La Place de Bordeaux March releases 2025
The annual 'March' or 'Spring' releases campaign is now underway with just over 50 French and international fine wines being sold via La Place de Bordeaux, including a host of new Burgundies and a grower Champagne.
In addition to the trio of new Château Latour wines being released on 17 March, as covered on Premium last month, this year’s line-up features new vintages of established names including Promontory, Ornellaia, Borgogno, Dal Forno, Ao Yun and I Sodi di S. Niccolò as well as a few newcomers.
The March campaign is always smaller than its September sibling. But, while the trend in recent years had been toward expansion, the turbulent global trading conditions have led to a more selective approach, ensuring that wines with strong track records take centre stage.
Notes and scores for the March 2025 releases from La Place de Bordeaux below
Newcomers
That said, among the most exciting additions this year is Domaine Alexandre Bonnet. This is a grower Champagne from the most southerly part of the region in Les Riceys in the Côtes des Bar, and part of the Lanson-BCC Group.
The La Forêt, Brut Nature, Blanc de Noirs release is made from a selection of Pinot Noir planted in 1973 and spent 39 months on its lees, disgorging without dosage or sulphur.
The Champagne, which also has special eco-packaging including a water-saving cotton label and recycled silk paper, adds further depth to the sparkling wine offering alongside the Joyau Rosé 2012.
Burgundy in Bordeaux
Wines from three new family-owned and run Burgundy producers were also present at the Joanne négociant tasting last month.
They include a red and white from Mercurey’s Domaine François Raquillet, four wines from Meursault-based Domaine Quentin Jeannot and three out of a larger 13-wine release from Gevrey-Chambertin’s Domaine Geantet-Pansiot.
The latter, family-run estate, now helmed by third-generation Fabien Geantet, is known for its terroir-driven wines. It was founded in 1954 and grew from just over 1ha to 30ha of vineyards spread out across the region today.
Italian excellence
Italian wines continue to dominate the releases, with many exceptional offerings reinforcing Italy’s prominence on La Place.
Particularly excellent are the new vintages from Super Tuscan Castellare di Castellina, I Sodi di S. Niccolò 2021; Ceretto, Bricco Rocche Barolo 2021; Poggio di Sotto Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino 2019 and all three of Borgogno’s 2019 single-vineyard releases; Cannubi, Liste and for the first time, Annunziata.
The historic Barolo estate, founded in 1761 is now owned by Andrea Farinetti and the Farinetti family of Eataly fame.
This famous label has undergone a renaissance in recent years, returning vinification to concrete vats, converting to organic farming, and renovating its historical cellars in Barolo.
Produced in tiny quantities, just 3,000 bottles of each wine will be exclusively released through négociants.
Market conditions
This year’s releases underscore a pragmatic response to the ongoing difficulties facing the fine wine sector. The fallout from the lacklustre 2024 hors Bordeaux campaigns – both March and September – lingers, with négociants still navigating the aftermath of an oversupplied market and tepid consumer interest.
According to a report by WineCap, published last December, ‘globally, 2024 saw a persistent decline in prices, with the Liv-ex 100 index dropping 9.2% year-to-date and Bordeaux’s First Growths (tracked by the Liv-ex 50) falling 10.9%’.
Economic headwinds – rising interest rates, a faltering Asian market, and shifting consumer habits – have squeezed margins and dampened demand, leaving négociants and merchants grappling with unsold stock from recent vintages.
‘Rather than complaining, we’re chasing solutions,’ Jean-Quentin Prats, general manager of Joanne Rare Wines, told Decanter during the tasting in February.
‘Our number one value is flexibility and a capacity to act quickly,’ he said, adding that, ‘it’s not a crisis of consumption, people are still enjoying fine wines’.
Bordeaux itself has also faced particular strain. In Chris Mercer’s latest Decanter market watch analysis, he wrote; ‘Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, recently noted a “significant stock overhang” affecting younger Bordeaux vintages on the market, in particular.
Its Bordeaux 500 index was down by around 4% in value in five years to the end of 2024′.
Adding further complexity is a projected 22% reduction in France’s 2024 harvest, with Bordeaux’s confirmed as the lowest since 1991, although it remains to be seen whether scarcity will translate into price recovery.
For these releases however, Prats remains optimistic; ‘I think these wines will be well received and bring opportunities for sales – we have a combination of new labels, strong brands and good vintages’.
See the score table of all March 2025 releases
Tasting notes and scores for all the March 2025 releases
About the tasting notes
All the releases were tasted by Georgie Hindle at Joanne in February 2025. Where the wines had already been tasted and scored by the relevant Decanter regional editor, or a commissioned contributor (Michaela Morris for Italy and Jonathan Cristaldi for Napa Valley) those notes have been used. Tasting notes for the Spanish wine Alma 2022 and Chilean wines Laz Pizarras Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay will be published later this month.
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Domaine Alexandre Bonnet, La Forêt, Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, France, 2020
A new and exciting grower Champagne on the place from Alexandre Bonnet based in Les Riceys in the Côte de Bar. This is made from...
2020
Domaine Alexandre Bonnet
Joyau, Rosé, Champagne, France, 2012
<p>Fragrant nose of Turkish delight, floral notes of rose with buttery bread, orange rind, peach, caramel and toast. Insanely fragrant and perfumed - really alive...
2012
Joyau
Domaine de la Chapelle, Le Chevalier de Sterimberg, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2022
Very pale in colour, with subtle green hints. This is aromatically discreet at the time of tasting, with lime leaf, cedar and tobacco nuances. Light-...
2022
Domaine de la ChapelleHermitage
Domaine Quentin Jeannot, Clos des Hâtes, Santenay, Burgundy, France, 2023
Herbal and lemony on the nose, some wild yellow berries with straw and toasted caramel. Zingy and so alive on the palate, this is fresh...
2023
Domaine Quentin JeannotSantenay
Domaine Quentin Jeannot, Les Narvaux, Meursault, Burgundy, France, 2023
Light and lifted, this is clean and fresh with a zing to the fruit profile which is white and yellow - more clean and cool...
2023
Domaine Quentin JeannotMeursault
Ornellaia, Bianco, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
Ornellaia Bianco is today 100% Sauvignon Blanc, following a period a few years ago where it was blended with other varieties. There's a slightly flinty...
2022
OrnellaiaBolgheri
Domaine Quentin Jeannot, Les 8 Ouvrées, Maranges, Burgundy, France, 2023
Citrus zing from the start, lemon, lime, almost tart but then becomes more creamy and round, soft and subtle with some straw, apple, peach and...
2023
Domaine Quentin JeannotMaranges
Ornellaia, Poggio alle Gazze, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2023
Poggio alle Gazze is a rather unique assemblage of Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, Viognier, plus a small portion of Semillon grown at the Bolgheri estate. Fresh,...
2023
OrnellaiaToscana
Domaine Quentin Jeannot, Vibrato, Bourgogne, Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Burgundy, France, 2023
Lively and zingy, this has a great energy and tension from the start. Direct and pulsing, great juicy core and a touch of creamy texture...
2023
Domaine Quentin JeannotBourgogne
Domaine François Raquillet, La Brigadière, Mercurey, Burgundy, France, 2023
Fresh, floral and fragrant so lifted on the nose. Crisp and alive, juicy and forward, this has a nice frame and balance of lemon, lime,...
2023
Domaine François RaquilletMercurey
Château Latour, Pauillac, 1er Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France, 2016
<p>A monumental wine from Latour. This isn't yet ready to drink but offers an impactful and promising palate full of muscle, tension and length. A...
2016
Château LatourPauillac
Borgogno, Riserva, Barolo Annunziata, La Morra, Piedmont, Italy, 2019
<p>The most impressive of three excellent single-vineyard Borgogno wines being released solely through négociants on the Place. From the Annunziata MGA, this offers a nose...
2019
BorgognoBarolo Annunziata
Borgogno, Riserva, Barolo Cannubi, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2019
From the legendary Cannubi cru, this is one of three single-vineyard Borgogno wines being released solely through négociants on the Place. A fragrant, spiced and...
2019
BorgognoBarolo Cannubi
Cathiard Vineyard, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, 2022
<p>Sourced from 45-year-old vines planted at over 365 metres in elevation, Cathiard Vineyard’s 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the highest point on their Napa Valley...
2022
Cathiard VineyardNapa Valley
Castellare di Castellina, I Sodi di S. Niccolò, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2021
Cocoa powder and red berries on the nose, some softly ferrous notes with tobacco and rose florality. Thick and glossy but lively with lots of...
2021
Castellare di CastellinaToscana
Ceretto, Barolo Bricco Rocche, Castiglione Falletto, Piedmont, Italy, 2021
Surrounding Ceretto’s single-vineyard winery in Castiglione Falletto, the Bricco Rocche vineyard can be identified from afar by the modern cube structure. A monopoly of just...
2021
CerettoBarolo Bricco Rocche
Acaibo, Sonoma County, California, USA, 2019
Amazing fruit purity - this is clean and crystalline, blackcurrants and plum, with massy tannins that fill the mouth and give this a round body...
2019
AcaiboSonoma County
Ao Yun, Yunnan, China, 2021
Bitter orange peel, Chinese five spice, exotic spices, green bell pepper, capscicum, leather and fragrant dark fruit. Ripe and forward, fleshy and bright, this shines...
2021
Ao Yun
Borgogno, Riserva, Barolo Liste, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2019
One of three single-vineyard Borgogno wines being released solely through négociants on the Place. Situated in the Liste cru, north of the Cannubi area, the...
2019
BorgognoBarolo Liste
Ceretto, Barolo Brunate, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2021
Brothers Bruno and Marcello Ceretto made their first purchase in Brunate in 1970. Today, the family counts over 5ha in this hot, south-facing MGA. The...
2021
CerettoBarolo Brunate
Tenuta di Biserno, Biserno, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
The Biserno project marked the reunion of Antinori brothers, Lodovico and Piero – together with their nephew, Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi – when it was founded in 2001....
2022
Tenuta di BisernoToscana
Promontory, Napa Valley, Oakville, California, USA, 2020
<p>The 2020 Promontory harbours a distinct coolness, with aromas of bay laurel, sagebrush, unsmoked tobacco, and pure black currant fruit. On the palate, it has...
2020
PromontoryNapa Valley
Frescobaldi, Castelgiocondo Ripe al Convento Riserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2019
The Ripe al Convento vineyard has always supplied Castelgiocondo’s Riserva (in years it is made). The 8ha plot flanks the top of a hill rising...
2019
FrescobaldiBrunello di Montalcino
Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Superiore, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
Featuring a hefty 10% of Petit Verdot this year for an injection of freshness and structure, Ornellaia 2022 is rich, deep and tightly coiled, with...
2022
OrnellaiaBolgheri
Paul Jaboulet Aîné, La Chapelle, Hermitage, Rhône, France, 2000
Smells meaty and briney, lovely roast lamb scents, herbal, leather, cherries and a touch of mushroom - really focussed on the savouriness. Bright and shining,...
2000
Paul Jaboulet AînéHermitage
Poggio di Sotto, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Winemaker Leonardo Berti is among those who compare 2020 to 2018. As such, he aerated gently with pump-overs and kept skin maceration to 35 days...
2020
Poggio di SottoBrunello di Montalcino
Château Latour, Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2019
A captivating nose of milk chocolate, cola, cherries, and violets, offering a soft and inviting bouquet. The palate is fully textured, opening gradually to coat...
2019
Château LatourPauillac
Domaine Geantet Pansiot, Gevrey-Chambertin, 1er Cru Le Poissenot, Burgundy, France, 2023
A little shy on the nose, strawberries and soft herbal accents. Bright and tangy, again the fruit is just on the tip of ripeness giving...
2023
Domaine Geantet PansiotGevrey-Chambertin
Michele Chiarlo, Barolo Cerequio, Barolo / La Morra, Piedmont, Italy, 2021
The Chiarlo name is practically synonymous with Cerequio. Boasting a substantial nine hectares in this revered MGA, which straddles La Morra and Barolo, the family...
2021
Michele ChiarloBarolo Cerequio
Michele Chiarlo, Faset, Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy, 2022
Fragrant nose full of rose petals and violets with sweet strawberries and some dried herbs. Sappy and fresh, this has a nice liveliness to it,...
2022
Michele ChiarloBarbaresco
Romano Dal Forno, Amarone della Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy, 2018
The estate's older vines from its best plots are used for this Amarone. The grapes are dried for three months (compared to one and a...
2018
Romano Dal FornoAmarone della Valpolicella
Romano Dal Forno, Valpolicella, Superiore, Veneto, Italy, 2018
The wet 2018 vintage has conferred this Valpolicella Superiore – a blend of 60% Corvina, 15% Croatina, 10% Corvinone, 10% Oseleta and 5% Rondinella – with an...
2018
Romano Dal FornoValpolicella
Domaine Geantet Pansiot, Vieilles Vignes, Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy, France, 2023
Subtle and gentle, this flows so easily across the tongue. A buzz of sherbet strawberries, picked just ripe, a real zing to the expression but...
2023
Domaine Geantet PansiotGevrey-Chambertin
Frescobaldi, Castelgiocondo, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Davide Bozzon has been the resident winemaker at Castelgiocondo since this 2020 vintage. Given the hot conditions, he kept macerations to under 28 days to...
2020
FrescobaldiBrunello di Montalcino
Michele Chiarlo, Barolo Cannubi, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy, 2021
From a one-hectare plot in the heart of the Cannubi hill at 240 metres above sea level, the vines range from 35 to over 65...
2021
Michele ChiarloBarolo Cannubi
Ornellaia, Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
Merlot-dominant Serre Nuove is deeper, earthier and spicier in aroma compared to Le Volte. It has cool, balsamic herb edges with a concentration of chocolatey...
2022
OrnellaiaBolgheri
Talenti, Piero, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
A single-vineyard bottling, Piero is dedicated to founder Pierluigi Talenti and is crafted from the very plot where he carried out a clonal selection 50...
2020
TalentiBrunello di Montalcino
Luce della Vite, Luce, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
Beyond the cedar, toast and sauna-like prologue, nuances of nutmeg-infused dark brambles lie in wait, while upfront grainy tannins are accentuated by a puckering raciness....
2022
Luce della ViteToscana
Luce della Vite, Luce, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Sprawling out over the gentle hills of Montalcino’s southwestern quadrant, the aptly named Luce estate is bathed in Tuscany’s golden sunlight. The 2020 release captures...
2020
Luce della ViteBrunello di Montalcino
Ceretto, Bernadot, Barbaresco, Piedmont, Italy, 2022
Straight and tangy, this is shiny and slick with a sleek frame and a drive of red berry fruit from start to finish. Super high...
2022
CerettoBarbaresco
Château Latour, Pauillac de Latour, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2020
A fragrant and expressive nose, revealing layers of dried herbs, eucalyptus, thyme, and aniseed spice alongside blackcurrants and plums. The palate is vibrant and juicy,...
2020
Château LatourPauillac
Luce, Lux Vitis, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2021
Charged nose, baked fruit, fragranced blackcurrant and lots of floral scents with some tobacco and cedar spice. Fleshy and ripe but juicy too, feels a...
2021
LuceToscana
Domaine François Raquillet, Vieilles Vignes, Mercurey, Burgundy, France, 2022
Displays impressive depth and concentration for this level, with its plum and currant fruit, cigar leaf and smoke notes, and a charmingly rustic edge. The...
2022
Domaine François RaquilletMercurey
Talenti, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, 2020
Between spring frost damage in lower holdings around Castelnuovo dell’Abate and the warm, dry summer yielding smaller berries and bunches, Riccardo Talenti estimates production at...
2020
TalentiBrunello di Montalcino
Ornellaia, Le Volte dell'Ornellaia, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2023
Matured partly in used Ornellaia barriques and partly in concrete, the 2023 Le Volte has seductive aromas of dark cherry compote and raspberry coulis with...
2023
OrnellaiaToscana
Domaine Geantet Pansiot, Bourgogne, Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Burgundy, France, 2023
Raspberry and cherry with soft herbal accents. Zingy, fruit is verging on sour, a little high toned but bright and sleek. Nice energy and cleanness...
2023
Domaine Geantet PansiotBourgogne
Luce, Lucente, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2022
Red fruits and chalky tannins, this has elements of tobacco, vanilla and cool purple fruit. Well made with a direct line from start to finish....
2022
LuceToscana
Tenuta di Biserno, Il Pino, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy, 2023
<p>Baked blackcurrants and plums, heavily ripe fruit on the nose, almost jammy, sun kissed. Rich, thick and strong on the palate. Clearly concentrated but also...
2023
Tenuta di BisernoToscana