Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur

It's April and that means Bordeaux En Primeur....

After another busy trip to Bordeaux with tastings and visits across the region, it is clear that 2024 will be a fascinating campaign to follow.   

The Headlines

• Challenges.   A gruelling, labour-intensive year with the growing season presenting plenty of challenges in the vineyard.
  
  
• Selection.   Terroir and choices made the difference. Estates with the means to tend their vines constantly, and make careful selections have been rewarded with wines that shine with vibrant fruit. Sorting is the keyword here, with multiple "tries" needed both in the vineyard & the cellar.
  
  
• A Vintage Worth Exploring -  There are elegant, perfumed wines with moderate alcohol, freshness, and a return to old-school Bordeaux charm - selection is key.
  
  
• A Small Crop.  Overall production is 20% below the 20-year averagem but yields vary greatly.  Many estates made half their normal production (following drastic selection processes).

• Market Conditions.  The 2024 wines are entering a turbulent market, where globally buyer confidence has been shaken by geoeconomic uncertainties. The message seems to be got through  - we hear that the Chateaux want this campaign to work:  prices are expected to be attractive and releases will come early and quickly.

• Incentive Pricing.  Just like in 2019, if prices reflects the realities of the current market, there could well be significant opportunities and bargains to be had.
  
  

Read our Report here

Stay tuned for the first releases, coming out this week...