Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur

The impact of Beychevelle is showing, with blacker fruit than others, a lovely spicy nose and some clean fresh raspberry in behind. Juicy round and generous on the palate, it does have a slightly hotter, fuller feel than others, more punch and weight than many, and attractively put together. One of the denser styled wines this year, and quite appealing for it. 3 – 7 years.

Spice and sandalwood make this an attractive, raspberry fruited claret. Low yields and no chaptalisation lend a natural, balanced feel to it, with a bright, soft structure. Short term drinking here, with less new oak than usual. Smooth, an appealing, easy wine this year. 3-7 years.

Easy red fruit with floral notes on the nose, a soft and generous shape in the mouth, very pleasing with ripeness. Quite simple but approachable early and very drinkable, not trying too hard. Delicious.

Offering up attractive crunchy red fruit and hints of violet on the nose, the palate delivers a satisfying lick of bright acidity on the palate. Not plush in style, the fruit notes are focused, giving it an appealing precise character. Accessible and subtle with a lightness of touch, this is a nicely balanced Peymouton which will drink from the get-go.

Rather leafy, curranty nose but then swish ripe black cherry and raspberry on the palate with is very nice and round. Soft and immediate structure with length and enough tannin to work. A friendly, early drinking wine with some style. 0 - 5 years.Rather leafy, curranty nose but then swish ripe black cherry and raspberry on the palate with is very nice and round. Soft and immediate structure with length and enough tannin to work. A friendly, early drinking wine with some style. 0 - 5 years.

Mulberry and damson with a note of violet behind, very attractive. Good concentration in the mouth, soft and round, then a ripe damson finish with tempered acidity and chalky but supportive tannins. Early drinking but with more depth of flavour than some. 3-7 years.

Noticeable crunchy red fruit on the nose and in the mouth, then soft and round in the mouth with fine tannins under control, the whole wine feeling very easy and supple. Elegant and fluid with a satisfying finish, light in weight but showing well in the Margaux line-up, that pretty side coming through. Well made as usual. 3-7 years.

The 2024 Lafleur-Gazin has hints of green pepper and flora before an energetic core of red and blueberry fruit notes kick in. Quite traditional in character, this is medium-bodied, well-balanced and elegant with a lovely touch of spice and evident cherry tobacco notes on the finish. A very polished effort.

A good colour with a fruit compote nose. Light bodied with a fair bit of grip, the layers of red plum and blackberry are ripe and fresh. Good length, with a raspberry finish. Well balanced and clean, this is quite a short term wine that has a light, savoury, almost old school feel, but the structure to go longer than some of its peers. Decent effort. 3-7 years.

A ‘go to’ Pomerol for many, the 2024 has put in a very respectable performance. Showing plenty of backbone from the off, there’s little in the way of hard edges and plenty of dark fruit, cedar and hints of liquorice to go around. Fresh and vibrant, with well-integrated oak, Bourgneuf has succeeded where others have struggled.

Ripe and stylish on the nose, followed onto the palate, a mix of raspberry and damson. Well balanced with a better shape and balance than many, mid to light-weight in frame bit fills it well. All round smooth and consummate winemaking with a prettiness this year. Very attractive mid-term drinking. 3 - 7 years.

Rather closed on the nose, the black fruit actually flows through on the palate with a nicely tempered feel, quite generous, layered and fairly lush with more length than some. The fruit character is a bit subdued at the moment but has potential – the purity and framing is there. Not as great as the ripe recent vintages, but a nice, worthwhile effort.

Using 14% Cab Franc alongside 72% Cab Sauvignon gives great aromatics here. There’s more density than in others, and a juicy but quite ripe blueberry character, again a bit unique. It’s polished, fresh and very enjoyable, certainly a winner with more presence than usual.

Very attractive red plum nose with substance in the mouth, juicy core and very correct. However, it lacks good ripe fruit on the palate, there’s more of a light, savoury note and the oak currently shows more on the finish. Needs time to flesh out, but has the trademark breeding if it can get there. 3 – 7 years.

One of the ripest but still pure and fresh on the nose, and a lash of spice behind. Cassis comes on to the palate with blackberry and damson. Well formed, juicy and balanced, it has roundness throughout with fine tannin holding it together. Immediately pleasing, stands out from the neighbours. 3 - 7 years.

With the control of Chanel since 2017 this property is really on the up, and has produced a vibrant, full throttle wine which is very juicy with a background spiciness making it very attractive and expressive. There's swagger, intensity and character here, a good effort and a very drinkable Saint-Emilion. Recommended. 5 - 15 years.

Quite pronounced violet and damson nose, there's then a big feel about this with power, structure and relatively fat in the mouth, surprisingly so. Impressive upfront with plenty of stuffing, fairly simple in shape and does fall away towards the end. A pretty immediate wine that may mature quickly. 3 – 7 years.

Decent dark colour and black fruit character with density on the front palate and a round, slightly spicy flavour behind, in the plum crumble style. Succulent with a firm structure of fine chalky tannin and crisp acidity. Good balanced finish though. Pleasing and fuller than some. 3-7 years.

A bit of a star this year. Superb blackberry fool on the nose pushes on into the palate. Its bright with good energy, lovely ripeness backed by nice oak. There’s a gentle fluidity in the mouth, poise and freshness behind, almost succulent, more so than many. Mid term delicious, tempered drinking. 5 – 15+ years.

Léoville Barton stood out at the Saint Julien tasting. It has dark, rich, sweet fruit, currant in front and coffee bean behind. It’s intense, quite fluid in shape with a pure, juicy finish but with more generosity (and ripe fruit) than many. There’s a seamless structure that the best tend to show, and while mid-weight it is built to go longer than many. 5 - 15+ years.

Great nose, very evocative and forward with wild strawberry, red plum and mulberry in there. This is supple, fluid with generous but poised fruit in the mouth, gorgeous in structure, a blend of sweetness and freshness, effortless and very harmonious, a stellar effort.

As obvious and inky as ever. The nose is lovely with lashings of damson and mulberry, blueberry behind and some keen vanilla. There is depth and concentration, big tannins and lots of presence. The whole is calmer than it often is, but ‘obvious’ is the hallmark here, and the extraction is still pretty full dial. Chunky but will it last long?

Dark in colour, bold black pastille flavours with a fresh line. Fleshy in the mouth if not very complex, it is linear with a full-bodied, texture centre and a belt of clean acidity on the finish. Practically no loss to mildew, there’s a feel of concentrated, clean fruit and for mid-term drinking. Worth buying if you like the clean, organic Pontet style. 5-15 years.

This is a five star wine, as Olivier Bernard pronounced. That subtle mix of tropical lushness with more vivid citrus, and plenty of it, underpinned with some supple oak that gives tightness at the moment but should relax. A ripe, waxy feel on the finish with a very pure, clean edge. Hugely harmonious, a total pleasure to drink. 5 – 15+

A great colour, then a gushingly vibrant Cabernet nose with graphite and cedar in the mainly dark plum and black cherry nose, then currant on the palate, juicy and fresh on the finish. Montrose has effortless fluidity, mid weight texture and succulence but shows the finesse of Saint Estephe this year. Brilliant, its svelte shape the hallmark of the more poised wines like Lafite and Figeac in this vintage. Top recommendation. 5-15 years.

This Château rarely puts a foot wrong and 2024 is no exception. Full of expression, there’s enticing aromas of crunchy red fruit and cassis, followed by hints of rose and a melange of floral scents. This is such an impressive effort, super precise, glossy and medium in weight. The tannins are juicy, whilst the fresh acidity completes a very harmonious and complex Bélair-Monange. Another fine release from this in form estate.

Almost 100% Merlot, the 2024 LFP is a triumph. Sensuous and sleek, there is evident wafts of spice, violet and cedar on the nose, whilst the palate delivers a very complete, composed core of damson and red fruit. Finishing long with touches of spice and tobacco coming to mind, it’s a super effort.

This is very good. Cassis and cranberry on the nose, lovely tones followed by more cassis and blackberry on the front palate, soft and alluring before the power kicks in behind. Beautiful balance from ripe tannins, pure but ripe fruit and prodigious length. Still has layers in this ‘simpler’ vintage, and the whole wine has real presence. Superb. 5 – 15+ years.

As impressive as ever. A very correct and imposing wine, certainly as good as any on the Right Bank. They picked the entire harvest in 2.5 days and sorted everything minutely. The result is a wine that's soft, ripe, svelte and classy. The lump of Cabernet Franc drives it, with glorious aromatics and a great structure. There's density, depth and, in a lighter year, a good core of black fruit that balances the acidity and freshness. Delicious. 5 -15+ years

Beautifully textured and tailored, Lafite is lighter framed than Mouton, very classic and precise. Mostly raspberry and ripe red plum comes through with superb silky tannins. Good length, not a show-stopper but elegant and a firm recommendation if the price is right – it has class and finesse. 5-15 years.

PRESENTED IN A WOODEN BOX  A 3-Bottle BOTTLE (2.25L) A good colour with a fruit compote nose. Light bodied with a fair bit of grip, the layers of red plum and blackberry are ripe and fresh. Good length, with a raspberry finish. Well balanced and clean, and a light, savoury, almost old school feel, which makes it quite a short-term prospect in bottle, but the structure to go longer than some of its peers, especially in this larger format. Decent effort and a good bit of fun! 3-7 years.