Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur Vintage Report

Bordeaux 2025 Preview

Bordeaux drinkers have become understandably accustomed to being a little circumspect whenever a new vintage is presented as another candidate for the pantheon of great years. Over the last twenty years, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2022 can all rightly be considered among the great modern vintages, but the picture is now more complicated than simply asking whether the weather behaved itself.

In times gone by, vintages such as 1991, 1992 and 1993 gave the consumer a bit of a break, albeit not always by design. Today, thanks to enormous improvements in viticulture, sorting, cellar precision and tannin management, years that would once have been written off can produce very respectable wines. 2024 was a good example. Twenty years ago, it might have been close to a disaster. As it turned out, there were plenty of good wines, though only a handful where I felt there was any real pressure to buy en primeur.

Coming into 2025 after such a vintage perhaps sharpens the appetite, though with ambitious pricing over the last decade, that excitement may be more limited than the wines deserve. Many vintage reports will no doubt be published once the critics have released theirs, with some perhaps preferring the safety of speaking after the verdict is already partly in. I am happy enough to stick my head above the parapet early.

I absolutely love the best wines of 2025. Stylistically, they are right up my street. Indeed, if I could design a Bordeaux vintage for my own palate, 2025 would come very close. 2016 would be the other obvious candidate, albeit itself quite different.

That is not to say I expect every critic to agree. Some, particularly from the other side of the Atlantic, may prefer the greater concentration and power of 2022 or 2009. Others may favour the more imposing, long-haul structure of 2005 or 2010. But for me, the balance in the best 2025s is thrilling: ripe but not overripe fruit, deep colour, juicy concentration, fine tannins, relatively modest alcohol and striking freshness. It is a fascinating combination, and one that makes the vintage feel rather special.

It is also important to say that 2025 is emphatically not another 2022. There are superficial similarities: drought, heat, small berries and early picking. But the wines themselves tell a different story. They do not generally have the opulence, extreme ripeness or sheer solar force of 2022. The architecture is fresher, more detailed and, in some cases, more taut. The best wines have warm-vintage concentration, but with a cooler, more vibrant line running through them.

There will be plenty of detailed analysis of the weather conditions, and there are others better qualified than me to provide the full viticultural autopsy. That said, it is useful to understand the key elements that shaped the vintage.

The difficulties of 2024 did leave their mark on 2025, principally in terms of quantity rather than quality. Reduced fruitfulness after the difficult flowering conditions of 2024 meant that many vines carried fewer bunches from the outset. Thankfully, this was not compounded by any significant or widespread frost, hail or mildew, but the potential crop had already been curtailed before the season was properly under way.

The result was not simply a modest crop, but an historically small one. Overall Bordeaux production fell to around 290.6 million litres, or just over 2.9 million hectolitres, making 2025 the smallest crop since 1991. Yields were low across the region, with the overall average just 33.6 hl/ha, and considerably lower in several of the most prestigious appellations. Small bunches, tiny berries and low fruit set all played their part. The crucial distinction, however, is that the shortfall was primarily one of quantity rather than inherent quality. That said, the reduction in yields were not uniform, with several estates boasting of 40+ hl/ha.

The heavy rain over Easter proved useful, replenishing water reserves before the heat and drought that were to follow. From May through August, conditions were warmer than average, with 2025 sitting firmly among the hot, dry vintages of the modern era. Comparisons with 2022 and even 2003 were therefore inevitable, particularly as the harvest was so early, with dry whites picked in mid August and reds coming in from the end of the month.

By early to mid-August, some vineyards reported that the vines had effectively shut down. Berries were small, sugars were concentrated, and there was understandable concern that alcohol levels might climb. But the timing of the rain changed the shape of the vintage. Rain at the end of August helped refresh the vines, lower temperatures, keep potential alcohol in check and maintain acidity. Without it, 2025 might have produced a very different style of wine.

September then brought further rain and cooler conditions, which adds an important note of caution. Much of the fruit was already ripe, and the general health of the crop was good, but the harvest was often compact and, in some cases, perhaps a few days earlier than ideal. Unlike 2024, this was not a case of desperately sifting through compromised fruit to find the good bunches. Selection was more straightforward. But it was still a vintage that required judgement.

In the winery, I think the crucial factor was tannin management. Vintages such as 2005 and 2010 produced enormous, structured behemoths that have proven capable of ageing for decades, but their early appeal was somewhat buried beneath the sheer scale of their tannic structure. The texture of the tannins, particularly in 2010, was formidable. I have often said that 2010 was the toughest vintage I have ever tasted from barrel. It has since become one of my favourites, but at the time, while the quality was obvious, the tannins were brutally demanding.

In 2025, some of the analytical structure may invite comparison with 2010, and I found myself returning to that vintage several times during my tastings. But the feel of the tannins is entirely different. With the modern emphasis on careful infusion (a current buzzword of the Bordelais) rather than traditional, harsh extraction, the best wines have astonishingly supple, polished tannins even at this early stage. They have density, but not aggression. Structure, but not austerity.

That said, this is not necessarily a vintage to rush. I have little doubt that the best 2025s will be more approachable in youth than the 2010s were at the same stage, thanks to the polish and finesse of the tannins. But the combination of concentration, low pH, freshness and tannic density suggests that the finest wines will benefit from bottle age.

The acidity profile is one of the more unusual and fascinating aspects of the vintage. These are not high alcohol, low acid wines of the sort one might have feared after such a hot, dry summer. Instead, many combine the concentration, colour and tannic density of a warm vintage with the freshness and low pH more often associated with a cooler year. In the best wines, this gives remarkable lift, energy and definition. In less successful examples, particularly where fruit or tannin does not quite keep pace, the balance can feel a little more taut.

The resulting wines are unlike anything I have tasted at this stage. The fruit is perfectly ripe, but without the sheer power of 2022. The tannins are highly concentrated, at times reminiscent in scale of 2010, but so fine and polished that they often feel closer in spirit to 2016. The freshness is vivid, sometimes strikingly so, and the alcohol levels are relatively modest for such a sunny vintage, often around 12.5 to 13.5% abv, rather than the 14.5% and above that was more common in vintages such as 2010 and 2018.

There was also good regional expression. Margaux was often perfumed and charming, St-Estèphe a little darker and denser, while St-Julien was, as so often, its polished and reliable self. That said, this is not a vintage where everything is automatically outstanding. Even before seeing prices, selectivity remains essential.

My impression is that 2025 favours the Left Bank over the Right, though there are clearly some excellent wines on both sides of the river. In St-Emilion, limestone was important in many of the more successful wines, bringing freshness, definition and drive. But it was not a magic wand. In some cases, that same freshness could tip towards austerity, so balance, terroir and winemaking choices remain crucial.

This, to me, is one of the defining features of 2025. Where 2022 was a vintage whose personality rather dominated the region, 2025 feels more terroir-led. The best sites, the best-managed vineyards and the most sensitive winemaking really show. Lesser terroirs, or less well-judged extraction, are rather more exposed.

I often say that I have only given one wine 100 points in my career, Latour 2009, for reference. This year, I came very close to a second with Mouton-Rothschild 2025. That should tell you something about the heights the vintage can reach. But I do not think there is the same consistency at the more affordable end of the market as there was in, say, 2022 or perhaps 2019.

So, in short: 2025 can be magnificent. The best wines are thrilling, beautifully balanced, concentrated, polished and fresh. But it is not a vintage to buy blindly. Prices will matter, as they always should. Selection will matter even more. Done properly, however, I think this could be one of the most exciting Bordeaux en primeur campaigns for some time.

To whet your appetite, some of my highlights:

Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Pichon-Lalande, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Château Montrose, St-Estèphe
Château Capbern, St-Estèphe
Château Brane Cantenac, Margaux
Château Labégorce, Margaux
Château Canon, St-Emilion
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, St Emilion
Château La Garde, Pessac-Léognan