Bordeaux 2025 Dry Whites En Primeur

The Harvest

All things considered, the hot, dry summer of 2025 did not bode well for the production of fresh, dry white wines. Yet despite the challenges, winemakers have succeeded in creating wines of excellent quality. The key for many Châteaux was to pick early. To retain the desired acidity levels, many began harvesting in mid-August rather than September. With no end in sight to the dry, sunny conditions, winemakers frequently adopted a “smash-and-grab” approach to harvesting: one quick pass through the vineyards rather than several over an extended period, anything to secure the crucial freshness required in the finished wines. In the end, mother nature relented and in late August the region experienced some moderate rainfall but for those early pickers it was too late, the harvest was complete.

Of course, choosing when to harvest is all about timing, and it’s a judgement call based on experience, knowledge and skill. Those estates blessed with cooler microclimates and moisture-retaining clay and limestone soils were able to pick later, hoping to achieve greater ripeness and a more complete sense of balance. Getting this balance right is critical and I’m pleased to say that the wines we selected achieve this - and much more. Combining suppleness, alluring aromatics, and bright acidity, these latest releases should not be overlooked.

The Market

Let’s be honest: with all the clamour surrounding release prices and reviews of the Left and Right Bank reds, the performance of Bordeaux’s dry whites is rarely at the forefront of buyers’ minds. That said, if my recent experience and wider commercial trends are anything to go by, the voice of dry white Bordeaux is only going to grow louder.

One of the key takeaways from my visit was the increased emphasis châteaux are placing on promoting their white wines. In all my eighteen years of visiting Bordeaux, I have never been presented with so many dry whites. Many were familiar, but this year brought several notable firsts: tasting the debut release of Leoville Las Cases Blanc - classified as a Vin de France due to its use of Roussanne and Marsanne - and La Petit Cheval Blanc de Blancs (yes, that really is an excess of blancs!), alongside a pure Sémillon from Château Doisy-Daëne. I also learned that Médoc red favourite Château La Tour de By has now released the third vintage of its 100% Sauvignon Blanc under the new Médoc Blanc AOC classification.

Further first releases came from Ormes de Pez, Château Siran, and Château La Lagune, while Château Montrose, Château du Tertre, and Château Meyney continue to expand and refine their white Bordeaux ranges.

This expansion within the white Bordeaux category reflects the classic cyclical nature of the region: châteaux responding to changing commercial demands, while simultaneously returning to a past in which Bordeaux actually devoted more vineyard land to white varieties than red. Throughout my time in the wine trade - and for a generation before that - red Bordeaux has unquestionably ruled the roost. But like a younger sibling finally coming of age, dry white Bordeaux is growing up and refusing to be silenced.