Bordeaux 2024: A Year of Quality, Change, and Question Marks
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An honest look at Bordeaux’s 2024 vintage, where freshness meets finesse, but uncertainty lingers. What does it mean for you, the drinker?
If you follow Bordeaux closely, you’ve probably noticed something unusual this year. The 2024 vintage arrived with a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. Unlike some of the recent stellar years like 2021 or 2018. This vintage feels a bit more complicated, a bit more “mixed bag.” But what exactly is going on, and what does it mean for buyers, collectors, and Bordeaux fans?
Let’s take a closer look.
A Vintage That’s Good But Not Great
When I taste Bordeaux 2024, what stands out is diversity. Some wines truly impress with ripe fruit, balanced tannins, and bright acidity, while others struggle to find their footing. The big names shined but there’s not the same uniform excellence across the board.
This isn’t unusual. Bordeaux rarely delivers perfection across the entire region. Still, improvements in vineyard management and winemaking over the last few decades mean that even the “lesser” wines in 2024 maintain a decent level of quality. That’s reassuring for those investing in Bordeaux today.
The key takeaway: Buyers will want to look closely at individual producers and rely on trusted sources to guide their choices. This vintage rewards those who know where to find value and quality.
Bordeaux 2024 in Context: A Return to Classical Elegance
To understand 2024 better, it helps to place it alongside recent vintages. Unlike the concentrated, sun-drenched 2022 and 2023 vintages, marked by powerful wines with high alcohol. 2024 marks a return to a more classical Bordeaux style.
The vintage shares some traits with 2021, another challenging year, but with important distinctions. While 2021 was scarred by spring frosts, 2024 faced disease pressure and persistent rain during the late season. Both produced fresher wines with modest alcohol, but 2024 achieved better phenolic ripeness, making its wines more harmonious.
Character-wise, 2024 fits between the elegant 2014 and fresh 2021 vintages. It offers aromatic complexity paired with bright acidity, emphasizing finesse over power. This style may appeal to those seeking accessible, food-friendly Bordeaux.
The Year of Living Dangerously: 2024’s Climate Challenges
2024 was one of Bordeaux’s most singular vintages in recent memory. Paradoxically among the wettest and hottest years since 1900. Heavy winter rains soaked the soil, and while flowering in June was favourable, September brought cooler temperatures and persistent rain that complicated the harvest.
Growers battled mildew and difficult ripening conditions, reducing yields to their lowest level since 1991, about 13% less volume than 2023.
Top estates relied heavily on terroir quality and vine age to guide the vintage to success. As Frédéric Vicaire of Château Coufran explained, “It was a balancing act—fighting disease and late maturation, but ultimately a vintage full of promise.”
Reds: Fresh, Subtle, and Varied
The vintage favours freshness and elegance. Reds show bright red fruit, smooth tannins, and moderate alcohol (~12%), a stylistic shift from recent powerful years.
Right bank reds performed surprisingly well, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc showing expressive quality, especially on limestone soils in Saint-Émilion. Pomerol was more inconsistent.
On the left bank, Margaux, Saint-Julien, and Saint-Estèphe produced excellent wines, while Pauillac and northern Médoc were less consistent. Overall, the reds offer early approachability balanced by enough structure to age.
Whites and Sweet Wines: Bright and Energetic
Bordeaux whites shine with intense citrus aromas and crisp acidity. Sauvignon Blanc and SĂ©millon bring freshness and aromatic complexity rarely seen in recent vintages.
Sweet wines benefit from a good Botrytis development, yielding a balance of richness and lively acidity. These may be among the vintage’s highlights, with strong aging potential.
Pricing and Market Realities
Pricing often decides whether buyers jump on Bordeaux en primeur (pre-release). This year, many châteaux slashed prices, sometimes 20–30% off previous campaigns to attract attention.
Yet, the market response has been muted.
Why?
Is the Magic of Bordeaux En Primeur Fading?
Having followed the 2024 En Primeur campaign closely since mid-April and attending in person, something feels different.
At first, I hesitated to comment, wanting more insight and data. Now, it’s clear: the usual buzz, urgency, and energy surrounding Bordeaux’s en primeur releases are noticeably diminished.
Conversations with sommeliers, journalists, trade pros, and château owners confirm the trend. Fewer merchants attended; both on- and off-trade excitement felt subdued.
Bordeaux’s success hinges on merchants to create momentum and visibility. This year, their presence is significantly reduced.
The energy is down. Sales are softer. The noise is quieter.
Even with substantial discounts, the market isn’t reacting as expected. Worryingly, it’s not only entry-level wines feeling pressure; Bordeaux’s top-tier estates, the crown jewels are under strain.
What Does This Mean for Bordeaux’s Future?
Bordeaux is at a crossroads. The global wine market is more competitive, transparent, and consumer-driven than ever.
Buyers expect fair prices aligned with quality.
The traditional en primeur system faces challenges from direct-to-consumer sales and new marketing models.
Bordeaux must reconnect with wine lovers, beyond investors and traders.
The estates that embrace change, prioritizing authenticity, transparency, and value will thrive. Building trust through long-term consumer relationships will matter more than ever.
Final Thoughts
2024 may not be the vintage Bordeaux fans dream of when recalling legendary years. But it’s an important reset, a call to rethink how Bordeaux connects with its audience and positions itself in a changing world.
If you’re considering buying Bordeaux 2024, explore carefully, taste widely, and trust your sources. There is quality to be found and with the right approach, opportunity too.
As for En Primeur? The magic may be evolving, but Bordeaux’s story is far from over.
What’s your take on Bordeaux 2024 and the En Primeur market? I’d love to hear your thoughts—drop a comment