Dear wine lover,
We’ve just returned from our annual “study trip” to Bordeaux to taste the new Bordeaux 2024 vintage. Here are our impressions of this vintage.
Climate Conditions
The first remarkable fact is that since October 2023, right after the harvest, there was a very rainy winter with many downpours. This continued into the spring of 2024. The winter was mild, 1.5°C warmer than the 10-year average, but also 390mm wetter than the 10-year average. This resulted in well-replenished groundwater—seemingly ideal in the event of a hot and dry summer.
Thanks to the warm winter, budding started relatively early (end of March), which raised concerns about spring frost.
In line with the wet winter, spring began in April with rainy and cool weather, which led to a very early outbreak of mildew. The more precocious the terroir, the earlier the budding, and the greater the chance of mildew. The severity of the disease left no room for rest: vineyards often had to be treated on weekends or at night. Whether organic or not, immediate action was required.
Flowering in June was long and uneven, due to the cool and wet weather. The precocious terroirs were most affected by “coulure” (failed flowering resulting in fewer berries per cluster = less wine volume) and “millerandage” (clusters with both large and very small berries, with the small ones often not ripening).
The positive factor that saved the vintage: July and August were sunny and very dry, with a lot of sunlight and moderate temperatures, allowing grapes to ripen. The big temperature differences between day and night helped develop anthocyanins (color pigments) and tannins, along with great aromatic potential. The ripening process began at the end of July and lasted until August 12, with great variability in ripeness levels. It became clear it would be a “late harvest.”
September brought another challenge: alternating rainy periods followed by warm weather created a threat from a phenomenon not seen in Bordeaux for quite some time: “Botrytis,” or the risk of rot on the grapes. Patience was needed to wait for the grapes to ripen, with the risk of crop loss due to disease. Decisions were made “à la carte” and quickly—depending on the terroir and château. The best wines came from châteaux that waited for full maturity, sacrificing volume for quality, and keeping only the best grapes.
What makes the 2024 vintage interesting?
The incredible collective commitment of the teams: throughout spring, summer, and harvest, vineyard workers and their teams never gave up. Working on Saturdays, Sundays, and at night was sometimes necessary. To call these wines “uninteresting” would be completely disrespectful—especially considering what a fantastic job they did despite the unpredictable weather. Courage, calm, and perseverance were essential.
Many sacrificed volume to achieve full ripeness, risking significant loss due to rot, and kept only perfectly ripe and healthy grapes to create magnificent wines. Sorting was crucial—during picking, using “optical sorting” machines (which only retain perfect berries and eject split or rotten ones), and even a third stage of sorting using “density baths” (water with added sugar, in which ripe berries sink and under-ripe berries float and are discarded). As a result, wine was only made from the ripest grapes, with many producers ending up with 50% less wine than usual.
The 2024 climate brought winemakers back to more “classic” vintages of 20 or 30 years ago (with milder alcohol levels), now combined with their improved knowledge and the latest technologies that allow for even greater precision and quality.
The global economic downturn means prices are once again 15% to 20% lower than last year—an ideal time to acquire a top-class wine at a great price! Rely on our selection—we only present the very best wines! No weak or harsh wines here—only the most delicious ones!
What wine style can you expect?
For the red wines of this vintage, winemakers respected the “primary material.” No heavy extractions—rather gentle “infusions” with very long “macerations” at lower temperatures. This gives the wine added depth, a soft texture, and preserves a beautiful, pure aromatic bouquet, paired with lovely, soft tannins. It’s not a “showcase” vintage, but a classic Bordeaux vintage full of charm and elegance, with a beautiful balance between ripeness and freshness, moderate alcohol (around 13%), and a delicious, flavorful, accessible style that today’s wine drinkers seek.
The 2024 wines will be ideal as digestible, charming, and elegant wines—perfect to enjoy ahead of the “powerhouses” of 2022 and 2020. This applies to the wines we’ve selected for you—if you don’t see your wine listed, feel free to ask us why. We only offer the very best, often from the top terroirs (limestone in Saint-Émilion and clay-gravel ridges in the Médoc), and we can assure you: 2024 is full of surprises—and often at very reasonable prices.
The absence of extreme heat in the summer was very beneficial for preserving the aromatic potential of dry white wines and brought a pleasant freshness. Some, however, were too acidic and lacked body—these we will not offer for sale.
Finally, in Sauternes and Barsac, the alternating wet and dry periods in September led to a smooth and even development of “Botrytis Cinerea” (noble rot), with some dry spells causing rapid sugar concentration in the berries. In most cases, the grapes were harvested in three passes, capturing different flavor profiles. These wines are pure, highly aromatic, sweet and candied, with a lovely freshness. A very good year for sweet wines.
Several highly regarded names have already released their prices—often 15% to 20% lower than last year—making this a particularly attractive time to treat yourself to a Grand Cru at a “reasonable” price, reminiscent of the “low price levels” of the past!
Over the coming months (May and June), the wines will be released in stages with their prices. Follow the campaign closely—our website is updated daily with the wines we consider “top wines” and of which prices have been announced.
Click here to discover what's been released and to place you order!