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

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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.

All St-Emilion 2022 in bottle scores

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 | Margaux 2022 | St-Julien 2022 | St-Estèphe 2022 | Pomerol 2022 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2022 | Best value 2022

Top-rated St-Emilion 2022 in bottle

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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.

All Pomerol 2022 in bottle scores

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

Top-rated Pomerol 2022 in bottle

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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 2023: En primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

We are no longer used to decades in Bordeaux that contain more misses than hits, but the 1990s had its fair share of difficult harvests.

We can pretty much count a full six of the 10 years as having complicated growing seasons – 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997 and 1999 – although some were more difficult than others.

That leaves just four standout years – and it was the first, 1990, that won the most universal plaudits.

Scroll down for Jane Anson’s Bordeaux 1990s tasting notes and scores

In the vineyards, change was everywhere. Baron Philippe de Rothschild had died in 1988 and his daughter Baroness Philippine was making serious changes at Château Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac – a new second wine, introduced with the 1993 vintage, was given its name Le Petit Mouton from the following year, and new dry white Aile d’Argent was introduced in 1991.

In Pessac-Léognan, Florence and Daniel Cathiard arrived at Château Smith Haut Lafitte in 1990, followed a year later by François Pinualt at Château Latour in Pauillac. I’ve been lucky enough to taste through a large number of 1990s Bordeaux over the past year.

They have been some of the most pleasurable wines of the year, at a perfect moment for drinking now – particularly the 1996, which I would strongly suggest people get out of their cellars, or dig through bin ends in local wine stores, to find what they can.

In fact, I’m not surprised at all to see that it is the 1996 that is right now most traded by both value and volume on global trading platform Liv-ex, as of March 2021. This is followed by the 1998 and the 1995.

Bordeaux 1990s – investments

But that doesn’t mean they were the best investment, and as is often the case, it’s the smaller vintages that have seen the biggest return.

According to Liv-ex, the two Bordeaux 1990s vintages to have seen the biggest average price rises over the past 20 years (2002 to 2021) are 1994 and 1997, up 472% and 465% respectively.

In comparison, the 1990, which was given the biggest critical reception, has risen ‘only’ 245% – for the usual reason that the prices started out higher (although even that was priced at 20% under the 1989, which at the time was seen as the best vintage since 1982).

Bordeaux 1990s – every vintage rated

1990 – 5 stars

This was the third successful Bordeaux vintage in a row, and so maybe the locals were a little more blasé about it than theywould have been if they had known whatwas to follow for the next four years.

Cumulative temperatures from June to October in 1990 were higher than both 1989 and 1982, and just 31mm of rain fell across both July and August.

As a result, the natural concentration meant the tannins were initially hard and unforgiving. But it has aged brilliantly, and there are still plenty of wines that continue to deliver drinking pleasure.

Among the top wines, Châteaux Margaux and Haut-Brion would be my picks, with Mouton Rothschild the only one of the first growths that really should be drunk soon.

Châteaux Léoville Las Cases and Palmer are also still delivering, and Cheval Blanc continues to impress.

Price-wise, the first growths at 31 years old reflect the success of the year. Margaux is heading up the pack at £11,000-£12,500 (per 12x75cl in bond), Haut-Brion £8,000-£9,400, Lafite starting from about £8,000, Latour from £7,800, and even the less successful Mouton can be found from about £4,500.

For value, relatively speaking, you might want to look at the Yquem, which is drop-dead gorgeous and starting from a ‘mere’ £3,500-£4,000 for a case of 12 in bond right now.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1990 notes and scores

See also: Anson: How the 1990 Bordeaux first growths taste now

1991 – 2 stars

The worst frost since 1956 – and this time it fell on the night of 20 April, at which point the vines had fully begun their growing seasons as temperatures dropped to -7°C, meaning that the overall crop was reduced by 70%.

Although summer was hot and dry, there was rain across the region during harvest, most estates being fully underway by 20 September. All in all, this was an early-drinking year, and there is very little available today that I would recommend.

Cabernet Sauvignon did better as a whole than Merlot, so look to the Left Bank if given the choice; or Sauternes, which did rather better out of the wet, warm September than the rest of Bordeaux.

Château Climens is rightly seen as one of the wines of the vintage.

1992 – 1 star

Harvest began on 24 September, after the wettest summer for 50 years, with 131mm more than average in August alone.

The yearly write-up from the Bordeaux Institute of Oenology is particularly sombre, underlining why chaptalisation (the permitted addition of sugar to the grape must before fermentation) was indispensable ‘for adding the flesh and weight needed to balance out the tannins’.

Hard to find any wines to recommend today, although I tasted a Domaine de Chevalier white two years ago (out of magnum) that was delivering a lovely push and pull of truffle and saffron.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1992 notes and scores

1993 – 2 stars

Things improved slightly in 1993, with the season getting off to a reasonable start – early budding and even flowering were followed by a difficult June, a dry but cool July and a dry and sunny August.

Rising confidence was misplaced though, because harvest was a washout, with rainfall in September varying from 125mm-225mm.

The good earlier season meant plenty of châteaux offered pleasure in the short and medium term.

The Right Bank did better than the Left overall, with Merlot able to be harvested before the worst of the weather. I would suggest looking either at top St-Juliens, which still have charm today, or heading over to Pomerol.

Château Lafleur has held up well and shows gorgeously seductive, if subtle, notes of truffle and undergrowth.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1993 notes and scores

1994 – 3 stars

Again a vintage that was greeted with muted pleasure at the time but has not really delivered over the long term.

It was an early budding year, with March almost 3°C hotter than usual, and extremely dry. April saw heavy frosts in places. Summer was hot, although interrupted by storms and hail, and rain arrived at the end of the first week of September.

Overall this meant wines that lacked charm, and that took a while to come around – although some have done so beautifully.

I asked for recommendations here from Richard Bampfield MW, who was tasting and buying the wines at the time, and he recommends Châteaux La Mission Haut-Brion, Haut-Brion, Pichon Baron, Palmer, Petrus and Pontet-Canet.

On my own tastings, a recent Léoville Poyferré was still thoroughly enjoyable, and I can suggest both Trotanoy and Vieux Château Certan from Pomerol.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1994 notes and scores

1995 – 4 stars

Finally, a vintage that Bordeaux could be genuinely happy with (and not a moment too soon – Hubert de Boüard of Château Angélus told Decanter’s Steven Spurrier at the time, ‘If 1995 hadn’t turned out well, everything in St-Emilion would have been up for sale’).

The wines were well built and had both tannins and fruit.

There are many excellent 1995s that are still going strong and full of brambled, soft fruits, exotic spices and caramel-soft tannins.

Château Latour was seen to dominate the first growths at the time, and it is unquestionably still delivering pleasure today, as is the brilliant Château Palmer in Margaux.

A good year for Sauternes also, with harvest towards the end of October, and you’ll find many that are still going strong.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1995 notes and scores

1996 – 4.5 stars

A classic, old-school Médoc vintage, with plenty of menthol notes and a fresh savoury quality to the fruit.

My favourite tasting of the past year was of Pauillac 1996s, which are delivering perfect drinkability right now.

There was a hot early season, with even and rapid flowering, and a dry but not overly hot August (with rain at the end, particularly on the Right Bank). September was dry but 1°C cooler than average. There was some rain after 24 September, and the threat of rot meant that some estates picked at that point before full ripeness was reached. For those that held on, good weather returned in October.

All of this meant chunky tannins, and 1996 was long seen as an austere and backwards vintage; one that needed patience.

I strongly recommend Château Sociando-Mallet Haut-Médoc for a wine that shows you don’t have to buy classified estates to still get quality at 25 years old.

Price-wise, 1996 was seen as an investment year. Château Lynch-Bages was released at €25.15 ex-château – today, a case of 12 starts at £1,600-£1,700 in bond in the UK. Château Latour, on its most recent release in 2014, was £5,000 for a case of 12 in bond, and today stands at about £6,100-£7,000.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1996 notes and scores

1997 – 3.5 stars

The main issue with 1997 was that it was overpriced for the quality. But then it was a time of growing demand from Japan, and châteaux clearly felt they could get away with ambitious pricing.

It was one of the earliest harvests of the century in places, but inconsistent – even, as the Institute of Oenology pointed out, for the same grape varieties within the same plots.

Not concentrated, by any stretch, but there are plenty of bottles still showing soft easy fruits – look out for Châteaux Latour, Montrose and Calon Ségur.

The appellation of the vintage though has to go to Sauternes – and I strongly recommend a jaw-dropping Château Gilette, that was only released on to the market in 2018 and is just a brilliant wine.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1997 notes and scores

1998 – 4.5 stars

At the time this was seen as a similar vintage to the 1995 but with less capacity to age. That may be true on the Left Bank, but on the Right Bank the 1998 has proved itself one of the all-time great years.

Yields were high overall, helped by an even flowering with a sunny May. August saw temperatures a full 2.3°C above average, and was extremely dry with just 10mm of rain.

Even though there was rain during harvest, most grapes on the Right Bank, particularly in Pomerol, reached excellent ripeness.

Château Cheval Blanc in St-Emilion produced one of its greatest ever vintages in 1998 (trading today at about £7,000-£7,800 for 12x75cl in bond), as did Petrus in Pomerol (now £16,000+ for a case of six in bond).

You don’t have to spend these prices to taste some 1998 magic – look for Châteaux Trotte Vielle, Vieux Chateau Certan – and a classic Château Canon.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1998 notes and scores

1999 – 3 stars

A year that saw a warm but humid summer, where the vines needed careful watching to avoid mildew and rot.

A dry late summer meant hopes were raised, but rain started in the Médoc around 13 September while hail in early September badly affected St-Emilion.

Put those things together and you are looking for early-ripening Merlot for the best of the year – and that means Pomerol, where some wines equalled or approached their 1998s.

Prices again were high on release, suffering from the same problem as the 1997s, which meant they have never established a good reputation on the secondary market.

Look out for Châteaux Latour, Gruaud-Larose, Lafite Rothschild and Lynch-Bages for successes in the Médoc, although all err on savoury rather than exotic fruit flavours; but you’re going to find the best wines in Le Pin, Cheval Blanc, Pavie, Lafleur and Figeac.

See all of Decanter’s Bordeaux 1999 notes and scores

This Bordeaux 1990s article was published in Decanter’s Bordeaux Supplement 2021. All prices were correct at the time of publication (June 2021). 

Jane Anson’s Bordeaux 1990s tasting notes and scores

See also

Lafite Rothschild 2020 release: ‘This should soar’

Bordeaux 2020: En primeur

Château Mouton Rothschild en primeur history: 2016 – 2020

Second wines are not uncommon in Bordeaux with many of the top estates offering one or two other labels in addition to their red, white or sweet grand vins.

Sometimes they are produced from specific vineyard plots or produced as a more approachable wine for earlier drinking but still with estate signature.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for the best Bordeaux 2020 second wines

Far from being an afterthought using up leftover grapes, some second wines have garnered critical acclaim and have emerged as fine wines in their own right.

Anson notes in her 2020 en primeur overview that although the second wines should be approached with caution this year, there are a few exceptions. ‘On the Left Bank, I would draw attention to La Croix de Beaucaillou and Pagodes de Cos Blanc, two delicious wines this year,’ she says.

‘You can find two similarly brilliant second wines on the Right Bank that provide an exercise into the impact of different terroirs in the vintage,’ continues Anson.

‘Look at Mondot, the second wine of Troplong Mondot that is on entirely limestone soils, and set it against Blason de L’Evangile, the second wine of L’Evangile with sandy-clay-gravel soils. Both are Merlot dominant, both successful, but very different expressions of the grape.’

Top scoring second label wines

97 points

Château Margaux, Pavillon Blanc, Margaux

95 points

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien

Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc, Pessac-Léognan

94 points

Château Margaux, Pavillon Rouge, Margaux

Château La Mission Haut-Brion, La Chapelle de la Mission, Pessac-Léognan

Château Ausone, Chapelle d’Ausone, St-Émilion Grand Cru

93 points

Château Palmer, Alter Ego, Margaux

Château Léoville-Las Cases, Le Petit Lion, St-Julien

Château Calon-Ségur, Marquis de Calon, St-Estèphe

Château Cos d’Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe

Château Lafleur, Les Pensées de Lafleur, Pomerol

Château L’Eglise-Clinet, Petite Eglise, Pomerol

Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac

Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac

Château Pichon Baron, Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Pauillac

Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Le Petit Haut Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, C de Carmes, Pessac-Léognan

Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval Rouge, St-Émilion Grand Cru

Château Canon, Croix Canon, St-Émilion Grand Cru

Château Troplong Mondot, Mondot, St-Émilion Grand Cru

Château Mangot, Distique 12, St-Émilion Grand Cru

Château Le Rey, Les Rocheuses, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

Château L’Évangile, Blason de L’Evangile, Pomerol

See the best Bordeaux 2020 second wines

The following wines have all been scored 93 points and above.

See also

Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings published so farRead Jane Anson’s full Bordeaux 2020 en primeur verdictBest Bordeaux 2020 wines: top-scorers

Pomerol 2020

Average yield: 40hl/ha

Individual yields varied but rarely went as low as on the Left Bank.

• Good yields at the Moueix esates: 40-42hl/ha
• 30hl/ha at Vieux Château Certan,
• 32hl/ha at Château L’Evangile,
• 37hl/ha at Château Beauregard,
• 38hl/ha at Château Clinet,
• 30hl/ha at Château Mazeyres,
• 42hl/ha at Château Feytit Clinet.

What you find

The clays of Pomerol were able to conserve water, so there is plenty of freshness in most wines, but the three days at 37°C in September meant evaporation, so you see early picking (L’Evangile September 2-15, the first in the appellation) and concentration and even some raisin character if people waited too long.

As there is so much concentration, you get a more architectural construction than you usually do in the hedonism centre of Pomerol.

Pomerol 2020 vintage characteristics

Mildew pressure in May, particularly after heavy rain (68mm) on one day May 10. But once June was over, both July and August saw particularly low levels of rain compared to the Médoc.

There was almost nothing in July, and just 20-30mm recorded at Petrus, Lafleur and Vieux Château Certan in August. Heavier rains began at the end of September, potentially causing dilution, but most estates were in by then (Beauregard and Nenin for example were finished harvest by September 23rd).

What’s new

Rouget in conversion to organic farming, Petit Village also (and new owners here, the Moulin family of Galleries Lafayette and Château Beauregard).

L’Evangile is in its final year of organic conversion, so 2021 will be the first certified year.

Quick links for Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings

Search Bordeaux 2020 tasting notes published so far

Bordeaux 2020 vintage: our en primeur verdict

Top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 wines

Top Pomerol 2020 picks:

• Château L’Evangile,
• Petrus,
• Château Lafleur,
• Château La Conseillante.

Value picks:

• Clos Rene,
• Château Guillot Clauzel.

Lalande de Pomerol:

• Château des Annereaux,
• Château Siaurac,
• Château Tournefeuille,
• Château Les Cruzelles,
• Château La Sergue.
  

See the top-scoring Pomerol 2020 en primeur wines

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St-Emilion 2020

Average yields: 38hl/ha

Wide range of individual yields

• 40hl/ha at Clos Fouret
• 30hl/ha at Couspaude,
• 19hl/ha at Clos Dubreuil,
• 23hl/ha at Fleur Cardinale,
• 35hl/ha at Fonplegade.
• Yields at Figeac 20% higher than in 2019 at 37hl/ha overall I think
• 31hl/ha at Pavie Maquin

What you find

A highly successful vintage in St-Emilion, with some of the wines of the vintage, particularly on clay-limestone soils.

In terms of alcohols, there are a few 15%-pluses such as a Quintus and Valandraud, but largely alcohols run between 14-14.5%.

St-Emilion 2020 vintage characteristics

February 3.5°C warmer than average, April and May 2.2°C warmer than average.

End of March rain was 60% higher than average of last 20 years. Local frost on nights of 26 and 27 March, localised to the cooler low-lying areas.

Budding 15 days earlier than average. Drought 20 June to 10 August with less than 10mm of rain for 50 days. Hydric deficit 60% lower than average across July and August (and here only 40mm fell in August, almost one third of the rain in Pauillac). This meant some young vines saw shrivelling of the grapes – and then a further 10% of volume was lost in September because of drought and heat.

Things were very warm until September 21 when rain returned and temperatures droped 15°C from one day to the next – St-Emilion saw around 70mm of rain in the later part of September, which meant rot pressure in some areas, although helped by cool nights.

What’s new

Worth noting that the 2020 vintage will be included in the classification of St-Emilion, which will be announced in September 2022 (meaning any new ranks will be reflected on the labels).

We are seeing more and more Cabernet Sauvignon in St-Emilion now, successfully so – certainly it is striking how often it is found in the blend, from Pressac and Faugères to Fonbel, Troplong Mondot, Clos Fourtet and Figeac, Valandraud, Trottevielle, Fleur Cardinale, Bellefont Belcier, La Croix Younan (others such as Château Fombrauge have taken out Cabernet Sauvignon that was planted 10 years ago).

Château Fonplegade has now obtained Biodynamic certification in 2020 with Biodyvin, as has Couvent des Jacobins with organic certification.

New owners at Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, meaning that the Nicolas Thienpont team will not be making this wine as of 2021 (instead it will go to Josephine Duffau-Lagarosse).

Valandraud has taken on 50% investment from Marie Lafevre at Sansonnet.

There are changes to blends going forward – Carillon d’Angélus is more Merlot focused to be more fully distinct from the main estate wine. And also changes for Vieux Château Mazerat in the Maltus stable, again upping the Merlot to make a distinction from Le Dôme (we are also missing both Le Carré and Les Asteries from the Maltus stable, either due to mildew or because of a reworking of the plots for classification submission. I heard both things from the estate itself, so I guess we will have to wait until next year to see if they reappear).

New cellars: Le Dôme, Troplong Mondot, Figeac, Fleur Cardinale.

Look out for a few wines that highlight neatly the trends in winemaking: Château Mangot Distique 12 for example – specially selected plots, 60% Cabernet (both Franc and Sauvignon), aged in amphora, and also Luccianus Amphore – 100% Cabernet Franc aged entirely in Amphoras.

Quick links for Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings

Search Bordeaux 2020 tasting notes published so far

Bordeaux 2020 vintage: our en primeur verdict

Top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 wines

Top St-Emilion 2020 picks:

• Château Larcis Ducasse,
• Château Fonplegade,
• Château Cheval Blanc,
• Château Ausone,
• Château Figeac,
• Château Canon,
• Château Clos Fourtet,
• Château Belair-Monange,
• Château Rocheyron

Value picks:

• Château Pontet Labrie,
• Château Haut Simard,
• Château Angélus, No. 3 d’Angélus,
• Château Fonbel,
• Château Tour de Pressac
  

See the top-scoring St-Emilion 2020 en primeur wines

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Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

After tasting more than 800 Bordeaux 2020 en primeur samples, Jane Anson gave around 10% a score of 95 points or over, including five wines at 98-100 points.

With an overall rating of 4 out of five, it is the same as 2018 but lower than the 2019 and 2016 vintages.

In terms of style, Anson found ‘plenty of racy, supple tannins that power forward and have a sense of energy, but also tannins that are a little dry and sometimes underripe’.

The 2020 weather conditions saw abundant flowering followed by difficult fruit set and threats from mildew. The summer months were dry and good weather continued into September giving mostly dry harvest conditions though a mid-month heatwave shrunk grapes and concentrated flavours.

In terms of comparisons, Anson says the Left Bank wines are most like 1996, 2000 and 2006 with ‘big tannins that are a little unwieldly at times, not generous but with potential’. For the Right Bank a comparison to 1989 seems ‘reasonable’ with 2020 also having more in common with 2018 there than on the other side of the river.

Below is a list of red wines scoring 98 and above plus brief individual appellation overviews and their respective top-scoring wines, as well as full tasting notes for all 98+ point wines at the bottom of the article.

While many will look to the highest scoring wines as a guide to the vintage, Anson wanted to highlight that wines scored 95+ are ‘truly exceptional’ and that the 94 point mark is ‘a signpost score, meaning a brilliant spot that indicates extremely high quality, and often you’ll find some of the best buys in the vintage at this level’.

Left Bank wine of the vintage: Château Margaux

Right Bank wine of the vintage: Château Canon

Best Bordeaux 2020 wines: scores

Potential 100-point wines (98-100s)*

• Château Ausone
• Château Cheval Blanc
• Château Belair-Monange
• Château Canon
• Château Margaux

*Jane Anson prefers not to give perfect 100-point scores at en primeur, pending reappraisal of the wines once bottled.

98-point wines:

• Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
• Château Montrose
• Château Calon Ségur
• Petrus
• Château Lafleur
• Château L’Évangile
• Château Trotanoy
• Château Latour
• Château Mouton Rothschild
• Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Look out for Jane’s top-value en primeur wines coming soon.

If you pick one appellation: clay-limestone St-EmilionIf you pick one wine: Chateau Larcis-Ducasse

Individual appellations & top scorers

St-Estèphe

What you find: ‘Densely-coloured, classic, spicy and rich wines.’

Top picks: Château Calon Ségur, Château Montrose, Château Cos d’Estournel.

Margaux

What you find: ‘Wines are tannic but flavour-packed, very classic – not as exuberant as 2018 or 2019 but structured and intense. Philippe Bascaules at Château Margaux recorded less dehyrdration in the grapes in 2020 compared to 2018; so high alcohols were avoided, and a more classic balance is found in the wines.’

Top picks: Château Margaux, Château d’Issan, Château Palmer.

St-Julien

What you find: ‘Whisper it, but is this the first year for ages when you might not be able to blanket buy St-Julien?

‘You’re not going to go far wrong with the main estate wines, but there are some strong tannins in the second wines that will need careful handling over ageing.’

Top picks: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Beaucaillou (with the first wine also, both standout wines in the appellation this year), Château Léoville-Las Cases, Château Léoville Barton.

Pauillac

What you find: ‘As with St-Julien, 2020 is not a slam dunk in Pauillac, but there are some brilliantly concentrated, super impressive wines.

‘Notably low alcohols at Lafite Rothschild, 12.8%, and about the highest I saw were at Les Tourelles de Longueville at 14.1% and 14% at Les Hauts de Lynch Moussas – meaning overall you are going to find classic balances that should age well.’

Top picks: Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Latour.

Pessac-Léognan

What you find: ‘A vintage with high tannins and high colours giving many successful wines.’

Top picks: Château La Mission Haut-Brion one of the wines of the vintage, Château Carbonnieux, Blanc, Château Malartic Lagraviere, Château Haut-Bailly, Château Haut-Brion, La Chapelle de Haut-Brion, Château Pape Clément.

St-Émilion

What you find: ‘A highly successful vintage in St-Emilion, with some of the wines of the vintage, particularly on clay-limestone soils.

‘In terms of alcohols, there are a few 15%-pluses such as a Quintus and Valandraud, but largely alcohols run between 14-14.5%.’

Top picks: Château Larcis Ducasse, Château Fonplegade, Château Cheval Blanc, Château Ausone, Château Figeac, Château Canon, Clos Fourtet, Château Belair-Monange, Château Rocheyron.

Pomerol

What you find: ‘The clays of Pomerol were able to conserve water, so there is plenty of freshness in most wines, but the three days at 37°C in September meant evaporation, so you see early picking (L’Evangile September 2-15, the first in the appellation) and concentration and even some raisin character if people waited too long.

‘Because there is so much concentration, you get a more architectural construction than you usually do in the hedonistic centre of Pomerol.’

Top Picks: Château L’Evangile, Petrus, Château Lafleur, Château La Conseillante.

Sauternes and Barsac

Top picks: Château de Fargues, Château Coutet, Château Doisy-Daëne

Introduction copy by Georgie Hindle.

Best Bordeaux 2020 wines: top scores

Jane Anson does not give out 100-point scores to wines tasted en primeur, but scores of either 98 or 99 (98-100) mean that they are at the top of the scale, and may be upgraded when re-tasted in 16 months time after bottling towards the end of 2022.

See all the wines rated 98 points and above

See also

Bordeaux 2020 wines: our en primeur verdict

Search Bordeaux 2020 tasting notes published so far

Bordeaux 2020 en primeur overall rating: 4/5

The same as 2018, but lower than 2019 and 2016.

Bordeaux 2020 en primeur: the wines

I tasted around 800 wines in total, giving around 10% a score of 95 points or over, including five at 98-100.

Background

For the second year running, the blocks to international travel reset en primeur, although châteaux were far more prepared this time around. Château Pichon Baron alone sent out around 800 samples in WIT tubes, and the UGC held 330 tasting sessions in cities around the world.

However, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been present during the entire season for Bordeaux 2020.

The first nationwide French lockdown began as buds were breaking on 17 March through to 11 May. At first, it was unclear whether there would be special dispensations for agricultural workers, and some estates kept their teams at home until official word came (around one week later).

Others just kept going with workers out in the vines. ‘The growth cycle was early and abundant,’ said Véronique Sanders at Château Haut-Bailly, ‘and if we hadn’t, it would have been too late to manage a few weeks later’. The hashtag #lavignenattendpas (#vinesdontwait) sums up that early part of the year.

Harvest presented similar challenges. At Château Cantenac Brown, director José Sanfins reported having two separate teams staying in two separate locations, and never crossing at any point. ‘It was the first time that we didn’t have people eating group harvest lunches, or having full-time château staff also harvesting,’ he said.

Other châteaux reported employing people simply to check harvesters were wearing their masks and disinfecting their hands.

As Eric Kohler at Lafite Rothschild said, ‘We had to manage the weather, but also our teams at every step of the way. It’s been tough all round.’

In total, Bordeaux produced 440 million litres of wine in 2020, the equivalent of 587 million bottles – a smaller number than average, but each one well earned.

Quick links for Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings

Bordeaux 2020 vintage: Clues on what to expect

Top-scoring Bordeaux 2020 wines 

At a glance table: notes and scores for 95+ point wines

PLUS

Appellation overviews: Pauillac 2020 | St-Estephe 2020 | St-Julien 2020 | Margaux 2020 | Pomerol 2020 | St-Emilion 2020 | Pessac-Léognan 2020 | Sauternes & Barsac 2020 | Médoc & Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac 2020 | Smaller appellations 2020 | White Bordeaux 2020

Best value Bordeaux reds 2020

Left Bank wine of the vintage: Château Margaux 

Right Bank wine of the vintage: Château Canon

Full Bordeaux 2020 en primeur verdict

The season

As Baptiste Ginaudeau at Château Lafleur said, ‘2020 brought into focus many things that have been happening in Bordeaux over the past decade. The idea of what is a typical vintage has changed. Classically you would have some wet years, some dry years, some hot years and so on, but we now have to get used to having all of these things in a single vintage – so going from a warm winter to a wet cold spring to a hot dry summer.

‘We are more ready for it now, but it means terroir and attention in the vineyard is critical. And it is more difficult to judge the wines en primeur, because we are less sure how they will progress over ageing and in bottle. We are all adapting to the new normal.’

It’s always useful to look at the Bordeaux School of Oenology (ISVV)’s assessment to see what this means in detail:

• Flowering was abundant and even, fulfilling the first condition for a successful vintage.
• Fruit set in June was more difficult due to rains and cool temperatures, particularly for Cabernets, so the second condition was only partly fulfilled. Mildew also became as strong a threat as in 2018, but with less overall damage.
• A dry July and August meant water stress helped the vines to stop growing before colour change of the grapes (véraison), although a little late in some cases – particularly as this was such an early season, around three weeks in advance of the average. That meant the third condition for a successful vintage was largely fulfilled. Rains in August varied according to location, from around 20mm in parts of Pomerol up to 120mm in Pauillac.
• Good weather continued into September; the first two weeks of the month saw zero rain at Mérignac weather station for the first time since 1958. It meant almost all varieties saw good weather for their final stretch of ripening, fulfilling the ISVV’s fourth condition for a successful vintage.
• Harvest took place largely under dry conditions, although mid-September saw a heatwave that meant grapes shrunk in size (and therefore lost potential yield as well as concentrating flavours). Rain notably fell at the end of the month, and the arrival of Storm Alex in early October further complicated things. This meant the final ISVV condition of good weather during harvest was fulfilled for Merlot and the earliest ripening Cabernets, but only partly fulfilled for later-ripening areas.

Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings

Bordeaux 2020: style of the wines

This vintage has seen some of the lowest yields of recent years, and the resulting concentration means the ability to manage these low yields while keeping fruit and freshness was a line that needed careful walking.

You’re going to find plenty of racy, supple tannins that power forward and have a sense of energy, but also tannins that are a little dry and sometimes underripe if the drought led to blockages.

The best wines perform a sleight of hand from the vintage conditions that you see on paper. This comes from a confidence that I find in Bordeaux today, where there no longer seems to be the need to choose the biggest tannins for the main estate wine, and instead many choose to prioritise site expression.

Bordeaux 2020 en primeur scores

Potential 100-point wines (98-100s)*

• Château Ausone
• Château Cheval Blanc
• Château Belair-Monange
• Château Canon
• Château Margaux

*Jane Anson prefers not to give perfect 100-point scores at en primeur, pending reappraisal of the wines once bottled. 

The serious over-performers:

• Château Rocheyron – co-owned by Peter Sisseck of Pingus fame, this is going to garner more and more attraction.
• Château Larcis Ducasse – a standout wine in the vintage, and now Nicolas Thienpont is no longer at Beauséjour, this will receive ever more love and attention.
• Château La Gaffelière – a wine that has been getting better and better since 2017, with more focus on the best plots.
• Château Pontet-Canet – a brilliant wine in this vintage.
• Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou – bucks the trend for difficult second wines in St-Julien.

If you pick one appellation: clay-limestone St-Émilion If you pick one wine: Château Larcis Ducasse

Interpreting the scores

As usual, I don’t give perfect 100 scores to wines tasted en primeur, but scores of either 98 or 99 mean that they are at the absolutely top of the scale, and may be upgraded when re-tasted in 16 months’ time after bottling.

I also want to underline that the 90-94 points bracket means Highly Recommended, and that I try to leave the 95+ only to truly exceptional wines.

This means that one clear suggestion is to look out for 94-point wines – for me a signpost score, meaning a brilliant spot that indicates extremely high quality, and often you’ll find some of the best buys in the vintage at this level.

This year that includes:

• Fleur Cardinale
• La Serre
• Le Prieuré
• Durfort-Vivens
• Les Perrières de Lafleur
• Clos Puy Arnaud
• Phélan Ségur
• and the brilliant value Domaine de l’Aurage.

And take note also of the 89-point level, now so derided that it’s seen as a mark of shame by many producers.

I scored a lot of wines at the 85-90 level, more than twice as many as I gave 95 points or more. If they were 84 or below I tend not to write them up, assuming it was a sample issue and better verified when in bottle.

Wines from the Côtes de Bordeaux or Graves, for example, are rarely high scorers in that they don’t stray into 95+ territory, but they are often brilliant examples of why it is not just the 95+ wines that are worth following.

The best way to interpret an 89-point wine, in my scoring, is by price. If these are great value wines, it’s a signpost score that means unfussy, easy to drink, super enjoyable. If they are expensive wines (and only you can decide what value or expensive means to you), you can probably find better examples in other vintages.

In the 2020 vintage I would particularly draw your attention to: No 3 d’Angélus, Fonbel and Tour de Pressac in St-Emilion, Château Confidence in Margaux, Croix Mouton in AOC Bordeaux and Clos Albertus in St-Georges-St-Emilion.

And although second wines should be approached with caution in 2020, there are a few exceptions. On the Left Bank, I would draw attention to La Croix de Beaucaillou and Pagodes de Cos Blanc, two delicious wines this year.

You can find two similarly brilliant second wines on the Right Bank that provide an exercise into the impact of different terroirs in the vintage.

Look at Mondot, the second wine of Troplong Mondot that is on entirely limestone soils, and set it against Blason de L’Evangile, the second wine of L’Evangile with sandy-clay-gravel soils. Both are Merlot dominant, both successful, but very different expressions of the grape.

Comparisons

You’ll hear lots of comparisons to 2016 and 2010 because of the number of tannins, but I haven’t found the wines to be as consistent as in those two vintages.

In most cases (certainly on the Left Bank) 1996, 2000 and 2006 are better comparisons – big tannins that are a little unwieldy at times, not generous but with potential.

The Right Bank has had an easier time of it in many ways – less rain in August, with clay-limestone soils that kept freshness – and here a comparison to 1989 seems reasonable, and more in common with the 2018 than on the Left Bank.

Key takeaways:

• Low yields, around 25% lower than last year for many of the top Left Bank reds.

Not only Cabernet Sauvignon but also Cabernet Franc was affected – and this was true right from the start of the season, not just because of the dry summer.

This is largely due to cool weather during critical parts of their growth cycle, something that did not affect the slightly earlier budding and setting Merlot, which saw both flowering and fruit set under good weather.

At this point of the year, it is not rain but temperature that affects fruit set, and there was a drop in temperature that meant there were less clusters from the start for the Cabs, with often half as many grapes as usual. Put this together with small berries from the dry summer, and then the heat spikes for mid-September (that also impacted Merlot), and the stage is set for the low yields that you find.

Château Figeac is a good example of what this means in practice. The team brought in 40 hectolitres per hectare (hl/h) for the Merlots, 30hl/h for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and 35hl/h for the Cabernet Franc.

Château Issan recorded the same thing; Merlot coming in at 43hl/h and Petit Verdot at 30hl/h. Young vines also suffered. At Château Durfort-Vivens, Gonzague Lurton saw young vines under 10 years old produce 20hl/h while the older vines came in at 35hl/h.

• Talk of Merlot’s demise looked pretty premature, because this was a great year for Merlot.

Clay-limestone soils did brilliantly – so look for value in Castillon, Francs and Fronsac.

I would suggest looking to the Ausone stable of wines to get an idea of what this means in practice. The sandier soils that you find at Fonnel and the two Simard estates have meant these wines are noticeably less successful than the limestone soils of Château Moulin St-Georges and La Clotte (let’s take Ausone out of the equation), and this alone can help explain the types of soils that did best.

• Lower alcohols almost invariably compared to both 2018 and 2019.

Bordeaux 2020 has seen lower alcohols in general, partly because August was dry but not unusually hot, and partly because the drought meant slow ripening. The vines therefore slowed down and did not build up huge sugar levels. You’ll find this true across both banks but especially in the Médoc.

• Often you see more of the personality of a vintage in the second wine and that is true in 2020.

This is certainly the case regarding tannins, which can be overpowering at times.

Search all Bordeaux 2020 en primeur ratings

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The last round-up of Bordeaux 2018 wines covers some of the most interesting names of the region, including the recently bottled Lafleur 2018, as well as Latour, Carmes Haut-Brion, Figeac and Le Dôme.

Scroll down to see Jane Anson’s new tasting notes for Lafleur 2018, plus Figeac, Carmes Haut-Brion and more…

These are all estates that show clever approaches to handling a Bordeaux 2018 vintage that was extremely wet in the first half of the season, and extremely dry in the second part.

The conditions meant close attention was needed in the vineyard but also in the cellar.

It was a vintage that asked again what is needed to combat a changing climate?

‘A crazy season’

The newly-approved Bordeaux grape varieties allowed as of January this year get most of the headlines, but the real work of adaptation has been ongoing for some time.

Commenting on Bordeaux 2018, Château Lafleur estate manager Omri Ram says, ‘It would not have been easy to make great wine in this crazy kind of season even a decade ago – with the vines receiving an excess of water at first, then the valve being abruptly turned off.

‘It means the plant goes from comfort to discomfort extremely quickly, and you have to be there to help it adapt.

‘But years with such contrasts have become more common recently, and now we know how to make great wines from them, as long as our attention is 150% in the vineyard.’

He adds, ‘In 2018, the rain of the first half of the season meant lots of green growth of shoots and leaves, and we therefore had to be careful with the canopy size.

‘When the sun comes out that canopy becomes a sugar machine and therefore has an impact on alcohol levels, so you have to reduce the canopy very quickly to ensure the leaves don’t take up all the energy and nutrients, and that the sugar levels in the grapes don’t go too high.

‘The clay of Pomerol gives you more of a buffer against drought than sandy or gravel soils, but once it dries up it is extremely unforgiving.’

Ram continues, ‘The regularity of the dry seasons that we are seeing now mean that I expect irrigation to become widely used in Bordeaux within the next decade.

‘The problem is that it can be used as an easy shortcut without thinking about the plant and how best to work with it.’

Lafleur is quietly undertaking some of the most interesting vineyard work in Bordeaux, much of which is driven by the need to ensure a vineyard that is robust and sustainable.

Lafleur research in the vineyard

Its massal selection of old Cabernet Franc vines – they refer to them under the older name of Bouchet – has been under way since 2009.

It has now been extended into Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, planted across their estates in Pomerol, as well as in Château Grand Village, Les Champs Libres and Les Perrières in the Fronsac region.

The team today count more than 65 different genetic variations of Bouchet alone, all of which are tracked at every stage of evolution for differences in growth and ripening, and in aromatic and taste expression in the final wine.

For the Sauvignon Blanc the team has massal selection Sancerre, massal selection Bordeaux from their oldest vines, and clones.

‘But we have only just begun working on Bordeaux massal selection for Sauvignon Blanc, and we expect to take another 10 years before we really have any answers,’ says Ram.

‘Whole bunch’ at Carmes Haut-Brion

At Carmes Haut-Brion, another form of adaptation to climate change is seen in the cellars, where whole bunch fermentation has been gradually climbing over the past five years.

The 2018 vintage retasted here saw 53% whole bunch fermentation.

‘It allows us to drop the alcohol by around 1% in the final wine and helps develop salinity,’ says estate director Guillaume Pouthier.

‘But you have to be careful. We are able to do this because our vineyard site at Carmes Haut-Brion is warm, as we are so close to the city centre of Bordeaux and have the thermal impact of this location.

‘It means that the stalks get extremely ripe, turning from green to brown and red, and therefore are not loaded with harsh tannins.

‘Even so we sort them out very carefully before use, and we are also careful to use mainly Cabernet Franc and Merlot vines. I have found less success with Cabernet Sauvignon.’

Both of these estates are interesting to follow right now – and are part of a growing number of properties looking at intelligent ways to combat changing conditions without the drastic step of introducing entirely new grape varieties.

See Jane Anson’s latest tasting notes and scores, including Figeac, Carmes-Haut Brion and Lafleur 2018 in the bottle

NB: Château Latour 2018 has not yet been released.

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Scroll down to see Jane Anson’s Pomerol 2018 top scorers

See the full Bordeaux 2018 report here

See the individual appellation overview for St-Émilion

An earlier-ripening area, as with Pessac-Léognan, which meant there were lots of rich fruit flavours and welcoming tannins, but on the flip side there were also some overly-concentrated wines and drying tannins.

On the sandier soils, there were issues with high alcohols, although the plateau has fared well and you will find plenty of wines that have held their nerve over ageing, and are delivering brilliant bottles.

Pomerol was less consistent than St-Emilion though, which is not something I find myself saying often.

The average yields here were 36hl/ha.

Names to look out for:

• Hosanna
• Gazin
• Vieux Château Certan

Value picks:

• Guillot-Clauzel
• Bonalgue

See Jane Anson’s top-scoring Pomerol 2018 wines

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Full report on Bordeaux 2018 in the bottle

Top Bordeaux 2018 Left Bank wines in the bottle

Top Bordeaux 2018 Right Bank wines report

Scroll down to see Jane Anson’s St-Emilion 2018 top scorers

See the full Bordeaux 2018 report here

See the individual appellation overview for Pomerol

I have rarely enjoyed the wines from this appellation as much as I did in 2018.

They definitely rival the 2015s and 2016s in St-Emilion, and in most cases the in-bottle scores remained at least the same as they were when I first tasted them 18 months ago. In comparison, several wines from the Médoc were moved down one point.

Maybe the winemakers here have become more accustomed to dealing with excess in a vintage, or maybe they really have changed their winemaking methods to put more emphasis on restraint.

There are lots of value options here also – this appellation was, for me, one of the clear winners of the year, with a number of excellent wines.

The average yield was 42hl/ha, which must also have helped retain the juicy character to the fruits – as well as the limestone soils, that delivered freshness and personality.

Individual yields included:

50hl/ha at Beau-Séjour Becot

49hl/ha at Lassègue

42hl/ha at Canon

43hl/ha at Cheval Blanc

39hl/ha at Figeac

40hl/ha at Valandraud

47hl/ha at Pavie Macquin

Alcohols were around the 14.5%ABV mark, with a few creeping higher.

Names to look out for:

Les Grands Murailles

Moulin St Georges

Canon la Gaffeliere

Canon

Clos Fourtet

Fleur Cardinale

La Serre

Le Prieuré

Fonplegade

Value picks:

Croix de Labrie

Chateau Laroze

See Jane Anson’s top-scoring St-Emilion 2018 wines

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Full report on Bordeaux 2018 in the bottle

Top Bordeaux 2018 Left Bank wines in the bottle

Top Bordeaux 2018 Right Bank wines report

Bordeaux Right Bank 2018 score

4.5/5

COMING SOON

Individual appellation overviews for:

St-Émilion | Pomerol | satellite appellations and other communes

There are lots of wines worth celebrating on the Right Bank in 2018, particularly in St-Emilion.

I do have a word of warning on alcohols, particularly on warmer soils. But most estates have managed to achieve plenty of deep fruit flavours to balance that out, because the Merlots in particular saw thick skins and good yields, unless impacted by the mildew early in the season.

Scroll down to see Jane Anson’s top scorers on the Right Bank

There are notes of overripe fruit in some cases.

Mildew hit hard early in the season, although good summer weather and a sunny September led to a wide harvest window, but it means that in a few cases you find dried fruit, fig and prune flavours that indicate over-concentration.

This is the exception though, and more often than not I found the same pleasure in tasting these wines as I did during en primeur. Merlots reached depths of flavour that are rarely seen, with thick skins and tonnes of fruit, but were handled with care in the fermentation.

It seemed like St-Emilion handled the excess potential better than the Médoc in many ways – and in many instances better than Pomerol.

The ever-smart Omri Ram of Château lafleur had this to say during en primeur, and it is still true now, ‘There are a lot of tannins in 2018, no question, because the berries were small and concentrated, whether from mildew or due to the heat.

‘The difference between the good, great and exceptional wines is how people have handled them.’

I will be retasting Lafleur 2018 this month (January 2021).

See Jane Anson’s top-scoring Bordeaux Right Bank 2018 wines

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Bordeaux 2018 in bottle: full overview plus top scoring wines

Jane Anson: My top 10 fine wines of 2020

Bordeaux 2018 overall score

4/5

Left Bank reds score

4/5

Right Bank reds score

4.5/5

Dry whites score

3.5/5

Sauternes score

3/5

Overviews and top scoring wines for Left Bank and Right Bank

Plus individual appellation overviews for:

St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux, Médoc / Haut Médoc/ Listrac / Moulis and Pessac-Leognan & Graves |

St-Émilion, Pomerol, satellite appellations / lesser communes |

Sauternes & Barsac

Tasting conditions

As with the en primeur tastings earlier in the year, the 2018 in bottle assessment coincided with a lockdown in France where travelling became complicated. But in the end, between châteaux visits and home deliveries, I tasted around double the number of wines as for last year’s 2017 in bottle report; close to 600 labels in total.

A particularly useful exercise, where the atypical conditions that were highlighted in our en primeur report have resulted in some issues over ageing. This is still a highly successful vintage for red Bordeaux, but there are hesitations over certain wines, and I am revising down my overall rating for the vintage to 4, not 4.5, out of 5 for the reds (although the rating remains unchanged at 4.5 for the Right Bank in the regional breakdowns).

For the whites and the sweets, my vintage rating stays the same, 3.5 for dry whites and 3 for Sauternes.

Scroll down for Jane Anson’s top scoring Bordeaux 2018 wine tasting notes and scores

Ratings

Is the discrepancy for the reds because estates were extremely selective in the samples they presented en primeur? Unlikely. I would say it is more probable that the ageing process wasn’t simple when dealing with the high alcohols of such a dry summer that led to unusual things such as Cabernet Sauvignon at 14.5% ABV and higher.

This is not something that Bordeaux has to often deal with, and some properties did not adjust their ageing practices to account for the impact. This came through most notably in the style of tannins extracted over the time the wine has spent in bottle, and I would suggest looking out for slightly unwieldy oak impact – even in the starry appellations of Margaux, Pomerol and St Estèphe.

Having said that, there were some notable highpoints.

St-Emilion in particular stood out for having really delivered on the potential that it showed during en primeur, with many of the limestone soils keeping freshness but also benefiting from creamy fruits that reached full ripeness.

St Julien and Pauillac also saw some brilliant successes, where the ripe Cabernets were kept in check by the freshening influence of the Garonne river.

Of the value appellations, I would suggest looking to Fronsac and Castillon.

See all Bordeaux 2018 in bottle tasting notes and score

Perfect scores

Of the seven potential 100s that I gave during en primeur, (that were, at the time Cheval Blanc, Vieux Château Certan, Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, Pichon Comtesse, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild and Palmer, all awarded 98-100), I gave the full monty in the end to Palmer, Mouton and Cheval – and also Ausone, up from 98.

The others got 98 points (or a 99 for Léoville Las Cases), so all still brilliant wines that will more than reward getting hold of.

As you can see from the fact that 100 points have been awarded to wines from Pauillac, Margaux and St-Emilion, there are high points all over Bordeaux in 2018, but I would say it is St-Emilion’s year overall.

And I would once again like to draw attention to the 94 points level. This for me is a real sweet spot, and I always underline just how much pleasure they give – they are at the very top of the Highly Recommended band (90-94 points using the Decanter system), and there are a ton of great wines at this level, including

• Langoa Barton
• Prieuré Lichine
• Lafon Rochet
• Haut-Batailley
• La Clotte
• Bellefont-Belcier
• Clos du Clocher
• Gazin
• La Serre
• Couhins Lurton

This is only a selection, there are around 40 wines at this level, almost as many as all of the ‘Exceptional’ and ‘Outstanding’ wines that stretch from 95 to 100 points.

The other score level that I would point out is 89. We seem to have entirely forgotten than wines scoring just under 90 often offer brilliant values and unfussy pleasure. Châteaux often get upset at receiving scores at this level, but for a consumer this is another sweet spot that I look out for if the price and construction of the wine corresponds to something that is built for early-to-medium-term drinking.

Vintage style

A very brief vintage recap: 2018 was split into two distinct halves, where things were extremely wet until early July, and then extremely dry right through until October.

Of the five conditions that are tracked by the Institute of Oenology each year to assess potential quality, there was not a clean sweep in this vintage, as there was for 2005, 2009 and 2015.

But 2018 did partially meet four of the five, as was the case in 2010 and 2016.

• The first condition of rapid and even flowering was met
• The second of good fruit-set was partially met, although there was rain at this point, and issues with mildew.
• The third condition detailing the onset of water stress was partially met. ‘A little late due to rain through into July, but when it happened it was abrupt and complete,’ said professor Axel Marchal, of ISVV.
• The final two conditions of slow and complete ripening and picking under optimal conditions were fully met in most cases, with the warning that in some cases over-concentration occurred at this point – something that had to be carefully handled during vinification and ageing.

Yields

Yields were low in some cases due to mildew – Durfort Vivens for example saw 10hl/ha, Palmer 11hl/ha and Pontet Canet 12hl/ha. Some estates handled this well (notably Palmer), but sorting had to be unbelievably careful to avoid dried fruit flavours that are typical with mildew-impacted bunches.

Drinking windows

In general, 2018 wines are not as well-built and muscular as 2016, and so should be ready a little earlier, especially as there is so much ripe fruit in the wines. The 2017s however are lighter-framed and will be ready first in most cases – and also have less ageing potential than the 2018s in almost every case.

Prices

We are now almost two years on from en primeur, but the physical release of the bottles has not impacted prices as much as might have been hoped.

Initial release prices were, in most cases, higher than 2017 – Liv-ex records the average price rise in the UK as being 17.9% higher than 2017, with Euro prices seen at almost exactly the same level as 2016 in many cases.

Only a few prices have since moved upwards – with the biggest mover according to Liv-ex being Lafite-Rothschild, rising 16% since release to just under £7,000 on the UK market, no doubt helped by the special label that celebrates the 150th anniversary since the property was bought by Baron James de Rothschild in 1868.

Liv-ex also records Calon-Ségur as moving up 3.4% (now at just under £800), and Vieux Château Certan up 2.7% (at £2,700). The Liv-ex charts shows both Beychevelle and Pontet unchanged, and drops for, among others, Smith Haut Lafitte, Mouton and Grand Puy Lacoste.

2018 v 2019

On my tastings here, Mouton Rothschild should be able to recoup that loss over the long-term, as it is a wine that more than delivers on the promise of long-ageing and quality – even though its 2019 was priced so well that it is bound to impact on the desirability of the 2018 for at least the next few years. Bear in mind also that the value of the pound has dropped further this year, impacting on relative affordability.

The majority of labels have stayed at or around their release price. They have not been helped by the fact that the 2019 vintage is a little more consistent, and has been priced more attractively due to the pressures of the market at the time of their release (seeing average prices 19% lower than 2018, with a few headline exceptions such as Mouton Rothschild and Pontet Canet that released a full 30% below their 2018 prices).

The market expects the 2018s to hold their value, but there is no expectation that they are going to fire up anytime soon.

Prices going forward also depend on the release prices of the 2020 vintage. If the market has not recovered by then – and it seems unlikely to have done so – then 2018 might start to look expensive in comparison to two competitively-priced vintages.

See Jane Anson’s top scoring Bordeaux 2018 wine tasting notes and scores

The following 25 wines scored 97 points or above.

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Second wines are not uncommon in Bordeaux with many of the top estates offering one or two other labels in addition to their red, white or sweet grand vins.

Scroll down to see the best ‘second label’ en primeur 2019 wine tasting notes and scores

Sometimes they are produced from specific vineyard plots or produced as a more approachable wine for earlier drinking but still with estate signature.

Far from being an afterthought using up leftover grapes, some second wines have garnered critical acclaim and have emerged as fine wines in their own right. One wine that Jane Anson highlighted in this year’s En Primeur coverage was Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton, which she described as ‘very moreish’ and said ‘there are not many 2nd wines that can truly stand on their own but this is very much one of them’.

Second wines also tend to be available at significantly lower prices than their grand vin siblings making them excellent choices to get a taste of an estate style, calibre and winemaking expertise without paying a premium.

Top scoring second label wines

98 points

Château Doisy-Daëne, L’Extravagant, Sauternes

96 points

Domaine de L’Alliance, Esquisse, Sauternes

95 points

Château Suduiraut, S de Suduiraut, Bordeaux Blanc

94 points

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, La Croix Ducru Beaucaillou, St-Julien

Château Margaux, Pavillon Rouge, Margaux

Château Mouton Rothschild, Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac

93 points

Château Angélus, Carillon d’Angélus, St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

Château Cheval Blanc, Le Petit Cheval, St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

Château Cos d’Estournel, Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe

Château Haut-Brion, Le Clarence de Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

Château L’Eglise-Clinet, Petite Eglise, Pomerol

Château La Fleur de Boüard, Le Plus de La Fleur de Boüard, Lalande-de-Pomerol

Château Lafite Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite, Pauillac

Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac

Château Le Rey, Les Argileuses Castillon, Côtes de Bordeaux

Château Léoville-Las Cases, Le Petit Lion de Las Cases, St-Julien

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pichon Comtesse Réserve, Pauillac

Château Troplong Mondot, Mondot, St-Émilion (Grand Cru)

See the best ‘second label’ en primeur 2019 wine tasting notes and scores

The following wines have all been scored 93 points and above. 

Search all Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur ratings published so far

Read Jane Anson’s full report on Bordeaux 2019 wines

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

After tasting more than 900 en primeur samples Jane Anson has said unhesitatingly that 2019 was a successful vintage in Bordeaux.

Scroll down to see the best value en primeur 2019 red wine tasting notes and scores

Within each appellation Anson highlighted a number of estates in two categories, ‘top scoring’ and ‘best value’ of which the red wines are listed below.

Pauillac

Best value: La Fleur Peybaron, Fonbadet, Grand Puy Lacoste if priced well. Batailley is not inexpensive of course, but it’s a buy for me, a delicious, brilliantly characterful wine with great appellation signature.

St Julien

Gloria, Moulin de la Rose, Les Ormes, Fleur Lauga (a real success in the vintage and one to look out for).

Margaux

Labegorce, Le Coteau, Haut-Breton Larigaudière.

St Estèphe

Ormes de Pez, Meyney, Lilian Ladouys, Le Crock, Tour des Termes, Haut Marbuzet, Petit Bocq, Domeyne.

Pomerol

Bonalgue, de Sales, Guillot-Clauzel, Saint-Pierre, Maillet, Enclos Tourmaline, le Moulin, Clos de la Vieille Eglise.

St Emilion

Clos Debreuil, Saintayme, Teyssier, de la commanderie, Haut-Brisson, de Candale, Tertre de la Mouleyre, Clos Romanille, la Fleur d’Artus, Bel-Air Ouy.

Pessac & Graves

Ferran, Seguin, Peyrat (excellent quality in the Graves, look out for it), Clos d’Uza, Cérons, Haura, Luchey-Halde, Brown, Roquetaillade la Grange, Larrivet Haut-Brion, Saint-Robert, Agora.

Fronsacs & Canon Fronsas, Satellites and Côtes

In Lalande: Chatonnet estates, especially La Sergue, Haut-Chaigneau, Les Hauts Conseillants, Grand Ormeau, de Chambrun.

In Fronsac: Moulin-Haut Laroque, Les Trois Croix, La Vieille Cure, La Dauphine, Canon-Pécresse, Tessendey. Les Perrieres de Lafleur is just outside Fronsac in AOC Bordeaux but is a clear standout.

In the Cötes: Ch Réaut, Joanin-Bécot, Domaine de L’Aurage, Ch le Rey, Clos Fontaine, Puygueraud.

In the Satellites: Tour Bayard L’Angelot, La Grande Clotte.

Médoc & Haut-Médoc, Moulis & Listrac

Médoc/Haut-Médoc: Gironville, Belle-Vue, Tour Séran, Bel-Air Gloria (owned by Domaines Henri Martin), Escurac, Maurac, Coudot, Les Grands Chênes, Belgrave, Gironville, Senejac.

Listrac/Moulis: Chasse Spleen, Poujeaux, Maucaillou, Fonréaud, Clarke, Fourcas Dupré, Fourcas Hosten.

Prices

In her report, Anson explained that a score of 94 points is a ‘strong buy’ marker but insisted there’s plenty of value to be found with lower-scoring wines.

Using prices for wines already released during this year’s campaign, and comparison data from last year’s 2018 wines for those not yet out, we’ve compiled a list of wines all scoring 90 points or more and priced under £20/$25 per bottle in bond.

The 32 wines listed below range in scores with two at 94 points, seven at 93 points, 12 at 91 points and 3 at 90 points and cover the entire Bordeaux region including St-Estèphe, Margaux, St-Émilion (Grand Cru), Pomerol and Pessac-Léognan.

Within the list are six wines that are priced less than £10.50 / $12.50 and 18 wines that are less than £15 / $18.50 providing a host of wallet friendly options for en primeur purchases.

94 points

Château La Vieille Cure, Fronsac, £15.66 per bottle in bond

Saintayme at St-Émilion (Grand Cru), £10.33

93 points

Château Belle-Vue, Haut-Médoc (Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel), £10.83

Château Brown, Pessac-Léognan, £10.83

Château La Fleur d’Arthus, St-Émilion (Grand Cru), £17.08

Château Le Crock, St-Estèphe, £18.16

Château Les Trois Croix, Fronsac, £12.91

Château Lilian Ladouys, St-Estèphe, £12

Château Meyney, St-Estèphe, £18.67

92 points

Château Bonalgue, Pomerol, £19.50

Château Chasse-Spleen, Moulis-en-Médoc, £19.17

Château de la Dauphine, Fronsac, £12.33

Château de Sales, Pomerol, £17

Château Fonréaud, Listrac-Médoc, £10.42

Chateau Joanin Bécot, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, £12.92

Château Labégorce, Margaux, £20

Château Moulin-Haut-Laroque, Fronsac, £14.17

Château Ormes de Pez, St-Estèphe, £14.67

Château Petit Bocq, St-Estèphe, £13.20

Château Poujeaux, Moulis-en-Médoc, £16.67

Château Tour des Termes, St-Estèphe, £13.33

91 points

Château De Gironville, Médoc, £12.27

Château Fourcas Hosten, Listrac-Médoc, £13.08

Château Haura, Graves, £7.92

Château Haut-Breton Larigaudière, Margaux, £16.50

Château Haut-Brisson, St-Émilion (Grand Cru), £18.50

Château Maucaillou, Moulis-en-Médoc, £14.92

Château Sénéjac, Haut-Médoc, £10.04

Château Tour des Termes, St-Estèphe, £13.33

90 points

Château Fourcas-Dupré, Listrac-Médoc, £10

Château Puygueraud, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux, £9

Château Réaut, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, £7.17

All prices were correct at the time for either the 2019 or 2018 vintages. Actual prices for wines not yet released may vary. 

See the best value en primeur 2019 red wine tasting notes and scores

Search all Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur ratings published so far

Read Jane Anson’s full report on Bordeaux 2019 wines

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

Search all Fronsac & Canon Fronsac, Satellites and Côtes 2019 wine ratings

Some real successes in these appellations, often competing with St Emilion but at far better prices.

Scroll down to see the top-rated Fronsac & Canon Fronsac, Satellites and Côtes 2019 wines

The rise of Mallbec shows no signs of abating, and I lost count of the number of wines that had the addition of that spicy, dark skinned grape in the blend, something that has been true for a number of years in the Côtes but is now increasingly notable in Lalande-de-Pomerol, the St Emilion satellites and Fronsac.

Look out for La Grand Clotte as a good example in Lussac-St-Emilion.

Scores

It is hard to separate the top scorers and value picks in these appellation, and so often they are both, but I would point to La Vieille Cure in Fronsac as one of the value picks of the vintage, up at the magic 94 point mark.

There are also a lot of brilliant 93 point wines and particularly among these smaller appellations, that is a clear signal for great wine at great prices (klaxon to Domaine de l’Aurage in Castillon).

Top Scoring (all of which are good value)

In Lalande: Chatonnet estates, especially La Sergue, Haut-Chaigneau, Les Hauts Conseillants, Grand Ormeau and de Chambrun.

In Fronsac: Moulin-Haut Laroque, Les Trois Croix, La Vieille Cure, La Dauphine, Canon-Pécresse, Tessendey, (Les Perrieres de Lafleur is just outside Fronsac in AOC Bordeaux but is a clear standout).

In the Cötes: Château Réaut, Joanin-Bécot, Domaine de L’Aurage, Château le Rey, Clos Fontaine, Puygueraud.

In the Satellites: Tour Bayard L’Angelot, La Grande Clotte.

See the top-rated Fronsac & Canon Fronsac, Satellites and Côtes 2019 wines

The following wines have all been scored 92 points and above

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

From more than 900 wines tasted over the past few months, Jane Anson said that she can ‘unhesitatingly say that 2019 is a successful vintage in Bordeaux’ giving the overall red wine rating 4.5 out of 5.

Scroll down to see tasting notes for the top-scoring En Primeur 2019 wines

2019 was a hot vintage with all the potential successes and pitfalls that this style of year brings with it; rich fruits, concentration, high alcohols, plenty of tannins.

In terms of comparisons, Anson said the split has been between 2009/2015 or 2010/2016, but while she would put 2010 and 2016 as ‘the best vintages of the past decade, 2019 is not so far behind in the best places’.

Below is a list of red wines scoring 98 and above plus brief individual appellation overviews and their respective top scoring wines, as well as full tasting notes for all 98+ point wines at the bottom of the article.

While many will look to the highest scoring wines as a guide to the vintage, Anson wanted to highlight that wines scored 95+ are ‘truly exceptional’ and that the 94 point mark is ‘a brilliant spot that indicates extremely high quality, and often where you’ll find some of the best buys in the vintage at this level’.

Look out for Jane’s top value en primeur wines coming soon.

Scores

Several in-barrel wines make the 98-100 (99) points bracket. All 98s could also see their scores raised when tasted in bottle.

The 98-100 red wines are:

Château Latour

Château L’Evangile

Lafleur

Château L’Eglise Clinet

And the 98s, which could easily also head upwards:

Petrus

Château Mouton Rothschild

Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Château Ducru Beaucaillou

Château Léoville Las Cases

Château Margaux

Château Palmer

Château Montrose

Château Cos d’Estournel

Château Pavie Macquin

Château Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse

If you pick one appellation: Pomerol If you pick one wine: L’Eglise Clinet

Individual appellations & top scorers

Pauillac

Anson: ‘Plenty of excellent wines in 2019 Pauillac. Overall the appellation has performed better than 2015, similar to 2018, perhaps still a little below 2016 which remains the benchmark of the last five years in this corner of the Médoc.’

Top scoring: Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Pichon Comtesse, Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages.

St Julien

‘Extremely consistent, a truly great year here, with lots of high scores at the 95-plus range.’

Ducru Beaucaillou, Las Cases, Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferré, Lagrange.

Margaux

‘Unquestionably an extremely successful vintage in Margaux; but it is not my favourite of the Haut-Médoc commune AOCs in 2019.’

Palmer, Margaux, Brane Cantenac (one of the best ever), Issan, Rauzan Ségla.

St Estephe

‘Better balanced in my eyes than the 2018 vintage, as St Estèphe was a little atypical last year with lots of extremely concentrated high alcohol wines. There is less of an extreme feel in 2019, which might not suit everyone, but I found a ton of wines to love, and can thoroughly recommend it when looking for value.’

Cos Blanc, Cos d’Estournel, Phelan Segur, Montrose.

Pessac

‘An attractive vintage in both Pessac and Graves, but with a little less consistency than in some vintages (as with Margaux for me, two appellations that outperformed their Left Bank siblings in vintages like 2015).’

Malartic Lagraviere, Haut Brion, La Mission Haut Brion, Haut Bailly, Carmes Haut-Brion, Pape Clément, Smith Haut Lafitte, Domaine de Chevalier.

St Emilion

‘Another excellent St Emilion vintage after 2018, in most cases just as good as last year.’

Angelus, Cheval Blanc, Tropling Mondot, Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, Pavie, Rocheyron, Canon, Valandraud, Trotte Vielle, Pavie Maquin, Canon la Gaffeliere.

Pomerol

‘A clear contender for appellation of the vintage, with so many successful wines to choose from.’

Lafleur, L’Evangile, L’Eglise Clinet, Petrus, Trotanoy, La Fleur Petrus, La Conseillante, Vieux Château Certan, Clinet, Feytit-Clinet

Sauternes & Barsac

‘Among the best estates I found 2019 to be not only rich and concentrated but also precise, with high aromatics and balanced overall. Some great wines to choose from – and as ever some truly excellent dry whites.’

Extravagence de Doisy Daene, Doisy Daene, Doisy Vedrines, de Fargues, Lafaurie Peyraguey, Coutet, Guiraud, Sigalas Rabaud, Raymond-Lafon.

Introduction copy by Georgie Hindle.

Best Bordeaux 2019 wines: Top scores

Jane Anson does not give out 100-point scores to wines tasted en primeur, but scores of either 98 or 99 (98-100) mean that they are at the top of the scale, and may be upgraded when re-tasted in 16 months time after bottling towards the end of 2021.

See all the wines rated 98 points and above

Search all Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur ratings published so far

Read Jane Anson’s full report on Bordeaux 2019 wines

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

Search all Pomerol 2019 wine ratings

A clear contender for appellation of the vintage, with so many successful wines to choose from.

It performed the miracle that only Pomerol seems able to achieve of Merlot on early-ripening gravel soils that manage to maintain freshness. This was due to the underlying clays giving low pHs even with a peak temperature that hit 41°C in July, offset by small but regular rainfall – 30mm in July and again in August, 10mm on September 10, and a little heavier 23mm on September 22, which many estates tried to pick around.

Scroll down to see the top-rated Pomerol 2019 wines

As elsewhere, there was not enough rain to cause issues with rot. Heat was less of a marker than drought – Christian Moueix told me that on July 25 he was about to ask INAO for special dispensation to irrigate, then July 27 got 43mm of rain (above the 30mm in St Emilion) – which he believes is why the results are so good, concentrated but supple.

Overall, the 2018 vintage was a little hotter, which also helped retain the freshness that we see in most of these 2019 wines. Vineyard management came into play – Lafleur for example painted the grapes and leaves with white clay like they do in the Douro Valley, and lowered the canopy after veraison to limit photosynthesis, but did almost no green harvesting.

There were some prune and fig notes, so watch out for those on sandier soils or young vines, but there were also some of the best wines of the year here, and a lot of great value options.

Yields

The average yield, as with St Emilion, was a comfortable 43hl/ha. Individually things were more varied – 32hl/ha at Trotanoy, 28hl/ha at La Fleur Pétrus, 34hl/ha at La Conseillante, 33hl/ha at Rouget, 35hl/ha at Le Gay, 44hl/ha at Gazin, 42hl/ha at Feytit Clinet, 42hl/ha at Vieux Château Certan and 35hl/ha at La Pointe.

Changes

Among the changes to look out for in Pomerol right now is the new owner at Petit Village, but this will only impact the vinification and ageing of the 2019 vintage, as AXA was still at the helm for the harvest.

Scores

There are more 100-point potentials here than anywhere else – three wines certainly with 100 points potential. Plus ten wines at over 95 points including a crop at 98 which honestly have the potential to be upgraded when tasted in bottle.

The Pomerol plateau in particular has turned out hit after hit. And a good number at 94 points including L’Enclos Tourmaline, Fleur de Gay, Nénin, Beauregard, Le Gay, Rouget, Certan de May, Latour à Pomerol and Hosanna.

And it is impossible to talk about Pomerol without paying tribute to Denis Durantou, who died a few weeks ago in May 2020. His L’Eglise Clinet 2019 is my wine of the vintage.

Top Scoring

Lafleur, L’Évangile, L’Eglise Clinet, Petrus, Trotanoy, La Fleur-Pétrus, La Conseillante, Vieux Château Certan, Clinet, Feytit-Clinet.

Best Value

Bonalgue, de Sales, Guillot Clauzel, Saint-Pierre, Maillet, Enclos Tourmaline, le Moulin, Clos de la Vieille Eglise.

See the top-rated Pomerol 2019 wines

The following wines have all been scored 94 points and above

Not yet tasted: Château Le Pin, Château La Violette, Château Vray Croix de Gay

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

Search all St Emilion 2019 wine ratings

Another excellent St Emilion vintage after 2018, in most cases just as good as last year.

Limestone always does well in hot vintages with its ability to keep both moisture and freshness, but the Corbin sector on the clays near to Pomerol also did a great job of resisting the periods of drought in 2019.

Scroll down to see the top-rated St Emilion 2019 wines

Those down on the sandier soils struggled a little more without careful viticulutral decisions. Water stress was less marked than in 2015, for example, because they had a 15°C swing of day and nighttime temperatures on average.

Winemaking has also definitively turned a corner, which makes such a difference to the sapidity of the wines.

Figeac was one of a number of estates to carry out no punching down of the fruit, choosing instead more gentle infusion methods (you see this also over at Carmes Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan), along with low temperatures to ensure slow extraction.

Yields

The average yield for the appellation was 43hl/ha, and you can see some variability when you look at individual châteaux results – 45hl/ha at Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse, 29hl/ha at Pavie, 38hl/ha at Clos Fourtet, 46hl/ha at Beausejour Becot, 48hl/ha at Corbin, 47hl/ha at Ferrand, 17hl/ha at Pavie Decesse and 51hl/ha at La Mondotte.

Scores

In terms of the wines, there were no out and out potential 100s but a crop of 98s that could well be up-scored when re-tasted in bottle – Cheval Blanc, Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse and Canon (high for this estate from me), and a brilliant Pavie Macquin at 97 points.

There are at least 20 estates over 95 points (there were almost 200 wines tasted from St Emilion this year), including a brilliant Angélus and Valandraud, both of which I would particularly recommend. Rocheyron also continues to impress.

At the ‘buy signal’ 94 point mark you have plenty to choose from – the brilliant Saintayme, Larcis Ducasse, Dassault, Barde-Haut, Clos des Jacobins, Lassègue, La Mondotte, Villemaurine, Laroque, La Serre, Fonplégade, Fleur Cardinale and Bellefont-Belcier.

There were also plenty (32 wines) under 90 points as St Emilion is such a variable appellation, but overall this is a great place to go looking for value and quality delivery.

Changes

In terms of what’s new, there is a new owner at Château Trianon, and Peter Kwok is now firmly installed at Bellefont-Belcier and doing an excellent job.

Eric Boissenot makes an appearance as consultant at Château Cantenac, but more generally Thomas Duclos and Oenoteam continues to increase their presence across the appellation.

Also, there are more and more environmental certifications in St Emilion coming through as the countdown to the change of rules in 2021 nears, where all wineries must have some official recognition of green credentials to carry the AOC on their labels.

Within the mix are few unusual wines to draw your attention to, particularly Château Monolithe, 100% Cabernet Franc, which is worth looking out for.

Top Scoring

Angélus, Cheval Blanc, Troplong Mondot, Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse, Pavie, Rocheyron, Canon, Valandraud, Trotte Vielle, Pavie Macquin, Canon-la-Gaffelière

Best Value

Clos Dubreuil, Saintayme, Teyssier, La Commanderie, Haut-Brisson, de Candale, Tertre de la Mouleyre, Clos Romanille, la Fleur d’Arthus, Bel-Air-Ouÿ.

See the top-rated St Emilion 2019 wines

The following wines have all been scored 95 points and above

Not yet tasted: Château Ausone, L’If

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

Overall red wine rating: 4.5/5

What a year, frankly.

I have never tasted more En Primeur samples, in a more unusual way. The final count is somewhere close to 1,000 wines where in a typical year I will taste around 600 to 700.

The vast majority at my house, perhaps 20 individual châteaux visits, and even one in a local (empty but for us) café.

The timing of the tastings was more spread out than usual obviously, starting from a few weeks into lockdown through to early June, and I re-tasted a far higher number than usual, as samples arrived through different consultants, groups or direct from the estates.

All of which means I can unhesitatingly say that 2019 is a successful vintage in Bordeaux.

Quick links

Bordeaux 2019 vintage: Clues on what to expect – weather, yields, Left Bank wines, Right Bank wines, whites and sweets, the market

Top scoring Bordeaux 2019 wines (coming soon)

Appellation overviews (coming soon)

Pauillac 2019 | St-Julien 2019 | Margaux 2019 | St-Estèphe 2019 | Pessac-Léognan & Graves 2019 | St-Emilion 2019 | Pomerol 2019 | Sauternes & Barsac 2019

Left Bank wine of the vintage: Château Latour | Right Bank wine of the vintage: L’Elgise Clinet

Full Verdict

I wrote my first overview of the vintage in mid-April, after tasting around 150 samples and speaking with various stakeholders from professors to winemakers, but 850 samples later my positive feelings about the potential of the year have only risen.

Search all Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur ratings published so far

This is good news, because there is plenty of wine out there. Production in 2019 was 486 million litres, close to 10-year average and just below 2018. Individual appellation yields are given below.

As usual, I don’t give perfect 100 scores to wines tasted En Primeur, but scores of either 98 or 99 (98-100) mean that they are at the absolutely top of the scale, and may be upgraded when re-tasted in 16 months’ time after bottling.

I also want to underline that the 90-94 points bracket means Highly Recommended, and that I try to leave the 95+ only to truly exceptional wines. This means that one clear suggestion is to look out for 94 point wines – for me a brilliant spot that indicates extremely high quality, and often you’ll find some of the best buys in the vintage at this level – I’m thinking of Batailley, Phélan Ségur, Pédésclaux, Gloria, Dame de Montrose and Saintayme, among many others.

Scores

Several in-barrel wines make the 98-100 (99) points bracket. All 98s could also see their scores raised when tasted in bottle.

The 98-100 are:

Château Latour

Château L’Evangile

Lafleur

Château L’Eglise Clinet

And the 98s, which could easily also head upwards:

Petrus

Château Mouton Rothschild

Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Château Ducru Beaucaillou

Château Léoville Las Cases

Château Margaux

Château Palmer

Château Montrose

Château Cos d’Estournel

Château Pavie Macquin

Château Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse

If you pick one appellation: PomerolIf you pick one wine: L’Eglise Clinet

Ageing

Has the qualities to age because there are lots of tannins and colour compounds in this vintage (well managed by low temperature fermentations in the main), along with concentrated flavours and surprisingly good acidity levels considering the heat of the summer.

I am extremely confident that the best wines have decades ahead of them.

Issues

As has been the case for the past few years, a dry summer meant potential heat stress, particularly for young vines and sandy soils, and I did find prune and fig notes on occasion, so look out for this.

Age of vines make a difference to withstanding the heat of the summer – and classified estates tend to have older vines, partly because they do not machine harvest and so the vines get less of a battering. Often machine harvesting means that vines tend to need pulling up and replanting after 30 years or so – yet another way that the classified estates have an advantage over mere mortals, but in terms of what that means for us as buyers, there is less consistency away from the big names.

As an aside, I think we are going to have to get used to that. The idea of a globally successful vintage such as 2005 or 2010 becomes less realistic now that we are seeing summers with more and more extremes (whether rains or drought or heat), and it means that more and more we will see 5-star vintages only in certain areas where other parts of the region can only manage 3 or 4 stars.

It underlines the approach that the ISVV takes, where they don’t give vintages overall star ratings, but rather look at how individual areas reacted at specific moments in the year – from flowering to fruit set to colour change, final ripening and harvest. The understanding that things are more nuanced across Bordeaux according to soils and microclimates is likely to become even more important over the next decade, as is the realisation that cooler spots or areas with fresher soils will become increasingly prized.

Comparisons

You’re going to hear a lot of variation here – partly, I think, because châteaux owners have not been exchanging with each other as they usually would due to lock down.

At Vieux Château Certan I heard a 1988 comparison, while several on the Left Bank raised the potential of 2001.

Most however seem split evenly between 2009/2015 or 2010/2016. I would still put 2010 and 2016 as the best vintages of the past decade, but 2019 is not so far behind, in the best places.

Trends

The biggest news perhaps is that Château Palmer is slightly changing its selling strategy as of this year. Not going the full Latour, but releasing 50% En Primeur and 50% 10 years on (it turns out they have been holding back half of their production for the past decade, something that we have all suspected to be true with a number of châteaux). They are taking an extremely clear and simple approach – the En Primeur release in Spring, then a 10-year-old wine in September, released through the Place de Bordeaux. That means the 2010 vintage this September.

The rise of Malbec shows no signs of abating. This has been true for a number of years in the Cotes, but is now increasingly true in Lalande-de-Pomerol and Fronsac. Petit Verdot also continues to make more impact both on the Right as well as Left Bank, and I expect to see this trend continuing over the next few years – it’s a welcome one I believe, giving grip and counterpoint to the ripe fruits of hot summers.

Whites wines are getting more and more popular with the big names, and are clearly on trend. La Tour Carnet white is new this year, as is a dry white from Bastor Lamontagne in Sauternes and Château Doyac in Haut Médoc (called Pelican) and Paveil de Luze. Over in the Côtes, Ad Francos has a new dry white, as does Plaint-Point in Fronsac (most are bottled as AOC Bordeaux Blanc). There are also increasing numbers of (Vin de France) Chardonnays – Hubert de Boüard, Jean-Luc Thunevin’s Bad Boy.

The trend towards greener Bordeaux continues. As of 2019 vintage, 22% of the châteaux in the UGC are either certified organic or in conversion. This is positive to see, but these are the flagships of the region, and I would very much hope they can get this to more than 50% within a few years – or even better make environmental certification, whether HVE3 or equivalent, an essential part of membership, as St Emilion AOC has done for the 2021 vintage. Individually there are plenty of new organic certifications coming online – Château Croix de Labrie in its second year, Haut Bages Libéral has its Ecocert certification for the first time (although farmed organically since 2007), Pédesclaux is beginning its full conversion to organic farming.

Also increasingly important are wider green projects. La Fleur Cardinale has a tree-planting programme for every bottle sold. Cheval Blanc has just planted 850 fruit trees among the vines and has introduced a full farm of Brébis sheep and goats, pigs and chickens. A research programme funded by (among others out of Bordeaux) Claire and Gonzague Lurton is underway with La Belle Vigne led by expert Konrad Schreiber, looking at alternative ways to work vines from organic copper to planting of fruit trees.

Overall Margaux is becoming a leading appellation in the movement towards biodiversity, with over 80% of the vines in the appellation no longer using herbicides or insecticides, and 25 estates are engaged in more than 350 separate projects to instill greater balance, whether through ditches and hedgerows, wildlife sanctuaries or planting trees.

Consultant changes also continue. Newly-christened Cru Bourgeois Superieur Château Sérilhan in St Estèphe changed from Hubert de Boüard to Alain Raynaud. Axel Marchal continues to increase his reach at Croix de Gay in Pomerol, and Thomas Duclos also now at Giscours.

Prices

A quick note on prices because – unusually, but hey this is 2020 – the scores are coming out after the campaign has begun.

There have been some standout examples of wines coming out under the cheapest market price, which is what you should look for rather than specific percentage price drops.

The biggest buzz so far has got to have gone to Mouton Rothschild, closely followed by Haut-Brion, Palmer, Lafleur and Pontet-Canet.

For obvious reasons, those who have made a clear gesture to the market are being rewarded – and in my mind it is not just about the market this year, but about making a clear gesture to the Bordeaux wine lovers who are willing to buy the wines despite everything that is going on globally.

Search all Bordeaux 2019 En Primeur ratings published so far

Back to the main Bordeaux en primeur page

See all Pomerol 2017 wines re-tasted in bottle

Read Jane Anson’s full Right Bank 2017 in bottle report

All reviews published online exclusively for Premium subscribers

Pomerol has an early mover advantage in terms of ripening and there is plenty to enjoy in this 2017 vintage.That said, the clay soils did not always cope well with the September rains, and some estates had to deal with the late spring frosts that also affected other parts of Bordeaux in 2017.

The Moueix wines stood out my tastings as being particularly worth tracking down, and there is plumper fruit and structure in these wines versus the en primeur tastings 18 months ago.

Overall, you’ll find plenty of enjoyable wines in this appellation and several will be ready within the next five years or so. But, very few Pomerol 2017 wines stand up to the brilliance of 2016 or 2018.

Look out for: La Conseillante, Trotanoy and Hosanna.

See Jane Anson’s top Pomerol 2017 wines re-tasted in bottle

The list comprises wines which scored 92 or above.

You may also like

Bordeaux 2010: The top rated wines tasted 10 years onTop 10 Bordeaux 2015 winesAnson: Top five Bordeaux vintages ready to drink nowExpert’s Choice: Sauternes 2015

We continue with the Bordeaux 2017 Right Bank wines.

See separate 2017 overviews, with top wines, for St-Emilion 2017 and Pomerol 2017.

See the Left Bank report plus: St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux & Pessac-Léognan

See all Right Bank 2017 in-bottle reviews by score

Bordeaux 2017 vintage conditions on the Right Bank

Early budding was followed by a devastating frost in late April, then a mixed June, an extremely dry July and August, a mixed September and the return of good weather for the final harvest.

That just about sums up the 2017 vintage growing season on the Right Bank, and tells you in one line why you can’t be entirely confident about buying blind.

Merlot in particular suffered from the rains in early September; something that will always impact the Right Bank more than the Left.

But there are some excellent wines out there, and as the Right Bank also tends to complete its final blends later than the Left Bank, you can find clear improvements versus en primeur season. The most usual difference is that press wine is added later over here, which fills out the mid-palate after the en primeur tastings in some cases.

Remember also that, across France, estates have the right to add up to 15% of a neighbouring vintage into their wines.

I’ve been told by numerous winemakers that touches of 2018 have made it in to many of the blends of 2017s during the ageing process. Most wines are tasting better for it.

Comparisons

You’ll find plenty of wines that share character with 2001 and 2011, but Right Bank 2017 also has much in common with the 2007 vintage – which is a better year than was thought at the time, and is providing lots of enjoyable early-to-medium-term drinkers, even if lacking the structure to really go for the long haul.

The dry summer was hugely important to the success of the wines in 2017, because those vines not affected by frost reached good ripeness before the rains of early September.

But the danger in dry years is that the tannins can get too angular, and you can see this in some of the Right Bank wines – particularly because limestone soils are often austere in the early years anyway.

I found there was often more emphasis on frame than filling, and acidities had not always dropped far enough to allow the fruit to shine.

Having said that, alcohols tended to be restrained, usually no more than 14% or occasionally 14.5%, with the few at 15% an exception.

There were plenty of gorgeously balanced wines on display.

When to open

There are many wines in 2017 that are going to give great drinking pleasure. On the whole, you should be thinking of drinking them within the next five to 10 years, because as a whole this is not a vintage that needs long ageing.

Barrel ageing has softened the austerity of many wines from the en primeur tastings, but the austerity has not yet gone away. I expect this savoury, cool fruit character will remain one of the dominant aspects of 2017, as it has done for 2001; but don’t let that necessarily put you off.

If you want to catch these wines when the fruit is at its biggest and brightest, I suggest opening before you turn to the 2015, 2016 and 2018s.

Should I buy?

How you feel about 2017 Bordeaux depends to a certain extent on how optimistic you are feeling about the fine wine market in general.

I gave this vintage a 3.5 star rating at the time of en primeur – a pretty low rating compared to some critics – and I stand by that after the retasting in bottle.

There are some great 2017s but this is not the year to save Bordeaux from the sales slump that is happening worldwide.

I certainly found many wines that have added flesh over the ageing process, and many show balance, soft power and complexity, but there is not enough consistency to call 2017 a great vintage.

The prices asked for the wines almost always make it difficult to recommend buying 2017 over 2015, 2016 or 2018.

Overall

Considering the in-bottle tastings as a whole, I would suggest that if you are looking for value in 2017, head to St Estèphe, and if you are looking for consistency, Pauillac is probably your best bet.

See Jane Anson’s top Right Bank Bordeaux 2017 wines in bottle

The list comprises wines which scored 95 or above.

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Bordeaux 2010: The top rated wines tasted 10 years onTop 10 Bordeaux 2015 winesAnson: Top five Bordeaux vintages ready to drink nowExpert’s Choice: Sauternes 2015

See all St-Emilion 2017 wines re-tasted in bottle

Read Jane Anson’s full Right Bank 2017 in bottle report

All reviews published online exclusively for Premium subscribers

Of all the big-name appellations, St-Emilion was most impacted by the late spring frosts of 2017.

Some estates, such as Château Corbin, Château Barde-Haut, Château Jean Faure and Château Chauvin made either nothing or only tiny amounts.

There were consequently far fewer wines than usual at the tasting of Grand Cru Classé wines for St-Emilion 2017.

There are 49 members of this club, but only a little more than 30 were showing wines.

Many of those that did make wines have unusual blends. Figeac, for example, had 10% Cabernet Franc, the lowest amount to date at the estate, but you also find the low levels of Cabernet Franc in Angélus, and higher-than-average levels of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot in several others.

There are also style changes, most notably in Troplong Mondot that saw the arrival of Aymeric de Gironde in this year and a break with the older more extracted style of the wine.

St-Emilion was an enjoyable appellation to taste in bottle, as it was during en primeur, and there are some excellent wines to be discovered. But, austerity is overly dominant in many.

Look out for: Château Canon, Beausejour Becot, Clos Fourtet, Pavie Macquin, Troplong Mondot, Valandraud and TrotteVieille.

See Jane Anson’s top St-Emilion 2017 wines re-tasted in bottle

The list comprises wines which scored 94 or above.

You may also like

Bordeaux 2010: The top rated wines tasted 10 years onTop 10 Bordeaux 2015 winesAnson: Top five Bordeaux vintages ready to drink nowExpert’s Choice: Sauternes 2015

A Saint-Emilion and Pomerol vintage guide back to 1961.

2008

Keep

Small, late vintage of quite exciting quality, especially Pomerol. Top wines are seductive, with the structure, tannins and acidity for ageing.

4/5

Weather Conditions

The Right Bank’s early season was marked by wet, cool, yo-yo weather. Budburst was sluggish, flowering poor and uneven, and fruit set inconsistent. High rainfall (August was its wettest for 30 years) spelt first mildew with rot later. Although July was dry and sunny, ripening was slow and erratic and growers were out in force removing the dud berries. Then glorious sunshine. From mid-September to mid-October the hitherto ‘lazy’ grapes were given the kick-start they needed to achieve full physiological ripeness. Winemakers eked out the harvest as long as possible, finishing as rains returned later in October. Yields were 16% down on the average, with poor flowering being the main culprit, but also hail, especially in the satellite appellations of Montagne- and Lussac-Saint-Emilion.

Best Appellations

Quality was more exciting than expected, though as with the Médoc, rigorous fruit sorting both before and after harvesting was crucial. Not all producers managed it. The smallness of the Merlot crop contributed to great fruit purity, with Cabernet Franc telling a similar story.

The best Saint-Emilions are rich, ripe and modern, with seductive aromas and flavours. They’re fruity and rounded, well suited for early drinking but with the texture, acidity and ripe tannins for ageing. Terroir is evident. In Pomerol, the low yields arising from mildew and poor flowering have resulted in markedly uniform quality, though perhaps not surprisingly it’s the top estates that are the stars of the vintage. Wines are ripe and concentrated, opulent even, with good texture and aromatics and lovely fresh acidity.

Best Producers

SAINT-EMILION: châteaux Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Figeac, Troplong-Mondot, Clos Fourtet, Pavie, Vieux Château Mazeret, Pavie-Macquin, then Larcis-Ducasse, Canon-La-Gaffelière, Canon, Angélus, Trottevieille, Belair-Monange, Les Asteries, Chapelle d’Ausone, Le dome, De Valandraud, La Gaffelière. POMEROL: châteaux Le Pin, Pétrus, L’Eglise-Clinet, Trotanoy, Lafleur, L’Evangile, La Conseillante, La Fleur-Pétrus, Vieux-Château-Certan. COTES DE CASTILLON: Château Domaine de l’A.

2007

Keep

Mixed results, but some charming wines for early drinking: aromatic, lightly fruity, and with fines tannins.

3/5

Weather Conditions

Rare for Bordeaux, both the Right and Left Bank had the same story: the warmest April for half a century, high rainfall in May which got the vines off to an early and vigorous start, and very early flowering, one of the earliest on record. Then June, July and August ushered in a period of wet, mildew-loving weather that only constant work in the vineyards with state-of-the-art technology was able to deal with.

The autumn ripening was so necessary that most Right Bank châteaux resisted picking, grabbing every day of sun they could get. The Merlot ripened quickly but in most cases repaid waiting – at least until mid-September – while the Cabernet Franc came into its own in early October.

Best Appellations

Mildew aside, the real problem with the vintage was getting the grapes properly ripe. In Saint-Emilion, those grapes that achieved ripeness have provided an attractive red fruit expression, those that didn’t a vegetal streak. Where produces have gone for over-ripeness, the Merlot often has a dull, flat edge. The Cabernet Franc was generally the more successful, giving a welcome lift to the wines.

Pomerol had a reasonable level of success. The earlier ripening terroir clearly helped, and top estates on the warmer gravely soils of the plateau have produced wines with good colour, supple fruit, charm and early accessibility.

Overall, it was a vintage to aim for the fruit, and not worry too much about lack of weight. With few exceptions, these wines will be drunk before their 10th birthday.

Best Producers

Saint-Emilion: châteaux Le Dome, Ausone, Pavie, Angélus, Pavie-Macquin, Tertre Roteboeuf, Le Carré, Les Astéries. Pomerol: châteaux Lafleur, L’Eglise Clinet, La Conseillante, Petrus, Clos L’Eglise, Vieux Château Certan.

2006

Drink soon

Patchy quality, especially in Saint-Emilion where too many are pallid, dilute and dull. Pomerol’s the star (could warrant 4 stars) with many rich and balanced wines. For medium-term drinking.

3/5

Weather Conditions

Bud-break came late after a cold winter, but otherwise the vintage got off to a great start, with warm, sunny weather right up to the end of July. Pomerol in particular enjoyed optimum growing conditions. But expectations were dashed by a damp, dreary August putting the brakes on ripening. Later-ripening Cabernet Franc struggled to reach maturity almost everywhere.

Although sunshine returned in September, a rainy spell mid-month encouraged rot and disrupted picking schedules – careful and often selective harvesting was essential for success. Saint-Emilion came off worse – up to 150mm of rain fell in 14 days and the onset of rot was rapid. Growers were forced to choose between picking early ahead of full ripeness or running the risk of lower yields and fatigued flavours.

Best Appellations

A question of individual successes rather than blanket quality. Much depended on the work in the vineyards – and a deft hand in the cellar.

Pomerol stands out with some lovely aromatic, full-bodied wines balanced by zippy acidity and pronounced minerality. Top estates on the warmer gravels of the plateau were the most successful.

In Saint-Emilion, the challenge was greater and many wines struggle with green, harsh tannins and a lack of acidity. Where maturity was correct, there’s a bright purity to the fruit, freshness and firm tannins, though even the best wines lack the density of a great vintage. Cabernet Franc is variable with one or two notable successes (Ausone).

Best Producers

Pomerol chateaux: L’Eglise Clinet, Vieux Chateau Certan, Lafleur, Hosanna, Le Gay, L’Evangile, La Conseillante, Providence, Rouget, Petrus.

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru chateaux: Figeac, Ausone, Le Dome, La Mondotte, Pavie, Beausejour-Becot, Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse), Pavie Macquin, Troplong Mondot, Angelus, Canon, La Gaffeliere, Monbousquet, Trotte Vieille, Fonplegade, Cos d’Estournel.

2005

Keep

A very good year, but by initial accounts, not as impressive as the Left Bank.

4/5

Weather Conditions

Flowering started on 23 May and continued with excellent summer weather conditions. With only 400mm of rain overall, the year was fairly dry. The harvest started about two weeks early this year at places like Petrus and Trotranoy and the quality is ‘impeccable’ according to proprietor Christian Moueix. They are the first Right Bank properties to start bringing the grapes in, as Moueix worried that the rain forecast for the harvest weeks would affect the crop.

‘I have seen nothing like this in many years,’ said Moueix.

For his part, Gerard Perse is reported to be very pleased with the quality of the grapes at his St-Emilion properties including Pavie, Pavie-Decesse and Monbousquet.

On September 9 and 10, heavy rain fell, drizzling on 12 September and tapered out. Then the sun shone from 15 to the end of the month. Many producers started picking after the rains and quality is reportedly not as impressive as the Left Bank.

2004

Keep

Deeply coloured wines with good structure

4/5

Weather Conditions

The weather returned to a more typical pattern after the excesses of 2003. The harvest was nearly a month later but more in keeping with the norm. A dry, sunny June assisted with a swift and uniform flowering. Temperatures for July, August and September were above the 30-year average while sunshine hours were below (but on a par or better than 2001 and 2002). Rainfall was consistent for the region and without surfeit except for the 71mm that fell in August putting initial doubts over the potential of the year. A relatively warm, dry sunny spell through September and early October compensated. The Merlot was mainly harvested in ideal conditions 1-8 October.

This is undoubtedly a plethoric vintage. The official figures will not be available until December but it seems likely that the original estimate of 7m hectolitres will be exceeded. Even the most ardent ‘green harvesters’ found their original projections surpassed by 10-20%. Juice to skin ratio was high making the ‘bleeding’ of tanks an obligatory technique during vinification (juice concentrators were also used to deal with dilution from the rain). With untended crop levels so high it’s noticeable the number of plots where grapes have just been left on the vine as producers ran out of tank space or reached their limited yield. Reacting to the crisis of overproduction in Bordeaux the CIVB (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bordeaux) has recommended a ceiling of 50 hectolitres/hectare in 2004.

Best Appellations

Pomerol.

2003

Keep

Powerful, fleshy wines

4/5

Weather Conditions

On April 28, a hailstorm caused some serious damage in certain areas of the Saint-Emilion vineyard. Then on June 24 a mini-tornado mainly in the Entre-deux-Mers affected certain outlying areas of the Saint-Emilionais but fortunately damage was local and top vineyards were spared. The hot spring and sub-tropical summer heat with drought conditions accelerated the ripening process promoting historically early maturity.

Ideally sunny warm weather in September with some welcome light rain provided perfect conditions for picking. Therefore the grapes arrived in a remarkably healthy state and the first juice is deep-coloured and opulent.

As in other areas, yield has been well below average, even less than the short 2002 harvest which produced only an overall total 5.6 hectolitres. Production in the Pomerol area was particularly low.

2002

Keep

Fruity and supple wines with relatively low tannins

4/5

Weather Conditions

This year which saw a difficult flowering leading to coulure and millerandage (poor fruit set resulting in small and varied size grapes respectively), a cool, wet summer, and the constant threat of rot. But four weeks of warm, sunny weather in September turned what could have been a disastrous vintage into a possibly modest to decent year. “I’m happy and surprised as the sugar and acidity is correct, colour and aromas good and if the quantity of tannin is down at least it is ripe,” says Alain Moueix, manager of Saint-Emilion grand cru classé Château Fonroque and Château Mazeyres in Pomerol.

Apart from the rain storm on 20 September and isolated showers on 9-10 October the weather stayed fine during the harvest. Days were warm (18-23°C) and sunny and a north-easterly breeze kept the rot at bay and helped concentrate the grapes.

‘The level of extraction will have to be carefully handled as the tannins are not always fully ripe, otherwise the wines appear round, fruity and supple with perhaps a little lack of volume on the palate,’ says consultant oenologist Gilles Pauquet. As always the level of work in the vineyards was a crucial factor.

2001

Drink now

Top wines are full-bodied and elegant, but tendency towards over-concentration elsewhere.

4/5

Weather Conditions

After a mild, wet winter with an average temperature two degrees above normal, budding started early around 24 March. The excellent climatic conditions saw vintners begin their seasonal work early, and thanks to the ensuing warm, dry weather, flowering towards the end of May was rapid and uniform. Temperatures often topped 30°C. The grapes began to change colour in the first days of August and the continuing dry, warm weather helped the grapes develop gradually and steadily. However, ripening was slowed by abrupt changes in the temperature and freak storms. September and early October offered a true Indian summer, with dry, mild conditions, and vintners were able to wait for optimum maturity before picking in ideal conditions right up until mid October.

Best Appellations

Merlot did better here than in Médoc and Graves. Wines from the limestone hills and slopes in Saint-Emilion appear to have done better than those from clay or sand. Some producers in Pomerol tend towards over-concentration, but overall a classic Right Bank vintage for cellaring.

Best Producers

Saint-Emilion

Ausone stands out as the best in Bordeaux, with Cheval Blanc a tad behind. Angelus and the new-style Pavie are close rivals.

Pomerol

L’Evangile is outstanding, consistently taking top ratings from the critics. Nénin and Vieux-Château-Certan achieved fine results, with Beauregard just behind.

2000

Drink now

Good vineyard management after a wet winter means Saint-Emilion ranks with the great years. Pomerols are rich and full but perhaps missing the éclat of the 98s

5/5

Weather Conditions

This is clearly a very good to exceptional vintage but one that had to be worked for. The winter months were wet and sultry and mildew a constant threat in May and June. Good vineyard management was essential. Hot, dry weather in August and September helped turn the situation around. Producers were then permitted the luxury of harvesting at will at optimum levels of maturity with virtually no rain until 10 October.

Best Appellations

The earliest Merlots were picked 14 September with good alcohol potential (around 14°). The rest were harvested by 28 September in good conditions. The majority of the Cabernet Franc was picked during the week of 2 October. Most producers agree that it was exceptional, providing a key element to the top wines. The Saint-Emilions have depth, an attractive fruit character and the best (generally from clay-limestone soils) a powerful but fine tannic structure that will permit long ageing. They rank with the great years. The Pomerols are rich and full but perhaps missing the density and éclat of the excellent 1998s.

Best Producers

Saint-Emilion: Angélus, Ausone, Belair, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Cheval Blanc, Clos Fourtet, La Mondotte, Pavie, Pavie-Macquin, Rol Valentin, Le Tertre Roteboeuf.

Pomerol: Clos l’Eglise, l’Eglise-Clinet, l’Evangile, Lafleur, Pétrus, Trotanoy, Vieux Château Certan.

1999

Keep

A difficult vintage for growers: quality on the right bank depends on conscientious producers rather than appellation

4/5

Weather Conditions

The summer was warm and growth very vigorous, requiring much green-harvesting. On September 5 a devastating hailstorm hit some top properties in Saint-Emilion, including Angélus and Canon, yet despite dire predictions, the properties managed to salvage part of their crop and make very good wines. Much Pomerol was harvested before rain returned on 19 September, so quality was sound. Sugar levels were quite high, yet because of high yields and persistent rain, the wines were not nearly as concentrated as in 1998.

Best Appellations

This was a difficult vintage for growers which culminated in a hailstorm over 550 hectares of Saint-Emilion on 5 September and rain during the harvest. Quality varies throughout the Right Bank, the conscientious producers (who again put in the work in the vineyards) making some excellent wines. The general generic range, though, tends towards high acidities and lighter wines. Certain hail-hit properties that picked 10 days earlier than predicted have come out surprisingly well. In Pomerol a window of fine weather on 15 and 16 September enabled a percentage of producers to harvest the Merlot at optimum maturity. Overall it’s a question of producer rather than appellation.

Best Producers

St-Emilion: Angélus, Ausone, Canon-la-Gaffelière, Cheval Blanc, La Couspaude, Figeac, Grand Mayne, La Mondotte, Pavie, Pavie-Macquin, Le Tertre Roteboeuf.

Pomerol: Beauregard, Clos l’Eglise, La Conseillante, l’Eglise-Clinet, l’Evangile, Pétrus, Le Pin, Vieux Château Certan.

1998

Keep

A really top vintage in St-Emilion and Pomerol, perhaps the vintage of the decade

5/5

Weather Conditions

Flowering took place in normal conditions, and after a cool start to the summer, August was hot and dry. Early September was wet, but the grape skins were thick and there was no rot. On the right bank, much of the Merlot was ultra-ripe and was harvested from around 21 September, although there was a short pause when rain returned for a few days. By then most of the Merlot had been picked. Cabernets were picked in early October, and although less ripe than the Merlot, was still of excellent quality. This is certainly the best vintage since 1990.

Best Appellations

Conditions benefited the earlier ripening Merlot in 1998 producing a really top vintage in St-Emilion and Pomerol, perhaps the vintage of the decade. The majority of Merlot in Pomerol and a good percentage of that in St-Emilion was harvested in ideal conditions the week of 21-25 September. After a rainy weekend the rest was picked 28-30 September. The Cabernet was brought in 2-9 October. Pomerol has made some exceptional wines, to be ranked with the 1990s and 1982s and probably better than the more recent 2000s. St-Emilion is more classic in style with lots of tannin and the impression of freshness emphasised by low pH levels. There is definite ageing potential here.

Best Producers

St-Emilion: Angélus, Ausone, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Berliquet, Canon-la-Gaffelière, Cheval Blanc, Figeac, Grand Mayne, La Mondotte, Pavie-Macquin, Le Tertre Roteboeuf, Valandraud.

1997

Drink soon

Some attractive wines with modest acidity were made for medium-term drinking

3/5

Weather Conditions

Flowering in St Emilion was three weeks earlier than usual, which promised an early vintage, but the summer was marked by rain and humidity. The second half of August was exceptionally humid, but dry weather in September kept rot at bay. Despite early flowering, the harvest was prolonged, as maturation varied from parcel to parcel. There were great variations in quality, but some attractive wines with modest acidity were made for medium- term drinking, and in some cases the wines were better than in 1996.

Best Appellations

The irregular ripening cycle and heavy rain prior to the harvest made this a difficult year. Some of the earlier ripening Merlot was picked a week early (3-5 September) because of the threat of rot. Producers that could afford to wait picked around 17-22 September with greater ripeness and flavour. The Cabernet Franc was harvested during the first two weeks of October with mixed success. In general the wines are fruity, supple and forward for early drinking.

Best Producers

St-Emilion: Angélus, Ausone, Pavie-Macquin.

Pomerol: l’Eglise-Clinet, l’Evangile, Pétrus, Trotanoy.

1996

Keep

St-Emilion is balanced, austere with angular tannins and closed aromatics. The best Pomerols are rich and tannic.

4/5

Weather Conditions

After a cool start to the summer, the weather warmed up, but temperatures were never excessive, helping the grapes to retain their acidity. However, rain during August and towards the end of September marred the quality of some of the Merlot vines. There was some dilution and grey rot, and many grapes were picked in damp, muddy conditions. In general, acidities were higher than in 1995 and tannins harsher. But there are some good wines, but the vintage overall is patchy.

Best Appellations

The Right Bank in 1996 was the year of the conscientious vigneron. Heavy rain during August (87mm for the last 20 days) bloated grapes and kept acidity levels high but those that had correctly managed their vineyards were able to benefit from a run of 17 dry, sunny days in September. The Merlots were mostly picked on 23 and 24 September with good sugar levels. The Cabernet Franc was harvested in the two dry periods of 28-29 September and 3-4 October and was considered generally more successful than the Merlot – a key to the better wines of the vintage. In general the style of St-Emilion is austere with firm slightly angular tannins and closed aromatics. There is not the generosity of fruit of 1995 or 1998 but the wines are balanced and will age. The best Pomerols are quite rich and tannic.

Best Producers

St-Emilion: Angélus, Ausone, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Canon-la-Gaffelière, Cheval Blanc, La Mondotte, Pavie-Macquin, Le Tertre Roteboeuf.

Pomerol: Beauregard, L’Eglise-Clinet, l’Evangile, La Fleur-Pétrus, Gazin, Lafleur, Latour à Pomerol, Pétrus, Vieux Château Certan.

1995

Keep

Rich, full-bodied wines, although some of them lacked flair

5/5

Weather Conditions

Flowering was early, and despite the long hot summer there was no drought stress.

Best Appellations

There was much excellent Merlot and Cabernet Franc on the right bank, giving rich, full-bodied wines, although some of them lacked flair.

Best Producers

All the top estates, such as Pétrus and Cheval Blanc, made superb wines.

1994

Keep

The right bank ripened properly, and there were some impressive wines

3/5

Weather Conditions

A hot summer was followed in September by considerable downpours, which harmed prospects for a great vintage. Nonetheless much of the Merlot on the right bank ripened properly, and there were some impressive wines.

Best Appellations

Pomerol succeeded slightly better than St Emilion, but heavy selection was essential.

Best Producers

One of the stars of the vintage in St Emilion was Angélus.

1993

Keep

There was little rot but considerable dilution

3/5

Weather Conditions

Warm weather in May led to a rapid flowering. The summer was warm, and hot in August.. Very heavy rain in early September ended high hopes for a fine vintage.

Best Appellations

There was little rot but considerable dilution. The harvest was prolonged and difficult, but the grapes had thick skins after the hot summer, and some decent wines could be made, especially from Merlot, and overall the vintage was a distinct improvement on 1991 and 1992.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1992

drink soon

decent if light wines were made, which were best drunk young

2/5

Weather Conditions

Early flowering was followed by a very wet summer, and there was widespread rot. Cool September weather may have prevented further infestations of rot, but also prevented many vines from ripening properly.

Best Appellations

Where the Merlot did ripen properly, some decent if light wines were made, which were best drunk young. In general Pomerol was better than St Emilion.

Best Producers

Good wines were made at Pétrus and Trotanoy.

1991

Drink soon

Quality is mediocre

1/5

Weather Conditions

The severe April frost also slashed the crop on the right bank, although a few sheltered vineyards such as Ausone and Magdelaine were touched more lightly. Overall, the yields in St Emilion and Pomerol were among the lowest in the Bordeaux region, at around 20 percent of the usual crop. The problems were compounded when heavy rain fell in St Emilion for one week before the harvest, reducing the crop further.

Best Appellations

Quality is mediocre, and many leading estates declassified their entire crop.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1990

Keep

Merlot was of exceptional quality, with very high sugar levels and ample tannin

5/5

Weather Conditions

The winter was very mild, but spring cooler, followed by a hot May, which provoked early flowering. The summer was hot and dry, and maturation was assisted by a little light rain in early September.

Best Appellations

Merlot was of exceptional quality, with very high sugar levels and ample tannin, giving excellent wines throughout the region.

Best Producers

Cheval Blanc was among the outstanding successes of the year.

1989

Keep

Rich, fruity, full-bodied wines

5/5

Weather Conditions

Due to the above-average temperatures that were the norm during the spring of 1989, flowering took place earlier than usual under ideal conditions, leading to the production of a larger than average crop. June, July and August witnessed temperatures higher than any since the 1940s. The occasional rainfall helped to swell the crop, which otherwise would have shrivelled in the heat. The earliest harvest for nearly a century.

Whites (dry): Temperatures were so high that harvesting took place in late August/early September to avoid excessive ripening of the grapes.

Whites (sweet): The exceptional summer promoted the development of high levels of sugar, and September’s morning mists provided the ideal conditions for the growth of botrytis. An exceptional vintage.

Best Appellations

Both Pomerol and St Emilion prduced many rich, fruity, full-bodied wines. Alcohol levels in Pomerol tend to be on the high side.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Bon Pasteur, Clinet, La Conseillante, La Fleur-Petrus, Le Gay, Petrus, Trotanoy. (St Emilion) Angelus, Ausone, Cheval Blanc, La Gaffeliere, Grand Mayne, Pavie-Macquin, Soutard, Trottevieille.

1988

Drink soon

Concentrated and opulent

4/5

Weather Conditions

An exceptionally damp winter and spring, although there were no frosts during the latter. These conditions were prolonged right through June, and flowering took place under less than ideal conditions. Temperatures throughout summer were close to the average, but there was less rainfall than usual. Harvesting conditions were fine, but the uneven ripening of the different grape varieties caused problems for many of the growers.

Whites (sweet): The hot summer ensured a high sugar content for the grapes, and October’s humidity encouraged the development of Noble Rot.

Best Appellations

An excellent year for rich, concentrated St Emilion and opulent Pomerol.

Best Producers

(St Emilion) Some Cabernet Franc lacked concentration. The finest wines come from Angelus, Ausone, Canon-la-Gaffeliere, Clos des Jacobins, Tertre-Roteboeuf, Troplong-Mondot.

1987

Drink now

The rains set in towards the end of the month, affecting the harvest

1/5

Weather Conditions

A particularly long, cold winter that dragged on well into spring, adversely affecting the flowering. July and August were both cool and there was little sunshine. September was very hot, but the rains set in towards the end of the month, affecting the harvest.

Whites (dry): The weather conditions resulted in a marginally more successful white vintage, but this is still not an exceptional year.

Best Appellations

An under-rated vintage in which Merlot was more successful than Cabernet. Pomerol produced a number of ripe, juicy wines, most of which should have been drunk by now.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Certan de May, Clinet, La Conseillante, l’Evangile, La Fleur de Gay, Petrus, Le Pin. (St Emilion) Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Clos des Jacobins, Grand-Mayne, Trottevieille.

1986

Drink soon

The unwelcome storm of September 23rd caused problems of dilution

3/5

Weather Conditions

Winter was harsh, although the frosts were not as sharp as the previous year. Growth was slowed by a cool, damp spring, but the vegetation caught up as a result of the fine weather in late spring/early summer. Flowering took place in exemplary conditions, and conditions continued hot and dry until the middle of September, when heavy rains fell, particularly on the 23rd, when some 10cm of Precipitation fell during the course of one day. Temperatures picked up for the October harvest.

Whites (sweet): The damp conditions at the end of September were ideal for the formation of botrytis.

Best Appellations

The unwelcome storm of September 23rd caused problems of dilution. Those properties which delayed picking end up making the most concentrated and flavoursome wines.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Lafleur, Le Pin and Vieux-Chateau-Certan waited to pick , thereby producing more intense, complex wines. (St Emilion) l’Arrosee, Canon, Cheval Blanc, Figeac, Pavie.

1985

Drink soon

This was a vintage for enjoying rather than keeping

5/5

Weather Conditions

The vines suffered heavy frost damage in winter, and spring was stormy and wet. May and early June saw violent hailstorms, but this was followed by a period of good weather during the crucial flowering period. July saw hot temperatures alternate with periods of rainfall, while August was somewhat cooler and drier. September was one of the hottest and driest on record, promoting good ripening, and late September onwards through October saw good conditions for the harvest.

Whites (sweet): The very weather conditions that promoted a fine vintage of red wines had a deleterious effect on the Sauternes crop, the lack of rain, in particular, preventing the development of botrytis.

Best Appellations

This was a vintage for enjoying rather than keeping. The Merlot crop came in in excellent condition but a number of properties, particularly in St Emilion, picked Cabernet too soon.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Certan de May, La Conseillante, l’Eglise Clinet, l’Evangile and Petrus all produced seductive wines of great charm. (St Emilion) Canon, Cheval Blanc, Tertre-Roteboeuf.

1984

Drink now

Rot was a major problem

2/5

Weather Conditions

Unpredictable weather in 1984 resulted in a poor crop. This is especially true of the Merlot, and this had a profound impact on the wines produced in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Early spring conditions were not particularly notable, but April was exceptionally warm, which promoted the growth of the vines, but this development was halted as a result of a cold and very wet May. A hot June saw an over-enhanced flowering. July and August were sunny and hot, but the crucial ripening period at the end of summer was ruined by heavy rainfall. A hurricane on the 5th of October, towards the end of the harvest period, did not help matters.

Best Appellations

An extremely poor Right Bank vintage, with many of the top properties choosing to declassify their crop. Rot was a major problem.

Best Producers

Only Petrus, Trotanoy (Pomerol) and Figeac (St Emilion) produced any wines of even remote interest.

1983

Drink soon

Inconsistent vintage where the hillside vineyards of St Emilion performed best

3/5

Weather Conditions

An unexceptional winter was succeeded by a cool, damp spring. The flowering had a good start in a warmish early June, but cool weather followed. The temperatures picked up in early July and carried on through August but, even though the weather was particularly hot, a good deal of rain fell as well. Drier conditions took over in the latter half of August, but temperatures dropped too. A fine September led into a good harvest in early October.

Whites (sweet): The fine warm conditions of late summer led to the development of a crop of particularly fine botrytis-affected grapes.

Best Appellations

Excessive heat and humidity caused problems of over-ripening and rot. A good, but inconsistent vintage where the hillside vineyards of St Emilion performed best.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Certan de May, l’Evangile, Lafleur, Petrus. (St Emilion) l’Arrosee, Ausone, Belair, Clos Fourtet and Pavie.

1982

Drink soon

A great year for both Pomerol and St.Emilion

5/5

Weather Conditions

Spring was mild and dry, with little frost. An early flowering took place under perfect conditions. The start of summer saw a good deal of fine, sunny weather. Light rain fell towards the end of July and continued on, in bursts, throughout a coolish August. Early September, in contrast, was exceptionally hot and dry, promoting a ripening that was so fast that the start of the harvest was one of the earliest in many years. The last week or so of September saw temperatures fall somewhat for the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest in the Medoc.

Whites (sweet): The hot summer resulted in a crop with a very high sugar content, and the change in late September promoted the growth of Noble Rot. Unfortunately, however, high levels of rainfall in October washed away the botrytis and the disappointing harvest took place in terrible weather.

Best Appellations

A great year for both Pomerol, and to a slightly lesser extent, St Emilion as well. Most Pomerols have kept their colour extremely well, and remain rich and satisfying.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Certan de May, La Conseillante, L’Evangile, La Fleur, Petrus, and Trotanoy. (St Emilion) Ausone, Canon, Cheval Blanc, Figeac, Magdelaine, and Pavie.

1981

Drink soon

Well-balanced, elegant vintage, now fully mature

3/5

Weather Conditions

The weather conditions in 1981 resulted in the production of rather lean wines. Spring was unremarkable, but the flowering was successful, despite a lack of sunshine. Early summer was, again, rather cold and wet, although conditions improved in August, which was dry and sunny, and continued through until late September, when heavy rains fell, bringing the harvest to a temporary halt.

Whites (sweet): The warm conditions from August onwards pushed sugar levels up, and the botrytis was well developed.

Best Appellations

Well-balanced, elegant vintage, now fully mature. Pomerol achieved generally better results than St Emilion although both produced a number of full-bodied, luscious wines.

Best Producers

(Pomerol) Certan de May, La Conseillante, Petrus, Vieux-Chateau-Certan stood out. (St Emilion) Cheval Blanc.

1980

Drink now

Little sunshine, and ripening was delayed few wines of note

2/5

Weather Conditions

A cool spring followed an unexceptional winter, and the conditions did not promote a good flowering. The weather did not improve much as spring turned to summer, and both June and July were damp and lacking in sunshine. Temperatures picked up in August and it remained warm throughout September. However, there was little sunshine, and ripening was delayed. Rain fell during early October, but conditions improved somewhat for the late harvest. A mediocre vintage throughout Bordeaux with few, if any, wines of note. All should have been drunk up by now.

Best Producers

Certan de May, Petrus, and Cheval Blanc produced wines better than average.

1979

Drink soon

Lovely rich textured wines now at their peak

3/5

Weather Conditions

The extremely wet conditions of winter lasted well into spring, although conditions improved in time for a successful flowering. Little rain fell during July and August, and temperatures were low. September fared little better. The result was an abundant crop of poorly ripened grapes.

Best Appellations

Here the picture is much better than in Medoc. With the Merlot picked ripe and some good Cabernet Franc, the wines have developed the lusciousness only usually found elsewhere in Graves. These are lovely rich textured wines now at their peak. Pomerol- the wines here are a shade more structured their St.Emilion, where the wines seem more feminine and have juicier fruit.

Best Producers

Pomerol – a majestic Petrus while excellent wines are also to be found at Certan de May, La Conseillante, L’Eglise-Clinet, L’Evangile, La Fleur-Petrus, La Grave, La Fleur, Latour a Pomerol, Petit Village Trotanoy and Vieux Chateau Certan. St.Emilion – Cheval Blanc, while not as good as the 78 is still a very attractive wine, Figeac is exceptionally good now. Others worth investigating still are Belair, Canon, Beau-Sejour-Becot, Beau-Sejour-Duffau-Lagarrosse, Clos Fourtet, Croque-Michotte, La Dominique, Larmande, Magdelaine, Pavie and La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix).

1978

Drink soon

Good weather produced some classic wines

4/5

Weather Conditions

The weather conditions in spring and summer – damp and dreary – did not augur well for the vintage. However, things picked up in mid-August, which saw the start of fine, sunny weather that prevailed throughout the harvest, which started late.

Best Appellations

There was a feeling at the time that they lagged behind the Medoc and that 79 was better, but the best have proved to be classics which have stood the test of time. Pomerol perhaps has the edge over St.Emilion.

Best Producers

Pomerol – a superb Petrus and excellent wine from Trotanoy, La Conseillante, L’Evangile and Gazin. St-Emilion – Cheval Blanc and Figeac echoed the successes of their Pomerol neighbours, Ausone, Magdeleine and Chateau Troplong-Mondot did well.

1977

drink now

The serious frost damage at the end of march reduced yields

1/5

Weather Conditions

In contrast to the previous year, 1977 began with heavy frosts in spring. The late flowering was not helped by a cold, damp June, which was followed by an unusually high level of rainfall in July. The beginning of August saw a period of warm, dry weather, but the rains and cool conditions returned during the latter half of the month.

Reds: The driest September on record since 1851, and the hot conditions continued throughout the harvest, which began during the first week of October.

Best Appellations

The serious frost damage at the end of march reduced yields.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1976

Drink soon

Drought affected Bordeaux, but produced some wines full of fruit and wholeness

4/5

Weather Conditions

The drought that affected much of Western Europe throughout spring and summer made its impact felt in Bordeaux. The hot, dry weather continued until storms began in mid-September, interrupting the harvest, which had started early.

Best Appellations

A vintage which really underlined the gap between top producers and the rest, even more so than today. The top St. Emilion were the best in all Bordeaux.

Best Producers

Best producers: St Emilion: Ausone is a really beautifully-balanced, elegant yet compact, long-term developer, and marked the beginning of a new era under Pascal Delbeck. Cheval Blanc is now at it glorious best, still luscious and full of fruit and wholeness. Pomerol: Petrus should still be excellent and La Conseillante fully developed and at its best, with Trotanoy the best after Petrus.

1975

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Pomerols have gone dry, and even St Emilions are not living up to initial promise

3/5

Weather Conditions

After a rough three years, the weather settled into a more predictable pattern. Winter was mild and rainy, but spring started fine, although the warm weather was punctuated by a few cold spells and occasional frosts. The summer months were hot and dry, so the showers that fell in September were particularly appreciated. The harvest, which began during the last week in September, was mainly sunny, although there were a few hailstorms.

Best Appellations

Pomerol and St.Emilion have proven very variable in their evolution. Some Pomerols have gone dry like the Medocs, and even St. Emilions which looked very promising when 10 years old, now seem to have lost their fruit.

Best Producers

Pomerol: Petrus and Trotenoy are thin but preserved and most approachable. St.Emilion: Figeac is worth looking at.

1974

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Hot summer but very wet during harvesting

1/5

Weather Conditions

Conditions in spring promoted a healthy flowering. Summer was hot and dry,but September saw the start of intermittent periods of heavy rainfall. The rainy, cold weather continued throughout the harvest period, which started early in October.

Best Appellations

No appellation recommended.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1973

Drink now

When young these were delicious wines

2/5

Weather Conditions

The flowering took place in fine spring weather, but there was no rain at all until the middle of July, when heavy rain began to fall. These conditions continued until the late harvest. When young these were delicious wines, probably more consistent than the Medocs but inclined to be a touch overblown.

Best Producers

Saint-Emilion: Cheval Blanc was always one of the best wines of the vintage, not far behind the delicious 71, but bottles will be valuable now. Figeac is not far behind.

Pomerol: The best was Trotanoy, which is still worth investigating.

1972

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Lack of ripeness and high acidity

1/5

Weather Conditions

Unusual conditions led to one of the longest-ever growing seasons. Winter was severe, with rain and snow still falling in February. Although conditions had improved by the end of March, April saw the return of cold, wet weather. Temperatures did not rise much in summer, but nor did it rain much. There was little sunshine until September, when a belated ripening got underway. It continued fine until the late harvest, which began well into October.

Best Appellations

No appellation escaped the lack of ripeness and high acidity of this vintage. When bottles occasionally come to light the colour is often good, but the wines are dry and one-dimensional.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1971

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Opulence and richness

4/5

Weather Conditions

The buds burst early due to the mild spring weather, but the crop was reduced by a cold, damp June. A hot July followed, but August saw unsettled conditions, with storms and some hail in the middle of the month. This was corrected a sunny September. Picking began early, on the 16th.

Red wines: The weather resulted in concentrated, ripe fruit with good acidity.

Best Appellations

The strike rate here was significantly higher than in Medoc. The wines have opulence and richness which has produced some superb mature wines.

Best Producers

Saint-Emilion: There is a great Cheval Blanc, opulent and aromatic. Other successes include La Dominique, Figeac and Magdeleine. Pomerol was even better, with Petrus probably the wine of the vintage, a complete contrast of styles to 1970, still extremely exotic and fine.

Then came La Conseillante, La Croix, L’Evangile, La Fleur Petrus, Rouget, Trotanoy and Vieux Chateau Certan – but some bottles may be over the top now.

1970

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Some outstanding wines in both appellations

5/5

Weather Conditions

April and May were cool and wet, but the vines were not damaged. The weather improved towards the end of May, and the trend continued through June and into July. August saw a week or so of cool weather, but temperatures picked up again in September, carrying on into October.

Best Appellations

These show the same sort of highs and lows that characterise this vintage, with some outstanding wines in both appellations.

Best Producers

Pomerol: Petrus must beat Palmer as the outstanding wine. It has great power and richness, with extraordinary ripe concentration. La Conseillante has lovely chocolatey richness; La Fleur Petrus is much more forward but delightful.

Saint-Emilion: A lovely Cheval Blanc if not quite in the Petrus class. Magdelaine is fine if still compact and less fleshy. But many wines lack the attractions of the 71s, and are more dry and austere.

1969

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The reds proved to be a great disappointment, dry, short and acid.

1/5

Weather Conditions

An unexceptional winter was followed by bad spring weather. June continued cold, but July and August saw a rise in temperatures and reasonable amounts of sunshine. Rain fell throughout the first fortnight of September, but warm, sunny weather afterwards continued until the harvest – of a very small crop – in early October.

Best Appellations

The reds proved to be a great disappointment, dry, short and acid.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1968

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One of the worst vintages of the century, exacerbated by the weather.

1/5

Weather Conditions

One of the worst vintages of the century, exacerbated by the weather. A cold winter and spring saw flowering take place under conditions that were far from ideal. There was little sun throughout summer, and August was the coldest and wettest for nearly 20 years. The weather did not help to promote adequate ripening, and the abundant, poor-quality crop was harvested in early October.

Best Appellations

This was the last vintage to be seriously affected by rot, but lessons had been learnt and some selection was attempted, so this is a vintage which should have been enjoyed in the initial 10 years of its life. Only a few survivors today, and this is a question of crus rather than appellations.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1967

Drink now

Petrus was the wine of the vintage and is still magnificent.

3/5

Weather Conditions

Flowering took place slightly behind schedule after a relatively mild winter. The weather warmed up by summer, and July and August were both hot and dry. The pattern was reversed in the first three weeks of September, with cold, damp conditions, although the end of the month saw a return to sunshine. The harvest, which started in October, was plagued by intermittent rain.

Best Appellations

Pomerol not only produced the consistently best wines, but they have also lasted well. St Emilion: the best wines tend to come from the cotes and plateau.

Best Producers

Pomerol: Petrus was the wine of the vintage and is still magnificent. Exceptional wines were also made at Trotenoy and Vieux-Chateau-Certan. St Emilion: Cheval Blanc, although not in the Petrus class, has great charm and style and has lasted well. The Magdelaine was the pick of the cotes and plateau wines.

1966

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The harvest started in perfect conditions. Wines were consistent and fine.

4/5

Weather Conditions

The mild conditions of winter and early spring were followed by fine weather in late spring, producing a good flowering. Most of summer was cool and dry, although July saw some rains. August was mostly dry, but the sun failed to shine. This was compensated for by a return to hot, sunny weather in September. Despite intermittent rain just before the harvest, the crop survived intact, with no rot. Early October saw the start of the harvest take place in perfect conditions. Red wines did far better under the prevailing conditions that whites.

Best Appellations

St Emilion: while not as good as ’64, was outstandingly consistent and fine. In Pomerol the picture is very similar to St Emilion.

Best Producers

St Emilion: Cheval Blanc is still a beautiful wine, if less concentrated and rich than ’64. Then Figeac, Belair, Canon and La Gaffeliere all produced fine, long-lived wines. Pomerol: Petrus is outstanding, then La Conseillante, L’Evangile, Le Gay, La Pointe, Trotanoy and Vieux-Chateau-Certan all produced fine, long-lived wines.

1965

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A disastrous year, for which the blame can be fully laid on the weather. (Cold conditions and heavy rains)

1/5

Weather Conditions

A disastrous year, for which the blame can be fully laid on the weather. The cold winter conditions were prolonged throughout much of spring, and summer was washed out with heavy rains. The final straw was a wet September, which resulted in rot and irregular ripening. What few grapes there were were harvested in October.

Best Appellations

Rain during the harvest led growers to pick unripe grapes, so less rot than ’63, but green, acid wines. Nothing to recommend.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1964

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Summer was hot and dry. Late harvest was effected by heavy rains.

4/5

Weather Conditions

A mild, wet winter led into a warm spring. Summer continued hot and dry, resulting in the development of a well-ripened crop by mid-September.

Best Appellations

The harvest started well, but the latter part of it was badly affected by the heavy rains.

Best Producers

St Emilion: at Cheval Blanc this was a great vintage, the best since the ’56 frost. La Gaffeliere, Figeac and Magdelaine are all outstanding. The very good wines are numerous. Pomerol: Petrus is a great wine, possibly the wine of the vintage, while L’Evangile, Vieux-Chateau-Certan and La Conseillante were also outstanding.

1963

Drink now

Rot spread across the region as rain and warm conditions affected ripe grapes.

1/5

Weather Conditions

Winter was harsh, but there was little frost damage to the crop in spring. The weather did little to promote successful flowering, and continued cold and damp right through to September, resulting in rot and delayed ripening. Reds: finally, the sun began to shine at the start of the late harvest, 10th October.

Best Appellations

Rot spread across the region as rain and warm conditions affected ripe grapes.This damaged the pigmentation of the skins – resulting in a tell-tale orange colour in the wines. No area escaped.

Best Producers

No producers recommended.

1962

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Good weather which created fruity attractive wines of medium weight.

4/5

Weather Conditions

Conditions were cold and rainy from winter onwards right through to the end of May. June’s good weather developed into an extremely hot summer, although a reasonable degree of rainfall prevented drought from developing. Reds: good weather continued throughout the late harvest, which began on the 9th of October.

Best Appellations

St-Emilion and Pomerol: both did well with fruity attractive wines of medium weight.

Best Producers

St-Emilion: exceptionally Ausone was better than Cheval Blanc. Magdelaine, Belair and Canon matured very attractively.

1961

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Cold, rain, drought and a sunny September effectively ‘pruned’ the crop giving it harmony and depths of flavour.

5/5

Weather Conditions

The weather played a major part in the production of what is generally accepted to be a great vintage for Bordeaux‘s red wines. Despite a frosty spring, vegetation was advanced, but as the months progressed cold conditions reduced the flowering and rain washed away the pollen, reducing the potential crop. At the end of July persistent rain fell, and drought conditions prevailed in August, which was followed by a warm, sunny September.This pattern effectively ‘pruned’ the crop, then ripened the remaining fruit thoroughly. The harvest began at the end of September.

Best Appellations

The outstanding feature of this vintage was its consistency across the board, from first growths to Crus Bourgeois. But on the right bank, although some crus seemed to re-capture their pre-’56 form, many actually did better in ’64. On the left bank every appellation produced some outstanding examples. The wines were in most cases very attractive drinking by the end of the first decade, because of their fine harmony and depths of flavour and have lasted splendidly.

Best Producers

Cheval Blanc, Figeac and Magdeleine are among the best. Pomerol: Petrus, Trotanoy, La Fleur-Petrus, and Beauregard.