September 2024 releases on La Place de Bordeaux: Report

More than 120 fine wines will be released in the coming weeks as part of the September 2024 Beyond Bordeaux campaign.

This second tranche of international releases, or Hors Bordeaux, follows the 60 wines launched on La Place de Bordeaux by négociants in March.

This September marks one of the few occasions since the campaign began in 1998 that very few new wineries will debut on La Place.

Scroll down to see the Decanter team’s tasting notes and scores for the September 2024 Beyond Bordeaux releases

As margins are squeezed and the global economy remains precarious, it makes sense for négociants to consolidate the Beyond Bordeaux producers they currently work with before casting the net wider for more newcomers.

However there are numerous expanded offerings – including library releases – from existing estates selling on the famous international marketplace, and the quality and diversity of this year’s offer has never been as high.

Wines from 33 regions are now represented, across 12 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa and the US.

Top scores

There were no perfect 100-point scores from the Decanter team for the September 2024 Beyond Bordeaux releases, but six wines scored 99-points:

• Chappellet, Pritchard Hill Cabernet, Napa Valley, California, USA 2021
• Favia, Cerro Sur, Napa Valley, California, USA 2021
• Dalle Valle Vineyards, Maya, Oakville Napa Valley, California USA 2021
• Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard Mundus Bacillus Terrae, Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2021
• Masseto, Toscana, Tuscany, Italy 2021
• Alvaro Palacios, L’Ermita, Priorat, Spain 2022

Several other wines also scored 98-points, including the renowned Châteauneuf du Pape, Château de Beaucastel’s Hommage à Jacques Perrin 2022, Cheval des Andes 2021 from Mendoza, Argentina, and a brace of 2021s from Australia: Jim Barry’s The Armagh from Clare Valley and Cloudburst’s Malbec from Margaret River.

Six Napa 2021s also earned 98 points: Opus One, Cardinale, Quintessa, Inglenook’s Rubicon, Beaulieu Vineyard’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve and Favia’s Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon.

You’ll find many more high-scoring 2021 Napa Cabs in our comprehensive 2021 vintage report of 522 wines from Decanter’s correspondent Jonathan Cristaldi, who was blown away by the quality of wines from this vintage.

Expanded ranges and newcomers

The notable newcomers to the Hors Bordeaux campaign are Mosel Rieslings from Schloss Johannisberg and Dr Loosen, to be released in mid October.

While many French estates, particularly from Burgundy, have increased their listings, La Place now welcomes its first Cahors estate, with Château de Haut Serre’s Grand Malbec 2022.

From Chile, the Bournet Lapostolle family has increased its range this September with Clos Apalta Prélude 2022, a new bottling (previously declassified into Lapostolle) that is now the entry-level wine to Petit Clos and Clos Apalta.

And Napa’s Favia has also introduced its 2021 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon to join its Coombsville bottling, as well as the top-scoring Cerro Sur.

Bibi Graetz, too, has expanded his presence on La Place with new Bordeaux varietal wines under his Balocchi range to join the 2022 Colore and Testamatta red and white cuvées.

Value wines, sweets and sparklings

Of the Champagnes, the stars were Philipponnat’s Clos des Goisses Extra Brut 2015 and Lanson’s Le Clos Lanson Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2010.

Among the sweet wines, it’s hard to go past South African icon, Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance 2021.

Europe, more than the so-called New World, represents the happiest hunting ground for value this September – although value is a relative term in the case of these La Place releases.

From Spain, Adega Alguera’s 2020 Dolio Mencía from Ribeira Sacra (about £50 a bottle) and Telmo Rodríguez’ 2021 Viñedos de Matallana, Ribera del Duero (about £65) are Decanter’s value picks.

The standouts from Italy were the Siepi and Concerto 2022s from the Mazzei family’s Castello di Fonterutoli in Tuscany (about £70-£80 each), along with reliable white and red releases from Giovanni Rosso in both Etna and Barolo.

And from France, the Clos Marcilly 1er Cru Mercurey Monopole white from Les Héritiers St Génys in Burgundy (about £35) is great value, with solid white and red buys also from the Rothschild (Mouton) family’s Baronarques in Limoux.

From the négociants

Speaking with the CEO of négociant CVBG, Mathieu Chadronnier, who pioneered the introduction of Beyond Bordeaux wines to La Place in 1998, ‘consolidation’ was the key word for September 2024.

‘After a few years of rapid expansion, with a significant number of new entrants on La Place each September, it’s now time for a phase of consolidation,’ Chadronnier said.

‘This doesn’t mean a reduction in numbers,’ he emphasised, ‘but a slowing down of the pace of new entrants. It is time to firmly establish the wines we now have on La Place before we consider new ones.

‘The world of fine wine is a finite one, and even though we are expanding organically over time, there are only so many fine wines in the world that can be represented on La Place.

‘There may well be producers and wines Decanter readers can think of that we do not yet distribute,’ he continued. ‘And over the next 10 years or so you may well see them.

‘But I can say that I don’t think we will again see such a massive influx of new entrants on La Place. It will now be organic over the next decade or so.’

What excites you most about the September 2024 Beyond Bordeaux releases?

Prats: ‘The 2021 Napa releases – very modern and a perfect combination of classic Napa ripeness made in an era of freshness. I’m also impressed by the quality of the 2022s from France, especially the Rhônes and Burgundies – insane quality!’

Chadronnier: ‘The quality of the vintages – it’s truly exceptional. The 2021s from Napa and Tuscany, and both the 2021 and 2022 vintage from Chile. Also the Penfolds Luxury & Icon range: an extremely significant representation.’

Jean-Quentin Prats, CEO of Joanne Rare Wines, which sells more than 100 Hors Bordeaux wines, agreed that consolidation was important.

‘Particularly in this increasingly complex market, we want to focus on our existing partners and the quality of their distribution.’

‘But there are wines I would like to see more of,’ he said. ‘And those that I expect to see more of in future are from other French vineyards outside of Bordeaux.’

‘There are still many wine regions, like the Loire, Alsace and Jura, that have a very traditional way of distribution which I feel are missing out on opportunities in international markets. I’d like to help them grow and I hope, in time, they can be attracted to the model we propose via La Place.

‘Not least because consumers’ tastes have changed so much,’ Prats added. ‘The demand is for more white, rosé and fresher red styles – all wines that these regions specialise in. So I’m sure we will see producers from these areas, and more white wines in general, join La Place in the next few years.’

September 2024 Beyond Bordeaux releases: top scorers

Top-scoring wines will be rotated here throughout the campaign with all wines tasted also added to our database.

Related articles

• La Place de Bordeaux 2024: September release schedule
• March 2024 releases on La Place de Bordeaux
• Blue-chip Spain: Bottles on the Place de Bordeaux