% (37.7hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from Margaux 2024

Vintage overview

The 2024 vintage posed problems for all producers, and those in Margaux were no exception, especially given the size and varying terroirs of the appellation. Yet it fared better than many, with plenty of lovely, expressive, and typical characteristics emerging.

The wines offer great aromatic florality, juiciness and a sense of charm.

For Cynthia Capelaere, director of Château du Tertre, the 2024 harvest was the quickest in their history. ‘It was a question of means,’ she said.

‘We had to do a lot of sorting during the harvest to eliminate the millerandage. We lost some Merlot grapes but it was a good way to keep the quality. If there had been a bigger yield, the grapes wouldn’t have had the same concentration’.

Du Tertre ended up with a yield of 40hl/ha, well above the appellation average.

For Thomas Duroux, managing director of Château Palmer, the vintage can be described as ‘modest’ with ‘happy wines’.

Organic viticulture

‘It was not easy, we had a lot of doubt, even at harvest time,’ he said, adding that they sprayed 33 times on their organically-farmed vineyards and had a yield of 22hl/ha after harvesting from 25 September and finishing on 10 October. ‘We took risks but there was no real issue with botrytis.’

Ten percent of the crop was discarded using a vibrating table and optical sorter.

Nearby Château Rauzan-Ségla, also under organic management, had a yield of 30hl/ha. General director Nicolas Audebert said, ‘It was a fight every day – we needed permanent vigilance. There’s some luck in the movement of the rain, but you needed dedication and precision.

The team used a cold room to store a days’ worth of harvested grapes before going into the cellar for the first time in 2024 – it was planned for a long time, but ‘came in handy’ and a ‘further step in precision,’ said Audebert.

Château Margaux carried out a green harvest to eliminate all the bunches of unripe grapes ahead of the harvest and stopped picking each time it rained. ‘The berries were bigger in 2024, so we crushed a bit more to increase the level of extraction and extended the maceration’, general director Philippe Bascaules said.

‘The 2024s are complex and fresh – they’re great as long as you don’t want to make a big wine,’ he added. The estate produced 46% of the top wine – an amount not achieved since 2004 due to such a large percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend at 93%.

For Château Brane Cantenac, owner Henri Lurton made the decision to ‘spray early’ and ‘be ready every day’. ‘It was unusual to have phenolic ripeness (ripe skins) before technological ripeness (ripe juice),’ he said adding that they had to harvest quickly and increase the number of harvesters and those on the sorting tables.

‘I think we made good choices, but it was a bit of luck too’, Lurton added.

Fine tuning

Château Giscours used their cover crops effectively for the tractors to access wet soils for spraying and increased their harvest team to 200 people.

While they didn’t chaptalise the wines, technical manager Jérôme Poisson said blending was more challenging than usual: ‘We focused on finding balance and harmony while enhancing the body.’

The grand vin includes all four grapes; 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot only the second time along with 2022.

Château Angludet chaptalised for the first time since 1989 but didn’t lose any yield to mildew having learned from the pressure in 2018 and subsequently created their own spraying machines.

The wine will be aged 40% in amphora to ‘retain the natural aromatic dimension’ in the wines, said Daisy Sichel, seventh generation member of the Sichel family who are owners of the estate.

For Axel Heinz, ex-Ornellaia winemaker and now the director of Château Lascombes, the 2024 ‘took a lot of energy – it wasn’t the easiest but it was far from a disaster’.

He said that the 2023 vintage allowed them to change direction and change style but that 2024 was ‘closer’ to what they have in mind for the the type of wines they want at Lascombes. ‘2024 is a natural and faithful expression of the vintage,’ Heinz said.

‘We didn’t do more extractions but longer macerations on the Merlot, we couldn’t get much out of extractions because we needed to be careful of the tannins,’ he added.

The estate also debuted the 2024 vintage of a new wine during the en primeur tastings, a 100% Merlot cuvée named La Côte from a specific clay and limestone plot near the Garonne river.

The 2022 vintage was the first trial and will be released later this year – an article delving deeper into this wine will be on Decanter Premium soon.

Standouts

• Château Margaux
• Château Palmer

Highlights

• Château Brane Cantenac
• Château Rauzan-Ségla
• Château Lascombes
• Château Durfort-Vivens
• Château d’Issan
• Château Giscours
• Château Cantenac Brown

Value

• Château du Tertre
• Château Siran
• Château Labégorce

See all Margaux 2024 en primeur wines tasted

See the top-scoring Margaux 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Weather & growing conditions
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• All the latest Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur wine releases

After a busy day of releases on Monday (19 May), today is the turn of the extensive portfolio from Clarence Dillon, including yet another first growth.

There have been further cuts and prices falling to decade-old lows, with a few labels being picked out as smart buys for interested collectors.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Analysis: Château Haut-Brion

The Pessac-Léognan first growth has cut its release price by 23.8% this year. Its offer of €240 per bottle ex-négociant is the lowest since the 2014’s opening price.

UK merchants are offering the wine for £1,440 per six bottles in-bond (IB).

It’s a price that looks compelling when compared to recent back vintages. Global fine wine marketplace Liv-ex noted it, ‘enters the market as one of the least expensive recent vintages’.

Consultancy group Wine Lister added it was, ‘an attractive opportunity for collectors to get hold of this first growth’.

Decanter’s Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, was in line with certain other major critics in rating the wine as one of the weaker first growths this year.

She gave it 94-points and said that: ‘I like the filling texture, but it tapers towards the finish and loses a bit of momentum in terms of density.’

La Mission Haut-Brion

La Mission enters the fray this campaign with a 21.6% price cut and an onward selling price in the UK of around £870 per six bottles IB.

It received similar scores to its first growth cousin, Hindle likewise rating it 94pts saying that while she liked ‘the chalky, mineral-driven elements on the finish,’ it was, ‘not as detailed and finessed as the wine can be. Less dynamic and vibrant.’

Unlike the first growth, buyers might consider looking around for some older vintages of similar quality but lower prices – Liv-ex pointed to the 2017 for example – but the savings are generally slight.

White wines

Both properties produce some of Bordeaux’s most renowned white wines as well, which have also been released.

Unlike their red counterparts, the price reductions have been slight; just 2.8% for Haut-Brion Blanc and 1.1% for La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc.

The wines are currently being offered for around £3,180 per six IB for the Haut-Brion, and £2,580 per six IB for the La Mission.

As with the reds, Hindle was reserved in her scoring of these two wines giving them both 94pts.

Of the Haut-Brion Blanc she said: ‘Cool and calm, this isn’t shouting and the acidity doesn’t stick out as much as I would have thought.’

While for La Mission Blanc she thought: ‘It’s a bit of a slow build that needed some coaxing but tension emerges with clear mineral aspects on the finish.’

Other critics have been more effusive in their praise, however, with Neal Martin giving the La Mission Blanc one of the highest-scores he’s ever given one of its vintages.

Of the two, both Liv-ex and Wine Lister seemed to agree that the Haut-Brion Blanc looked the most compelling, comparing favourably to the prices of back vintages.

‘This is a buy,’ Wine Lister noted emphatically.

For La Mission Blanc the picture is more nuanced as this new release is more expensive than any other available vintage back to the 2010.

Liv-ex asked: ‘Might its wine of the vintage tag make it an opportunity? Or could its historic post-release price performance be a sticking point?’

Troplong-Mondot

Hot on the heels of the Clarence Dillon wines came St-Emilion 1er grand cru classé, Château Troplong Mondot.

The wine was released with a 19% cut on last year’s offer, with an onward selling price of £432 per six.

Unlike the Clarence Dillon wines, Hindle was much more enthusiastic about this wine when tasted en primeur, giving it 96pts.

‘A delicious wine that puts a smile on your face but still multifaceted,’ she noted.

Liv-ex wrote, however, that: ‘The 2024 enters the market at a higher price than most other similarly rated vintages.’

Buyers may consider looking for back vintages at – occasionally considerable – discounts therefore, including from the 2019 and 2020 vintages.

Monday’s releases

There were a number of releases on Monday this week. These included Château Lascombes, Château Giscours, Château Pape Clément, and Château Valandraud.

Each estate offered cuts on their 2023 release prices of 16.4%, 13.4%, 12.9% and 13% respectively.

UK merchants were offering the wines at; £249 per six IB, £213 (6×75 IB) for Giscours, £308 (6×75 IB) for Pape Clément, and Valandraud for £455 (6×75 IB) .

Liv-ex picked out Valandraud and Giscours in particular as presenting an opportunity for buyers in this vintage.

The same was true of Lascombes, and Wine Lister noted that: ‘Repositioning under Lawrence Wine Estates and Axel Heinz may result in interest from some buyers who recognise the step up in quality.’

Click here for more scores from the vintage

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Full vintage review and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2024: ‘Marvellous’ Mouton cuts price by a quarter
• Bordeaux 2024: Château Cos d’Estournel price falls by 29%

All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Julien | Margaux  | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Pomerol | Dry whites | Cru Bourgeois | Top value | Sauternes & Barsac

St-Estèphe 2024: The best wines punch way above the weight of the vintage with plenty of value picks

Average yield: 33.6hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -42.2% (51.5hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from St-Estèphe 2024

Vintage overview

Even in hot vintages, the northern Médoc appellation of St-Estèphe can still produce wines that are somewhat austere and tight in their youth so I was apprehensive of finding wines a little too rustic, highly acidic or severe given 2024’s ample rain and lack of sunshine.

However, there not only some incredible wines from St-Estèphe but a couple of wines that are highlights of the vintage.

Firstly, St-Estèphe had the largest yield of the big four Médoc appellations at an average of 33.6hl/ha although -29.4% on its 10 year average and 42.2% down from last year’s bumper crop of 51.6hl/ha.

Calon Segur for instance did 45hl/ha but had to temporarily pause their organic viticulture to protect grapes during flowering. For estate manager Vincent Millet 2024 was ‘all about decision making’.

He changed vinification with more infusion (allowing the grapes to macerate slowly in the juice without excessive intervention) and used 20% of press wine in the grand vin to build the mid palate.

Le Bosq had slightly lower yields at 35hl/ha but retained their conversion to organic with 30 treatments as well as heavy investments into caterpillar tractors to access their clay soils when waterlogged.

Phélan Ségur had to resort to manual spraying on three occasions to save their crop ending up with 30hl/ha. 2024 was the first year for the estate to have two vertical presses which covered 100% of production.

Cos d’Estournel managed yields of 30hl/ha, with ‘ripe Merlot harvested ahead of the September rains’ said technical director Dominique Arangoïts.

‘Our gravel soils were helpful in the end, they gave more ‘precocity’ to the vines – it ended up being early at the beginning and late at the end’.

A vibrating table was used to sort the berries, some of which were whole bunch fermented and skin contact was kept short.

A new wine

Montrose also kept its organic viticulture and used cover crops effectively to keep competition between the vine and grass for water. ‘We kept the canopy high and removed unripe grapes from the whole estate – the first time we’ve ever done this. It was unbelievable what we had to do,’ said technical director Vincent Decup.

The team used 100 harvesters to pick each plot at the right moment resulting in a yield of 38hl/ha. This year, the estate also debuted a new wine for en primeur tastings although it won’t be released EP.

Terrasse III is made from a Merlot-Cabernet blend but ‘Terrasse three and four Cabernets aren’t the same’, said Decup. ‘Terrasse three has gravel over sand, it has poor soil with less clay so the roots have to go deep. It creates long, nervous tannins with freshness and powerful energy,’ he said.

The wine was crunchy and amazingly vibrant with a rich texture but also lots of freshness. For those who like to delve further into the world of terroir nuance this is a great example.

Ever reliable, Phélan-Ségur produced an exceptional wine – fermented with 15 different indigenous yeasts taken from across the property.

And Le Boscq, Meyney, Lafon-Rochet and de Pez were all great – so there are plenty of value picks also from this appellation.

Standouts

• Château Montrose
• Château Cos d’Estournel

Highlights

• Pagodes de Cos d’Estournel (red and white)
• Château Phélan-Ségur
• Château Lafon-Rochet
• Montrose, Terrasse III
• Château Calon Ségur

Value

• Château Le Boscq
• Château Meyney
• Château de Pez
• Château Capbern
• Château Ormes de Pez

See the top-scoring St-Estèphe 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

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All Bordeaux 2024 coverage:

Full vintage analysis & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | The growing season month by month | Wine styles: what to expect | Market conditions and pricing strategies 

Appellation analysis to come

St-Estèphe | St-Julien | Margaux | Pessac-Léognan | St-Emilion | Pomerol | Cru Bourgeois | Dry whites | Top value | Sauternes & Barsac

Pauillac 2024: The best wines transcended the difficulties of the vintage

Average yield: 29.5hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -45.9% (47.2hl/ha)

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from Pauillac 2024

Vintage overview

It was a tricky vintage overall for Pauillac producers with the lowest yield of all the main four Médoc appellations.

‘It was extremely difficult in the beginning of the growing season,’ said Lafite Rothschild’s technical director Éric Kholer who commented on the very wet and warm spring and high disease pressure.

‘2024 was the fifth vintage out of seven with a high pressure for mildew’ he said, although thanks to the team’s reactivity the estate lost between 10-15% of their eventual yield.

‘Summer was the best we could have hoped for’ he continued noting that they had only 15mm of rain between July and August.

The team picked under the rain at the end of September and because of the homogeneity of the grapes it was ‘more labour intensive to sort the berries’. Overall yields nevertheless were 32hl/ha.

Mouton equally picked during the rainy conditions with more than 400 harvesters on call.

‘We had to be present in the vineyard every day,’ said technical director Jean-Emmanual Danjoy. ‘If you could control mildew early you could relax until veraison. A few years ago we started spraying in mid May and in 2024 we started in the first week of April’.

He added that on 10 different occasions tractors needed to be dragged back out of the muddy soils. The team picked non-stop for two weeks and then used a densimetric bath for sorting for the first time at Mouton.

‘Some grapes were three weeks behind others and 10 days before the harvest the majority had a potential alcohol of 5.5%’, Danjoy continued.

Fighting spirit

Pontet Canet’s technical director Mathieu Bessonnet emphasised the ‘fighting spirit’ needed in 2024 and said it was ‘all about teamwork’. The estate sprayed 31 times and said they ‘almost didn’t lose any fruity because of mildew.

‘The key was to pick ripe. We could have picked earlier, but for what we want to do with only one wine, the only way is to take risks’.

They certainly paid off as Pontet is only of my favourite wines of the vintage with freshness, purity ripe tannins and a sense of completeness.

Latour was also excellent, and even more impressive, given their tiny 11hl/ha yields due to ‘missing some key spraying windows’.

Technical direct Helen Genin compares the wine to 2017 in aromatics and structure and said: ‘It will gain in plumpness and sweetness with the barrels adding additional muscle to the wine.’

Both Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse achieved 20hl/ha with the latter’s technical director Nicholas Glumineau said, ‘2024 was exhausting. There was a new decision to be made every day’.

He compared the vintage to 2008 – ‘straightforward Cabernets’ but also 2001 and 1998 ‘but the difference is the way we’ve treated the 2024s – less extraction, more gentle and precise maceration.’

The best Pauillac wines of 2024

There are certainly some great wines from Pauillac in 2024 but fewer exciting wines than in St-Estèphe or Margaux.

The wines are mostly straight and firm, with precision but also a sense of strictness, some with harsh tannins and a lack of fruit to balance the high acidities.

Highlights

• Château Mouton-Rothschild
• Château Pontet Canet
• Château Lafite Rothschild
• Château Latour

Standouts

• Château Pichon Baron
• Château Pichon Comtesse
• Château Lynch Bages
• Château Pedesclaux
• Château Grand Puy Ducasse
• Château Duhart Milon
• Château Haut Bages Libéreal

Value

• Château Fonbadet
• Château Pauillac

See the top-scoring Pauillac 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

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The trend for cuts continues with both releases, but cheaper vintages remain in the back catalogue of each as well.

That said, both properties are considered to be among the region’s rising stars which might draw interest.

Château Canon-la-Gaffelière was also released with a 20% cut and is the cheapest vintage currently available.

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Château Beau-Séjour Bécot

Released this morning (Friday, 16 May) at €31.5 per bottle ex-négociant (12.8% down on the 2023), the St-Emilion 1er gran cru classé is being offered by UK merchants for £225 per six bottles in-bond (IB).

The wine was among Georgie Hindle’s top-scorers with a rating of 96-points. She called it: ‘A great glass. Sappy, fruity, clean and salty. A true wine of place.’

Despite the reduction and some favourable scores, there are several back vintages available for less.

Consultancy group Wine Lister commented that: ‘While most 2024s have the lowest average scores for a decade, Beau-Séjour Bécot is a rare 2024 whose scores are on a par with certain recent vintages, which is probably why its release doesn’t fulfil the pricing criteria requested by the trade.’

Fine wine platform Liv-ex suggested that the high-scoring 2020 vintage available at £200 per six bottles ‘may present an interesting opportunity’.

Château Rauzan-Ségla

This Margaux second growth has grown in stature considerably in recent years alongside stablemate Château Canon in St-Emilion (both owned by the family behind Chanel).

The 2024 was released with a cut of 21.4%, down to €48 a bottle ex-négociant. UK merchants are offering it for £283 per six bottles IB.

The wine received a solid 95-points from Hindle who said it had, ‘plenty of style and refinement and a feeling of happiness about it’.

However, like Beau-Séjour Bécot, Liv-ex pointed out that a few back vintages such as the 2014, 2017 and 2021 were available for less if buyers were looking for something more immediately.

That said, Wine Lister noted that: ‘Rauzan-Ségla has strong brand goodwill and many critics rated the 2024 highly, so it could see traction in some corners.’

Click here for more scores from the vintage

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Cos d’Estournel 2024 emerged en primeur on Thursday (15 May) at €84 per bottle ex-négociant, which puts this top St-Estèphe second growth among Bordeaux châteaux returning to 2014-vintage-era release pricing.

It was released in the UK at £1,020 per 12-bottle case in bond (IB), said Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade. 

St-Emilion’s Pavie Macquin 2024 has also been released, at its lowest ex-négociant price since the 2013 vintage. Other debuts this week have included Mouton Rothschild, Les Carmes Haut-Brion and Pichon Baron – in a busy few days for the campaign. 

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Analysis: Cos d’Estournel 2024

Six-bottle case offers have been fairly standard in this campaign and several UK merchants were offering Château Cos d’Estournel 2024 on this basis (£510 IB, Bordeaux Index, Farr Vintners, Vinum Fine Wines). 

While it’s no secret that a challenging Bordeaux growing season has yielded an uneven vintage, Cos d’Estournel has produced one of the clear success stories. 

Decanter’s Georgie Hindle rated Cos d’Estournel 2024 at 96pts in her Bordeaux 2024 vintage report.

‘Freshness is there but ripeness is, too, so you have a great combination of structure and focus…a great effort,’ she wrote.

Analysts offered a mixed view on the wine’s release price, despite a 29% drop versus the 2023-vintage en primeur debut last year. 

Consultancy group Wine Lister said Cos d’Estournel received high confidence scores in its survey of global trade leaders prior to the campaign. 

Yet, it added, ‘Despite the significant effort in terms of year-on-year discount, this release may fail to convince buyers, with several higher-scoring back vintages available for around the same price.’

Liv-ex said, ‘The [Cos d’Estournel] 2024 enters the market above the price of several other physical vintages.’ 

Its data suggested several recent vintages have fallen in price since release – a trend seen on other Bordeaux wines, too. Fine wine prices on the secondary market have dropped in general since late 2022.

Cos d’Estournel Blanc white wine was also released on Thursday, and offered in the UK at the equivalent of £1,284 (12x75cl IB).

Liv-ex data showed the wine is more expensive than several other available vintages, yet Decanter’s Hindle rated Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2024 at 97pts. 

Click here for Hindle’s full review of Bordeaux 2024

Pavie Macquin and Malartic-Lagravière among other new releases

St-Emilion’s Château Pavie Macquin 2024 was one of the later releases on Wednesday (14 May) and its ex-négociant price of €36 per bottle was the lowest since the 2013 vintage, said Liv-ex. 

The wine was offered at £426 (12x75cl IB) in the UK, making it one of the cheapest iterations of this St-Emilion 1er Grand Cru Classé on the market.

Hindle rated Pavie Macquin 2024 94pts en primeur, describing it as ‘juicy, lively, fun, fresh and joyous’. She added, ‘Will need a bit of time to soften, but this is characterful and full of personality.’ 

Among other releases was a debut for Château d’Issan 2024 (94pts, Decanter). It debuted at €32.1 per bottle ex-négociant, translating to a UK offer price of £372 (12x75cl IB). That’s down 17% versus the 2023 vintage release and puts it among the, ‘less expensive vintages on the market’, said Liv-ex.

In Pessac-Léognan, Château Malartic-Lagravière 2024 was also released on Thursday, at €25.8 per bottle ex-négociant and £304 (12x75cl IB) in the UK. While that is below several other available vintages, Liv-ex noted the 2019 and 2020 vintages were slightly cheaper.

St-Juilien’s Château Lagrange 2024 was also released, at €27.6 per bottle ex-négociant and £324 (12x75cl IB) in the UK – down nearly 13% year-on-year.

Click here for more scores from the vintage

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Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion has been considered a rising star in recent years and its 2024 vintage was released in the Bordeaux en primeur campaign at €61.2 per bottle ex-négociant.

At £708 (12x75cl in bond) in the UK – with some merchants offering six-bottle cases – it is one of the estate’s cheapest available vintages, suggested analysis by Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, named the wine as a stand-out success in the Bordeaux 2024 vintage.

Château Pichon Baron was another major release on Wednesday morning (14 May), alongside Domaine de Chevalier, following the arrival of first growth Mouton Rothschild and also Château Beychevelle yesterday.

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Analysis: Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2024 

Can Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2024 inject a bit of pace into a Bordeaux en primeur campaign that has seen some welcome price cuts but has so far brought reports of subdued buying activity? 

Consultancy group Wine Lister said: ‘Given the buzz around the estate and entry nicely below all available back vintages, this is an obvious buy.’

Liv-ex data suggested the estate’s 2024 en primeur wine was roughly in the same price arena as the 2021 and 2017 vintages, in pound sterling terms. The wine continued a trend for discounts in this year’s en primeur campaign, dropping 22.4% on the 2023-vintage’s debut price. 

Liv-ex also noted that Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2024 barrel samples have received relatively strong quality scores from critics and that production was down approximately 50% versus the 2023 vintage.

Decanter’s Georgie Hindle named the wine as one of the stand-out success stories in her full Bordeaux 2024 vintage report, published exclusively this week for Decanter Premium subscribers.

‘This really embodies Les Carmes’ chiselled character,’ wrote Hindle, rating the wine 96 points and describing it as, ‘complex, structured and profound’.

Pichon Baron 2024 follows trend for discounts

Pauillac’s Pichon Baron 2024 was also a major release this morning, and another wine receiving a 96-point score from Hindle.

‘One of my favourites [in the vintage]’ she said, noting that yields here were lower than usual, at 20 hectolitres per hectare. 

At €81.6 per bottle ex-négociant, this top second growth estate joined a group of châteaux that have returned to release pricing not seen for around a decade.

It was released in the UK at £978 (12x75cl IB), according to Liv-ex, which said the price was down nearly 21% on the 2023 vintage release last year. That makes it one of the cheapest available vintages of Pichon Baron on the market. 

Wine Lister said: ‘The latest release enters the market below all previous back vintages bar the 2021.’

But, it noted that the 2021 vintage had received some higher scores and had spent time in-bottle, meaning it ‘might prove more attractive to buyers’. 

Other releases: Domaine de Chevalier and Beychevelle

Domaine de Chevalier 2024 was also released, alongside the estate’s white wine, on Wednesday. The red was €32.1 per bottle ex-négociant, translating to a UK offer of £384 (12x75cl IB), said Liv-ex.

UK merchant Farr Vintners said of the red wine: ‘The Bernard family have made a big effort on price this year and Domaine de Chevalier Rouge is offered below our bottom estimate at £192 [6x75cl IB].’

Wine Lister said: ‘Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2024 sits below all previous vintages the market and looks attractive as a result. The only sticking point on this release is the similarly-priced 2018 vintage.’

St-Julien’s Beychevelle 2024 (92pts, Decanter) emerged late afternoon on Tuesday (13 May). It was released at €57 per bottle ex-négociant.

Liv-ex said this was the cheapest release price since the 2019 vintage, although a UK offer price of £708 (12x75cl IB) was just 1.7% down on the debut price of the 2023 vintage.

It said the 2024 wine was, ‘one of the less expensive vintages on the market’, although much may depend on how the wine is scored by critics when it is reassessed in-bottle. 

This echoes reports from some merchants that buyers have appeared in no rush to dive in for many Bordeaux 2024 en primeur wines so far – notwithstanding demand for some top names.

Click here for more scores from the vintage

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The Pauillac estate is the second first growth to have been released so far this campaign, following Lafite Rothschild at the end of April.

Its new price makes it the cheapest since the release of the 2014 vintage and represents a price cut of 25% on last year’s 2023 offer. Consultancy group Wine Lister called it ‘a well-judged release’.

Also released was Mouton’s stable of other labels including Château d’Armailhac and Château Clerc Milon.

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Mouton Rothschild

The 2024 vintage of Mouton Rothschild has been released at €252 per bottle ex-négociant. This is a cut of 25.2% on the 2023’s opening price.

The wine is available from UK merchants for around £1,521 per case of six bottles in-bond (IB).

The 2024 Mouton has been well-reviewed by critics. Decanter’s Georgie Hindle gave it one of her higher scores of 96-points.

‘This is just brilliant – fresh, lively, zingy and ample. Lovely finesse too. A marvellous Mouton,’ she said.

Fine wine marketplace Liv-ex remarked that the 2024 was ‘the cheapest vintage on the market’ – 10.5% less than the next cheapest which is the 2021.

‘As such, it may present an interesting opportunity for buyers,’ its analysis concluded.

Second label Petit Mouton was also released at its lowest price since 2014 and is available via merchants for £651 per six bottles IB.

Click here for Hindle’s full review of Bordeaux 2024

Mouton stablemates

The 2024 vintage of d’Armailhac was released at €27.6 per bottle (a 17.4% discount on the 2023), and is being offered by merchants for £167 per case of six bottles in-bond.

Clerc Milon meanwhile was released at €45.6 per bottle – a 16.7% cut – and is available for £275 per case of six bottles in-bond.

Both wines are the cheapest vintage from both estates, with Liv-ex highlighting the fact that either wine might be of interest to collectors.

Clos Fourtet and others

With St-Julien duo Léoville-Barton and Langoa-Barton leading the morning’s releases on Monday, St-Emilion estate Clos Fourtet appeared in the afternoon.

The wine was released with an 25.7% cut on the 2023’s opening offer. UK merchants are listing the wine for £306 per case of six bottles in-bond.

The new wine is the cheapest available vintage on the market.

Also out are three more left bank estates, Château Maléscot-St-Exupéry at £170 per six, Château Kirwan at £150 per six and Château Gloria at £121 per case of six bottles in-bond.

Click here for more scores from the vintage

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Bordeaux 2024 vintage

Vintage rating overall: 3/5

A ‘war’ is how Château Cheval Blanc’s Pierre-Olivier Clouet described the 2024 vintage.

It was perhaps never going to be easy when the growing season started as the wettest in recent memory, and the years ending in ‘4’ don’t have the best reputation – if you follow those rules in Bordeaux.

It’s an uneven vintage with highs and lows but it’s certainly not a disaster.

Better than expected doesn’t exactly heap praise on the 2024s but it could have been much worse, and no doubt would have been 20 years ago.

Mildew hit historically early with Lafleur beginning to spray on the 20 March and the pressure never let up from there with 31 treatments needed at some organic estates when a little more than half an inch of rain would wash away a treatment.

Rain disrupted both flowering and fruit-set posing all sorts of problems for even ripening but summer was the third driest in the last 20 years.

July was mostly dry, but overcast and not overly sunny, however August was hotter with more sunshine hours which went some way to counter the soggy soils and induce a degree of hydric stress.

However, more rain arrived in early September and again towards the end of the month, with cool temperatures throughout, bringing low sugar levels, dilution and botrytis risks (a challenge not faced in 20 years at some estates).

I’ve covered the weather in detail in two earlier articles, more generally here and month-by-month here.

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Standout red wines of the vintage

Château Pontet Canet

Château L’Eglise Clinet

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion

Château Margaux

Also exceptional: Montrose, Pichon Comtesse, Pichon Baron, Cos D’Estournel, Lafleur, Latour, Rauzan-Ségla, Palmer, Figeac, Angelus, Troplong Mondot, Lassegue, Canon, Beauséjour-Bécot, Beauséjour, Léoville Las Cases, VCC, Larcis Ducasse.

Standout white wines

Valandruad Blanc, Pavillon Blanc, Domaine de Chevalier, Malartic-Lagravière

Standout sweet wines

Coutet, Suduiraut

It may not be remembered as one of the greats, but 2024 is a compelling study in resilience and endurance.

Vigilance, reactivity, teamwork, quick and strategic decision making, financial resources, obsessive sorting and terroir (as well as a bit of hope and luck) were all critical to success.

For grapes that were able to ripen ‘enough’ – the biggest challenge of the year – and be sorted as such, the results are excellent, with some lovely and extremely drinkable bottles around.

It’s not that they’re all great, they aren’t, quality diminishes beyond many of the first wines and lesser sites, but some wines will stand comfortably and confidently shoulder-to-shoulder with other vintages in a vertical.

We don’t need blockbuster 2022 vintages every year, and 2024 is certainly not that, or even close.

Indeed, there was even widespread chaptalisation (the regulated addition of sugar to grape must to increase alcohol content by around 0.5%) which wasn’t as openly admitted to in 2021.

With most alcohols clocking in between 12.8% and 13.5%, these aren’t super ripe, bold, bruising or plush wines.

They don’t have the density or charm as 2020 say, they’re more straight, focussed and fresh – more akin to 2021 (although better in places), 2014 and 2001.

The vintage is a modern iteration of those that came from the 1990s – good old ‘drinking’ clarets that will be approachable when young but also appeal to a younger consumer who doesn’t want to cellar these wines for decades before opening.

With regards tannins, Château Margaux’s grand vin has an IPT (Total Polyphenol Index) of 63 which is ‘more like the 1996 vintage,’ winemaker Philippe Bascaules noted.

Key themes:

Relentless climatic challenges

Inspiring human resilience

Stark quality disparities driven by terroir and finances

Achieving ripeness meant taking risks

Adaptive winemaking and rigorous selection were key

Elegant, acid-driven, early-drinking style

Triumphs amid adversity

Market challenges and pricing imperatives

Wine styles and quality variations

Generous but gentle

In general, the 2024 vintage can be described as delicate, generous but gentle, lightly framed but in the best cases still with medium concentration and wonderful aromatic intensity, mainly of crisp, mouthwatering red and cool blue berries instead of black.

Wines show the pedigree of their terroir as well as clear winemaking intent. Restraint in terms of extraction is identifiable as well as the addition of press wine to build the body in the more successful wines.

There’s purity but with surprising complexity and persistence. While not seductive, they’re more academic, a little more serious but nonetheless enjoyable and will be great to enjoy with food.

The better wines are elegant and finessed, certainly acid-driven that’s a given with pHs between 3.50 and 3.75 (3.60-3.75 is a sweet spot with 3.60-3.65 valued for long ageing and 3.70-3.75 suiting earlier-drinking styles), but with an overall balance of fruit, brightness and tannins.

However, as is often the case, not everyone was spared and the vintage is one of the most heterogeneous in recent times with huge disparities in both quality and yields, some of which was entirely unavoidable.

Viticultural challenges and responses

Losses were particularly felt by mildew in waterlogged vineyards where tractors were unable to treat or those that didn’t treat early enough and were playing catch up for the rest of the season.

Petrus used quadbikes for better access and Le Boscq invested in caterpillar tractors to navigate claggy clay soils.

Cover crops for those that had them were particularly useful for vineyard access at this point, stabilising soils and managing water.

Some northern Médoc estates also suffered from three localised hail storms in June.

However, most crop depletion was due to coulure and millerandage. Coulure is the failure of grapes to develop after flowering due to poor pollination or environmental stress, resulting in reduced yields and fewer berries per bunch.

Millerandage is a viticultural condition where grapes within a bunch develop unevenly due to poor pollination or weather, resulting in berries of different sizes and maturities.

Coulure was the single biggest factor of low yields, affecting both Merlot and unusually Cabernet Sauvignon.

Although this led to uneven ripening, it meant that bunches were less compacted/more aerated which helped limit the threat of rot.

Yields, written as hl/ha in my tasting notes averaged 36hl/ha putting 2024 as the smallest crop since 1991 however amounts varied massively between estates.

Latour for instance had 11hl/ha while Lafite had 32hl/ha. L’Eglise Clinet had 30hl/ha while Phèlan Segur had 38hl/ha.

As a quick guide a few of the appellation averages were; 29.5hl/ha in Pauillac, 33.1hl/ha in Margaux, 40.8hl/ha in St-Emilion and 28.4hl/ha in Pomerol.

Terroir is king (better draining and earlier ripening sites prevailed) but so is money, sad though it is.

Winemaking strategies and financial realities

To what extent could an estate afford quality when it meant; being available to spray 24-7 (even on weekends) and up to three times more than normal?

To employ extra people throughout the year to clean vines and de-leaf for extra sun impact? To wait for maturity but knowing you’ll have to sacrifice grapes? Those options simply weren’t possible for some estates.

Full phenolic ripeness was of course key but achieving that wasn’t easy. Earlier ripening Merlot was caught in the crosshairs of September rains while the later-ripening Cabernets fared better under dry October skies.

Left Bank wines generally included more Cabernet than usual in the blends although many large estates were forced to pick in the rain.

Ultimately however it was a question of maturity vs yield vs cost/return.

Who could wait the longest, harvest the quickest and sort the most thoroughly, and then afford the result?

Cheval Blanc for instance picked 18ha in two and a half days – a task that would usually take seven!

Pontet Canet waited longer than most, starting on the 26 September for Merlot and the 4 October (the day Lafite finished) for the Cabernets and picking the heart of the vineyard on 6th, 7th and 8th.

‘We could have picked earlier, but for what we want to do with only one wine, we have to take the risks and that was the only way,’ said Pontet-Canet’s technical director Mathieu Bessonnet.

Ducru-Beaucaillou doubled the number of harvesters, so did Beauséjour.

Belt and braces

If you could, you did. But it didn’t make it any less exhausting with winemakers recounting clear fatigue at the end yet pride in overcoming the season’s challenges giving the vintage a very real human narrative.

Sorting was highly influential but varies from producer to producer. Hand harvesting, sorting in the vines and on tables was enough for some winemakers, while others used either optical or densimetric machines or both like Figeac and Petit Village.

A densimetric sorting machine separates grapes by density using a liquid bath (often made of sugary water) to float less ripe, less dense berries while allowing denser, riper berries to sink, ensuring only fruit with the desired ripeness is used for winemaking.

They have a rental cost of around €20,000 euros and must be ordered in July well ahead of harvest time.

Estates opted for gentle extractions and longer macerations in the cellar, as well as saignée (bleeding) to concentrate musts.

Reverse osmosis – a winemaking technique that uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove water from grape must, concentrating sugars, acids, and flavours to enhance the wine’s intensity and balance – was also used at a few estates including Léoville Poyferré and Lagrange.

Although since this method reduces quantities even further it was not widely used.

Quality disparity and ageing potential

Quality wise, in addition to the good, there are the bad. There are lots of lean and mean wines out there.

As covered in my wine styles article, there are definitely unripe wines with green and stalky notes and ones that haven’t achieved balance or a sense of completeness.

There are hollow mid-palates, dilution and coarse, harsh tannins. Wines sometimes have tart, or sour acidities – a feeling of searing freshness or citric bitterness. Austerity is also present often due to intense minerality from limestone or gravel terroirs.

Some wines are overly toasted and dry, with either too much extraction or too much new oak at this stage, however, in general oak regimes have been dialled down.

Balance and composure can make up for a lack of richness or complexity and where winemakers accepted that, and were able to pivot from dreams of richness and opulence to something more restrained, they have found success.

That said, mid palates could also be built with the integration of high quality press wine to varying degrees; 20% at Capbern and Calon Ségur, 16% at Pichon Comtesse, 13% at Margaux, Montrose and Cos d’Estournel, 10% in Phelan Segur (the first year with two vertical presses), 10% in Palmer.

Some eschew it entirely and are none the worse for it, Larcis Ducasse has no press wine and is fantastic.

Ageing will be key and there’s definitely some reticence on my part to sentence these young wines with surety when they are so fragile.

Length and time in barrels will certainly define the ultimate style so the in-bottle tastings will be more important than usual I think.

Dry and sweet white wines

The dry white wines, primarily Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blends, showcase a vibrant freshness that mirrors the vintage’s acid-driven red wines, though quality varies widely due to the season’s wet conditions.

Standout examples deliver zesty citrus and green apple notes, with pH levels around 3.20–3.40 and crisp acidity, offering a lively, mineral-edged profile ideal for early drinking.

However, the relentless spring rains and September’s cool, damp weather posed challenges, with some estates battling dilution and flabbiness, resulting in wines with soft or muted acidity.

Rigorous sorting and early harvesting were crucial for success. While not as concentrated as exceptional vintages like 2020, the best 2024 whites provide refreshing, food-friendly options with elegance over opulence, though lesser examples fall short of the region’s typically high standards.

Sweet wines offer plenty of zesty liveliness although don’t compete with more recent excellent vintages in terms of concentration or complexity.

Less luscious but with striking acidity and pure aromas and flavours of botrytis, there’s plenty of pleasure to be had in 2024.

The first wave of harvests started late September with second passes in early October although cooler subsequent weather prevented further pickings which may have produced even more sweetness and richness.

Yields were relatively generous however with an average of 13hl/ha in Sauternes (up 1% from 2023) and 11.5hl/ha in Barsac (down 2% on 2023).

Key EP releases so far

Pontet-Canet

Branaire-Ducru

Lafite Rothschild

Angélus

Cheval Blanc

Montrose

Haut-Bailly

Market dynamics and en primeur challenges

With a difficult vintage, the verdict is even more tricky. I can’t say I loved all the wines, indeed I found some undrinkable and have not included them in my report (typically we don’t include tasting notes for wines that score below 85 points).

But there are bottles that deserve attention – not least because of the mammoth efforts it took to produce them.

My son also arrived in 2024 and I’m certainly earmarking bottles for him to enjoy on certain milestones.

As Lafite’s Saskia de Rothschild said: ‘2024 could be one of those vintages like 2001 – in the beginning they seem less opulent but in the early ages they give such pleasure’.

And then there is the market. The 2024 vintage was one of the most expensive in recent times with one winemaker estimating a 40% higher production cost than 2023 (including labour and treatments and given the low yields).

At every stage costs just kept going up. It shouldn’t be lost on people however that while this is true, estates are being asked to massively discount the wines in order to galvanise a very sluggish and somewhat indifferent market.

Bordeaux’s image crisis still lingers on despite excellent quality wines and plenty of innovation as well as new consumer campaigns, and people generally aren’t drinking as much wine as they used to.

There’s also the issue of poor returns for EP investors. The Liv-ex Bordeaux 500 index fell 24% from 2022–2024, reflecting declining demand and oversupply – some merchants are sitting on three years worth of unsold stock.

Early campaign struggles

Yet early reports suggest even heavy decreases from the 2023 release prices haven’t been enough. For estates with already high prices, a large reduction is commendable, but there are some who can’t drop a Euro.

So far Haut Bailly is down the most from 2023, with a 36.1% cut, and Lafleur the least, down just 2.5%.

It’s interesting to note that in release emails by Wine Lister, 2024 prices and scores are being compared and contrasted with other vintages, noting those that might be ‘more appealing’.

So, what price is right? How low does a winery have to go to sell? There still seems a clear divide between what people are willing to spend and what estates think they can charge.

Bordeaux’s ever fluctuating price strategies add fuel to the fire with worsening consumer confidence.

Then there’s the lack of return on en primeur investments which by and large haven’t been positive since 2015.

The enduring appeal of En Primeur

For many though, en primeur is still exciting. Less about secondary market price increases and more an annual ritual.

The chance to build a balanced cellar, to have differently sized bottles, to assess wines at different stages of maturity, to follow a house style regardless of vintage variation – first wines as well as the more entry-level second and third wines.

I was reminded of this during the opening night of En Primeur week when a British merchant tracked me down and told me not to ‘forget about the consumer’ and the mid-level, everyday, great-value wines they love.

‘En Primeur for traditional drinkers has always been a fun experience, occasionally chosen wines have increased in value but that has never been the point of the purchasing,’ said Louisa de Faye Perkins of UK agent Charles Taylor Wines.

Some merchants however aren’t buying second wines this year – despite some very good bottles – and are encouraging estates to only focus on ‘the wines that will sell’.

There’s no Petit Ducru, no Moulin de Duhart, no Tronquoy being released.

Potential opportunities

It’s understandable to a point, high interest rates and borrowing costs (tripling since 2020) strain négociants, who finance campaigns at 4%+ interest, leading to unsold stock and price stagnation.

If you weren’t to stock up on 2024 right now, the 2016s look a good buy at the moment – a highly praised vintage with many on sale for close to their release price without paying nine years of storage charges.

However, with many EP releases currently the cheapest vintage available on the market, 2024 is the perfect time to get involved, especially for first-time buyers.

It remains a great opportunity to safeguard these young wines, especially in a vintage like 2024 with plenty of earlier-drinking bottles offering easy enjoyment.

The campaign isn’t over yet and many wines are still to release.

Overall, the Bordeaux 2024 vintage will be remembered for tenacity in the face of climatic adversity, yielding elegant and fresh wines and where quality triumphed in the hands of the resolute.

‘It was a tough game, but a great score in the end,’ said L’Eglise-Clinet’s Noëmie Durantou Reilhac.

I’ll be compiling articles on all the major appellations with more in-depth analysis and producer anecdotes as well as stand out and value bottles to come.

Click here for more Bordeaux 2024 notes and scores

Bordeaux 2024 review: The 21 best wines of the vintage

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Market conditions and pricing strategies
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle

Léoville Barton 2024 was released on Monday (12 May) at €48 per bottle ex-négociant, translating to a price of around £577 per 12-bottle case in bond (IB) in the UK. Some merchants are offering the wine in six-bottle cases.

The new release is 14% down on the debut price of the 2023 vintage, said Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

Stablemate Langoa Barton 2024 was also released, at €26.4 per bottle ex-négociant and £314 per case (12x75cl IB) in the UK.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

That’s down 10% year-on-year and is also one of the cheapest release prices for this wine in recent memory, said Liv-ex.

Yet, Liv-ex also said there were cheaper options available among recent back-vintages for both Léoville and Langoa Barton.

UK merchant Lay & Wheeler said the wines are perennial favourites among buyers and ‘have always been well-priced’ on release. It also noted relatively good quality scores on the 2024-vintage editions.

They follow releases for Haut-Bailly and Lafleur late last week and come ahead of a big few days for the campaign, with first growth Château Mouton Rothschild due to appear on Tuesday (13 May).

It remains to be seen whether a new flurry of releases can cut through reports of a relatively lethargic market, however.

Georgie Hindle, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, described 2024 as an uneven vintage with highs and lows. 

There are nevertheless several standout wines, produced via inspiring tales of human resilience, said Hindle. She has tasted hundreds of wines for an in-depth Bordeaux 2024 vintage report to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers this week. 

Other releases

Château Malescot St Exupéry 2024 was also released on Monday morning at €29 per bottle ex-négociant, down nearly 13% year-on-year and joining a trend for 2014-vintage-era release pricing.

In the UK, the wine was offered at £341 (12x75cl IB). Liv-ex said, ‘Today’s release comes in as one of the least expensive recent vintages available on the market. Still, the better-rated 2017 is available at a discount to the 2024.’ 

Back-vintage pricing may vary by market and merchant.

A sedate market?

Early feedback from merchants has suggested a relatively muted market reaction to the Bordeaux 2024 campaign so far, despite release prices on many top names dropping back to levels not seen for 10 years, or more.

Will Hargrove, head of fine wine at Corney & Barrow in the UK, said the merchant has seen good demand for Lafite, as well as for Cheval Blanc and also Bélair-Monange.

However, he said it appeared buyers didn’t feel a sense of urgency to acquire wines, even though the release prices looked attractive. 

In the US, California-based merchant JJ Buckley isn’t offering an en primeur campaign this year, for the first time.

‘That said, we are accommodating any client [en primeur 2024] demand,’ said CEO Shaun Bishop. This, though, has been, ‘almost non-existent so far, except for a handful of Lafite Rothschild and Cheval Blanc requests’. 

Ongoing uncertainty around tariffs is a key issue, Bishop said.

‘As such, we are recommending that our clients wait until tariff negotiations have concluded and the final price is known.’

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Cheval Blanc cuts price by nearly 30%
• Bordeaux 2024: Montrose sweeps into view with 29% price cut
• Bordeaux 2024 wine styles

Prices for several top Bordeaux wines from recent vintages have struggled for momentum following release, fresh data shows, shining a light on a delicately poised market as it faces the beginning of the 2024-vintage en primeur campaign.

Some wines have seen prices fall in pound sterling terms since their UK en primeur release, according to data supplied by international merchant Bordeaux Index and its LiveTrade online trading platform.

Even the 2019 vintage, released at relatively low prices in the Covid-19 pandemic, ‘shows a less than stellar performance’, said Geraint Carter, of Bordeaux Index.

Some 2015- and 2016-vintage wines have risen strongly. Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2015’s price has more than doubled in price (see chart), to around £1,000 (12x75cl in bond).

More prices may rise over time, particularly given wines’ high quality, yet the current market remains subdued. Fine wine prices have fallen since late 2022, but Bordeaux has underperformed for longer.

Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, said its Bordeaux 500 index dropped 4.2% in the five years to 31 March. Its multi-region Liv-ex 1000 index rose 5.5%.

While Bordeaux 2024 barrel samples were still being tasted as Decanter went to press, some châteaux were rumoured to be considering release price cuts for the second year running.

Liv-ex said en Bordeaux primeur remains a potential opportunity, despite average prices falling, post-release, on recent vintages.

‘Releasing the 2024s at the right prices will do more than reinvigorate the en primeur system – it may be the catalyst needed to end the current market downturn.’

Each producer has its own context, however. Consultancy group Wine Lister said prices for Pomerol’s Château Lafleur have risen 62% on average since release, for the five vintages spanning 2019 to 2023.

Success story: Latour 2016

Buyer thirst for Bordeaux hasn’t evaporated. A market debut for Château Latour 2016 (100pts, Decanter) in March ‘was, by some distance, the standout sales “event” of the year to date’, said Bordeaux Index’s Carter.

In April, it was being offered at £3,200 (6x75cl in bond, LiveTrade). Miles Davis, market expert at merchant Vinum Fine Wines, said: ‘We sold out very quickly indeed and it felt like the good old days again.’

Fine wine & spirits specialist Bordeaux Index kindly sponsors this section of Decanter, and provides its view on the market here every issue. It can be found at bordeauxindex.com.

This year’s Bordeaux en primeur campaign, for the fairly challenging 2024 vintage, comes at a difficult time for Bordeaux, the only blue-chip wine region to have seen price declines versus the levels of five years ago.

At the same time, most buyers of recent EP vintages are sitting on paper losses due to the combination of release prices sitting too close to market prices of surrounding vintages and the headwinds to Bordeaux prices overall.

There’s certainly a path to a successful EP campaign, one that sees significant collector demand and potentially reignites broader buyer interest in Bordeaux as a region.

This requires very substantial discounts to current market pricing of the cheapest recent vintages, such that the wines are in a ‘must buy’ pricing territory – marginal pricing simply won’t be of interest to most buyers at this juncture.

While the vintage was challenging, Bordeaux châteaux now have a remarkable ability to make very good wines year in, year out, such that if the pricing is right, collectors will be able to tuck away great wines at great prices, and may even then turn their attention to other recent vintages where there are certainly good long-term deals.

Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges auction prices up

Strong bidding on a reduced number of lots in the 64th Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges Burgundy auction drove up the average price per barrel by 41.5% versus last year, organisers have said.

Price per barrel reached €22,422.50 (£19,432), close to a record €22,807 set in 2022, said auction host iDealwine.

Burgundy’s small 2024 harvest affected the quantity of wine offered this year. Domaine des Hospices de Nuits-St-Georges vineyards, spanning 12.4ha, saw the lowest overall yield since 1961.

Total sales from 35.5 barrels, or ‘pièces’, reached €796,000, said iDealwine. The sale also raised €60,950 from bottles of mature vintages released from domaine cellars.

A special barrel in aid of Coucou Nous Voilou children’s charity also raised more than €53,000.

Last year’s auction, focusing on the 2023 vintage, featured 150 pièces and sales topped €2m.

Demand for wines is widening

Auction house Sotheby’s has reported a ‘broadening in collecting interests’ in its latest annual market report for wine and spirits, despite a drop in overall sales last year.

Sotheby’s new report highlighted rising demand for wines from California and Spain, as well as Italy and the Rhône, in 2024.

Bordeaux, Burgundy and spirits still constituted just under 70% of total wine and spirits sales for the year, with Burgundy’s fabled Domaine de la Romanée-Conti the top-selling producer.

Sotheby’s global wine and spirits auction sales dropped to $114m (£87m) in 2024, versus a record $159m in 2023, however.

While hammer prices fell in a challenging market, it was also a year of consolidation and investment, said Nick Pegna, Sotheby’s global head of wine and spirits.

‘We were inspecting a number of long-term collections that we’re bringing to market this year,’ he said, adding the first quarter of 2025 was ‘better than planned, and we’re really pleased with the results’.

Despite reports of a difficult market for young Bordeaux, Pegna said bidders were thirsty for older, ready-to-drink vintages, such as 2005 or 2008.

‘Good quality, excellent provenance, mature Bordeaux is still strongly in demand,’ Pegna said. A recent Sotheby’s London auction included wines from the cellar of John Apthorp CBE.

Two bottles of Château Mouton Rothschild 1982 fetched £3,750, including buyer’s premium (high estimate: £1,600). Seven bottles of Petrus 1970 sold for £16,250 (high e: £13,000).

Disclaimer: Decanter’s Marketwatch pages are published for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Wine prices may vary and they can go down as well as up. Seek independent advice where necessary and be aware that wine investment is unregulated in several markets, including the UK.

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Château Montrose, Château Talbot and Château La Gaffelière lead another day of 2024 en primeur releases. All three estates have offered cuts in price versus their 2023 releases.

Since the release of Château Lafite Rothschild last week, cuts have (mostly) been deep across the board with each new offer.

Consultancy group, Wine Lister, noted today that: ‘So far in the 2024 campaign, ex-négociant prices are down 19% on the 2023 and down 37% on the 2022, while average recommended UK onward selling prices are down 22% on the 2023 and down 38% on the 2022.’

This has made many wines look attractively priced but initial reports suggest buyers still aren’t flocking to the new wines.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Château Montrose

The St-Estèphe second growth has offered its 2024 wine at €84 per bottle ex-négociant, a 29% cut to its 2023 release.

This translates to a price of around £507 per six bottles in-bond (IB) from UK merchants – though some – such as Berry Bros & Rudd – are offering it in cases of three for £261.

This is an estate with a strong track record in recent vintages and its 2024 wine has picked up an average score of around 95-points from many major critics.

Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, noted that it, ‘comes in as one of the less expensive vintages available on the market’.

However, the 95-point 2021 and 2017 vintages are available at a discount, as is the 96-point 2014 vintage.

Its second wine, Dame de Montrose, is being offered at £144 per 6x75cl.

Château Talbot

Down in St-Julien, buyer’s favourite Château Talbot offered a smaller discount of 16% on its 2023 price.

The 2024 was being offered by négociants for €32.4 per bottle, with a sale price of £194 per 6x75cl IB.

This is another estate making positive strides with its quality.

Farr Vintners noted that its new technical director, Jean-Michel Laporte, was previously at La Conseillante and, ‘he is certainly upping the quality. There is now more body, depth and power than the Talbots of the past, but it is still fairly approachable at an early age’.

Liv-ex noted that the 2024 was the ‘least expensive available on the market for pirate collectors’, and ‘may present value to buyers’.

Château La Gaffelière

Right Bank estate La Gaffelière offered a 21.1% cut on its 2023 price, out at €35.5 per bottle ex-négociant.

UK merchants are offering the wine for £213 per six bottles IB. Liv-ex noted that the price made it ‘one of’ the least expensive vintages on the market, though the 2021 with a similar score and currently 10% cheaper ‘looks inviting’.

Release round-up

A few other estates have slipped their moorings between releases of other, headline-grabbing, wines.

These include Château Gazin which is out at £237 per six IB. The release price was down 18.6% on the 2023 and the new wine is the least expensive on the market according to Liv-ex.

Another notable release is Château Haut-Batailley (not be confused with Château Batailley which was released at the start of the campaign late last month).

The 2024 was offered with a 10.9% cut on its 2023 price, and is being offered by UK merchants for £193 per case of six IB.

However, Liv-ex noted that it looks expensive relative to several back vintages, including the better-scored 2016, 2019 and 2020.

Finally, Château Haut-Bages Libéral was released at a price equivalent to around £135 per six IB.

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

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• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle

Cheval Blanc 2024 was released on Tuesday (6 May) at €276 per bottle ex-négociant. Data from Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, showed it is the lowest en primeur release price for this famous grand vin since the 2008 vintage. 

UK merchants offered Cheval Blanc 2024 at around £1,650 per six-bottle case in-bond (IB), around 29% below the debut price of the St-Emilion estate’s 2023 vintage in last year’s Bordeaux en primeur campaign.

Other top names released on Tuesday included Château Lynch-Bages, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château La Lagune.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Cheval Blanc and Lynch-Bages lead way on discounts

Cheval Blanc and Lynch-Bages joined Angélus and Lafite Rothschild in releasing their 2024 en primeur wines as one of the cheapest available vintages on the market. 

Liv-ex said Cheval Blanc’s 2021 vintage was currently available for slightly less; £3,240 (12x75cl IB), compared to £3,300 on the 2024 en primeur wine. 

However, it noted that Cheval Blanc 2024 has received relatively strong praise from critics in a tricky vintage, and it said the volume of grand vin produced was down 35% year-on-year.

Farr Vintners offered Château Lynch-Bages 2024 at £360 (6x75cl IB) on Tuesday.

‘This is 25% down on last year and the price is at least 10% below that of any other vintage of Lynch Bages in the market today,’ it said.

‘It’s been a long time since we last saw a £60 bottle of Lynch-Bages.’ 

Liv-ex said Lynch-Bages 2024 was €60 per bottle ex-négociant, down 14% year-on-year and marking a return to its 2014-vintage release price.

Consultancy group Wine Lister said Lynch-Bages 2024’s price and strong brand ‘might make for an attractive proposition, depending on which critic you follow’.

A subdued early campaign?

Cheval Blanc and Lynch-Bages are often among the most sought-after names during Bordeaux’s annual en primeur campaign.

While it is too soon to judge demand this time around, their arrival comes amid a sense of the 2024-vintage release season still searching for a spark.

Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade trading platform at Bordeaux Index, told Decanter last week that the group saw good demand for Lafite 2024, although buying activity was not ‘frenzied’.

Miles Davis, market expert with Vinum Fine Wines, wrote on LinkedIn, ‘In a normal year [Lafite ’24] would have flown out of the door, but this is no normal year.’

He added: ‘We have been selling Lafite, just not as much as we would have liked.’ 

He said several factors may have contributed to a relatively subdued start to the Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, from challenging fine wine market conditions to the trend for releasing early – ahead of scores from some major critics.

However, there is plenty of time to go. Prices are broadly in the right place and will be interesting to watch – particularly as more quality scores and tasting notes for the wines emerge. 

Davis told Decanter on Tuesday that Vinum Fine Wines had seen early demand for Cheval Blanc. Of the early campaign in general, he added, ‘The gestures [on price] are being made, there’s no question.’

Debuts for Smith Haut Lafitte and La Lagune

Among other releases on Tuesday morning was Château Smith Haut Lafitte (red) 2024, at €62.4 per bottle ex-négociant.

Liv-ex said it is the cheapest release from this Pessac-Léognan star since the 2015 vintage, which debuted at €60 per bottle ex-négociant.

In the UK, Smith Haut Lafitte 2024 was released at the equivalent of £744 per 12-bottle case (IB), although several merchants have been offering en primeur wines in six-packs. 

‘There are several less expensive vintages available on the market,’ said Liv-ex, highlighting the well-regarded 2019 vintage.

Some recent vintages were more expensive, in pound sterling terms, such as the 100-point Smith Haut Lafitte 2022, which carried a Liv-ex market price of £960 (12x75cl IB)

Farr Vintners also offered Smith Haut Lafitte’s 2024-vintage white wine at £643 (6x75cl IB). 

Château La Lagune 2024 was also released on Tuesday, at €20.4 per bottle ex-négociant, which translated to a UK offer price of around £244 (12x75cl IB).

‘The 2024 is one of the least expensive vintages available on the market,’ said Liv-ex.

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Market conditions and pricing strategies
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle

The 2024 vintage presents a complex and uneven picture, shaped by a challenging growing season which pushed producers to their limits – both physically, mentally and financially.

You can read our Bordeaux 2024 weather article here.

Unlike the hedonistic, plush and concentrated 2022s or the precise, terroir-driven 2023s the 2024s lean towards a lighter, more fragrant style with moderate alcohol levels and vibrant acidities.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Some put the vintage among those of the 1990s while others drew comparisons to 2001.

The nearest recent similar vintage however is 2021, which was also shaped by a cool, wet growing season that saw widespread mildew, delayed flowering and véraison, and difficult picking conditions resulting in wines with moderate alcohols and fresh acidities.

However, 2024 had a slightly drier and warmer summer which accelerated ripening, preserving fruit aromatics and giving slightly more concentration and depth.

Some 2024s are better than their 2021 counterparts and others were definitely not, although I have to say the samples were incredibly fragile this year and I found them highly variable from one tasting to another.

Several wines I tasted more than once including some I also tasted blind.

Key issues stylistically:

• Ripeness – a clear divide between those who achieved it and those who didn’t. Later harvests ensured better maturity but posed heavy botrytis risk as well as dilution. There are technical adjustments that can be made in the winery to increase alcohol and therefore body slightly but you can’t mask green, unripe fruit.
• Mouthfeel – a defining feature of 2024 is the texture of the wines – chalky, sometimes gravelly in mouthfeel, with a taut, mineral freshness shaping the wines rather than fruit depth or opulence. There are exceptions of course with fleshy, chewy wines that have a soft sweetness. Again, that depended on ripeness.
• Tannin quality – tannins ranged from beautifully powdery or seamlessly integrated to coarse and over-extracted. Success largely depended on gentle extraction and ripe picking, and/or heavy sorting
• Press wine management – as always estates have their preferred way of managing press wine but it seems to play a bigger role than usual this year. Some used more to add weight, others cut back to preserve finesse. The result is a spectrum of styles from crisp and delicate to more muscular.
• Notable performers / surprise estates – yes it’s an uneven vintage but that doesn’t mean only the most renowned estates did well. Pockets of limestone, winemakers with nerves of steel and estates who could afford to sacrifice some quantity achieved lovely surprises this year.

Best attributes

Though not a contender for the greats, the best wines offer flashes of aromatic precision, elegance and refreshing clarity with structure and length, standing apart in a vintage where inconsistency was the norm.

They are generally focused on crisp red berry fruit – or cool blueberry fruit – with high, sometimes electric acidity.

Tannins are typically less firm and compact than in previous years with a sense of softness and calm in the nicer examples.

Those who achieved maturity, and harvested ripe grapes, present wines with a hint of sweet, fleshiness which lends a joyful or happy aspect to the expressions.

At this stage some were already showing approachability and it’s likely many will be perfect candidates to drink young.

This may not be a vintage to cellar for decades despite the acidities.

Positives and negatives

On the whole, many 2024s have light bodies – they can be described both good and bad as; ‘delicate’ or ‘lean’, ‘graceful’ or ‘straight’ and ‘charming’ or ‘serious’ with fine tannins and less density than in other years.

However, the successes are those that achieve balance between fruit, acidity and tannins and which lean into the vintage, presenting more of an ‘honest’ representation of the conditions – be that as it may – rather than searching for something that wasn’t there.

That said, there are many wines that were overly weak or thin, lacking concentration as well as fruit with under ripe flavours, coarse tannins and dryness.

In some there was clear dilution with watery midpalates and others having bitter acidity that tastes almost citric in profile.

This is only my fourth en primeur vintage tasting as thoroughly as I do but some were the worst samples I have encountered at this stage.

General positives

• Low alcohols rarely exceeding 13.5%
• High, fresh acidities
• Leaner, more straight and well-defined profiles in general
• Where ripe, bright and juicy fruit giving a lively, fun quality
• Cool flavours rather than sunny or jammy
• Expressive aromatics – lots of florality
• Noticeable terroir nuances

General negatives

• Dilution / a sense of wateriness
• Green unripe aromatics
• Hollow mid palates
• Tart or sour acidity
• Dry, harsh overly filling or grippy tannins where there was too much extraction or too much unbalanced acidity
• Short finishes

Case by case basis

It’s not a simple picture however and for a region as big and varied as Bordeaux there can be no generalisations in 2024.

Shaped by a historically wet winter then a soggy spring with unrelenting mildew pressure and late-season rains, this is not a vintage of uniformity but one where careful vineyard management and winemaking aptitude prevailed.

It’s a case-by-case situation where the wines are the sum of all the parts and as such dialling into the detail at each estate was key.

I also think ageing or élevage will be critical this vintage. With already delicate frames, oxygen exchange as well as oak regimes will need to be carefully carried out.

I expect some wines to show better in bottle if handled correctly.

Dry and sweet wines

The whites and sweets offer mixed results in terms of style and quality with some exceptional bottles and some terrible ones.

It’s often the case that a Bordeaux vintage favours one colour over another but I don’t think that’s true of 2024.

Yes, the successful dry whites have excellent raciness, they’re fresh and crisp with lovely aromatic intensity and great drinkability.

Flavours are more stone and citrus fruit based than tropical with floral notes and plenty of minerality and salinity on offer from limestone terroirs.

Sémillon in particular shone with its tendency to be waxy and oily in hot vintages replaced by a sense of energy and crystalline purity.

Sweet wines, benefiting from botrytis in perfect conditions, show promise with an easy drinkability to them, but some lack the density and consistency of stronger vintages.

Don’t count it out

Bordeaux 2024 is not a uniform vintage, but neither is it a write-off.

In a year where nature threw many curveballs, producers with attentive vineyard work and restrained winemaking emerged with graceful wines that reflect a vintage of quiet confidence and honest character.

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Market conditions and pricing strategies
• Bordeaux 2024: New Lafite is cheapest on the market
• Bordeaux 2024: Angélus joins Lafite with major price cut

Château Angélus 2024 was released in the Bordeaux en primeur campaign on Wednesday morning (30 April) at €180 per bottle ex-négociant, and at around £2,148 per 12-bottle case in bond (IB) in the UK.

Some merchants were offering the wine in six-bottle cases, for £1,074 (IB).

It’s a 31% drop on last year’s debut price for Angélus 2023, said Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Angélus 2024 debuts en primeur

Liv-ex added, ‘As the cheapest vintage [of Angélus] available on the market, it might present an interesting opportunity for buyers.’ 

Angélus has joined first growth Château Lafite Rothschild in releasing its grand vin this week at a substantial discount, returning to en primeur prices last seen a decade ago. 

Farr Vintners said Angélus 2024 was back at the level of the estate’s 2014-vintage release price.

It debuted under the UK merchant’s pre-release low estimate, which was £1,100 to £1,400 per 6x75cl IB.

Some Bordeaux 2024 quality scores have not yet been published, but consultancy group Wine Lister said, ‘Depending on which critic you follow, this looks attractive and meets the trade’s request for a 31% discount on last year’s price.’

A 31% drop was the average request in a survey of Wine Lister’s founding members, representing trade professionals worldwide, due to challenging market conditions and a desire to reinvigorate demand for Bordeaux specifically. 

Early trend for Bordeaux 2024 discounts

On Tuesday, there was early buyer interest in Lafite’s en primeur offer.

Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade online trading platform at merchant Bordeaux Index, said the release sold in good quantity, although it ‘didn’t attract frenzied activity’.

Farr Vintners buyer Thomas Parker MW said on Tuesday (29 April): ‘Lafite has certainly been our best seller of the campaign so far, but it has not sold out.’ 

He added, ‘Coming out at a price that is cheaper than any physically available vintage is certainly a good sign for the campaign, and one that other properties need to follow.’

St-Julien fourth growth Château Branaire-Ducru did just that at the end of last week, and drew praise from merchants.

Yesterday, Château Gruaud Larose 2024 was released at the lowest ex-négociant price – €43.20 per bottle – since the en primeur debut of the St-Julien second growth’s 2013 vintage, said Liv-ex.

At £516 per 12x75cl IB, it said Gruaud Larose 2024 was cheaper in pound sterling terms than all other recent vintages, aside from 2011.

As ever with en primeur, though, each estate has its own strategy and market context.

Sauternes estate Château Suduiraut released its 2024 vintage en primeur on Wednesday morning. The wine was €39.6 per bottle ex-négociant, and offered at £474 (12x75cl IB) in the UK, said Liv-ex, adding that this was an 11% increase on the 2023-vintage release. 

Château Pontet-Canet 2024 was released last week at a 9% discount year-on-year, having also cut the price of its 2023-vintage release by 27%, but Liv-ex said the 2024 wine was still more expensive than several other recent vintages.

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, said there wouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach in the 2024-vintage en primeur campaign, due to varying experiences of a tricky 2024 growing season and producers’ individual circumstances. 

Additional commentary from Matthew O’Connell added on 1 May.

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Market conditions and pricing strategies
• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle

The Pauillac first growth has offered its grand vin for €288 per bottle ex-négociant, the same price as the 2014 was released at.

It’s a pricing strategy that makes it the cheapest vintage of the estate currently available in the market.

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The grand vin is being offered for around £1,713 per case of six bottles in-bond (IB).

Today’s release is 28% lower than the release price of the 2023 per bottle (€396) and 50% lower than the 2022 was (€580). Volumes are down too, around 14% according to Farr Vintners so stocks are expected to be limited.

Ahead of the release, the estate’s CEO, Saskia de Rothschild, said the plan was to set a price that would help the wines sell ‘down the chain’.

Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, noted that it was, ‘by far the cheapest vintage on the market – 20.3% cheaper than the 2013. As such, this release presents excellent value to buyers.’

Carruades and Duhart

Released alongside the grand vin were second label Carruades de Lafite and stablemate Château Duhart-Milon.

Carruades was offered for €120 p/b – a cut of 23.2% on the 2023 – and is being offered for around £714 per six IB.

Like its parent label, it is the cheapest vintage currently available to buy.

Duhart-Milon, meanwhile, cut its price by 19.2% to €45.6 per bottle.

It is being offered by the UK trade for around £276 per case of six IB.

Liv-ex noted that despite the significant price cut, prices of older vintages have not held up as well as those of Lafite and Carruades.

‘As such,’ it explained, ‘there are many less expensive, highly-rated vintages available on the market.’

The 2018 and 2019 in particular look well-positioned versus the new vintage.

Steadying the ship

The campaign began – earlier than usual – last week, with offers for Château Pontet-Canet, Château Batailley and the wines from JP Moueix.

Although many commentators had advised or predicted further price cuts to those offered in 2023, the reductions from Pontet-Canet and Batailley were far less radical than hoped for.

At the end of last week, Château Branaire-Ducru seemed to connect better with the mood, its price cut of 17.6% leading to positive noises from the trade.

Today’s release seems to have been met with a similar response.

After a somewhat shaky start, the releases of both Branaire and Lafite seem to have helped restore some confidence in the process.

Consultancy group Wine Lister said: ‘Lafite 2024 is a strong release that should see demand and inject some excitement in the campaign.’

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

Related articles

• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle
• Wine investment: Has the market hit bottom?

Château Branaire-Ducru and several sweet wines from Sauternes and Barsac have joined the vanguard of an early Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, alongside Pontet Canet, Batailley and Right Bank wines from JP Moueix.  

UK merchants rallied behind Branaire-Ducru 2024 late last week, offering it at around £159 per six-bottle case in bond (IB).

To follow all of Decanter’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, subscribe to Premium today with the code BORDEAUX24 for 20% off an annual subscription

Branaire-Ducru: Setting an example?

Several critics have not yet published scores and tasting notes on Bordeaux 2024 barrel samples, but the St-Julien fourth growth appeared to encapsulate the pricing strategy many UK merchants were rooting for amid challenging market conditions.

‘More of this please, Bordeaux,’ said Corney & Barrow, which previously called for a ‘proper reset’ on release prices at many châteaux.

Farr Vintners said: ‘This is the lowest-priced release here for 10 years and there is no vintage of Branaire in the market today for less. This will hopefully set a positive trend for the campaign ahead.’

On an ex-négociant basis, Branaire-Ducru 2024 was released at €26.5 per bottle, down 17.6% on the 2023-vintage release last year, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

Consultancy group Wine Lister pointed out that Branaire-Ducru’s co-owner, François-Xavier Maroteaux, was recently elected president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB).

‘He has set an example early in the campaign,’ it said.

Anticipation builds for Lafite release

First growth Château Lafite Rothschild 2024 was set for release on Tuesday (29 April). There were rumours of a particularly eye-catching price on the horizon, but nothing has been confirmed by the estate.

Bordeaux Index had an estimated price range for Lafite Rothschild 2024 of £1,350 to £1,850 per six-bottle case (IB), but Farr Vintners’ guidance range was £1,700 to £2,200.

Even the top-end of this range would place the 2024 vintage below the release price of Lafite 2023, in pound sterling terms. 

This will undoubtedly be one to watch, as will the expected debut of star St-Emilion estate Château Angélus on Wednesday (30 April).

Sauternes: Guiraud 2024 price broadly flat

In Bordeaux’s sweet wine heartlands of Sauternes and Barsac, Château Guiraud 2024 was released on Monday (28 April) at €38.5 per bottle ex-négociant, and offered in the UK at £492 (12x75cl IB), according to Liv-ex.

That’s level with Liv-ex’s quoted ex-négociant price for Guiraud 2023, which was around £480 on UK release. Both the 2024 and 2023 vintages are above market prices for other recent Guiraud vintages, said Liv-ex.

Monday as also saw releases for Doisy-Védrines and Doisy-Daëne, at £147 and £177 respectively (6x75cl IB, Farr Vintners).

Other major names set for release this week include Château Climens.

Headline price cuts vs market context

While year-on-year price discounts are a factor, market context is important. Château Chasse-Spleen 2024 was released early on Monday (28 April) at €17.70 per bottle ex-négociant, and offered at £216 (12x75cl IB), said Liv-ex.

Despite dropping 13.6% on the 2023 vintage debut price, Liv-ex said the new release is still, ‘one of the more expensive vintages on the market’.

Although release prices were broadly expected to fall for the second consecutive year in the Bordeaux 2024 en primeur campaign, Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, said that it was unlikely a one-size-fits-all approach.

This is due to producers’ individual circumstances and varying experiences of a tricky 2024-vintage growing season. Much also rests on critics’ vintage quality reports and ratings.

Coming soon: Our full report on Bordeaux 2024, to be published exclusively for Decanter Premium subscribers

Related articles

• The Bordeaux 2024 growing season: Punch by punch
• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle
• Wine investment: Has the market hit bottom?

The poor 2024 vintage is not even a year old and risks being written-off before the first hopeful offer wings its electronic way to inboxes at some point in the coming week.

As a vintage it was… difficult. There was a lot of rain (as much as 50-70% above the 10 year average) and crop losses were considerable due to poor fruit set and then mildew and other disease pressure.

The final crop is the smallest since 1991.

Small doesn’t mean bad quality of course, sometimes quite the opposite. Nonetheless, early reports such as from our own Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, suggest quality is uneven.

Worse, however, is that this vintage is sailing into conditions that commentators like to call ‘market headwinds’.

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Writing in a report for Bordeaux Index, Oliver Sharp, the merchant’s Bordeaux buyer, remarked that: ‘There’s an eerie quiet over Bordeaux right now… Normally, by this time, there’s at least some positive buzz – someone, somewhere, trying to prime the market. Instead, there is a palpable sense of disquiet among the world’s top châteaux.’

As usual there’s already commentary on what all this means for Bordeaux and what producers ‘should’ do – but will they?

Let’s lay out some of the background against which this campaign will play out, what other commentators are saying and what it all (potentially) means for anyone thinking about buying the 2024 vintage.

T*riffs, Tr*mp and T*rbulence

Dare we mention any of the above words out loud?

At the time of writing, the worst of the current White House incumbent’s promised tariffs bonanza appears to be on hold.

The shadow of trade wars and reciprocal tariffs still looms however. And the antagonism between the US and China continues to ratchet up.

But who really knows what might happen next? The president may revel in chaos and uncertainty to get what he wants but markets hate it.

As WineCap noted in its latest report: ‘The threat of added import costs, even if delayed, puts further pressure on producers and négociants to rethink pricing strategies.

‘With confidence in en primeur already eroding, this year’s campaign faces a delicate balancing act: justify pricing amid broader market weakness, or risk alienating already-cautious buyers.’

Even before the recent ups and downs the global economic outlook was somewhat precarious, weighed down by the post-pandemic slump, currency fluctuations and snarled up supply chains.

Not ideal circumstances for splashing out on high-priced wines, as any one keeping an eye on the secondary market recently is well aware.

A secondary market in decline

The fine wine markets – primary and secondary – boomed thanks to a turbo-charged period of growth in the low interest rate, high boredom days of the early lockdown.

By 2022 the market was at an all-time high, but also showing tell-tale signs of running out of steam. And the market did indeed turn.

Liv-ex is an international trading platform for fine wine. Its indices chart the progress of the most in-demand fine wine labels.

Its Liv-ex 1000 index (following 10 vintages of the 100 most-traded wines) is down 24.1% over the last two years.

Looking at Bordeaux specifically, the Bordeaux 500 index is down to its 2020 levels, leaving those pandemic gains a distant memory.

The Fine Wine 50 – the ‘first growth tracker’ – has fallen 25.3% since March 2023 alone and the index following the movement of the second labels has fallen 30.2% over the same period.

There have been signs that the decline has slowed in more recent weeks and months. Market sentiment appears more positive according to Liv-ex and a few indices – notably the Left Bank 200 – have been holding steady.

Looking back – looking forward

When setting the scene for a new campaign, it’s worth reminding oneself of how it went the year before.

In truth, last year’s campaign was relatively unremarkable. It was a surprisingly early and very fast campaign, with some hefty price cuts thrown in for good measure.

Writing for Corney & Barrow, Guy Seddon, noted: ‘The lower prices of last year’s 2023 vintage found some favour, but far from universal success. Outcomes were split between châteaux who got the pricing right and sold reasonably well… and those who didn’t and fell flat.’

The rumour mill suggests that, given the size and quality of the 2024 vintage, we might see something similar this year as well.

Pricing dilemma

Price is one of the great driving factors behind the success (or otherwise) of an en primeur campaign.

Those who have been following campaigns since the 2011 vintage was offered will be well aware of the howls of frustration and finger pointing that has taken place after a series of offers that have had middling-to-poor performances.

Liv-ex is ever vocal in calling on châteaux to ‘heed the market’ and this year is no exception.

As it laid out in its pre-campaign report: ‘With the broader wine wine market continuing to decline… participants in the En Primeur system can no longer afford any missteps.

‘This year, prices will need to be attractive, or allocations will be left on the table.’

The grim irony is that harder vintages often cost more to make than good ones. The cost of extra labour and hiring of expensive machines to help with harvesting and sorting means the 2024 vintage was around 40% more expensive to produce than the 2023 in some cases.

Yet the expectation is undoubtedly for there to be further cuts on top of the average 22.5% drops that were offered last year.

As Liv-ex notes, however: ‘These decreases were generally insufficient – there remained better-rated, ready-to-drink vintages available on the market. To increasingly savvy collectors, the 2023s were a hard sell, despite being cheaper than the 2022s.

‘Moreover, with demand declining, there is no shortage of Bordeaux available once physical – buyers will almost certainly be able to obtain these wines at a later date, and, importantly, at lower prices.’

Factory reset

It may just be that producers decide to take the hit on 2024, essentially write it off and hope for a rebound in 2025.

Vintages ending in ‘5’ have a good track record after all.

As Liv-ex again notes: ‘Just as the underwhelming 2013s allowed for châteaux to take a hit on a small vintage that was unlikely to perform well anyway, it is perhaps a blessing that the 2024 will not go down as one of the greats.

‘Bordeaux’s châteaux have again been presented with an opportunity to reset the market.’

The report noted that if a first growth, such as Château Lafite, released its 2024 wine at around €288 per bottle, there would be enough wiggle room to give the supply chain its necessary margin and still make that wine the cheapest available to collectors.

‘In other words, it would present serious value to buyers at each step of the supply chain,’ notes Liv-ex.

No absolute strategy

In summary therefore.

We have a small vintage of uneven quality. We have a secondary fine wine market recovering from a long decline but still at a low ebb.

And the primary market is eyeing up a horizon of great economic uncertainty and (presumably) has a low appetite for risk.

There is no absolute strategy for how the châteaux need to price their wines. Different estates have followed various courses over the years and some have managed those more adroitly than others.

A 10% cut at one estate might be sufficient where a 25% cut at another still looks too mean.

Estates that obstinately stick closely to their 2023 prices will probably come in for a lot of flak. Those that position their wines well in relation to current back vintages will see greater backing.

Ready, set…

In instances where there are price cuts, there may very well be some good opportunities for buying wines for short-to-mid-term drinking stock.

Readers interested in buying wines this year would be well-advised to read the reviews and reports as they come in and identify the estates they would like to follow.

Given the size of the vintage, there won’t be much stock being released so anything that has good reviews and is well priced, probably won’t hang around long.

It might have been hoped that the châteaux would give collectors the time to absorb some of the reviews and draw up their wish-lists. Unfortunately, early indications suggest that this is not going to be case.

There are already several big names that may announce prices before the end of this month. However, due to this (slightly unexpected) alacrity on the part of the Bordelais, don’t be surprised if you see a lag between release announcements and offers to allow time for merchants to weigh up what they would like to support.

As Bordeaux Index notes in its pre-campaign report: ‘For collectors and drinkers alike, 2024 could offer well-made, age-worthy wines at fairer prices – if producers align ambition with market mood.

‘And while the drums may not yet be beating, the stage is quietly being set for a campaign that rewards both patience and pragmatism.’

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle
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The Bordeaux 2024 growing season was extremely challenging right from the start, due to excessive rainfall from winter through spring of 2023/2024.

These tricky conditions continued throughout the spring and summer, right up to harvest.

Our Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, explores the growing season through its various stages and lays out the details of what happened and when.

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A rainy prelude: December 2023 to March 2024

The vintage began with exceptional winter rainfall setting a foreboding tone. Between December and March, Bordeaux saw 478mm of rain – well above the 323mm average.

Add in another 436mm from October–November 2023, and it was the wettest start to a growing season in recent memory.

This soggy backdrop made vineyard work difficult and delayed preparations for pruning and trellising. Temperatures were generally mild, however, continuing the trend from 2022 and 2023.

Spring woes: Budbreak, mildew and frost

Budbreak occurred around 6 April, right on the 10-year average, but two days later than 2023.

A brief warm spell accelerated growth – 30.5°C was recorded in Bordeaux on 13 April – but was followed by a sudden drop in temperatures.

Frost then struck in several areas on 19, 22, and 23 April, with the worst-hit zones experiencing significant damage to the new shoots.

Adding to the pressure, downy mildew arrived exceptionally early and persisted. From late April, growers battled repeated infection periods through May and June.

Persistent wet conditions in May – 126mm of rain, 80% above average – resulted in a difficult flowering period.

This disrupted pollination, leading to coulure and millerandage, which lowered yield potential; especially for Merlot.

May also recorded nine days with less than three hours of sunshine, and four days with no sun at all – a gloom that capped off what became the third wettest spring since 1959.

June and July: Slow recovery and storms

Flowering was late and uneven, with mid-flowering arriving around 10 June, nearly a week behind average.

Rainfall continued with 93mm instead of 70mm the norm, causing root asphyxia and poor mineral uptake in many soils.

Leaf reddening was observed, and mildew remained aggressive, even attacking bunches. Persistent wet conditions triggered coulure and millerandage, particularly in Merlot, reducing berry set.

Storms hit Fronsac and Pomerol (18 June), exacerbating mildew, which scarred bunches. Sunshine remained elusive, and temperatures dipped below norms.

Vines hit ‘pea size’ by June’s end, but uneven development persisted.

July finally brought respite. After a cool start, dry, warm weather set in during the last 10 days.

The excessive water reserves in the soil prevented early water stress but delayed véraison (colour change).

On average, this process didn’t begin until early August – three weeks later than in 2023.

August and early September: Hope and setbacks

August was calmer, with near normal temperatures, including a short heatwave from 10 to 12 August (28.4°C max vs 27.6°C in the same period in 2023) and low rainfall from scattered storms (46mm vs 57mm).

Véraison was slow and spread out: Merlot reached mid-véraison on 14 August, and Cabernet Sauvignon on 18 August.

High berry weights and sluggish sugar accumulation hinted at dilution concerns.

Mildew pressure remained until mid-August, and brown rot lingered in some areas. Yields by this point stayed low with sorting critical to exclude rot-affected grapes.

By 25 August, technological ripening had begun, with Merlot sugar levels at 178 g/L and Cabernet Sauvignon at 164 g/L – both lower than previous vintages.

Yet, acidity remained relatively high, and the grapes preserved fresh aromatics.

A challenging harvest: September to October

Then came the September rains. The region recorded 13 rainy days, three more than average, and 58mm of rain in the first 10 days – triple the monthly norm.

Daytime temperatures were 2°C below average, (22.0°C max vs. 24.2°C), a stark contrast to the warm Septembers of 2022 and 2023.

This disrupted the Merlot harvest, forcing early picking from 18 September in some places. Cool conditions and rain stalled ripening and triggered grey rot, particularly in Merlot.

Berry weight was among the highest of the last five years, suggesting possible dilution. But acidity remained high.

Cabernet Sauvignon fared better, benefiting from a dry window from late September to mid-October.

Patience paid off for those who waited, with better structure, colour and aromatics developing in the final weeks.

Dry whites, harvested from 20 August (Sauvignon Blanc) to 28 August (Sémillon), showed low pH (3.1) and high acidity (5.4 g/L).

Sauternes, fuelled by 100mm late August rain, saw Botrytis cinerea (noble rot) flourish, with three passes (pre-25 September, early October, mid-October) yielding pure, acidic musts.

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle
• Price cut talk as Bordeaux 2024 en primeur tastings start
• Five Bordeaux vintages to drink now

Château Figeac 2023 has been released more than 40% below the debut offer for the 2022 vintage debut last year, making it one of the biggest discounts in a Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign that has taken place amid challenging market conditions.

Other highly prized wines released in the past 24 hours include Château Montrose, Château La Conseillante and Château Beauséjour, giving consumers plenty to ponder in the final days of the campaign.

Latest releases at a glance:

• Château Figeac 2023 | 98pts (Decanter) | €150 per bottle ex-négociant, down 40.5% versus 2022 | UK price £1,788 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château La Conseillante 2023 | 98pts | €150 per bottle, down 32.4% | UK price £1,788 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Montrose 2023 | 98pts | €120 per bottle, down 16.7% | UK price £1,428 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Beauséjour 2023 | 98pts | €108 per bottle, down 10% | UK price £1,284 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

While Figeac’s discount is sizeable, the 2022 vintage was relatively expensive on release. A potential 100-point wine, it was the first release after Figeac’s promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the revised St-Émilion Classification.

Although it remains too soon to draw conclusions about sales, some early analysis has suggested a muted overall response to the campaign, despite several success stories among top-rated wines.

Decanter Premium members can read more analysis below.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Figeac 2023

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, rated Figeac 2023 98-points, slightly below her 98-100pts score for the 2022 vintage.

‘Cool and classic, but there’s clear ripeness too,’ said Hindle of the 2023 vintage. ‘High acidity, great lift and zing – tannins are present and apparent, gently expanding around the mouth,’ she said.

Given Figeac’s promotion to the top-tier of the St-Émilion Classificastion, and its prowess in the cellar over recent years, the sizeable headline discount versus last year’s en primeur release could be interesting for collectors and buyers in general. However, Figeac 2022 rose by 55% in price ex-négociant versus its 2021 release.

Today’s release, at £1,788 (12x75cl IB), carries a similar price tag to several other highly regarded, recent vintages, according to data from Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

It said that Figeac 2019 (98pts, Decanter) and top-rated Figeac 2016 were available on the market at only a slight premium to the new release.

UK merchant Farr Vintner said Figeac 2023 was released below its pre-campaign price estimate, and emphasised that the wine was available for more than £1,200 less than the 2022 vintage.

‘With a stunning new winery and one of Bordeaux’s greatest terroirs, Figeac is making some of the greatest wines in its long and illustrious history,’ it added.

Consultancy group Wine Lister highlighted Figeac’s popularity within the trade. A survey of the group’s trade members found Figeac was one of the top five wines that respondents buy for their own cellars.

La Conseillante 2023

La Conseillante is another Right Bank estates has earned strong plaudits from critics in recent years.

Its 2023 vintage was offered at the same price as Figeac, £1,788 (12x75cl IB), and also saw a discount of more than 30% versus the 2022-vintage en primeur campaign.

‘Another stellar wine from La Conseillante,’ wrote Hindle, awarding 98-points and describing it as ‘a vintage to age’. She added, ‘Smooth and sophisticated but still with a hit of acidity on the back palate that lifts and raises the expression the whole way through.’

While the 2023 vintage is cheaper than La Conseillante 2022, rated 98-100pts en primeur by Hindle, Liv-ex data suggested its price was slightly above the 2020 (98pts, Decanter), 2019 (97pts) and 2018 (96pts) vintages on the market.

Montrose 2023

Hindle gave the new release from this ‘super’ second growth 98-points, describing it as ‘classy and comfortable – multi-faceted while still being so juicy and approachable’, as well as having fine tannins with an ‘excellent weight and balance of acidity’.

UK merchant Corney & Barrow noted high scores for the wine. ‘Given the price is less than 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018 & 2016 [vintages], it is one that we anticipate selling well.’

Farr Vintners said, ‘This is set to be the most demanded wine of the vintage and has more pre-orders than any other wine.’ 

However, it said around 30% less wine has been released onto the market, versus last year, because the grand vin has only been produced from vineyards on the Château’s historic terrace overlooking the Gironde estuary.

Liv-ex data showed that Montrose 2023 was cheaper than the 2022 vintage (97pts, Decanter), but it also highlighted that Montrose 2020 (98pts, Decanter) and Montrose 2019 (99pts) were available at only a slight premium to the new release.

Château Beauséjour 2023

‘A stellar wine from this newly-named Château Beauséjour estate (removing the Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse),’ said Decanter’s Hindle, giving the 2023 vintage 98-points at en primeur.

‘Power is there for sure, which some 2023s don’t have, but this is also elegant and so precise,’ she wrote.

Liv-ex said the UK offer price of £1,284 was around 10% below the 2022-vintage release, but also noted that the wine was more expensive than other recent back-vintages.

Hindle gave 98-100 points to the 2022 vintage, after tasting it en primeur last year, emphasising this as an estate to watch.

It has been run by Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse and Prisca Courtin-Clarins since the 2021 vintage.

Wine Lister said new winemaking cellars are set to be fully operational for the 2024 vintage. It added that the new vintage was priced at $144.99 per bottle in the US.

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Troplong, Haut-Bailly and VCC released
• See our Bordeaux 2023 scores table
• Château Margaux drops price by 30% for 2023 vintage

Troplong Mondot, Haut-Bailly and Vieux Château Certan were the latest major names to release 2023-vintage wines en primeur, on Tuesday morning (11 June).

New releases at a glance:

• Château Troplong Mondot 2023 | 97pts (Decanter) | €90 per bottle ex-négociant, down 11.8% versus 2022 | UK price £1,068 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château Haut-Bailly 2023 | 96pts | €90 per bottle, down 25% | UK price £1,080 (12x75cl IB)
• Vieux Château Certan 2023 | 98pts | €186 per bottle, down 32.6% | UK price £2,220 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

As the campaign nears its end, early market reports and merchant feedback have continued to suggest a mixed response from consumers to Bordeaux 2023 wines in general.

Most wines have been cheaper than the 2022-vintage releases last year, but a key consideration is also the price of other well-regarded recent vintages that remain available on the market.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Troplong Mondot 2023

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, rated Troplong Mondot 2023 97-points after tasting it en primeur this spring.

This wine has tough acts to follow; last year, Hindle rated the 2022 vintage 98 to 100 points en primeur, and also gave 100-points to Troplong Mondot 2020 in-bottle.

‘I love the finesse and the terroir markers,’ Hindle said of the new release. ‘It’s not a 2022 – it doesn’t have that velvetines and soft plush tannins that Troplong can do well – but this is extremely good. Straight, juicy, clean, poised, elegant and refined.’

While Troplong Mondot is considered a St-Émilion estate on the rise, however, the 2023-vintage release price was relatively high. ‘The new release is both one of the highest-scoring and one of the most expensive vintages of the past decade,’ said Liv-ex. 

Exact prices will vary by merchant, but Liv-ex’s data showed Troplong Mondot 2023 was cheaper on the market than the higher-scoring 2022 vintage, but nearly 29% more expensive than the 2020 vintage. 

Haut-Bailly 2023

Hindle rated Haut-Bailly 2023 96-points, praising its pretty aromatics and fine tannins, as well as describing it as ‘juicy and plump for the vintage’. She said the wine was, ‘a real success, slightly hot on the finish and a little toasted but this has finesse and complexity with layered of flavour and texture’.

Similar to Troplong Mondot above, the new wine appeared to be at the higher end of prices for Haut-Bailly vintages available on the market, according to Liv-ex data.

At £1,080 (12x75cl IB ), it is cheaper than the 2022 vintage, which was also rated 96-points en primeur by Hindle. 

However, among back-vintage options, both Liv-ex and consultancy group Wine Lister said Haut-Bailly 2019 (97pts, in-bottle) was available at a significant discount to the latest release. 

Vieux Château Certan 2023

Wine Lister said Vieux Château Certan 2023 was released with a recommended UK price of £185 per bottle, down 33% on the corresponding release price of the 2022 vintage.

The latest release was rated 98-points en primeur by Hindle, level with her en primeur rating for the 2022 wine and in-bottle score for the 2020 vintage, and putting it among the best-performing wines of the Bordeaux 2023 vintage.

‘I love it, classicism in the very best way,’ Hindle said. ‘There’s something incredible about this wine, full of life and juiciness.’

Farr Vintners offered Vieux Château Certan 2023 at £2,220 (12x75cl IB), adding that the wine was cheaper than recent vintages of the wine that are available on the market.

Hindle rated the 2019 vintage 99-points in-bottle.  

Mixed feelings about Bordeaux 2023 sales

While many Bordeaux 2023 wines have emerged at discounts to the 2022 vintage debuts last year, some have been released at a similar price to – or more expensive than – current prices for other well-regarded, recent vintages that remain available on the market.

Wine Lister said last week that feedback from the trade suggested a ‘lacklustre’ reception to many releases, although it also said that several top wines have found buyers. 

Will Hargrove, head of fine wine at Corney & Barrow, said this week: ‘There is measured demand, but not at any price.’ He said the campaign has succeeded in showing Bordeaux that customers are there, if the release make sense.

Speaking to Decanter’s Market Watch for the forthcoming print magazine issue, Matthew O’Connell, CEO of the LiveTrade platform at Bordeaux Index, said many 2023 en primeur wines have been released at more sensible prices than last year, but that hasn’t led to widespread buying during the campaign. 

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Smith Haut Lafitte released
• See our Bordeaux 2023 scores table
• Château Margaux drops price by 30% for 2023 vintage

This morning’s (10 June) release of Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 (97-points, Decanter) maintained the trend for price cuts versus the 2022-vintage en primeur campaign last year. 

Yet the wine is more expensive than some of the Pessac-Léognan estate’s back-vintages, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

It reported that the wine was released at €91.2 per bottle ex-négociant, down 20% versus the 2022 release, and with a UK offer price £1,188 per 12x75cl in bond (IB). However, initial prices varied; Farr Vintners and Bordeaux Index were offering the wine at £1,080 (12x75cl IB).

St-Émilion’s Château Larcis Ducasse 2023 (95pts) was also released, with a recommended UK price of £50 per bottle (IB), according to consultancy group Wine Lister.

Both releases follow a busy week for the en primeur campaign, which saw offers for first growth Château Margaux, among many others. See our scores and prices table for other Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Smith Haut Lafitte 2023

Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 was rated 97-points by Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle. 

‘This has lovely potential with chewy strawberry and cranberry flavours,’ Hindle said of the new release. ‘You don’t have the feeling of overt warmth…this offers freshness and tension, as well as ripeness.’ She also noted, ’It’s a beauty but will need time to expand and soften some more.’

While a 97-point score matches Hindle’s ratings for Smith Haut Lafitte 2022 (en primeur), and the 2019 vintage (in-bottle), analysts highlighted the elevated price of the latest release.

Liv-ex data showed that the 2023 is more expensive than current market prices for all other Smith Haut Lafitte vintages from the past decade, apart from the 2022 wine released last year which remains the most expensive.

It also mentioned the special-edition label that will adorn bottles of Smith Haut Lafitte 2023, celebrating the visit of King Charles III in September of that year.

Wine Lister said: ‘The special-edition label may spur interest among British buyers and Royal fanatics worldwide.’

Commenting on the visit last year, estate co-owner Florence Cathiard described the King as an inspiration. ‘He was really ahead of his time with organic farming and biodiversity,’ she said.

Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2023

Smith Haut Lafitte’s namesake dry white wine was also among several releases from the estate this week.

Wine Lister said the wine carried a recommended UK price of £117 per bottle IB – equivalent to £1,404 per 12x75cl – which meant it offered a slight discount on the 2022 wine and was more expensive than other available back-vintages.

Hindle gave 96-points to Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc 2023, which this year is a blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc plus 5% each of Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon.

Hints of tropical fruits, such as pineapple and mango, combine with ‘lovely bitterness that adds tension to balance it out,’ she said. ‘More vibrancy and energy than in previous years. Succulent and sumptuous with salinity.’

Hindle awarded 96-points to the estate’s flagship white wine in the 2022 and 2021 vintages as well.

Larcis Ducasse 2023

Hindle gave Larcis Ducasse 2023 95-points after tasting it this spring. She described it as ‘quite a serious take’ on the vintage, but also found plenty of promise.

‘This is packing a lot of power, but keeps a cool edge with a vein of graphite and liquorice minerality,’ she wrote.

‘I love the hints of sweet and cool blueberries that just lift the expression, dotted with cool but spiced tobacco and clove.’

Wine Lister said a UK price of £50 per bottle IB – equivalent to £600 per 12x75cl – makes the 2023 vintage around 31% cheaper than the 2022-vintage release last year.

However, Larcis Ducasse 2022 received a 97-point score at the same point in its evolution, while Hindle rated the 2020 vintage at 98-points after tasting it in-bottle. The 2019 vintage was last scored at 94-points.  

Related articles

• See our Bordeaux 2023 scores table
• Château Margaux drops price by 30% for 2023 vintage
• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: High-scoring Beau-Séjour Bécot debuts

St-Émilion’s Château Beau-Séjour Bécot and Margaux-based Château Lascombes released their 2023 wines this morning (7 June) after achieving high scores relative to previous vintages.

Pomerol-based Clinet 2023 was also released this morning, and all three estates continued this year’s theme of dropping prices versus last year’s campaign for the 2022 vintage (see more analysis below).

Three releases today:

• Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2023 | 97pts (Decanter) | €43.2 per bottle ex-négociant, down 24.2% versus 2022 | UK price £516 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château Lascombes 2023 | 94pts | €49.2 per bottle, down 21.2% | UK price £595 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Clinet 2023 | 93pts | €57.6 per bottle, down 29.4% | UK price £690 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

Friday’s releases follow the launch of first growth Château Margaux yesterday (6 June). Before that, the market saw the release of châteaux Canon, Rauzan-Ségla and Les Carmes Haut-Brion yesterday, Pavie, Pichon Baron and L’Eglise Clinet on Tuesday, and Pichon Comtesse and Palmer at the beginning of the week.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, ratings and tasting notes for all the top-scoring wines

Beau-Séjour Bécot 2023

‘A brilliant wine from this estate in 2023,’ wrote Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, after tasting it en primeur. She gave Beau-Séjour Bécot 2023 a rating of 97-points, putting it among the higher-ranked wines of the vintage.

‘This has a touch of tension, with mouthwatering acidity, as well as some subtle fleshiness that really expands towards the finish,’ she said. ‘This will grow into a beauty. Tannins are flawless, there’s density but no heaviness.’

UK merchant Farr Vintners said a UK offer price of £516 (12x75cl IB) seemed fair given the strong critical praise for the wine.

Liv-ex said the UK release price was down 27% versus the launch of Beau-Séjour Bécot 2022, which was rated 96-points en primeur by Hindle.  

However, Liv-ex data also suggested the 2023 wine was one of the most expensive recent vintages available on the market. It said the well-regarded 2019 vintage was around 7% cheaper. 

The new release, though, is the first wine made in Beau-Séjour Bécot’s new cellar, as analyst and consultancy group Wine Lister noted.

UK merchant Lay & Wheeler said in a note to customers that the new release has ‘arguably one of the best points to price ratios in the campaign’. 

It said the estate has ‘dramatically changed direction’ since third-generation Juliette Bécot and Julien Barthe took charge in 2014, adding highly regarded consultant Thomas Duclos also works with the property.

Lascombes 2023 

Château Lascombes is a Margaux-appellation second growth to watch after it was acquired in 2022 by Lawrence Wine Estates, owner of several prestigious wineries in Napa Valley. 

Last year saw the arrival of Axel Heinz as CEO. He was previously the long-standing director at prominent Super Tuscans Ornellaia and Masseto.

’An impressive debut vintage,’ wrote Hindle, in reference to Heinz’s new role, and giving Lascombes 2023 94-points – slightly higher than her 2022-vintage en primeur rating of 93pts.

‘Very finessed and characterful, I love the elegance but this isn’t lacking in fruit, acidity, tannins or Margaux polish,’ she said of the new vintage. ‘Clearly youthful but this has so much potential.’

UK merchants offered Lascombes 2023 at £595 (12x75cl IB).

Liv-ex said: ‘Given the impressive critical response, today’s release may be of interest to buyers. The 2023 remains, however, one of the more expensive vintages currently available on the market.’ 

Wine Lister added: ‘The 2023 enters the market above [prices of] all recent vintages apart from the 2022 and 2015. In the light of its repositioning under Lawrence Wine Estates and Axel Heinz, as the highest-scoring Lascombes ever made, this is arguably justifiable.’

• Read Elin McCoy’s interview with the new Lascombes owners

Clinet 2023

Panos Kakaviatos tasted Pomerol-based Clinet 2023 for Decanter this year and gave it a score of 93-points. ‘[A] conservative score, as we await the final result after the barrel ageing,’ he wrote. He said he enjoyed the freshness, tension and long finish, although the wine ‘shows rather firm tannins with some drying extraction’.

Clinet 2023 was offered in the UK at around £690 (12x75cl IB).

Liv-ex said that appeared to represent ‘fair value’ versus back-vintages on the market, but it added the 2020 vintage – available at a slight premium – was an option for buyers unable to secure an allocation of the new release. Decanter rated Clinet 2020 at 95-points in-bottle.

Related articles

• Château Margaux 2023 drops price by 30%
• Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

Château Margaux 2023 was released this morning (6 June), alongside the estate’s Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc labels, with Gruaud Larose and Calon Ségur also joining the day’s offerings.

Releases at a glance:  

• Château Margaux 2023: 98pts (Decanter) | €360 per bottle ex-négociant, down 30.2% versus 2022 | UK price £4,320 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Pavillon Rouge 2023: 93pts | €120 per bottle, down 20% | UK price £1,440 (12x75cl IB)
• Pavillon Blanc 2023: 96pts | €240 per bottle, down 9.4% | UK price £2,880 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Gruaud Larose 2023: 97pts | €60 per bottle, down 13.8% | UK price £716 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Calon Ségur 2023: 96pts | €78 per bottle, down 23.5% | UK price £936 (12x75cl IB)*
  Price data source: Liv-ex.

Château Margaux’s appearance means that all of the Left Bank first growths have now released their 2023 wines, except Château Latour, which no longer participates in en primeur.

It follows the launch of châteaux Canon, Rauzan-Ségla and Les Carmes Haut-Brion yesterday, Pavie, Pichon Baron and L’Eglise Clinet on Tuesday, and Pichon Comtesse and Palmer at the beginning of the week. 

A trend for year-on-year discounts has continued, but analysts have also highlighted potential opportunities for buyers interested in back-vintages.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Château Margaux 2023

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, rated Margaux 2023 98-points. ‘Carefully made, tannins are wonderful and the acidity doesn’t stick out,’ she wrote. ‘You also don’t sense the heat, but the fruit is ripe, with freshness all the way through. A wonderful wine in 2023.’

In terms of pure score comparisons, Hindle also gave 98-points to Château Margaux 2022 en primeur and Margaux 2019 in-bottle. The 2020 vintage, however, was rated 99-points in-bottle last year.

Margaux 2023 is one of a small group of wines that have dropped their prices by at least 30% versus the 2022-vintage en primeur campaign, on an ex-négociant basis (€ per bottle). 

Liv-ex data showed that Margaux 2023’s UK offer price of £4,320 per 12-bottle case in-bond made it slightly cheaper than current prices for several other recent vintages of the first growth, including the 2020, 2019 and 2018.

‘As one of the less expensive vintages of the past decade available on the market, the 2023 vintage may provide reasonable value to buyers,’ said Liv-ex, although it noted the 2020 vintage was potentially a ‘compelling alternative’ – at a premium of 8.8%.

Its data showed Château Margaux 2015, a top-rated year and the final vintage overseen by the estate’s late MD Paul Pontallier, was still easily the most expensive grand vin of the past decade – with a market price close to £10,000 (12x75cl IB). 

Snapshot comparison of first growths

Château Margaux 2023 has been pitched below the price of Lafite 2023, but slightly higher than the en primeur releases of fellow first growths Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion.

It was also cheaper than Cheval Blanc 2023 on the Right Bank, which was rated at 97-points and offered in the UK at £4,680 (12x75cl IB)

First growth 2023 releases at a glance:

• Lafite Rothschild 2023 | 98pts (100-point potential) | €396 per bottle ex-négociant, down 31.7% versus 2022 | UK price £4,920 (12x75cl IB)
• Mouton Rothschild 2023 | 98pts (100-point potential) | €324 per bottle, down 37.2% | UK price £4,068 (12x75cl IB)
• Haut-Brion 2023 | 98pts (100-point potential) | €312 per bottle, down 39.5% | UK price £3,780 (12x75cl IB)
• Margaux 2023 | 98pts | €360 per bottle, down 30.2% | UK price £4,320 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
  Price source: Liv-ex.

See our score table of Bordeaux 2023 wines

Château Gruaud Larose 2023

‘A complete knockout of a wine in 2023,’ said Hindle, rating Gruaud Larose 2023 97-points.

‘Very drinkable, finessed and restrained, nothing overdone, no harshness; everything feels in its place,’ Hindle continued. ‘There’s lots of strict Cabernet, but this has a touch of plushness, which you can’t help but smile at. A top buy in 2023.’

However, Liv-ex said Gruaud Larose 2023 was one of the most expensive recent vintages of the wine available, and it suggested buyers have options in the St-Julien estate’s back catalogue.

Analyst and consultancy group Wine lister said: ‘Gruaud-Larose 2023 offers a discount on the past two vintages.’ But, it said, the 2019 vintage was available at a 10% discount.

Several recent vintages have high Decanter ratings. Hindle has previously rated Gruaud Larose 2022 at 97-points, but also gave a 98-point score to the 2020 vintage in-bottle. Gruaud Larose 2019 scored 96-points in-bottle, one point lower than the latest release en primeur.

Calon Ségur 2023

Hindle rated Calon Ségur 2023 96-points, praising its refinement and precision. ‘[It] has a juicy centre and a touch of sweet strawberries that lift the expression, which is so pleasant,’ she wrote, noting a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend (72% this year), versus 2022.

Her score is equal to the rating for Calon Ségur 2022 en primeur, although the St-Estèphe third growth’s 2020 vintage received a 98-point score in-bottle. Panos Kakaviatos rated Calon Ségur 2019 97-points for Decanter after tasting it in early 2023.

Calon Ségur has a reputation for price increases on the market following release, according to Wine Lister’s recent ‘Bordeaux – Part 1’ en primeur preview report. 

‘Calon Ségur appears in eighth place on the list of wines that see the highest post-release price increases (for vintages 2018-2022),’ Wine Lister said today. 

Back to Margaux: Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc 2023

Château Margaux also released second wines Pavillon Rouge and white wine Pavillon Blanc today, which were offered by UK merchants at £1,440 and £2,880 (12x75cl IB) respectively.

Liv-ex said Pavillon Blanc 2023 was one of the most expensive vintages of the wine on the market, while Pavillon Rouge was broadly in-line with several recent vintages – although cheaper than the 2022 wine.

‘Very classic and will round out nicely,’ said Hindle of Pavillon Rouge 2023, rating it 93-points – compared to 94-points for the 2022 vintage.

Hindle rated Pavillon Blanc 2023 96-points. ‘Fresh, orange, lemon and peach, lovely bitter elements with juiciness and some richness in terms of texture,’ she wrote of the wine. ‘[It’s] bright and alive,’ she said, adding. ‘I like the tang on the super long finish.’

Pavillon Blanc 2022 and 2021 have also received 96-point scores. While 2021 was a particularly challenging vintage for reds, many dry white wines were ‘extremely impressive’, as Decanter’s verdict on the Bordeaux 2021 vintage explains.  

Prices down versus 2022

Of the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign so far, Wine Lister said: ‘Ex-négociant prices are down 19% [on average] on the 2022 [releases] and down 6% on the 2021, while average recommended UK onward selling prices are down 19% on the 2022 and down 5% on the 2021.’

The group’s new ‘Bordeaux – Part II’ report has also said that trade feedback suggests a ‘lacklustre’ response to several releases, despite good consumer demand for some of the top names.

While each estate has its own context and strategy, the 2022 vintage was relatively expensive on release at many châteaux, compared to available back-vintages on the market. In the past 12 months, the fine wine market in general has also become more challenging, amid higher interest rates and wider economic uncertainty.

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Canon and Les Carmes Haut-Brion released
• Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

Key releases in the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign on Wednesday (5 June) include:

• Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023: 97pts (Decanter) | €76.8 per bottle ex-négociant, down 28.9% versus 2022 | UK price £912 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château Canon 2023: 98pts | €90 per bottle, down 25% | UK price £1,074 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Rauzan-Ségla 2023: 96pts |  €60 per bottle, down 28.6% | UK price £720 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex

St-Émilion’s Château Pavie Macquin 2023 (96pts) has also been released at £576 (12x75cl IB) in a busy week of big-name releases, which have included Pichon Baron and Pavie out yesterday (4 June), as well as Pichon Comtesse and Palmer making their debuts.

Although several merchants have reported good consumer interest for at least some of the top names, a fresh report from analyst and consultancy group Wine Lister cast doubt on the overall level of sales. ‘Feedback from the trade indicates a lacklustre reception,’ it said.

Meanwhile, producer JCP Maltus, which owns estates including Le Dôme and Château Teyssier, said it wouldn’t be releasing 2023-vintage wines en primeur.

Decanter Premium subscribers can find more details, and analysis of the latest releases, below.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023

Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 was given 97-points by Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, who praised its finesse and noted that winemaker Guillaume Pouthier employed 60% whole bunch fermentation. 

‘Seamlessly integrated with the acidity balancing the tannins and the ripe fruit with some mineral wet stone undercurrents and slight bitter liquorice and grapefruit skin on the finish,’ Hindle wrote.

With a UK price of £912 per 12-bottle case IB, Liv-ex said the wine ‘offers reasonable value to buyers’.

This is a château that has been in a rich vein of form. Hindle rated Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 98pts en primeur last year, and also gave the 2020 vintage a perfect 100-points in early 2023. 

Furthermore, Les Carmes Haut-Brion has a reputation for rising in price following its initial release – something not all Bordeaux châteaux can claim following en primeur campaigns.

The five vintages from 2018 to 2022 were 42% more expensive on average versus their release prices (in sterling), said analyst and consultancy group Wine Lister in a Bordeaux report in April. Only Pomerol’s Lafleur has performed better.

UK merchant Farr Vintners said Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 emerged underneath its price estimate, and said it was a ‘clear winner in terms of score/price ratio’.

Château Canon 2023

Château Canon has been another estate garnering special praise from critics, and its 2023 vintage has continued this trend.

‘Another excellent wine from the team at Canon benefitting from its position on the limestone plateau,’ wrote Hindle, rating Canon 2023 98-points. ‘Just delicious, a wine that tastes great now and feels like it’ll always be that way.’

Canon’s recent back catalogue also features a 99-point score for the 2020 vintage in-bottle, plus 98-point wines from the 2022 and 2019 vintages.

Liv-ex data showed the new release was cheaper than the highly rated Canon 2022, 2020 and 2015 wines, although it appeared slightly more expensive than several other recent vintages.

Château Rauzan-Ségla 2023

This Margaux appellation second growth shares the same owner as Canon – luxury perfume house Chanel – and has also been gaining plaudits.

Hindle rated Rauzan-Ségla 2023 96-points, equalling the in-bottle score for the 2019 vintage.

‘A lot to like here,’ Hindle wrote of the 2023 wine. ‘[It] feels very Rauzan, very polished, a touch “less” than 2022 of course, but this has great energy and a lot of drinkability.’

The score is one point below the 97-point rating for Rauzan-Ségla 2022, tasted by Hindle last year. The 2020 vintage was rated 98-points in the bottle, too.

Liv-ex said buyers had several options among back-vintages of the estate’s wines, highlighting the 2020 vintage available at a lower price.

Château Pavie Macquin 2023 released

St-Émilion’s Château Pavie Macquin 2023 was rated 96-points by Hindle, matching her en primeur and in-bottle scores for the 2022 and 2019 vintages respectively, although one below the 2020 in-bottle score for the grand vin.

‘So precise, finessed, and detailed with layers of fine tannins, bright fruit and tonnes of energy yet still with concentration,’ she said of the 2023 wine. ‘I love it.’

Wine Lister said: ‘Pavie Macquin has made a great effort to come out at the level of the 2019 and below all other recent back-vintages, so should be compelling to fans of the estate.’

That said, it also noted that the well-regarded 2019 vintage looked interesting for buyers.

Mixed signals for Bordeaux 2023 campaign so far

There have been mixed reports about the success of the campaign so far. In a new report published today (5 June), Wine Lister suggested many wines have met a muted response from consumers, despite nearly all châteaux offering discounts versus 2022-vintage en primeur releases – with an average price cut of 22%.

‘Feedback from the trade indicates a lacklustre reception, with consumers less willing to spend money apart from on a cherished brand or a particularly good deal,’ said Wine Lister in the introduction to its ‘Bordeaux – Part II’ report, a follow-up to the pre-campaign study released in April. 

‘Several wines have seen decent sales thanks to coming out significantly below current market prices for back vintages, including the all-important 2019 which has proved a fly in the ointment for so many releases,’ it added.

UK merchants have told Decanter in recent weeks that some top wines have seen good interest from buyers, but there have been mixed reports. 

In the US, Shaun Bishop, CEO of JJ Buckley in California, told Decanter in mid-May that the campaign so far had been ‘very limited’ in terms of successful releases.

Speaking relatively early in the campaign, he referenced Pontet Canet, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Cheval Blanc and Haut-Brion as successes so far, all of which are wines which he said were seeing higher year-on-year sales. 

No Le Dôme 2023 en primeur

On Bordeaux’s Right Bank, JCP Maltus, which owns Le Dôme and Château Teyssier in St-Émilion, said that it would not be releasing 2023-vintage wines en primeur, ‘due to the current economic climate and our reduced production volume’. 

In a note to customers, it said it continued to believe in the en primeur system, but it said that the process should enable buyers to secure stocks at a ‘better price’ before the wine comes to market. 

It added: ‘Our faithful partners have purchased the exceptional 2022 vintage, for which we set a price in relation to the quality and the state of the market. 

‘We find it is inappropriate to release the 2023s and take the chance of devaluing our customers’ stock, jeopardise the business model of our company and the brand image of our products.’ 

It thanked customers for their ongoing support, and also reassured regular customers that, ‘we have set aside some production for you’.  

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Pichon Baron, Pavie, L’Eglise Clinet out
• Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur: Release prices and scores

This year's Bordeaux en primeur campaign is well underway with more than 70 estates releasing their prices for the 2023 wines. See all the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases here with scores and tasting notes by Georgie Hindle and Panos Kakaviatos.

The table below shows all the estates that have released prices for their 2023 wines so far. They are presented in descending order of the ex-négociant release price in Euros per single bottle with the percentage decrease from the single bottle 2022 price. The table also shows the release price of a case of 12 x 75cl bottles in GBP. The tasting note and score for each wine is also available via a drop down button. Prices were provided by Liv-ex which records transactions between its merchant members in the UK, US, Asia and Europe.

Please rotate your device to view the table in full.

Pauillac-based Château Pichon Baron and top-tier St-Émilion estate Château Pavie were among the latest big names to join the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign this morning (4 June), alongside Château Giscours and Château L’Eglise-Clinet.

Year-on-year price reductions have continued, with prices on down in the region of 18-25% on an ex-Bordeaux négociant basis.

Four new releases at a glance:

• Château Pichon Baron 2023 97pts (Decanter) | €103 per bottle ex-négociant, down 23.4% versus 2022 | UK price £1,234 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
• Château L’Eglise Client 2023 | 97pts | €210 per bottle, down 19.2% | UK price £2,508 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Pavie 2023 | 97pts | €234 per bottle, down 22% | UK price £2,784 (12x75cl IB)
• Château Giscours 2023 | 95pts | €40.8 per bottle, down 18.4% | UK price £492 (12x75cl IB)
  Price data source: Liv-ex.
  

Other highlights this week so far include Pichon Comtesse 2023 (98pts, Decanter), which generated strong praise from several merchants yesterday.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Pauillac: Château Pichon Baron 2023

Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, rated Pichon Baron 2023 at 97-points, level with her en primeur score for the Pauillac ‘super second’ estate’s 2022 grand vin, and also her in-bottle score for Pichon Baron 2019.

Hindle praised the 2023 wine’s ‘classicism’, with bright fruit and super fine tannins.

‘This has finesse and power – less plushness and richness than last year, of course – it’s more sleek and straight, firm and controlled, but still has width and layers of flavour and texture,’ she wrote. ‘I think this will be great in time.’

UK merchants offered Pichon Baron 2023 at £1,234 (12x75cl IB), down more than 20% on last year’s release. 

Yet, Liv-ex noted: ‘While today’s release comes at a discount to 2022, it remains one of the more expensive vintages of the past decade currently available on the market.’ Buyers might find opportunities in Pichon Baron 2015, 2019 and 2020, it added.

St-Émilion: Château Pavie 2023

Château Pavie, one of the top-tier St-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé ‘A’ estates, also released its 2023 vintage today – with UK merchants offering the wine at £2,784 (12x75cl IB).

‘An impressive showing from Pavie in 2023,’ wrote Hindle, giving the wine 97-points. ‘Layered and complex but with zing, a sense of life and tonnes of energy. Still compact, as you’d expect, but tannins are fine and the wine has been well constructed – this will be delicious.’

Hindle previously gave 96-points to Pavie 2022 en primeur and also Pavie 2019 in-bottle, but the 2023 vintage matches her 97-point score for Pavie 2020 in-bottle.

Liv-ex said of the Pavie 2023 release: ‘At this price, today’s release is one of the most expensive vintages of the past decade available on the market.’

Analyst and consultancy group Wine Lister said its data showed Pavie 2023 was released at a 28% premium to the current Pavie 2019 market price.

Pomerol: Château L’Eglise Clinet 2023 

L’Eglise Client 2023 was given 97-points by Decanter’s Panos Kakaviatos, who tasted many en primeur wines alongside Hindle this year. 

This matches the 2022-vintage score, confirming that the new generation has continued the strong legacy left by the late Denis Durantou.  

‘Crafted from deep rooted vines in both clay with clayey gravel, this estate succeeds like no other in expressing power from this appellation but without any hard or drying tannins, which one can encounter in 2023 from other estates,’ Kakaviatos wrote, advising buyers not to uncork the wine before 2033. ‘Give it the full opportunity to improve in your cellar.’

UK merchant Farr Vintners was particularly enthusiastic about the latest release, noting early critical acclaim for the 2023 wine.

‘If you want to buy only the best wine en primeur this year, then this is the one for you at £2,508per dozen [12x75cl IB],’ it said.

Liv-ex said the new release appeared to offer ‘fair value’, given its high rating, although Wine Lister highlighted that the ‘latest vintage does not offer any discount versus in-bottle back vintages’.

Farr Vintners also highlighted that other Durantou family wines can offer ‘amazing value for money’. It mentioned Montlandrie, which it said was available ‘at around a quarter of the price of many Pomerol and St-Émilion big names at £164 per dozen’.

Margaux: Château Giscours 2023

Margaux third growth Château Giscours also revealed the price for its 2023 wine today.

UK merchants offered the wine at £492 (12x75cl IB), and Hindle rated Giscours 2023 as a 95-point wine, level with the 2020 vintage, but slightly lower than the 96-points awarded to the 2022 vintage en primeur and also Giscours 2019 in-bottle.

‘There’s power here, but there’s precision and velvety tannins to this, too, which gives both structure and brightness,’ Hindle wrote. ‘It’s not as soft and plush as Giscours can be…but there’s suaveness here. Excellent effort.’

Liv-ex data suggested Giscours 2023 was another example of a wine released at a significant discount to the 2022 wine, yet still above current market prices for several other recent vintages from the estate.

Prices down 19% on average so far

Wine Lister said this morning that, so far, release prices were down 19% versus the 2022 vintage campaign on an ex-négociant basis (€ per bottle), and by 7% versus the 2021-vintage en primeur wines.

These figures serve as a reminder that some 2022-vintage wines were expensive on release, compared to available back-vintages. Year-on-year discounts, therefore, only tell part of the story. Each estate also has its own context, strategy and market trajectory.

UK merchant Corney & Barrow joined the praise for Pichon Comtesse 2023 yesterday (down 35% ex-négociant). It said the wine was ‘blazing the way in both quality and price’.

It was more cautious about Palmer (98pts, Decanter; UK price £2,880 per 12x75cl IB), released in the afternoon. ‘Palmer has continued in its pattern of stubbornness and is only a purchase for those avid fans of the estate,’ the merchant noted.

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines
• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%
• Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Brane-Cantenac drops 25%