Short and long-term pleasure

Don’t sleep on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage – it’s brilliant.

The best wines display charm, finesse and a lively, juicy core.

It’s a vintage that, on the whole, delights from the very first sip – generous, approachable and so delicious that it feels like the first truly ‘modern’ Bordeaux vintage where the wines are ready to bring joy right now.

You won’t have to wait long, if at all, for most of them, yet ageing won’t be a problem either.

Bordeaux continues to demonstrate the value of variation between vintages.

This isn’t a blockbuster vintage like the powerhouse 2022, and it could be tempting to overlook 2023 in the shadow of its predecessor.

But in its freshness, suavity and elegance, 2023 can absolutely rival 2019 and 2020 – and in several instances, individual wines feel more balanced, more poised and more terroir-transparent than their 2022 counterparts.

You can taste the gravel of the Médoc, the limestone of St-Emilion, the rich clay of Pomerol.

This report reflects sentiments from tasting almost 600 wines now that they’re in the bottle, and showcases a small selection of my personal highlights from a vintage I adore.

Balance and restraint

The season was defined by two halves.

A wet, rainy spring delivered severe mildew pressure – particularly challenging for organic producers – and required rigorous selection and sorting that one winemaker described as having ‘never been more thorough’.

A dry summer, punctuated by a late heatwave, gave way to ideal September conditions that permitted precise, unhurried picking.

Had the weather not shifted decisively to dryness and warmth in the second half of the season, the vintage would have taken a markedly different course – likely leaner and less complete.

As it was, full phenolic maturity was achieved without excess and winemakers responded with restraint and sophistication.

Lessons learned from the preceding years are clearly visible in the gentle extractions, measured oak influence and increased use of concrete containers and amphorae in order to preserve fruit purity.

The result is a vintage in which the winemaker’s hand is present yet unobtrusive, allowing terroir and estate identity to shine with unusual clarity.

Immediate appeal

The reds are medium-bodied, frequently retaining the gloss and shine they showed en primeur.

Bright cassis, raspberry, plum, floral and mineral notes are lifted by mouthwatering acidity. Tannins are fine yet serious – some approaching the firmness of 2010 – yet the pronounced freshness ensures they never feel too austere or overwhelming.

Structure is in place for extended ageing, but the wines are so juicy and mouthwatering that many are already highly enjoyable.

Pomerol’s clay soils deliver flesh, ripeness and plush tannins – Vieux Château Certan and L’Eglise-Clinet (see recommendations) are outstanding.

St-Emilion’s limestone lends crystalline minerality and tension – Château Cheval Blanc is radiant; the Médoc’s gravel brings classic definition and poise – Château Palmer is seamless, Haut-Brion aristocratic and precise.

While there is much variation in style and character, time in barrel does seem to have levelled the playing field somewhat in terms of these wines’ drinkability.

Whites are frequently exceptional. Sauvignon Blanc excelled, producing vibrant, aromatic wines full of citrus, stone fruit, herbs and racy acidity.

On the sweet side, Sauternes and Barsac are bold yet finely balanced, with botrytis concentration offset by freshness.

Above all, the 2023 reds are wines of immediacy and pleasure. They are the kind of bottles that will, I think, be reached for repeatedly and finished without hesitation.

The traditional Bordeaux rule of a decade in the cellar simply doesn’t apply here.

Many are ready now, yet the combination of acidity and tannin ensures they will develop with grace over 15 to 25 years or more.

As one winemaker remarked: ‘In 10 or 20 to 30 years, these may be the wines people opt for in preference to 2022.’

The long-term verdict remains open, but the potential is evident.

A welcome boost

Bordeaux continues to navigate difficult commercial waters.

The broader wine world faces real challenges – market shifts, economic pressure, climatic uncertainty – and few estates have been untouched.

Yet the 2023s stand as a compelling reminder of Bordeaux’s capacity for excellence: thrilling quality, pure enjoyment and genuine excitement.

They offer a welcome note of optimism as we look towards the much-anticipated 2025 en primeur tastings in April.

No appellation claims outright supremacy in 2023, though Pomerol often shows particular generosity, St-Emilion limestone evokes crystalline tension, Margaux floral refinement, St-Julien and Pauillac classical structure, and Pessac-Léognan whites outstanding vibrancy.

Second wines and value-driven bottlings are also successful, especially from the Right Bank satellites.

Prices have moderated since the more exuberant 2022 campaign, so genuine opportunities exist in this year when being selective is critical.

The wines below represent outstanding quality and drinkability, some for near-term enjoyment, others built for the long term.

NB: We’ll be highlighting 10 outstanding ‘value’ wines from the 2023 vintage in this year’s annual Bordeaux guide, to be published alongside the May 2026 issue

The Hindle pick: An early taste of 30 Bordeaux 2023 reds

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Early in the growing season, 2006 seemed to many a year that could equal or excel the widely heralded 2005 that preceded it. Sadly, this was not to be the case.

A cool, wet August interrupted the stellar progress of the season up to that point, and rain during harvest put to rest hopes of glory. And yet, despite discouraging news from the vineyards at harvest, the wines in barrel and then in bottle offered promise, and a recent retrospective showed numerous wines that have stood the test of time.

I tasted through 24 of them in the spring of 2025 to find out what had become of this sometimes-overlooked vintage.

Charles’s pick of 2006 Bordeaux listed below

Vintage conditions

A wet winter helped replenish the water table after a dry season in 2005. The winter preceding the growing season was also frigid, killing vineyard pests and driving the sap deep into the roots of the vines and delaying budbreak.

After a warm, wet stretch in March, cool weather in April further delayed the season’s start. Following this hesitation, however, the weather was dry from April through July, and temperatures were summery from early May well past flowering.

Until this point in the year, it seemed that Bordeaux was due for two back-to-back blockbusters.

Unfortunately, August did not cooperate. The season was cool, cloudy, and wet, with approximately 10% less sunshine than the five-year average, and 20% more rain than an ordinary year, drawing out ripening and increasing the risk of rot.

Providentially, there was a spell of hot and dry weather in early September, and picking began with the Merlot on 11 September, but unfortunately the rain started back in again just as the harvest began.

The Merlot harvest was a battle between picking too early and a bit green or picking later and risking rot. Thicker-skinned Cabernet Sauvignon fared much better, and most of the rain had finished by 24 September.

The best wines were made after much sorting and a strict selection for the top wine, along with a bit of luck in choosing the harvest dates.

Don’t write it off

Despite the rollercoaster fluctuations of fortune, writing off the entire 2006 vintage is an error.

Although it was widely maligned in the aftermath of the enthusiasm over the 2005 vintage, 2006 is actually a very good vintage in Bordeaux that has produced a range of wines, from great to good to fair, but always with the emphasis on charm rather than power.

The best wines are classic clarets. The blackcurrant aromas on the Left Bank and the plummy fruit on the Right Bank are opening up now and showing developed hints of cedar, graphite, smoke, and earth.

To be sure, there were disappointments as well – châteaux with too large a crop on the vines invariably delivered dilute wines, and those who picked too early to avoid the rot risked unpleasant green, herbal notes, while those that did not sort thoroughly risked a hint of rot.

Properties that extracted too forcefully ended up with harsh, unyielding tannins that have yet to come around (and may never do so).

Conclusions

It is not a vintage of great concentration as was 2005, but the best among the wines in 2006 are agreeably approachable now and still have the substance to last another 20 years.

Even the biggest wines are starting to open now, and the best of the first growths will last another 50 years.

We double-decanted everything two hours before the tasting, and this seems to have worked well at this stage.

2006 is a vintage that offers both value and quality. There are wines in this selection under £50, and even the top-scoring wines are significantly less expensive than the 2005 from the same châteaux.

Bordeaux 2006

Top three value wines

• Château La Lagune £47 (UK) $84 (US)
• Château Saint-Pierre £44 (UK) $70 (US)
• Château Pavie-Macquin £57 (UK) $92 (US)

Top scoring wines

• Château Latour £416 (UK) $870 (US)
• Château Margaux £356 (UK) $698 (US)
• Château Pichon-Lalande £120 (UK) $251 (US)
  

Charles Curtis MW’s pick of 2006 Bordeaux

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There’s been a radical shift within the Sauternes region over the past decade. A producer once told me: ‘As an indulgence, you can take a mistress or buy an estate in Sauternes. But nobody can afford to do both.’

He was alluding, of course, to the completely uneconomic proposition of producing Sauternes.

Scroll down for notes and scores of nine superb Sauternes wines

Swimming against the tide

Yields are minuscule – one third of those for red Bordeaux, if you’re lucky – and its production is entirely dependent on the caprices of the climate.

Unripe grapes, the lack of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), rain at harvest, insect infestation – all can wipe out, or diminish, a crop.

Moreover, it’s hard to sell, thanks to a misconception that Sauternes is heavy and syrupy.

Those who relish a fine wine from Château Climens or Sigalas Rabaud among others, will know that the wine’s richness and sweetness are balanced by bracing acidity that refreshes the palate.

The heavy, tarry wines that existed some decades ago are very much a thing of the past.

In order to boost revenue, many producers are reducing the quantities of sweet wine they make and stepping up the production of fashionable dry styles.

Consequently, only the best sites within an estate are now reserved for the sweet wine, and quality has risen even as the number of bottles has shrunk.

Style and substance

Sauternes ages like a dream, but climatic conditions strongly influence the style of each vintage.

Below, I explore three, all of which can be drunk now but are categorised as: a ‘best enjoyed young’ – the 2020 vintage; an ‘approachable now but will keep for some years’ – the 2018; and one ‘close to indestructible’ – the 2009.

Lighter styles offer pleasure as aperitifs, while richer Sauternes works well with foie gras, sweetbreads, blue cheese and fruit.

One famous estate pairs each course with a differently aged Sauternes, showing its versatility.

However, while it’s true that some such pairings can succeed, it ignores the fact that Sauternes has a strong personality of its own that can dominate the table. It needs to be appreciated as great wine in its own right.

For this task, I’m comparing three stellar estates. Château Doisy Daëne is in Barsac, where the limestone soils usually deliver a fresh, intense style of Sauternes; it’s generally aged in just one third new oak, unlike many other classed growths, which use 50% or more.

Château Coutet, also in Barsac, offers a richer style. And Château Suduiraut is a very consistent first growth that usually produces more opulent wines.

There’s little difference in ageing potential between the three.

2020

A year that demonstrates a great vintage for red Bordeaux isn’t necessarily a stellar one for Sauternes.

First, a difficult flowering followed by mildew complicated the growing season, although the summer was hot and very dry, so that noble rot didn’t arrive until late September.

The first picking was of shrivelled (passerille) grapes without botrytis, while the botrytised grapes were picked in October until heavy rain halted the harvest.

Yields varied from about 8hl/ha to 16hl/ha, but the problem was a lack of concentration in the wines.

Most of them are of good quality but lack persistence and staying power. In short, it’s a vintage to consume fairly young while there’s still some energy on the palate.

Scrupulous selection at harvest ensured that quality was surprisingly high, but the wines lack the structure of a long-lived vintage.

2018

Although the summer was sunny and warm, the vintage was not without its difficulties.

Mildew in May and June, as well as sporadic hail in mid-July, severely reduced yields at estates such as Guiraud, and Yquem’s crop was 40% below normal.

September was warm and dry, which prevented noble rot from attacking the grapes. Eventually, showers in mid-October brought botrytis. Picking continued into early November.

The wines showed varying degrees of concentration with moderate sugar levels, but some acidities were low, which is why this is a medium-term vintage.

Some colours seem quite evolved, but there are few signs of early oxidation. It shows more depth and unctuosity than 2020, and can be approached now with much pleasure.

2009

This was a great year for reds, but also, unusually, for Sauternes.

A trouble-free flowering ensured a good crop, and was followed by a sun-drenched summer, with timely showers and storms to refresh the grapes.

A mixture of rain and warm nights in mid-September led to ample noble rot and a relatively straightforward harvest that was mostly over by mid-October.

If anything, the fruit was too ripe, and producers needed to work on curbing sugar and alcohol levels by blending lots of varying ripeness.

Château d’Yquem thought the vintage had the potential to outshine the superb 2001, and it was certainly of the highest quality.

Clearly, it can be drunk now, but like all the great Sauternes vintages, it has the potential to age further.

Nine Sauternes wines spanning three vintages

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Appraising the best of Bordeaux as the wines approach 10 years old is always a fascinating exercise.

We often underplay the longevity of these wines from the most lauded of regions, perhaps because we have lost the patience to wait, or, perhaps we are influenced by so many regions making styles that are so instantly appealing.

At the decade mark, depending on the style of the vintage, you see the more approachable wines starting to hit their long-lived peak and the very finest wines starting to wake from their slumber.

Scroll down for 25 of the best wines from the Bordeaux 2015 vintage

I should add, this is not always the case, certainly not with vintages such as 2005 or 1986, where the wines can lay dormant for decades, leaving us to wonder whether they’ll ever open.

2015, thankfully, isn’t crafted from that mould. If you’re of the school that suggests ‘great vintages are vintages that drink well every day of their lives’, then these are wines you need in your cellar.

The 2015 growing season wasn’t straightforward and was marked by an unusually warm spring that led to early but, crucially, even flowering.

Summer was mixed: storms followed by excessive heat, followed by rain. Most importantly, the harvest was dry and there was no risk of rot.

A notable château owner once proclaimed: ‘We don’t have bad vintages in Bordeaux, just good vintages, great vintages and vintage of the century… but we can only use that every five years.’

Funnily enough, combined with the famous ‘rule of fives’ – years ending in ‘5’ reputed always to produce quality, certainly in recent decades – that’s how the rhetoric goes.

Ups and downs

From an investment standpoint, it’s unsurprising that 2015 has been a mixed blessing.

According to LiveTrade, Bordeaux Index’s trading platform, the best performers have been Châteaux Margaux and Beychevelle, and Carruades de Lafite, having put on 89%, 71% and 67% in value respectively since their release.

At the other end of the scale, Châteaux Pavie and La Mission Haut-Brion now trade at more than 20% below their release price.

This really brings into question an interesting point: ‘Does your classification affect the price?’

In the case of Château Pavie, which had been promoted to grand cru classé A status in the 2012 St-Emilion classification revision, the fall in price would indicate that the market isn’t willing to pay their seemingly ambitious release prices.

Whereas a fall in price of La Mission Haut-Brion, despite trading at half the price of neighbouring first growth Haut-Brion, would indicate that the 1855 classification is more relevant than ever, despite the two being very much qualitative peers.

Quality on all sides

The question is ultimately how does 2015 Bordeaux stack up next to the other ‘vintages of the century’ – 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2016?

In terms of style, the 2015s are, across the board, effortlessly balanced, showing beautiful concentration, measured oak influence, seamless tannin structure and just enough sunshine evident in the glass.

They aren’t as ‘showy’ as 2009, more luxurious than 2010 and 2016, but not as broad-shouldered as 2000.

I was surprised at how delicious and drinkable these wines were even at this early stage, which is, we should not forget, the ultimate aim.

The quality here is high, and most importantly, across the board, from top to bottom, up and down the Médoc and left and right of the Gironde.

You can buy these wines blindly, with confidence, knowing that almost every producer has crafted something stylistically typical of the appellation and of an extremely high standard.

Unlike 2005, for example, these wines are accessible at this age, but don’t underestimate their longevity.

There is balance in these wines that will see the very best wines, if impeccably stored, still giving pleasure towards the end of the century.

My advice, as it often is, is to buy the cheaper wines in large format and if you can raid the piggy bank for the apex of 2015, do not hesitate. These are exceptional wines.

Bordeaux 2015: 25 of the best 10 years on

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In stark contrast to last year’s article damning the majority of the decade milestone vintages throughout the 1960s and ’70s, everyone celebrating a decennial anniversary in 2025 is of far greater fortune… well, almost everyone.

If I were to put down some of my cold, hard sterling on the outcome of 2025 being a successful Bordeaux vintage, history tells me that that’s as safe a bet as I could make in the world of wine.

When we look back at the embarrassment of riches that the median vintage of each decade has given us, the ‘fives’ are almost always a contender for the finest vintage of the era.

Scroll down for notes and scores from Bordeaux’s famous ‘5’ vintages

2015

They say that Bordeaux no longer has good vintages and bad vintages, just easy vintages and difficult ones.

While it would be churlish to suggest that the late Paul Pontallier (pictured) of Château Margaux 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 were all ‘difficult vintages’, they were certainly less lauded than the two vintages that preceded them.

The Bordelais would have to wait no longer, as 2015 was deemed to be yet another ‘vintage of the century’.

A decade on, I would suggest that, in the pantheon of legends we’ve already witnessed this century, it sits behind the top-tier trio of 2000, 2010 and 2016 but alongside 2005 and 2009.

The vintage is both generous and homogenous across quality levels and appellations. There is a seamlessness to the best wines and an approachability that you don’t find in some of the longer-term vintages.

The balance here is wonderful and so many of these wines give a huge amount of pleasure now and will do for decades to come.

Château Margaux – 2015 the last vintage under the late, great Paul Pontallier – is the best of the firsts, while on the Right Bank, Château Lafleur is the wine of the vintage.

See the ‘10 years on’ tasting for Châteaux Margaux, Lafleur and La Conseillante as my top 2015 picks.

2005

After the limp response to the vastly inferior 2004 vintage, the Bordelais were more than ready to reap the rewards of the perfect 2005 growing season during the en primeur campaign the following spring.

When influential critic Robert Parker (pictured) posed the question ‘Is 2005 the perfect vintage?’ as the title to his initial report, the phone lines of every wine merchant in London promptly went into meltdown.

Contrary to expectation, when the great man revealed his ‘in-bottle’ scores for the 2005s the following year, only two wines were bestowed with the perfect three-digit score.

What he went on to point out was that, although he didn’t feel that the vintage had the ultimate highs, it was the most homogenous vintage of modern times, where everything excelled, from top to bottom.

Recent tastings have shown he may just have been right. 2005 rarely stands out among its peers of 2000, 2009 and 2010, but there are almost no bad wines.

The definition of a ‘great vintage’? Possibly…

It’s a vintage of generally structured and powerful wines built for the long term and wonderfully successful in all communes for the red wines. There are so many great wines it’s hard to pick favourites – but from the top flight, a recent bottle of Mouton Rothschild was just beginning to show well.

As an addition to the two below, I will stick my neck on the line for the Gruaud Larose, whose reputation in this vintage is mixed.

1995

In remarkably similar fashion to how things would unfold two decades later, the Bordelais were dealt the unfortunate hand of a difficult run of vintages in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994; 1995 came as manna from heaven.

Unlike its successor, 1996, this vintage was equally lauded on both sides of the Gironde. Initially quite structured and ‘square’, it’s unlikely you’ll find many wines here that are charming and ethereal, but now approaching 30, they’ve resolved beautifully.

I have always loved Château Haut-Brion among the first growths, but the really special example was made across the road at La Mission Haut-Brion – a château that I believe, with age, rises to the top in both strong and weak vintages alike.

While I’m not always a huge fan of Château Lafleur in Pomerol, I think the team here really excelled in 1995, along with Château Clinet, where they made one of their finest wines ever.

1985

I sit firmly alongside former Decanter columnist, the late, great Michael Broadbent with regard to 1985.

For me it is the vintage of the decade, surpassing the tannic 1986s, the occasionally foursquare 1989s and even the legendary 1982s; due to their inherent charm and homogeneity across the whole span of estates.

The argument for 1982 over 1985 was always that the ‘highs were higher’, even if that was only true for half a dozen or so wines.

I will not contest that point, but I would argue that both Château Cheval Blanc and Château Margaux 1985 have evolved to a point that they rival many of the legendary wines of the last half-century.

In the first growths, Mouton is fabulous, as is Lafite, but Latour didn’t hit the heights it managed in other years.

From the next rung, in terms of quality, châteaux Léoville Las Cases, Pichon Longueville and Lynch-Bages are all world-beaters, Léoville Barton is the best of their decade by a long stretch, and Gruaud Larose remains an incredible bargain.

If you ever come across Château Haut-Brion Blanc 1985, it might just be the greatest white wine you ever drink… from anywhere.

I could go on, but top to bottom – even a recent magnum of Château Beaumont Haut-Médoc was glorious – these wines are fabulous.

1975

The year that saw the end of the Vietnam war was merely a busted flush in the region’s worst decade of the 20th century.

On release, the vintage was met with optimism after the damp, dank years that preceded it, but ultimately many of the wines simply don’t have the fruit required to balance out the monumental structure.

That’s not to say that the wines are undrinkable, but sadly they’re not as laudable as initially anticipated. Of course, there are exceptions.

Pomerol, in general, fared incredibly well and I would recommend taking a chance on well-stored, lower-end properties as they are often incredibly well priced.

At the top end of the scale, Petrus produced one of its greatest-ever wines. On the other side of the Gironde, Château Haut-Brion made a solid wine, but the aberration was La Mission Haut-Brion (which I suppose now shouldn’t come as a surprise), where a vinous tour de force was crafted.

A foursquare, muscular wine that has all the stuffing, it’s a contender for wine of the decade.

1965

I suppose there always has to be an outlier and, in this series, 1965 is undoubtedly it – unquestionably a contender for worst vintage of the 20th century.

One critic said of a particularly esteemed château, after initially smelling the wine: ‘Only for purely educational purposes did I put this wine in my mouth.’

A recent bottle of Château Poujeaux was, surprisingly, drinkable. Moving on…

1955

Often overshadowed by 1959 and 1961, 1955 is almost the 1985 of its day in that there’s balance and quality here from top to bottom.

At the top end, Mouton Rothschild is a real standout, as is Château Palmer in Margaux, but sadly I’m yet to encounter the legendary 1955 La Mission Haut-Brion, often touted as wine of the vintage.

A recent bottle of Château La Lagune Haut-Médoc showed that you don’t need to break the bank to experience the majesty of the vintage. Buy well-stored bottles with confidence.

1945

It would be impossible to conclude without a few words on what many deem to be the finest vintage ever produced. ‘Année de la Victoire’ is inscribed above a large ‘V’ on the label of the harvest’s most famous wine, Château Mouton Rothschild.

When the vintage was produced, it was as if the vineyards themselves were breathing a sigh of relief and speaking out against the defeated Nazi regime.

It has been many years since I have encountered the legendary ’45 Mouton, but I suspect perfectly stored bottles will still require seven or eight hours of decanting to show why it was adorned with the top spot in Decanter’s ‘Top 100 wines to try before you die’, back in 2004.

More recently, both Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Margaux have been fabulous, even with some ullage (the wine level reduced in the neck or shoulder of the bottle).

If you ever come across a wine from this singular vintage, I urge you to try it. After 80 years, it might not be in mid-season top form, but the quality, history and legend represent everything that makes Bordeaux the greatest wine region in the world.

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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.

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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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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

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• 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

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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 | 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

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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 | 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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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

Pomerol 2024: Tiny yields but some exceptional wines

Average yield: 28.4hl/ha

Variance from 2023: -59.1% (45.2hl/ha)

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

Vintage overview

Praise for the wines can only go some way to compensate Pomerol producers for their tiny yields in 2024, with few exceeding 30hl/ha and the average being only 28.4% – almost a 60% decrease from last year.

There were fewer wines available to taste – Hosanna, La Grange à Pomerol and La Grave à Pomerol were missing giving an indication as to the troubles faced throughout the year.

Indeed mildew was a problem as was botrytis and many producers picked ahead of the September rain to avoid disease and dilution.

These factors added to the general cool vintage have produced a set of Pomerol wine with less typical sexiness and plushness than usual, they’re not opulent or voluptuous but the best are still packed full of flavour with aromatic intensity and lovely juicy, charming profiles.

Favourite wines

Indeed Pomerol has one of my wine’s of the vintage; L’Eglise Clinet made by the talented Noëmie Durantou (pictured, above) and Olivier Gautrat which was just exceptional and showed none of the difficulties in the glass. If you can get your hands on these bottles please do!

‘It was a tough game, but a great result in the end,’ Durantou said.

Château Lafleur also shone with a beautiful 2024 and bucked the trend with high yields of 40hl/ha. Winemaker Omri Ram said the team, ‘didn’t miss a spraying window’.

‘We didn’t miss one hour, we sprayed on bank holidays, weekends and three times at night’, he said adding that they ‘also worked the canopies’ and maintained the cover crops to ‘manage the water and stabilise the soils’.

For the team at Clos du Clocher it was all about ‘endurance’. They produced a lovely 2024, slightly more lean in profile compared to previous years but very enjoyable nonetheless.

Olivier Berrouet at Petrus said it was the first time in 20 years that they battled rain and botrytis during the harvest.

‘The goal was to harvest ripe,’ he said, adding that because the grapes were more damaged than usual and more sensitive to oxygen they reduced the number of rackings and carried them out under nitrogen.

The 2024 Petrus is amazingly aromatic, focused and fresh with plenty of nuance. Not as charming as usual but clean, linear and precise.

I thought Château Fayat, under the management of Gwen Lucas, was a highlight and enjoyed Petit Village too.

Standouts

• Château L’Eglise Clinet
• Château Lafleur

Highlights

• Petrus
• Château Trotanoy
• Château Vieux Château Certan
• Château La Conseillante
• Guillot-Clauzel
• Château Petit Village
• Château Clinet
• Château Clos de la Vieille Eglise
• Château Latour à Pomerol

Value

• Château Clos du Clocher
• Château Fayat
• Château La Petite Eglise
• Château Bonalgue
• Château La Cabanne

See all Pomerol 2024 en primeur wines tasted

See the top-scoring Pomerol 2024 wines

Search all 700+ Bordeaux 2024 en primeur ratings

Related articles

• Bordeaux 2024: Weather & growing conditions
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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.

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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

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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 | 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

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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.

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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

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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

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• 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.

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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
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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.

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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

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• 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.

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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

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• 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).

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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
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Merchants and critics have barely returned from Bordeaux and prices for wines have already been made public.

Château Pontet-Canet, Château Batailley and the various Right Bank wines from JP Moueix have led an early charge to declare the price of their 2024 vintage wines.

There have been price cuts, but perhaps not ones as radical as many were hoping for.

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Both of the Left Bank estates have a track-record in recent years of releasing well-ahead of the curve, and were among the front-runners last year too.

This year’s tasting of the new vintage was also held earlier than usual, which partly accounts for what appears to be a very prompt start to the campaign.

With several more releases due next week, there is little time for commentators to turn around their thoughts on a vintage that is particularly nuanced.

Pontet-Canet

After cutting its price 27% last year, the St-Estèphe estate has not budged so much for its 2024, dropping just 9%.

The wine is being offered by négociants in Bordeaux for €60 a bottle, leading to a price of around £360 per six bottles in-bond in the UK.

Fine wine platform Liv-ex noted that despite bringing prices down across recent vintages, ‘poor post-release price performance of recent vintages means the 2024 is still one of the more expensive vintages on the market’.

It added that a score of 95-points from critic Neal Martin would make the release look more appealing. On the other hand, as its pricing graph makes plain, the 2020 vintage has a score of 95 and is currently available for around £280 per six.

Batailley

The Batailley 2024 was being offered by merchants for £150 per six bottles in-bond. This is down 7% on the price of its 2023 which was offered for around £162 per six last April.

Last year’s price cut was 12% down from the 2022 as well.

Corney & Barrow in its daily commentary wasn’t wholly enthusiastic, stating that the release was, ‘not quite setting a pricing marker, as you can buy their 2019 & 2021 vintages for a little less’.

It did however, ‘encourage people to give the smaller estates more leniency here as we are talking small margins for a high cost vintage’.

JP Moueix stable

The wines released by Moueix include Château Belair-Monange from St-Emilion, and Château Bourgneuf and Château La Fleur-Petrus in Pomerol.

Merchants are offering the wines for £530, £150 and £680 per six bottles in-bond respectively.

A high-tempo campaign

As discussed in our article on market conditions published earlier this week, the 2024 wines are being offered at an unsettled time.

UK fine wine merchant Farr Vintners noted on its site that: ‘Political and financial turmoil makes this the hardest market we have seen for releasing a new vintage in recent history, particularly for a vintage like 2024.’

The vintage was difficult, as our Bordeaux editor, Georgie Hindle, made clear in her initial overview.

However, there have been some more positive noises around the quality of some of the wines. Expertise and ruthless sorting in what was already a small vintage seems to have helped some of the top estates from falling into the pitfalls of a wet and rot-filled year – though quality is uneven.

Volumes are also going to be very limited. Potential buyers are being advised to draw up their wish-lists, and if the critical consensus chimes with a favourable-looking price to register their interest quickly.

This early slate of releases demonstrates that the Bordelais do not intend to sit around. They are taking their wines to market and banking on their price cuts being enough of a draw to pull in buyers right from the off.

But with so few scores and assessments from influential critics currently published, will this tactic be enough to overcome the initial inertia of a sluggish market?

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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
• Price cut talk as Bordeaux 2024 en primeur tastings start
• Five Bordeaux vintages to drink now

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.

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It’s fair to say the Bordeaux 2024 vintage was a demanding one. It was a brutal year, dubbed a ‘war’ by one winemaker, testing the resolve of even the hardiest vigneron.

It was defined by extreme weather swings that necessitated quick reactions, financial investment, increased labour and a bit of luck.

A record-breakingly wet winter, a bit of frost, a mildew-heavy spring, a fortuitously dry summer, and unwelcome September rains shaped a vintage that required relentless vigilance and technical precision.

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Yields hit historic lows, marking 2024 as one of Bordeaux’s toughest vintages in decades.

Amid the chaos, some excellent, balanced and fresh wines have emerged, though quality varies wildly and not every bottle shines.

We’ll soon be publishing a ‘yields and wine style guide’ to Bordeaux 2024 ahead of the big report in May, but before then let’s delve into the gritty details…

Bordeaux 2024: Key takeaways

Producers faced a gruelling succession of crises and challenges in 2024.

Winter’s unprecedented rainfall – up to 900mm from October 2023 to March 2024 (the wettest in 25 years) – had 70% more precipitation than the 10 year average. It created swamp-like vineyards, delaying pruning and set a gruelling tone for what was to come.

Mildew made an unprecedentedly early debut at the end of March (treatments were applied to some leaves) and was concentrated by the end of April (just in time for en primeur) which demanded constant spraying (amid fighting potential frosts) right through to June’s 93mm deluge, exhausting resources and tiring workers who had to spray up to three times a week.

Some estates sprayed more than 30 times including manual treatments when tractors were unable to move in waterlogged soils.

May’s 126mm of rain caused root asphyxia, stunting vines, while June’s long and wet flowering slashed Merlot yields via coulure and milerandage (see photo below).

Devastating hail hit Fronsac, St-Estèphe, and the southern Médoc, necessitating extra sorting and reducing crop sizes further.

Late véraison (16 August) and September’s 120mm of rain spurred grey rot, further necessitating plot by plot harvests, stretching not only labour resources but financial ones too. Many estates increased harvest teams, doubling in some cases, with an ‘all hands on deck’ approach.

Densimetric baths were employed across the region, sometimes in addition to optical sorting, with some estates discarding up to half their crop. Indeed, many estates presented both ‘potential yield’ figures at harvest and ‘ultimate yield’ figures for grapes that made it into vats.

While winemakers pushed maturity as long as they could, alcohols tended to stay on the lower side with low pHs and high malic acidity. Merlot in particular required widespread chapitislation to reach a minimum of 12.5% ABV.

Economic pressures hit all estates with labour, sorting and disease control straining budgets. One winemaker said; ‘It’s a rich person’s game’ and unfortunately that’s true especially when strict selections reduced yields even further than the weather did.

Renting a densimetric sorting machine costs around €25,000 for the harvest. Another estate said the 2024 cost more than 40% more to produce than 2023 due to both costs and low yields yet the market is calling for up to a 35% decrease in price…the struggle is real.

Important considerations

It’s not always easy summarising a vintage, particularly when the weather only tells half the story.

Terroir played a crucial role in 2024. Gravel soils, with their excellent drainage, and high-quality clay soils that retained water effectively, performed well. In contrast, sandy soils faced challenges and limestone in some places needed to regulate potential austerity.

Yields reflected terroir and strategy. Pessac-Léognan ranged from 19hl/ha (at Château Malartic Lagravière) to 46hl/ha (Château Couhins Lurton).

Pomerol hit 22–43 hl/ha (Château La Conseillante at 22hl, Clinet at 43hl), St-Émilion 30-40 hl/ha (Château Figeac at 31hl), and Margaux averaged 33hl/ha (Château Margaux at 40hl, Château Palmer at 22hl).

Rigorous sorting was critical given uneven ripening plus the danger of rot and botrytis. Château Cheval Blanc discarded 54% of its crop via densimetric baths, Figeac 21%, and La Conseillante 20%.

Technical precision in the cellar helped mitigate challenges, however. Estates adapted with modern tools and extra labour to manage heterogeneity and ensure quality.

Selective chaptalisation was widespread, increasing alcohols by 0.5-1% to a maximum of 13.5% almost everywhere. Many wines sit between 12.5% and 13%.

Estates with new cellars were able to use an increased number of smaller tanks for precision vinifications, cover crops were used to aid drainage and extra harvesters (200 at Giscours, 50 at Beauséjour versus the usual 30) ensured efficiency. Drones were also used for treatments as were tank-type tractors to access soggy soils.

Appraising the vintage

As has become customary, it’s useful to look at the five key stages that contribute to an exceptional Bordeaux vintage as outlined by the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV).

• Early and uniform budbreak: A consistent start to the growing season sets the foundation for uniform grape development.​
• Favourable flowering and fruit set: Ideal weather conditions during flowering ensure optimal fruit set and yield.​
• Warm and dry summer: A summer with adequate warmth and minimal rainfall promotes healthy grape maturation.​
• Dry and sunny harvest period: Dry conditions during harvest prevent disease and allow for optimal picking times.​

Balanced ripening: A harmonious development of sugars, acids, and phenolic compounds leads to well-structured wines.​

The fulfilment, or not, of any one of the criteria doesn’t necessarily mean the vintage is a write off given the advances and mitigations winemakers can now make both inside and outside of the cellar, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Assessment of the 2024 Vintage Against ISVV Criteria

• Budbreak occurred around 6 April, aligning with the 10-year average. However, subsequent frost events in late April disrupted uniform development, particularly affecting Merlot vines.​
• The flowering period faced challenges due to excessive rainfall and cool temperatures, leading to issues like coulure and millerandage, resulting in uneven fruit set.​
• The summer was characterised by intermittent rainfall and moderate temperatures. While not ideal, these conditions prevented excessive water stress and allowed for gradual grape maturation.​
• September, typically a crucial month for harvest, was the wettest in 30 years, complicating picking schedules and increasing disease pressure.​

Despite climatic hurdles, careful vineyard practices led to grapes with balanced acidity and moderate sugar levels, contributing to wines with freshness and lower alcohol content.

In 2024, criteria 1, 2 and 3 were not met and 4 and 5 only partially.

Comparison to other years

The 2024 growing season in Bordeaux stands in stark contrast to the past four vintages, each of which presented its own unique challenges and characteristics:

2020: A warm and early-ripening vintage, 2020 saw a wet spring followed by a dry summer, with some heat spikes in August. The key challenge was mildew pressure in early summer, but the dry, sunny conditions from July onward helped produce concentrated, structured wines with good aging potential.

2021: A far cooler and wetter vintage, 2021 was defined by severe frost in early April, which significantly reduced yields, particularly for Merlot. The summer was cooler and cloudier than usual, leading to slow ripening, and heavy rains in September further complicated the harvest. The result was a classic, fresh vintage with lower alcohol and higher acidity, requiring careful selection.

2022: A stark contrast to 2021, 2022 was one of Bordeaux’s hottest and driest vintages on record, with extreme heatwaves and prolonged drought from June to September. Despite fears of overripeness, well-timed rain in mid-August helped balance ripening, leading to powerful, deeply structured wines with ripe tannins and remarkable density.

2023: More moderate than 2022 but still warm and dry, 2023 featured early-season mildew pressure due to a wet spring, followed by a hot and dry summer. While early concerns about high disease pressure made vineyard management crucial, the warm and sunny late-season conditions allowed for a well-timed harvest, producing elegant wines with bright fruit and fine tannins.

2024: In contrast to the last two years, 2024 was cooler and wetter, particularly during the critical flowering and ripening stages. A wet winter and spring led to significant mildew pressure, while a relatively mild summer slowed ripening. September saw the wettest conditions in 30 years, forcing many estates to pick earlier than ideal. The result is fresher, lower-alcohol wines, with significant variation in quality depending on terroir and harvest timing.

Stay tuned for more articles on the Bordeaux 2024 vintage, including; the weather month by month; exact yields across the region and within specific appellations; an overview of the wine styles and the market conditions against which these wines will be offered.

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We determine a ‘value’ wine at Decanter if it’s priced at, or below, £20 a bottle – or roughly US$25.

However, it depends whether you’re looking for an everyday drinker, something special to share with friends or open on the weekend, or bottles to invest in or lay down.

Scroll down for the best value Bordeaux 2022 in bottle

Value is a relative term and so is price to some extent. In Bordeaux, en primeur – and subsequent in-bottle prices – are loosely based on supply and demand and not necessarily on quality alone.

The 2022 vintage at the top end was bullishly priced and while many top wines are excellent to drink now you may find some older wines entering their drinking windows at slightly more affordable prices. Those at the lower end however will still provide excellent quality to value ratios as it was an excellent vintage across the board, at all price levels.

The generous weather conditions meant even sites that would usually struggle to achieve ripeness succeeded.

Of course, it’s worth reading tasting notes to discover the style and character of the wines, but as a general rule you can look to the Cru Bourgeois and satellite appellations of Fronsac, Lalande de Pomerol, Castillon, Côtes de Bourg, Blaye and Entre deux Mers for easy drinking, characterful wines that won’t break the bank.

The below wines all received 94 points or more and offer great flavour, structure and drinkability.

Best value Bordeaux 2022

For around £20/20 euros, I loved:

• Patache d’Aux, Médoc Cru Bourgeois,
• Montlandrie, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux,
• Bel Air Gloria, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Supérieur)
• Le Coteau, Margaux
• La Garde, Rouge, Pessac-Léognan
• Bel-Air, Pomerol

Around the £30 mark I really recommend:

• Mongravey, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur Margaux,
• Les Cruzelles Lalande-de-Pomerol,
• Laroque, St-Émilion Grand Cru Classé
• Le Boscq, St-Estèphe Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
• Clarke, Listrac-Médoc
• Brown, Pessac-Léognan

Overdelivering for their price at or around £50:

• Batailley, Pauillac 5ème Cru Classé
• Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien 2ème Cru Classé
• Cantenac Brown, Margaux 3ème Cru Classé
• Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan Cru Classé de Graves

Slightly lower scoring but still excellent;

• Grand Village, Rouge, Bordeaux Supérieur
• Alcée, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
• Puybarbe, Côtes de Bourg
• Puygueraud, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

Tasting notes for all 800 Bordeaux 2022s

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Pauillac 2022 | Margaux 2022 | St-Julien 2022 | St-Estèphe 2022 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves | Pomerol 2022 | St-Emilion 2022 

Best value Bordeaux 2022 in bottle

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A mostly excellent showing for St-Emilion in 2022 – the only major appellation to receive above average yields.

Scroll down for the top-rated St-Emilion 2022 in bottle

There are a range of styles, but in the best cases expect freshness and zingy acidity with fruit purity but still plenty of structure and length.

Vines on the limestone plateau and on clay soils in particular were successful having been able to access key water sources to withstand the drought.

‘We’ve never seen our vines resist so well – there was no hydric stress,’ said Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, co-owner and CEO of Château Angelus, earlier this year.

She gave two reasons; the first because of the team’s hard work on cover crops to keep humidity and freshness on the ground and second; the deep root system and number of old vines that were able get ‘everything they need’.

Talking about terroir

Winemaker Benjamin Laforet said: ‘2022 shows how the vineyard work was more important than in the cellar’.

Two of their wines, Tempo and Carillon, have the exact same blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc with very different expressions – the former being from limestone and the latter on deep clays.

‘It really gives us an opportunity to talk about terroir,’ he said. For me Tempo is a top value pick this vintage showcasing an easy drinkability with the Angelus flair.

At Cheval Blanc, cellar master Carole André agrees: ‘We weren’t expecting anything fresh but the vineyard adapted. The vines slowed their metabolism to keep the freshness.

‘We had tiny berries with thick skins but no sunburn’ she added. With no second wine, Petit Cheval in 2022, ‘almost all plots went into the grand vin, giving a good picture of both the vintage and the estate’.

The grand vin spent 13 months in 100% new oak with ‘good drinkability from the very beginning,’ André said.

Quality across the board

For me St-Emilion is always interesting given the size, varying terroirs and classification system – of which the new rankings take effect from 2022.

This mean Cheval Blanc, Angelus and Ausone are no longer Premier Grand Cru Classé A estates, with only Pavie and the newly upgraded Figeac in that category.

For this report I tasted 153 St-Emilion wines, with another 100 or so from the satellites (Montagne, St-Georges, Puisseguin, Lussac, as well as Castillon and Lalande de Pomerol) which will be covered in another post.

Almost 50 wines scored 94 points or above so there’s plenty of choice for excellent wines at both Cru Classé and Grand Cru levels.

Favourite wines

My two favourites were Figeac and Angelus with 100 point scores. Both wines impressed with their precision and power, and entirely separately I used the words ‘sophisticated’, ‘effortless’ and ‘moreish’ in both of my tasting notes.

Troplong Mondot was extremely impressive – sumptuous and filling but juicy and finessed. It’s a little shy but there’s plenty of potential for this wine.

At the top end can’t really go wrong with Canon, Beausejour, Clos Fourtet, Bélair Monange – all on the limestone plateau as well as Trotte Vieille and Cheval.

Pavie was charming and structured and there were great showings for Pavie Macquin, Larcis Ducasse, Laroque (which remains very good value for its quality) and La Gaffeliere.

Some wines are in the over ripe and over extracted category with opulent profiles, chewy tannins and still a lot of oak on show but many at the less expensive end will provide plenty of enjoyment and soon drinkability.

Of the wines I note as ‘great’ or ‘ones to seek out’, they include the Cabernet Franc-dominant Jean Faure on clay-gravel soils as well as Haut-Sarpe and Sanctus on clay-limestone soils.

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The 2022 vintage was so dry that Pomerol winemakers petitioned for, and were granted, irrigation rights for the first time.

Some used it, though to varying degrees of effectiveness given the lack of equipment or infrastructure in place.

Scroll down for the top-rated Pomerol 2022 in bottle

Bold and seductive wines

Harvests were the earliest ever here with pretty much all the grapes picked by mid-September.

The appellation’s clay soils coped well with the drought and indeed the estates on the plateau produced some sublime wines with both richness and elegance.

Stylistically the wines are powerful and intense, fully structured with ripe fruit, chunky tannins and concentrated from the get go.

The best have acidity and freshness to counter the richness with balance overall. It’s for this reason that the wines are so compelling.

I use the words ‘serious’, ‘heady/hedonistic’ and ‘intense’ quite a lot – these aren’t shy wines, and unlike in some other appellations, they’re not wines for immediate enjoyment as a generalisation.

Seductive, fragrant and deep – these are expressive wines with expressive aromatic profiles and when they’re combined with acidity that gives energy and a light touch in the winery which gives focus they’re unbeatable.

‘Our job in 2022 was accompanying the wines from afar rather than intervening’, Lafleur’s winemaker Omri Ram told me. The team started the harvest for the reds on the 3 September in ‘beautiful conditions’.

‘We might have been expecting big, fat, flabby wines, but there’s focus and energy with concentration around’ he said. ‘We could tell the quality straight away – you could taste it in the vineyard.

‘Usually you can see the terroir better in a cool year but actually it’s very obvious in 2022. We didn’t used to get such transparency of place in hot years but it’s there.’

Less is more

In terms of winemaking, Ram said they did less in 2022: ‘The terroir gives the inherent power and density. We did even less than we would normally do in the winery. There was no reason to be super interventionist in a vintage like 2022. It’s all about taking a step back.’

The entire Lafleur range (reds and whites) including the Grand Village and Les Champs Libres wines were all excellent.

At L’Évangile, winemaker Juliette Couderc commented that in 2022, Pomerol’s climate was more like Perpignan and the Languedoc according to the Huglin Index – a tool for viticulturists to asses the daily average temperatures and the maximum temperatures and slightly modifies the calculated total according to latitude.

‘We did less pumping over and less extraction and we had to be carful about oxygen exchange during the ageing,’ she said as well as reducing the percentage of new oak.

This year the grand vin was aged in 45% new oak (as opposed to 50-55%) as well as 10% foudre and 15% amphora with the rest in used barrels.

For Olivier Berrout at Petrus the quick harvest was crucial, ‘we couldn’t wait 24 hours once we started to get good maturity,’ as well as the overall balance.

‘What I like in this vintage is that you don’t have the sense of warmth. There is no over opulence. Everything stays elegant and tight, with precise tannins.’

The ageing was shorter by two to three months to not have ‘any extra rusticity’.

As at Lafleur, ‘our job is to resist the temptation to go too far – the wine has to be good from day one’.

Berrout concluded: ‘People have changed their mindset about these kinds of vintages. There is a tendency to be more restrained now and the excellence of 2022 is down to that.’

Top wines

My standout was Château La Conseillante which was not only one of the best I’ve tasted from this estate, but also one of the most vibrant and joyful at this stage. It was relaxed and calm and totally captivating.

Close behind however was the profound Lafleur, which always takes a while to reveal its true beauty, as well as Petrus which seems to be able to handle any weather conditions thrown at the vineyard.

Vieux Château Certan was absolutely sublime with an effortless elegance – I have high hopes for the future of this wine as well as L’Eglise-Clinet that is complex and characterful. La Fleur-Pétrus also shone with brightness and depth.

Clos du Clocher, Seraphine, Clinet and Guillot Clauzel are also well worth seeking out.

It might be hard to find ‘cheap’ wines in Pomerol but there’s definitely value to be had. Bel Air, Bonalgue, de Sales, Fayat and La Pointe are solid buys at the less expensive end.

The second wine of VCC, La Gravette de Vieux Château Certan is also a stellar wine and much more like a baby grand vin than a second wine.

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Pessac-Léognan and Graves suffered from it all in 2022 including frost, bordering wildfires and serious drought.

Vineyards received the least amount of rain from veraison to harvest compared to the other major appellations, as much as -50.7% compared to the 10 year average.

Scroll down for the top-rated Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 in bottle

Hot but balanced

It also had the hottest summer temperatures meaning irrigation was exceptionally permitted as a recourse to battle the elements.

Of course not all vines suffered the same so expect wines covering a multitude of styles from opulent and heady to lean and tense depending on the terroir.

The best have a wonderful vein of zesty acidity which counters the concentration.

Alcohols are generally low with a handful of wines at 14.5% and only one at 15% of the ones I tasted.

A top duo

My top two wines, in very different styles, were the 100-point Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, both of which wowed in their own way.

Smith’s is broad and powerful with plump fruit and persistent salinity, while Les Carmes is concentrated yet full of energy, focus and finesse.

Both wines present the signature of their estates with exceptional winemaking on show.

Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion were both impressive, with the former presenting an almost understated expression, it was more relaxed and open compared to LMHB at this point.

Both will be extremely enjoyable in a few years and will age well.

Mineral markers

For me, wines displaying terroir markers of minerality, salty stone, slate and graphite were particularly enjoyable.

These include the wonderful Domaine de Chevalier with richness and power but silky smooth tannins and bite as well as the rising-star estate Château La Garde with its limestone soils imparting succulent acidity with energy and tension.

Château Haut Bailly and Château Malartic Lagravière were also impressive.

I think that Château Trigant is a top buy and Domaine de la Solitude is another great pick to enjoy now.

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St-Estephe was battered by hail and drought in 2022 causing widespread damage in the ‘hail corridor’ running through the appellation as well as stressing the vines during the height of summer.

Scroll down for the top-rated St-Estèphe 2022 in bottle

Low yields as a result gave way to many highly concentrated, fully charged wines which are still a little more firm than in other areas of the region.

There’s plenty of power and grip on show and in the best cases lots of vibrant acidity and freshness too.

In general, once these wines settle, and any remaining oak is integrated, they will provide excellent drinkability as well as ageability.

Top picks

Château Montrose and Château Cos d’Estournel were my top picks, with both bottles upgraded by a point from their En Primeur score.

Montrose particularly is one of the most impressive wines of the vintage with a sumptuous and seductive palate full of heady fruit but with gorgeous lifted acidity as well as mineral terroir markers.

Its second wine Dame de Montrose is also a fabulous wine and one of the best second wines in 2022.

Cos equally shone, presenting the vintage conditions in the weight and texture of the wine but with such elegance and finesse.

Château Lafon-Rochet (the first full vintage with ex-Lafite winemaker Christophe Congé in charge) and Château Le Boscq are both fantastic.

As of 2022, the team at Vignobles Dourthe took ownership of the vines at Le Boscq instead of renting and began the first year of organic conversion due to be completed this year.

Château De Pez impressed showing the continued work happening at this estate as well as being the first wine produced in the new cellar.

It’s a top buy with a muscular structure alongside great energy and focus. The Cru Bourgeois estates of Lilian Ladouys and Le Crock are also well worth seeking out.

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Both St Julien’s proximity to the moderating effects of the Gironde river, and its homogenous gravel on clay and limestone soils, helped produce some stellar wines in 2022.

The wines really showcase the vintage’s ripe fruit with muscular frames alongside purity, clarity and striking vibrancy.

Scroll down for the top-rated St-Julien 2022 in bottle

Power play

The wines in general are slightly less soft and charming at this point than some other appellations with many still tightly knitted, firm and shy.

Indeed, for the top-scoring wines, I consistently noted the ‘power’, ‘muscles’, ‘grip’ or ‘strength on show’ in my tasting notes and commented on ‘ageing potential’ as opposed to immediate or soon drinkability.

However, if you’re looking for low alcohols in 2022 this is the place to come with all but two wines at 14% ABV or under.

Both Lagrange and Talbot’s grand vin clock in at 13.5% ABV and Talbot’s second wine Connteable is 13% ABV.

Upgrades galore

More than half the 22 St-Julien wines tasted scored 94-points or above with the top-scoring estate, Château Léoville Las Cases, upgraded from 98-points en primeur to 99 in bottle.

It’s extremely well crafted showcasing undeniable power with energy and focus. The estate has been renovating its winemaking cellar – joining the grape reception and barrel cellar – to allow the team to do more parcel by parcel, gravity-led vinifications.

Châteaux such as Ducru-Beaucaillou, Gruaud-Larose, Branaire-Ducru and Léoville Barton also shone, as did Lagrange and Léoville Poyferré.

In terms of relative value, Branaire looks like a top pick with 97-points at around €50 (£42) a bottle.

The estate is on the rise under the helm of owner François-Xavier Maroteaux and winemaker Jean-Dominique Videau and the prices have yet to climb to those of its fellow classified estates, which are at the upper end of €100.

Lagrange and Langoa Barton are also around the €50 mark.

For second wines, Pavillon de Léoville Poyferré is good buy at around €25 with succulence, juicy acidity, layers of complexity and a finessed feel.

All St-Julien 2022 in bottle scores

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Tasting notes for all 800 Bordeaux 2022s

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BORDEAUX 2022 IN BOTTLE SCORE TABLE: Top-scoring wines with 93 points or above

Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines

Pauillac 2022 | Margaux 2022 | St-Estèphe 2022 | Pomerol 2022 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 | St-Emilion 2022 | Cru Bourgeois 2022 | Dry and Sweet whites 2022 | Best value 2022

Top-rated St-Julien 2022 in bottle

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Given the size of the Margaux appellation, and its varying terroirs, it’s often hard to generalise on quality, but in 2022 it performed excellently for both classified and non-classified wines.

Scroll down for the top-rated Margaux 2022 in bottle

Hints of opulence

Margaux usually delivers some of the most charming wines on the left bank, with pronounced floral aromatics and silky tannins giving a smooth mouthfeel that set them apart from the more structured and robust tannins found in the wines from neighbouring appellations.

The softer texture comes from the soils which are predominantly gravelly with some sand and clay – depending on how near or far they are from the moderating Gironde estuary.

In 2022, the charm is amplified with plenty of ripe fruit flavours, fleshy tannins and hints of opulence while keeping expressive aromatics. The best managed to deliver this glossy richness but with mouthwatering acidity as well as precise and finessed tannins.

A vintage apart

During the 2022 in-bottle tasting at Château Margaux, CEO Alexis Leven-Mentzelopoulos and winemaker Philippe Bascaules remarked that they thought they might age the wines longer than usual because of this density.

However, the ‘wines were much softer with well integrated tannins’ so they kept the bottling to July as usual.

Bascaules said: ‘2022 is one of the best vintages for sure,’ but, ‘also one that cannot be compared with any other’.

‘You can compare 2018 with 2019 and 2020, but 2022 is set apart because of the concentration and because of the alcohol’, he said. Yet the wines retain low pHs giving incredible freshness alongside a sense of brightness and lift.

‘1961 and 1986 stand out because they were respective firsts to reach a certain level of ripeness and concentration and 2022 is the same,’ he concluded.

Fruit and freshness

For me, châteaux Brane-Cantenac, Rauzan-Ségla and Palmer all delighted, as did Cantenac Brown, Giscours and d’Issan.

In terms of wines to seek out that you may not have had before, I particularly enjoyed Château Le Coteau and the ‘Margaux’ appellation wine from Maison Sichel.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the range of single-terroir wines from the Durfort-Vivens vineyards (certified organic) made by Gonzague Lurton.

Les Plantes, designed to showcase the ‘freshness and fruit’ of the appellation, really shone with vibrancy and punch. The Durfort grand vin was also exceptional, and although a bit shy now feels well made.

With the exception of a few wines, you don’t have to wait too long to tuck into these wines and although many will age well, there’s lots of enjoyment to be found in their youth.

All Margaux 2022 in bottle scores

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Tasting notes for all 800 Bordeaux 2022s

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BORDEAUX 2022 IN BOTTLE SCORE TABLE: Top-scoring wines with 93 points or above

Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines

Pauillac 2022 | St-Estèphe 2022 | St-Julien 2022 | Pomerol 2022 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 | St-Emilion 2022 | Cru Bourgeois 2022 | Dry and Sweet whites 2022 | Best value 2022

Top-rated Margaux 2022 in bottle

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Pauillac always seems to deliver the goods and in the hot and dry vintage of 2022 the gravel soils coped extremely well.

Scroll down for the top-rated Pauillac 2022 in bottle

Cabernet Sauvignon, the appellation’s backbone, seemed to adapt well to the vintage conditions, and tempered them with modest alcohol levels compared to many other appellations.

The result is a series of wines that balance power with freshness and classicism.

‘We’ve never had such extreme conditions,’ Lafite’s winemaker Eric Kohler told me during the in-bottle tasting. ‘Even with all my experience, I had never seen that level of stress, but at the end we have probably the most incredible wine I’ve ever done in my life.’

He continued: ‘In the vineyard it didn’t seem like it was going to be good in 2022, but that’s the magic of our job, after 30 years of experience of this estate and terroir you can always be surprised. It seems we were more anxious than the vines’.

For Latour’s winemaker, Hélène Génin, the wines appeal due to their lack of ‘solar vintage’ markers.

She said: ‘The 2022s are surprising because of their balance. You could imagine a more solar, plumper, heavy vintage but it’s not like that. The grape maturity was great – it was easy to extract in those conditions so you needed to take attention of tannins and alcohol and also find a good balance in terms of barrels for ageing.’

Adjusting the élévage

It was a similar story at Mouton where winemaker Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy opted for a denser grain to the barrels with a lighter toast to amplify the freshness. ‘The key was to elongate the wines rather than make them broader,’ he said.

Danjoy added: ‘The 2022 vintage will be recognised for a very long time as one of the greatest with wines that defy the weather. It’s historical in the sense that it’s a stage we haven’t seen before. It’s a vintage that helped us recognise how we and the vineyards can handle the climate.’

At Pauillac fifth growth Pontet Canet, winemaker Mathieu Bessonnet shorted the ageing period to 12 months, two less than usual, and finished the wines in concrete tanks to retain freshness. ‘The key was to manage extraction, we didn’t need added power’.

The 2022 certainly shows an early accessability with bright fruit and lots of finesse.

My favourite overall wine was Lafite for its ability to belie the vintage, presenting a delicate and graceful wine with 13.7% ABV, beautifully pure fruit and precision from start to finish.

But there were many outstanding bottles that will delight for years to come.

Top-scorers and best value

Top scorers:

Château Lafite Rothschild – 100 points

Château Mouton Rothschild – 99 points

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande – 99 points

Château Latour – 98 points

Château Pichon Baron – 98 points

Château Batailley – 97 points

Château Lynch-Bages – 97 points

Château Pontet-Canet – 97 points

Great value:

Château Fonbadet – 94 points

Domaine Les Sadons – 94 points

Château Pibran – 93 points

See all Pauillac 2022 wines

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Tasting notes for all 800 Bordeaux 2022s

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BORDEAUX 2022 IN BOTTLE SCORE TABLE: Top-scoring wines with 93 points or above

Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines

St-Estèphe 2022 | Margaux 2022 | St-Julien 2022 | Pomerol 2022 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 | St-Emilion 2022 | Cru Bourgeois 2022 | Dry and Sweet whites 2022 | Best value 2022

Top-rated Pauillac 2022 in bottle

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The 2022 vintage presented vines and winemakers with untold challenges of heat and drought, but having re-tasted the Bordeaux 2022s now in bottle, several wines stood out for their beauty, precision, structure and pure deliciousness.

In case you need a re-cap of the vintage conditions and weather related difficulties in 2022, you can find them in my En Primeur vintage analysis and first thoughts article and more recently a summary of my findings and thoughts now that the wines have been aged and bottled.

But I thought it was worth highlighting six wines, all of which surpassed the expectations of the vintage and delivered elegance, structure, purity, balance – and ultimately delighted in their own way.

Bordeaux 2022: Wines from a superb vintage revisited in bottle

They’re wines where excellent viticultural efforts were joined by precise sorting, well-judged vinifications with soft extractions, and ageing with optimal oxygen and wood exchange.

The wines are not all similar in style – it would be boring if they were – but each wine manages to convey the vintage’s power and concentration while still maintaining not only a sense of place, which I think is extremely important, but also excellent drinkability.

That’s not to say these wines won’t change from here on out – they will mature and evolve, as all fine wines do – but as young wines they are incredibly impressive.

Of the six 2022s that I’ve upgraded to 100 now they are in bottle, I gave four of them 98 points during En Primeur (my highest score that campaign) and two 97 points.

There are three wines from the Left Bank and three from the Right Bank, showing that both Cabernet and Merlot performed well when handled correctly in 2022.

There are also a number of exceptional wines now in bottle that I’ve upgraded to 99 points: Lafleur, Léoville-Las Cases, Montrose, Mouton Rothschild, Petrus, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Troplong Mondot.

Below I’ve listed my six 100-point wines from 2022, explaining why they’re great, or why I love them, as well as my official tasting notes.

Château Angélus

En Primeur score: 97 points

A fabulous Angélus which really expresses the best parts of the vintage, with incredible freshness, energy and precision.

It’s a culmination of all the work the estate has been doing over the past few years, not only with organic viticulture but also with cool macerations and fermentations and ageing, especially using foudre.

Tasting note: A vintage of precision and aromatic purity, this is one of the finest Angélus wines ever made. A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the nose is heady and complex, filled with dark chocolate, cherries, blackcurrants, violets and rose.

On the palate, it’s silky, scintillating and fresh, with a crystalline clarity and balance that feels almost effortless. Chalky yet creamy tannins add depth, while flashes of heat and liquorice spice on the finish bring structure and length.

Juicy, deep and incredibly moreish, this dances across the palate with finesse and vibrancy. A wine of energy, persistence, and sheer sophistication. 100% new oak (50% Cabernet Franc in foudre). 3.7 pH. 75 IPT.

Château Figeac

En Primeur score: 98 points

The vintage that saw Figeac upgraded to St-Emilion Grand Cru Classé A, this is a stunning wine from winemaker Frédéric Faye that showcases the warm vintage but with a quintessentially classic style.

The team conducted the harvest in several stages, picking grapes block by block and used its state of the art winery to great effect to deliver a fabulous 2022.

Tasting note: This wowed during Primeurs and has maintained its promise now in bottle. Gloriously alive with a beautifully expressive nose – dark fruit, liquorice and floral scents.

The energy on the palate is incredible: this pulses with life, given the high acidity and juicy red berry fruit, but it also has a touch of creaminess alongside softly fleshy tannins that give weight and structure.

There’s power and concentration, almost hidden beneath the cooling freshness and charming texture. Effortless winemaking on show, taking the best of the vintage’s ripeness and delivering a seriously sophisticated, endlessly moreish expression. I love it! A perfect wine.

Château La Conseillante

En Primeur score: 98 points

La Conseillante continues a great run of vintages under the helm of winemaker Marielle Cazeau. This stands out as a beacon of excellence with such juiciness and mass appeal.

Fast becoming one of the best and most consistent Pomerol estates, I love the 2022 for its ease and confidence but also a sense of lift and happiness you get from drinking it.

Tasting note: The best La Conseillante I’ve ever tasted. Intensely fragrant on the nose with blackcurrants, cherries, roses and violets. Juicy, bright and alive. The acidity is the star, lifting the expression from the start.

Unlike many Pomerols that lean dark and tense, this is relaxed and smooth, with silky tannins supporting summer berry fruit and a finish of cool blueberries, liquorice, crushed stones, slate and minty cola.

All the elements combine to captivate: joyful, vibrant and so drinkable, yet built to age. Effortless winemaking from Marielle Cazeau.

Château Lafite Rothschild

En Primeur score: 98 points

Lafite always seems to deliver a grand vin that defies expectations no matter the conditions. This is one of the few wines that, to me, really doesn’t scream 2022.

It’s bright and forward with lovely integration of tannins and a gentle aspect which is really captivating. Nothing is over the top, such is their minimal interventionist style.

Organic viticulture (a portion also farmed biodynamically), double sorting, gentle extractions and lightly-toasted barrels all contribute to this sensational wine.

Tasting note: Deep, dark and restrained, offering cool black fruit with hints of cocoa and sea spray minerality. Poised and perfumed, it glides across the palate with Lafite’s signature elegance.

Tannins gently frame the red fruit, achieving seamless balance. Subtle yet commanding, with layers of refinement, depth and completeness, and a minty, stony, crystalline purity. A masterpiece of understatement and precision. I love this wine!

94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot. Organic. 18% press wine.

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

En Primeur score: 98 points

In warm or hot vintages, winemaker Guillaume Pouthier particularly excels using cover crops to manage hydric stress, whole-bunch fermentations to reduce alcohol, and reductive ageing to maintain energy and focus.

This is another exceptional example of his winemaking, which reinforces the Cabernet Franc-driven estate signature with such complexity and control. It’s a very modern wine with precision and focus.

Tasting note: Deep and brooding, this wine is beautifully floral with violets, irises and peonies alongside ripe black cherries, liquorice and dark chocolate. Concentrated yet bursting with energy, it flows effortlessly.

Vibrant red fruits – strawberry, cherry, raspberry – sit atop a mineral backbone of saline, wet stones. Crisp yet powdery tannins and bright acidity give incredible tension.

Despite its depth, it feels almost weightless, so drinkable yet built to age. Pure, pristine and vibrant, with no trace of heat – just balance and finesse. A true expression of place. A sure-fire hit. 70% whole bunch fermented.

Two years ageing, 80% new oak, 10% big 20hl vats, 10% amphora. 3.55 pH.

Château Smith Haut Lafitte

En Primeur score: 97 points

In addition to its organic practices (certified in 2019) Smith Haut Lafitte uses a number of tools both in the vineyard and winery to craft wonderful wines, including cover crops and extended cool macerations as well as excellent use of oak.

I love the 2022 for delivering a bold style – almost the opposite of Lafite, if we were to compare them side by side – but which has the most wonderful texture and lovely terroir markers.

Tasting note: Deep and evocative on the nose, bursting with blackcurrants, milk chocolate and a touch of Black Forest gateau wrapped in a sweet, purple floral perfume. The palate is instantly captivating, both silky-smooth and luxuriously thick – like padded silk – cushioned yet structured.

Tannins seamlessly support a vibrant mix of red and black berries – redcurrant, cherry, blackcurrant – all interwoven with precision. Broad and powerful, yet it glides effortlessly, with Cabernet’s structure, Merlot’s generosity and a dash of spiced fruit.

Underlying minerality and flint-like nuance add complexity. A masterclass in power and precision, perfectly balanced and unmistakably Smith.

COMING SOON

Tasting notes for all 800 Bordeaux 2022s

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BORDEAUX 2022 IN BOTTLE SCORE TABLE: Top-scoring wines with 93 points or above

Individual appellation analysis and top-scoring wines

Pauillac 2022 | St-Estèphe 2022 | Margaux 2022 | St-Julien 2022 | Pomerol 2022 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 | St-Emilion 2022 | Cru Bourgeois 2022 | Dry and Sweet whites 2022

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St-Julien is the quintessential expression of red Bordeaux, displaying grace and power without being overbearing.

It’s also the smallest of the major communes of Bordeaux and the one with the largest percentage of classified growths, as measured by acreage.

Indeed, 90% of the vineyards belong to the classified growths. St-Julien also claims to have the lowest average yield of all the major Médoc appellations, according to noted Bordeaux-authority Jane Anson.

Although Château Talbot is not the most prestigious property in St-Julien – that likely goes to Château Léoville Las Cases – Château Talbot is as characteristic of St-Julien as St-Julien is to Bordeaux.

And, as the tasting notes show, Talbot is an estate that is upping its game.

Scroll down for 14 tasting notes and scores of Château Talbot 2020-1966

Old Talbot

The estate is supposedly named after Sir John Talbot, the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury – Shakespeare’s ‘Old Talbot’, also known as ‘the English Achilles’ and ‘Terror of the French’.

A veteran of the later campaigns of the Hundred Years War and the last English lieutenant of the Duchy of Aquitaine, he was killed at the Battle of Castillon in 1453.

This disaster of English arms effectively ended the century-long conflict, and resulted in the French taking control of Bordeaux after 300 years of English rule.

The estate has passed through only a handful of owners down the centuries. A map of 1785 marks an area of St-Julien as ‘Talbot’ and there is a house (which likely became the château), owned by the Delage family.

Not long afterwards it was bought by Jean-Jacques d’Aux de Lescout and passed down to his son, Henri-Raymond, who did much to expand the property. In 1899 Arnaud d’Aux sold the estate to Albert Claverie, and Désiré Cordier purchased it in 1918.

The Cordier family still owns Château Talbot, with Nancy Cordier-Bignon and her husband Jean-Paul Bignon being the current directors. Eric Boissenot consults.

Château Talbot, classified as a 4th growth in the Médoc Classification of 1855, is one of St-Julien’s largest estates, encompassing about 110ha, in one single block around the estate.

Vines & winemaking

At about 25 metres above sea level, it is ‘high elevation’ for the Médoc. Talbot’s plantings reflect what’s grown in St-Julien in general: roughly 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot.

There used to be Cabernet Franc in the blend but it was pulled out in 2007 by then-general manager Jean-Pierre Marty. His successor, Jean-Michel Laporte agrees with this move, believing that, unlike on the Right Bank, Petit Verdot is a better ‘complementary variety’ for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot than Cabernet Franc.

The grapes for Talbot come from vines that average 40 years old. They are harvested entirely by hand.

The harvesters do an initial sorting in the vineyard, eliminating diseased parts of bunches. In the cellar, the grapes are destemmed.

Then, state-of-the-art optical and densimetric sorting removes single berries that are not up to snuff.

After fermentation, the grand vin ages in oak barrels for about 16 months in an architectural gem of a barrel cellar.

Ahead of the curve

Talbot started producing a second wine, Connétable, beginning with the 1979 vintage, before many other Médoc producers adopted that practice.

Connétable typically comes from younger vines, but still averaging 30 years old, or those situated in less desirable parcels with sandy soils.

In contrast to the grand vin, Connétable is vinified in stainless steel tanks. It usually comprises about 40% of Talbot’s annual 400,000 bottle production.

Five of Talbot’s 110ha are devoted to white grapes, Sauvignon Blanc (80%) and Sémillon, from which it makes Caillou Blanc.

The blend of the wine typically follows the proportion of each in the vineyard. Although the vines lie within the St-Julien appellation, Caillou Blanc carries the Bordeaux Blanc appellation because regulations for St-Julien only permits red grapes.

Flying under the radar

Château Talbot frequently flies under the radar and fails to receive the accolades it deserves, perhaps because it is such a large estate with such a large production.

Whatever the reasons, it is a boon for consumers because the wines are widely available and the prices, at least compared to other cru classé, are reasonable.

As you’ll see from the tasting notes below, the wines of Château Talbot have become more refined and polished over the last two decades.

Jean-Michel Laporte, who ran La Conseillante for nearly a decade and has been the general manager and winemaker at Talbot since 2018, attributes the enhanced refinement to changes that his predecessor, Jean-Pierre Marty, made – starting with the 2006 vintage.

Laporte notes that Talbot was, ‘late to embracing new technology’ and explained that Marty and his team took a more ‘modern and cleaner approach to winemaking’ at Talbot.

Laporte emphasises that when he took over at Talbot he ‘didn’t want to change the style’. He just wanted to add slightly ‘more depth to the mid-palate’.

Laporte adds modestly that he ‘adjusted some details’ in the vineyard and the cellar. His aim in general, whether at Conseillante and now at Talbot, is ‘to preserve balance, have ripe tannins, and avoid astringency’.

In the vineyard, Laporte removed leaves from the vines earlier in the growing season to achieve better maturity of the grapes and reduce the chance of disease.

He notes now that while overall average yields were fine, he found that decreasing yields in a few of the plots improved quality.

Savoury & savoured

In the cellar, he started the pumping over earlier during fermentation, when the alcohol level is low, to extract softer tannins from the skins instead of more astringent ones from the seeds.

He also slightly increased the amount of new oak barrels for ageing, from 50% to 60% to bring softer, more refined tannins to the wine.

In addition to greater refinement of the wines over the last two decades, the tasting notes indicate that the wines from Château Talbot develop beautifully with bottle age.

They deliver an engaging and alluring combination of fruitiness mixed with that illusive ‘not just fruit’, woodsy, savoury character.

Another lesson: even mature wines evolve in the glass, so they should be savoured, not rushed.

Château Talbot: 14 notes from 2020-1966

Wines are listed in order of descending vintages.

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Numbers have power in wine.

Chinese buyers are well known to have drunk deep of Bordeaux’s 2008 vintage when it was released in the spring of 2009. Eight is the luckiest number in China, linked to wealth and prosperity.

Some estates played to the gallery. Château Lafite Rothschild engraved the Chinese character for eight on its bottles, sealing its fame and reputation in China and reaping huge demand as a result.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for Gareth’s pick of wines from vintages ending in ‘4’

All’s well that ends in…

It is not just buyers in China that fixate on a vintage’s final digit, however. A winemaker mentioned to me, ahead of the 2020 vintage, that he was supremely confident about the vintage, before the grapes were even on the vine.

‘Well the vintage ends in “0” and everyone knows that Bordeaux never fails in 5s and 0s,’ he declared.

It is tough to argue when you consider the relative merits of 2015, 2010, 2005, 2000, 1995, 1990 and 1985.

But, in stark contrast to the aforementioned ‘symbol of prosperity’, the number ‘4’ in Chinese culture is considered to be the omen of misfortune, largely due to its phonetic similarity to the Mandarin word for ‘death’.

Surely though it is just a coincidence that Bordeaux has experienced so many difficult vintages ending in ‘4’?

Despite its reputation, there are still some great wines from vintages ending in ‘4’ worth buying from this lauded region for any anniversaries coming up this year.

2014

2014 is the vintage that shows the most promise from all recent harvests tarnished with this numerical misfortune. It was a welcome relief following the challenging 2013 crop, arguably the most difficult in the last two decades.

The wonderful thing about this year is that, because collectors paid more attention to the ‘legendary’ pair that followed, 2014 has remained incredibly fairly priced to this day. Moreover, the quality from top to bottom, Left Bank and Right, whites and reds are incredibly consistent.

At 10 years old this is a vintage you can buy across the board that will not only give pleasure now but will keep well for years to come.

2004

After the extreme conditions of 2003, the Bordelais had hoped for a ‘more normal’ vintage which, qualitatively, is exactly what they got. The wines of 2004 are more classic in style than many in the modern era, and wholly overlooked in favour of the ‘vintage of the century’ that followed in 2005.

If I had to split hairs I would probably pick the Cabernet Franc heavy wines on the Right Bank such as Vieux Château Certan and Château Cheval Blanc. That being said, I have always had a soft spot for Château La Mission Haut Brion, Château Margaux, Château Grand Puy Lacoste and, most of all, Château Palmer, on the Left Bank.

The whites in 2004 really shine if you err on the side of stylistic restraint. The dry wines from Graves are fresher and better composed than most others in the decade and Sauternes and Barsac are wonderfully drinkable. A wine like Château Climens or Château Coutet in 2004 is the perfect summer’s day aperitif with a couple of satsumas in the afternoon sun.

1994

1991, 1992 and 1993 were troublesome times on both banks and so 1994, while only marginally superior in quality, was heralded as a success. That, however, was short lived due to the emergence of the genuinely exceptional pair of vintages that followed.

The wines, in general, are less angular than the two years that preceded it and some made very good examples of ‘classic claret’.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Château Latour stick fondly in the memory. Further north, Château Montrose is the pick of St-Estèphe, and Château Rauzan-Ségla in Margaux produced one of the better wines. My tip here, for 30th birthdays particularly, is to buy in big bottles, double magnums and larger (if you can find them).

1984

Continuing the poor run of ‘4s’, 1984 served up the worst vintage in what was otherwise a hugely successful decade for Bordeaux, both qualitatively and economically. While it would be churlish to say you will no longer find anything of interest, I would suggest that everything produced from this fateful crop is past its peak and should be sought for sentimental or educational purposes over hedonistic.

1974

Unlike 1973, a vintage of incredible surprises (particularly on the Pomerol plateau), I have been distinctly underwhelmed by the year that produced a number of the finest Napa Cabernets of the century.

Just two years later Steven Spurrier would pit the finest wines of California against the best of Bordeaux in the infamous Judgement of Paris tasting.

While the French were famously toppled by Stag’s Leap Vineyards 1973, many forget that positions two, three and four were claimed by a trio of 1970 clarets. I suspect that, if they had relied on 1974 to ‘bring home the bacon’ it would have been a complete whitewash.

1964

Although the year Mary Poppins first graced our screens was not unanimously recognised as a great vintage in Bordeaux, I would argue that those that did succeed almost warrant an entire article of their own, which seems fitting given its half century birthday this year.

The Left Bank is sporadic, with Latour the outstanding performer, a wine that is still consistently great at 50 and will see in state pension age effortlessly if well stored. A nod should be given to its neighbour, Pichon Comtesse, which also made a notable wine under difficult conditions. Far less grand but worth seeking out.

By contrast to the Médoc, the Right Bank was an outrageous success. Petrus is understandably the standard bearer, producing a wine that many believe has surpassed those produced at this address in both 1961 and 1945, the two most iconic vintages of the century.

It will surprise few to know that, in the wake of such a great Petrus, its neighbours Château Lafleur and Cheval Blanc also produced world-beating wines.

Further afield in Pomerol the embarrassment of riches continued at so many estates but two spring to mind. Château Latour-à-Pomerol followed the success of its legendary 1961 and, slightly less famous 1962, a purple patch for this now overlooked Moueix property.

To a slightly lesser extent due to its perceived consistency a bottle of Château L’Evangile 1964 served blind over lockdown was mistaken for Petrus. That wine, on that day, would have, I suspect, pushed any produced in this lauded appellation… ever.

1934

The unfortunate years of 1954 and 1944 are not worth the mention, but the nonagenarian 1934 is.

I have to confess a slight case of favouritism here, but will attempt to remain objective, loathsome as that is when reminiscing over the history and stories around great wines at this kind of age.

Cheval Blanc 1934 was the first ancient wine of this calibre I ever encountered, nearly 20 years ago. It was then, and remains today, a perfect wine.

Two wines stand out from the Left Bank. Latour (again, of course!) has been great on the handful of occasions I have encountered it; a half bottle served recently at 67 Pall Mall was flawless.

Slightly further south, Château Gruaud Larose produced a wine on par with Latour that recently needed a four hour decant and continued to evolve effortlessly over dinner. While I would exercise caution in paying big numbers for wines hitting 90 this year, if the opportunity to drink one arises, do not hesitate.

Gareth’s pick of wines ending in ‘4’

Wines are listed by vintage: youngest to oldest

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• Bordeaux 2014 revisited 1o years on
• Bordeaux 2023: En primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

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’.  

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