2024 Bordeaux En Primeur: The Razor’s Edge

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | APRIL 29, 2025

Left Bank: Saint-Estèphe | Pauillac | Saint-Julien | Margaux | Pessac-Léognan & Graves | Left Bank Satellites | Sauternes (Sweet and Dry)

Right Bank: Pomerol | Saint-Émilion | Right Bank Satellites

It’s no secret that Bordeaux endured a challenging growing season in 2024. Despite the ups and downs of a year that featured heavy rainfall and constant disease pressure, among other events, the most skilled winemakers found a way to make gorgeous wines. The 2024s are all over the place in terms of quality and style, so readers will have to be selective. Within that context, the very best wines have a lot to offer.

Tasting at Pontet-Canet with Technical Director Mathieu Bessonnet and proprietors Alfred and Justine Tesseron.

The 2024 Growing Season

Visitors arriving at a château in Bordeaux will be greeted with a pamphlet or brochure detailing the key points of the growing season, often with some sort of colorful title to the vintage. Data comparing variables such as rain and temperatures with historical averages, harvest dates, blends, alcohol levels and other more technical parameters like pH are not uncommon. There is no other region I know of that presents its wine in this manner. How much does all this matter? Not much, in my opinion.

I will offer a summary of the key events of 2024. I expect it won’t be that different from what readers will see elsewhere. After all, the weather is the weather. That said, as I get older, I place increasingly less value on things like weather data. The reason is simple. In previous generations, when wineries were in similar financial positions and had more or less the same means, when good to great vintages were the exception rather than the norm, weather did matter. Greatly. It was a determinant factor. The determining factor. Today that is no longer the case. For better or worse, wineries have vastly different financial resources and different ambitions as well. Weather is no longer the critical element in determining the quality of wines and therefore a vintage. People, their skill, their vision, their ambition, their access to technology, these are the qualities that determine the quality of wines today. Not monthly rainfall or temperatures above historical averages.

Technical Director Nicolas Glumineau turned out gorgeous 2024s at Pichon Comtesse, but his wines at Pez might be even more impressive because of the growth they have shown over the last few years.

The 2024 growing season got off to a very rainy start, a theme that would continue throughout the year. The 2023/2024 winter was quite wet. Warm temperatures arrived in spring, leading to early budbreak. Persistent rain caused early outbreaks of mildew that required constant vigilance. Under these circumstances, finding the right moment to enter vineyards was a challenge for tractors, given the consistently wet soils. Moreover, constant rain meant the treatment of the vines was easily washed away. "We have had mildew attacks before, but never as early in the year as in 2024," Technical Director Eric Kohler explained at Lafite-Rothschild. "Coulure was also an issue. Typically, we see this mostly in Merlot, but in 2024 we also had losses in the Cabernet Sauvignon.”

At this point, something else happened that had nothing to do with the weather, but that may turn out to be critical in shaping many wines. Despite significant price reductions, the 2023 en primeur campaign was a flop. Estates that depend on an influx of capital in the spring did not see those euros materialize. As a result, some properties were forced to reduce vineyard operations.

Set was largely good, with many properties reporting good potential yields at the time. Unfortunately, poor weather during flowering resulted in a high incidence of coulure (shatter) and millerandage (shot berries), both of which began to reduce the potential crop.

For readers who are new to these terms, coulure refers to a condition where flowers fail to pollinate, leaving clusters with fewer berries than normal. Millerandage describes grapes of varying sizes within a cluster, an issue that can become critical at harvest time because of wide variations in ripeness. Coulure was especially punishing. It was the number one factor most châteaux reported in reducing yields. However, these conditions varied widely, as some estates noted normal weather during flowering. A hailstorm on June 18 wreaked havoc across several appellations but appears to have inflicted its greatest damage in Pomerol and Lalande-de-Pomerol. 

Technical Director Axel Heinz, flanked by Karine Barbier, Director of Communications (left) and Delphine Barboux, Technical Director (right), has ushered in a new era of excellence at Lascombes.

Rain continued through the early part of summer until mid-July. Conditions turned warm and dry from mid-July through the end August, with only minimal precipitation. This was enough to push some vineyards into a state of water deficiency, which is considered essential for the production of important red wines, as long as that water stress is not exaggerated. Despite the warm, dry weather, cloudy skies (and thus a lack of natural light) were a theme throughout the summer. Sugars climbed very slowly. Veraison was unusually long, which only accentuated the heterogenous maturation of grapes and bunches. Vineyard managers opened up canopies and deleafed to a greater degree than the norm to both encourage airflow (to mitigate disease pressure) and expose the grapes to the sun,

Rain arrived again from the end of August through September 12. Another smaller window of dry weather opened around September 21. Although this vintage clearly placed significant demands on vineyard crews and estate managers, success, as is so often the case, also depends on a bit of luck. In this case, having vineyards at a place in their ripening where they could take advantage of the best conditions 2024 had to offer. Most estates waited as late as they could to harvest, with the additional challenge of botrytis rearing its head at the end of the season. Two thousand twenty-four was marked by mildew, coulure, a long vegetative cycle with a protracted véraison and then botrytis at the end,” Estate Manager Hélène Génin commented as she summed up the growing season succinctly.

The big challenge in 2024 was achieving ripeness. Most properties harvested Merlots towards the end of September and Cabernets in early October. Well-draining soils naturally fared best. Producers who could wait to harvest gave themselves the best chance to get the most out of the vintage. Yields are highly variable. In the past, I have cautioned against giving too much important to reported yields, as vine density is quite different in the Left and Right Banks, making apples-to-apples comparisons next to impossible. In 2024, that is further compounded by the fact that some châteaux reported yields as expressed by fruit picked per hectare, while other cited yields as expressed in wine produced per hectare, after rigorous sorting in the cellar. In a year in which selection was so critical, these variables are worth keeping in mind. For example, in 2024, many properties opted for a bain densimétrique, a technique where grapes are dropped into a water/sugar mixture. Grapes without the requisite density float to the top and are discarded, while those that do not are then kept for making wine.

La Conseillante Technical Director Marielle Cazaux drew this diagram to show how the bain densimétrique works in culling out grapes that lack sufficient density and concentration.

Producers also reported high numbers of vineyard treatments, in some cases 30 or more. The use of copper, especially for estates that follow organic and biodynamic farming protocols, was another important variable. In organic farming, copper is limited to 28 kilos per hectare per rolling seven-year period, or 4 kilos per year on average. In a warm, dry year, a vineyard might require 3 to 3.5 kilos of copper. In a wet, humid season, the number is much higher. At that point, estate managers and technical directors have a choice to make. If they use more than 4 kilos of copper, they know that in the best case, they may have less flexibility in future years. In the worst case, one where perhaps a seven-year span includes several challenging vintages, they could risk losing their organic certification. That’s the pragmatic, rational view. Some estate managers take a more philosophical view with regard to intervention. They are willing to take greater short-term risks for what they believe is greater health of their vineyards over the longer term.

Suffice it to say, some estate managers have paid a hefty price for their strict adherence to organic principles, such as Palmer in 2018, when yields were a pitiful 11 hectoliters per hectare. “That’s a mistake you can make once, but not twice,” Palmer CEO Thomas Duroux told me recently. “In 2024, we did experiments where groups of adjacent rows received different amounts of copper,” he added. “We saw a direct correlation between more normal yields with increased use of copper from minimal levels.” This year, it was Latour who had yields of 11 hectoliters per hectare. Not all producers who follow organic or biodynamic principles suffered significant losses of crop. An example is the Neipperg estates, all of which reported generous crops. This suggests a number of things. Perhaps vines require a period of time to adjust to lower-intervention regimes, after which they are somewhat protected from the vagaries of challenging growing seasons. People certainly learn. There is no doubt that experience is an asset. To be sure, these are not easy decisions to make, as they are not reversible, nor is there a clear “right” or “wrong.”

Tasting in the cellar at Tertre Rôteboeuf.

In the Cellar

Producers took various approaches with the young 2024s. Chaptalization was widely used in blocks that lacked ripeness. Some winemakers followed their typical vinification regimes, others opted for slower extractions, often at lower temperatures and over longer periods of time. Many producers bled their musts (saignée) and/or used reserve osmosis to enhance concentration and depth. Blends, especially on the Left Bank, lean heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, which was generally affected less by coulure than Merlot. Press wine, typically used at many estates, also played an important role in adding complexity and textural depth. Winemakers were fairly reserved as to whether they would make significant changes to their élevage protocols, such as rackings and time in barrel, which is understandable given where the wines are today. All that said, the biggest tool available to winemakers in 2024 was selection of fruit post-harvest. Many of the top estates focused only on their very best parcels, thus reducing final production significantly.

Stéphane Derenoncourt (center) with Cyrille Thienpont (left) and Nicolas Thienpont (right) at Pavie-Macquin, one of the stars of 2024.

The 2024s in Tasting

Fragile. That is the best way to describe so many 2024s. Élevage is going to play a determinant role in the final outcomes. As is always the case, where certain conditions exist, the wines will grow. Where they don’t, any flaws will become amplified over time. Those conditions are: 1) a fundamentally solid wine, 2) making the right choices at the right moments, and 3) having the financial means to execute on 2. That is far from a foregone conclusion. I expect to see a very high level of variability in the finished wines.

In tasting, the 2024 reds are, in general, very aromatic. Many of them lean into the red-fruited end of the spectrum. The best wines are those where producers took what they had to work with and exalted it, without trying to push the wines too hard to be something they could not. That’s a delicate balance, to be sure. Some wines feel a bit concentrated. That can amplify fruit and body, but it also amplifies flaws. There is no getting past the fact that the wines are on the lighter side texturally.

The most successful wines exude balance. However, many 2024s are excessively light, with distinct vegetal qualities and harsh, angular contours. This is often manifested in wines with little to no mid-palate presence and short finishes.

Make no mistake about it, 2024 is a frustratingly erratic vintage. There are some very nice surprises, including several wines that are truly superb, but also many that are hanging on a thread with respect to their balance. I tasted many wines in this report multiple times and observed a high level of variability in wines from day to day. Even different sample bottles tasted at the same estate on the same visit showed some elements of variation. I noted that many wines improved noticeably in the glass. Wines that I tasted on multiple occasions seemed to be more complete with each successive tasting. When wines are six to seven months old, a week is a significant portion of their lives up until that point.

Larcis Ducasse remains one of the most pedigreed yet under-the-radar wines in Bordeaux.

That said, 2024 is far from the total disaster that early comments on the vintage seemed to suggest. Based on my experience, winemakers and estate managers are not especially good judges of their own wines, much in the way most parents are not objective when it comes to their own children. Producers tend to overestimate the quality of their wines in good years and underestimate them in challenging years. The reason for this is that producers’ opinions of their own wines are often deeply influenced by their experiences during the growing season. Easy vintages with no major issues are not especially stressful. Winemakers and their teams work the season under benign circumstances and endure few challenges, leading to a positive mood and a natural bias towards overestimating the quality of the wines.

In challenging years, the opposite happens. Crews endure considerable stress during difficult conditions. In the worst cases, those that involve significant losses of crop, workers can become highly demoralized. It’s understandable. Workers toil all year in the field, only to watch as Mother Nature destroys their work. In these cases, there is a natural bias to view the wines as flawed. The ability to disassociate what happens in the vineyard from the wines themselves is a very rare trait. Of course, there are instances when the growing season and quality of wines are highly correlated, but that is not always the case.

Dry Whites and Sweet Wines

The dry whites are some of the finest wines in 2024. Except for one of two famous labels, Bordeaux’s dry whites don’t have the prestige of the reds. That may very well change. I continue to be impressed with the dry whites being made by producers in Sauternes and Barsac. In the Médoc, many properties have quietly started making dry whites. Some of these wines have been released, others are in trial stages. There is no question we will be seeing more dry whites, given consumer trends that are increasingly shifting towards white wines. The best of these are truly exceptional. Prices for most dry whites remain quite approachable. Readers will find plenty to like in the sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes. I see 2024 as a very good but not truly outstanding vintage for Bordeaux’s sweet wines. I just don’t see the thrill factor of the very best years. Neal Martin tastes these wines more widely than I do. Readers will want to check out his forthcoming report for more details.

Doisy-Daëne’s Blanc Sec Sémillon sur Calcaire is one of the most impressive wines of the year.

2024 Bordeaux at a Glance

Ultimately, any discussion of 2024 does not come down to the weather, but rather to what vineyard managers, winemakers and estate managers did in response to the conditions. In that sense, I see 2024 as a vintage of people. In practical terms, that means 2024 is ultimately a wine-by-wine proposition. That said, some general themes might be a good starting point for further drilling into the details.

1.     In the simplest of terms, 2024 is very clearly a Left Bank vintage. Later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon had an advantage, while Merlot, which also suffered more coulure and mildew, faced far greater challenges.

2.     Although it is hard to generalize, the wines of Saint-Estèphe and Pauillac are especially fine. That is true at the very top but also holds with some of the simpler wines within both of these appellations in the northern Médoc.

3.     Pomerol and Pessac-Léognan are the most inconsistent appellations. In Pomerol, hail passed through the western section of the region, damaging some vineyards. Several wines will not be bottled at all because of adverse conditions. These include La Grave, Lagrange and Hosanna. Others, like Clos René, lost 50% of their production or more. Several châteaux that always show their wines en primeur declined to do so this year. Many wines are distinctly light. The same holds true in Pessac-Léognan, where some reds are excessively light and/or vegetal. Some châteaux that always present their reds chose not to do so this year. The whites, on the other hand, are terrific. 

4.     The Saint-Émilion plateau lives up to its fame.

5.     For so many 2024s, balance sits on the razor’s edge. Élevage will be everything.

6.     It is a very fine year for dry white wines.

Proprietor Michel Reybier and longtime Technical Director Dominique Arangoïts turned out one of the most impressive wines of the year at Cos d’Estournel.

The Magnificent Eight

Although 2024 is an irregular vintage fraught with numerous challenges, several wines are especially of note. Many wines reach their customary level. Some are particularly remarkable because they outperform the overall vintage. These are The Magnificent Eight.

Beychevelle – Managing Director Philippe Blanc and his team turned out a deep, layered Saint-Julien that is one of the wines of the vintage.

Clos Puy Arnaud – This estate in the Côtes de Castillon delivered an especially fine 2024.

Cos d'Estournel – The 2024 Cos makes a very strong case for itself as one of the wines of the vintage. It’s a formidable effort from proprietor Michel Reybier and the team led by Technical Director Dominique Arangoïts.

Jean Faure – One of Saint-Émilion’s hidden gems, Jean Faure is compelling in 2024.

Larcis Ducasse – Perhaps the most under-the-radar wine in all of Saint-Émilion. The 2024 Larcis is stellar.

Lascombes – The 2024 is another step forward for this reemerging Margaux estate.

La Conseillante – La Conseillante will vie for the honor of the best red wine of the Right Bank in 2024. It exudes notable depth and character from start to finish.

Rauzan-Ségla – A superb, highly promising wine and one of the stars of the Left Bank.

Experimental metal canopies at Petrus are triggered by rainfall, which causes them to open and temporarily protect the vineyards.

What Makes a Great Vintage?

In Europe’s marginal growing regions, those where grapes historically struggled to ripen (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Piedmont, etc.), the great vintages were considered to be the warm years because hot weather (then unusual) allowed grapes to ripen fully. Today, things are quite different. Climate change has ushered in years marked by intensely warm, dry weather, sometimes punctuated by shock events such as hail or frost, along with precipitation patterns that are quite different from those of the past.

Today, the challenge in most years is not getting grapes ripe, it’s that the levels of ripeness are unprecedented. I was reminded of this when I tasted a 2022 Pomerol at the end of one of my tastings of the 2024s. The wine, made by a château known for a relatively restrained style, clocked in at 15.5% alcohol. Its textural opulence and exotically ripe profile were shocking.

And so the question now is: What is a great vintage today? I am not in any way suggesting 2024 is a great vintage, or even above average. It is not. But it is a vintage that invites reflection. In most vintages, tasting wines provides answers to questions. With the 2024s, tasting wines results in more questions.

The walled-in vineyard at Les Carmes Haut-Brion on April 11. 2025 shows an advanced start to the growing season.

The State of the Market

With the 2024s being released as I finish this report, many readers have asked about the state of the market. Most châteaux lowered prices significantly last year with the 2023s, only to find a tepid response from the market in the best cases. Last year, the overriding belief was that uncertainty in the market was largely linked to unrest over two wars and an unclear political situation in the United States. Many observers hoped the U.S. presidential election would lead to increased consumer confidence and greater overall economic stability. A year later, the two military conflicts are still active. The verdict is still out on the current U.S. administration’s economic policies, but thus far, markets have responded to tariffs and other announcements with considerable volatility. The U.S. dollar is at a three-year low against the euro, while inflation, which finally seemed to be taming, is now once again a threat.

The question no one wants to address is simple: Is there any price at which the 2024s will be appealing? I don’t have the answer to that. We will see as wines are released. Like all regions, Bordeaux is facing serious headwinds. This year, those pressures are amplified by a vintage that is inconsistent in terms of quality. It is quite common to hear comments such as, “Bordeaux is getting what it deserves.” I do not share that sentiment.

While it is unquestionably true that some owners pushed prices to highly speculative levels in the past, finger-pointing is not especially productive. When I started getting serious about quality wines, about 30 years ago, Bordeaux was the center of the wine universe. Every spring started with chatter about the new vintage. How good were the wines? What would the Parker scores be? Where would release prices land? That enthusiasm for fine wine then spread to other regions, all of which rode the coattails of Bordeaux and a growing interest in wine in general.

Fast forward to today. There is far less interest in en primeur. The key reason is that very few wines appreciate in value, while most can be found at the same price or less after release. Moreover, Bordeaux is no longer the sole dominant force in the market. It shares the stage with other regions. I believe that a general lack of interest in Bordeaux is affecting other regions as well. And that is why I think the world is better off when the market for Bordeaux is strong, as long as excesses can be curbed. Of course, that is not an easy balance to achieve.

We will soon learn the fate of the 2024 en primeur campaign. In essence, it’s a very simple equation. If the wines sell, owners have set the correct prices. If they don’t, they have not. That’s all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Pomerol may appear flat to the naked eye, but there are considerable variations in both elevation and contours that influence the wines. This photo, taken at Clos du Clocher, shows the border with Monregard La Croix, which sits five meters lower in elevation. Both properties are owned by Jean-Baptiste Audy.

About This Report

I tasted all the wines in this report during the two weeks I spent in Bordeaux in April 2025. As a rule, I make a point to not read anything or talk to anyone before I start my tastings, as I want to approach the wines with an open mind and no preconceptions. Of course, in a vintage like 2024, it does not take long to learn about the travails of the growing season, but I think it is important to taste the wines without having reached any conclusions about the vintage ahead of time. I also follow the same tasting protocols with every vintage. I do not vary the amount of time I spend in a region based on the presumed quality of the wines. If anything, challenging vintages like 2024 require extra diligence. For that reason, I tasted many wines more than once. Given the imminent release of the 2024s, Neal Martin and I faced tight turnarounds for our Bordeaux reports. I may add more technical information to some key wines in the days that follow.

© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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