Discovery
By Sylvain Patard, posted on 05 May 2026
The 2025 vintage enjoyed a balanced cycle, fairly dry and mild, which created especially favourable conditions and allowed perfectly ripe tannins to emerge alongside reasonable alcohol levels. But beyond the overall quality, which is beyond doubt, the key to this year is truly the terroir – it is what allowed (or not) the birth of great cellaring wines in Bordeaux's grand tradition. Here is our analysis, building on our previous take on the Médoc appellation.
Frédéric Comet and Sylvain Patard at Hangar 14
In red, the wines display particularly deep robes, with tannins both tight and silky. Ripeness is there, and so is freshness – almost always. Some terroirs come through better than others and project a sense of consistency that is far from universal. That is the case in the northern Médoc, especially Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. Saint-Julien is more uneven, like Margaux. The reds from Graves and Pessac-Léognan show stunning ease and harmony, which they no doubt owe in large part to their well-drained terroir. The dry whites are no slouch either: they stand out for their brightness and sap, often with exotic notes of grapefruit and pineapple – a sign of ripeness – which give them plenty of charm.
In Sauternes, what dominates is real consistency, expressed through wines full of energy: pure, intense, balanced by saving acidity. Probably a great vintage for sweet wines, but to know for sure we will need patience!
On the Right Bank, Saint-Émilion fares very well, especially the wines from limestone terroirs, which preserved freshness and density. Pomerol is less fortunate, with a number of wines that feel a touch dry and short on charm – a behaviour we sometimes see from Merlot, the appellation's flagship grape – but this could well improve once the final blends are in place.
Overall, 2025 looks appealing, in the measured style sought by buyers and wine lovers alike. On the terroirs that succeeded best, it impresses through controlled freshness and power, with a quality of tannins that should give the reds serious cellaring potential. But let us stay humble! It still remains to be seen how these wines will evolve and what their real potential will be once élevage is complete and they are in bottle. And above all, we have to learn the prices – an often thorny subject in Bordeaux – which should start to be released very soon. To go further, you can also explore our guide to falling in love with Crus Bourgeois wines.
Tasting and note-taking during the Bordeaux 2025 en primeur tastings
94/100 Domaine de Chevalier
A full-bodied wine with fine tannins underlined by oak that is still dominant. You can already sense serious potential, and we can't wait to taste it from bottle.
93/100 Château de Fieuzal
A silky, structured wine, with fruity aromas full of freshness. An elegant profile, very promising.
93/100 Château Malartic-Lagravière
A very balanced blend, with backbone provided by the Cabernet Sauvignon. A convincing whole, with a very pure style and no doubt built for long ageing.
92/100 Château Latour-Martillac
Crunchy and ripe, with stone-fruit notes that signal real maturity. The palate is well built, in the same characterful register. An almost Médoc-like style.
91/100 Château Bouscaut
A massive wine, structured by oak and its share of Cabernet. Still rough around the edges but very promising for its frame and length.
91/100 Château Carbonnieux
A structured red with present but elegant oak and freshness in the expression. A wine that has everything where it should be.
91/100 Domaine de Chevalier
An elegant attack on white flowers and lime-blossom, with discreet oak that underlines the aromas. A finely tuned expression that shows excellent management of the élevage.
90/100 Château Carbonnieux
A sparkling wine on fruity and floral aromas full of classicism. Already great balance and harmony. The estate's rigour in white winemaking is well known, and this vintage shows it once again.
90/100 Château de Chantegrive
A treat: exotic and fresh at once, carried by its ripeness and a structure coming to life. A real success, no doubt about it.
90/100 Château Rahoul
A heady expression of exotic fruits (pineapple, grapefruit). Plenty of charm already, with an enjoyable backbone built on freshness.
96/100 Château Canon
The cru's legendary finesse is back. The terroir has spoken once again: distinction, aromatic precision, restraint. It's all there! And for the long haul.
96/100 Clos Fourtet
Noble oak, lovely depth, incredible body on the palate paired with great ripeness. A quality terroir served by a complete vintage.
96/100 Château Valandraud
Refined oak and fine-grained tannins already showcase a fruit of great precision. Unquestionably a great wine that is already starting to reveal itself!
93/100 Château La Dominique
Ripe, velvety tannins and a fine, full body. A real personality built on flawless ripeness.
94/100 Château La Croix de Gay
Lovely aromatic purity. The tannins are ripe and velvety. The whole feels silky and very typical. A perfect ambassador for the appellation.
93/100 Château Beauregard
Plenty of indulgence and crunch. The tannins are ripe and the oak shows a fresh, controlled side. Once again, real typicity.
93/100 Château Petit-Village
Slightly dominant but elegant toasted oak. The palate is powerful yet stays harmonious. A solid blend that will need to prove itself over time.
94/100 Château Poujeaux
In the purest Poujeaux style: austere, dense and remarkably harmonious all at once. A vintage that brings the estate's exceptional terroir to life – which is often the case here, it must be said!
93/100 Château Chasse-Spleen
A very fine wine combining harmony and expression in a fresh, digestible register, with lovely structure and tension – here too, the expression of a great terroir.
96/100 Château Desmirail
A deep nose with very seductive floral and red-fruit notes. Velvety tannins and clean fruit within a finely built frame. A wine already in place, very promising.
96/100 Château Lascombes
A dense nose already showing fine fruit quality. A generous palate carrying the same fruit-driven mood full of freshness. A wine for the future, full and structured.
94/100 Château Rauzan-Gassies
A frank nose with clean, fully ripe fruit. The palate is fleshy and velvety, framed by ripe tannins and delicate toasted oak.
95/100 Château Léoville-Barton
Beautiful tannins, freshness, fruit and floral tones full of youth. A complete, accomplished wine that confirms its class year after year.
94/100 Château Léoville-Poyferré
Tannic, dense, with fine freshness. A traditional style that is convincing – at once elegant and built to age well.
93/100 Château Beychevelle
Lovely depth, ripe tannins and overall harmony that already feels reassuring. A fine bottle that knows how to express the full talent of its Saint-Julien terroir.
93/100 Château Saint-Pierre
Lovely concentration, with a balanced presence of oak. The whole already has real charm and shows all the authority typical of the appellation.
Barrel cellar under a wooden framework for ageing Bordeaux grands crus
97/100 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Lovely concentration, plenty of elegance and harmony. Depth too, in the service of flawless fruit quality underlined by delicate oak. Outstanding.
97/100 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse
A huge success! Density, sap, noble oak, refined fruit expression – it's all there! The terroir glorified in this 2025 version.
95/100 Château Batailley
A deep colour. A full nose with ripe, frank aromas. The palate is already savoury, with substantial body and freshness. A real success at the dawn of a great career.
95/100 Château Grand-Puy Lacoste
A wine focused on oak, dense, certainly built for long ageing as it remains very closed on the fruit. A traditional style that will demand patience.
95/100 Château Lynch-Bages
Big concentration, volume and floral and fruity aromas still under the imprint of oak. As often, a fine bottle of very high level.
93/100 Château Ormes de Pez
Big potential, with density, flawless oak quality and noble fruit. A fine career in prospect.
93/100 Château Phélan Ségur
Sturdy, compact, with delicate toasted oak and fruit beginning to emerge. A convincing profile that has avoided the trap of heaviness.
96/100 Château Rieussec
Concentration at its peak, in the service of sublime aromas bathed in freshness. An incredible vintage that brings together every imaginable asset. We can't wait to taste it in two years from its distinctive bottle! Discover more in our dedicated piece on Sauternes and Barsac.
95/100 Château Guiraud
Rich in liqueur, very aromatic and well balanced, with notes of exotic fruits and citrus. A superb wine in the great tradition of the estate.
95/100 Château Coutet
Lovely vigour, a majestic liqueur on the palate combining freshness and aromatics in a very classic register of stewed fruits, honey and raisins. A treat.
95/100 Château de Fargues
Big concentration once again sublimated by freshness, with an explosion of fully ripe fruits underlined by exotic touches. A marvel in the making.
94/100 Clos Haut-Peyraguey
A Sauvignon-led base bringing zip and freshness, for an alert and aromatic wine that can be enjoyed right now, even if complexity has not yet shown up.
91/100 Château Haut-Maurac
Lovely velvety tannins, fruit and freshness within a coherent frame. A terroir wine, proud of its identity.
90/100 Château La Cardonne
Ripe tannins, fine freshness on the palate with sap. A serious wine, with solid assets and substantial body.
92/100 Château Plantey
Full tannins and finely tuned oak that gently caresses the fruit. Fine sap. A complete wine that has fully made the most of the vintage.
91/100 Château d'Arsac
Ripe but velvety tannins on the palate; aromas are youthful, floral, with hints of cassis bud. A very successful Cabernet Sauvignon-driven wine.
90/100 Château Biston-Brillette
A precise, fresh nose on ripe fruit. A structured palate with accomplished tannins. A traditional style that is very reassuring.
92/100 Château La Commanderie
A deep, elegant wine with discreetly smoky aromas from the early stages of élevage. A big structure framed by substantial but very fine tannins, with a real fruit-oak balance already in place.
91/100 Château Laffitte-Carcasset
A crunchy nose with youthful floral notes. An ample, well-structured palate with silky tannins and fruit beginning to emerge. A pretty wine in the making.
Discovery
Discovery
Discovery