En Primeur Day Three & Four: The Depth of the Right Bank
17 April 2025
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What can we expect from the 2024 vintage?
As Bordeaux En Primeur 2024 approaches, the wine world eagerly anticipates an early glimpse into the region’s latest vintage. With the official tastings imminent, initial reports from the vineyards suggest a growing season marked by unique climatic challenges yet some encouraging potential.
Our Bordeaux Buyer Oliver Sharp, and Sales Director David Thomas, have set the stage for what we might expect from the 2024 vintage. From weather patterns to harvest conditions, we examine the key factors that have shaped this year’s wines and how they compare to recent vintages. Whether you are an investor, collector, or wine enthusiast, this early analysis will provide valuable context ahead of the tastings and the approaching release of Bordeaux’s newest offerings.
Of course, no En Primeur campaign can be understood without first considering the conditions of the season. The 2024 vintage was shaped by a cool, wet growing season that brought Bordeaux’s Atlantic climate sharply into focus. It began with the wettest Winter since 2000, and overall rainfall was 70% above the 10-year average - critically falling during flowering in May and again at harvest in September.
An early bud break, triggered by mild winter temperatures, was soon met with frost and mildew pressure - an unusual and stressful combination, especially during En Primeur week. Flowering was uneven, with coulure and millerandage limiting yields. Persistent rainfall and disease risk meant vineyard teams were on high alert throughout the season, demanding extra labour and resources.
Summer brought some relief. Moderate warmth and cool nights through July and August supported steady ripening and strong aromatic development. However, the vintage was clearly running late: veraison arrived around 10 days behind recent years, and harvest stretched into early October for many Cabernet plots.
September rain added further pressure, but cool nights helped prevent widespread rot. Slow sugar and acid evolution required patience, and careful sorting was essential. Yields were reduced, and blending proved technically demanding, but attentive producers have crafted wines that reflect both the challenges and resilience of the vintage.
