Various wines tasted from the Bordeaux Supérieur, Côtes de Bordeaux and Fronsac appellations are fresh and have lots of zap and tension in 2024. They feel more in line with 2021 and 2017 in my book. I was impressed with Château Reignac’s regular bottling Bordeaux Supérieur and Château Leroy-Beauval’s offering. In the Bordeaux Côtes I enjoyed Château Haut Bertinerie in Blaye which was fresh and vivid, alongside Château Côte Montpezat, Cuvee Compostelle and Château Ampélia in Castillon. In Fronsac Château de La Dauphine was appetising with appealing black cherry notes. All these wines should fill out further during élevage. The following notes are taken from samples sent to the UK by the Grand Cercle on behalf of their members. I am grateful to them for supplying them. It is by no means a comprehensive range of the wines they represent, but it felt a decent sample. I look forward to tasting all these wines [and others] again after bottling.

The following notes were taken in early May. I hope you find them use useful – notes more important, as ever, than the numbers…

Château Reignac, Grand vin de Reignac, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2024

Deep colour; fresh looking; legs; tight to edge; black cherry, some spice; appetising blue fruits; fresh; some blackcurrant notes; attractive; later little spices and some raspberry yoghurt notes; fresh and sappy on the palate; has vigour but acidity noticeable; spicy, earthy palate; quite nimble; has freshness and drive on the finish. Sappy. Later the black cherry notes came through with bubble gum tones; mineral and saline finish. Works well Nicely judged. [65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 40% new oak, 60% one year, 30ha yield]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2033. 85-87+

Château Fleur Haut Gaussens, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2024

Medium purple red; little looser on the rim; bluer fruit and some carbonique maceration notes; bubble-gum; sappy; fresh too; little acidity/ saline note on the nose; not complex; lacks a bit of middle; light and easy; have not extracted too much so have judged it well. This is light and fruity but lacks depth at present. Little bracing acidity on the finish. Should fill out. [85% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 50% French oak, 14% alc]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2035. 83-85+

Château de Reignac, Balthus, 2024 Bordeaux Supérieur, 2024

Deep and arterial; opaque at centre; colour tight to edge; creamy and layered; ripe cherry; cream; sweeter fruit and possibly some oak influence; later little toffee; gutsy and had middle without too much puckering extract. Polished. Works well. Has grip, texture and some middle. This will round out. Little oak spice on the end which needs to resolve. Later overall a bit chewy and inky at this stage, early days and needs to settle. [100% Merlot, 100% new oak, 25hl/ha]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2038. 86-88+

Château Leroy-Beauval, Bordeaux Supérieur, 2024

Deep purple; colour close to edge; fresh looking; attractive Bordeaux on the nose; black cherry, blackcurrant notes and some earth; vivid; some toffee; grows a bit more medicinal in the glass; lots of black cherry notes; attractive; some oak initially black cherry fruot and some chocolate tones; has nice mid palate and works well in a vigorous style. Perhaps a little hardness on the back palate suggests it’s been a bit forced on the end. Freshness here. Works well. Good texture on the end. Appetising Bordeaux Supérieur. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2035. 86-88

Château Haut Bertinerie, Blaye – Côtes de Bordeaux, 2024

Mid depth; vibrant edge; vivid; initially more reticent; some freshly sawn wood notes and spices; black cherry fruit emerges with spicy tones; brambly red; little sharpness in the background; quite compact; has some chew and density; has some ambition; crunchy on the end. Works well and should settle. Has life and zest in the context of the vintage. Later more more dark chocolate and capsicum notes appeared; chunky but fresh some black cherry on the finish. [60% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 40hl/ha, 90% new oak for 12 months and 9 months after in vat]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2035. 87-89+

Chateau de Haut Coulon, Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux, 2024

Saturated colour; tight to the rim; fresh looking; purple at edge; jammy aromatics; mulberry and blueberry; some oak; spices; quite tight and acidity seems high; has extract and middle but quite sappy in still and high in acidity; this needs to soften in élevage. Certainly has freshness and fruit but finish is a little puckering at present. Spicy finish. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2033. 84-86+

Château Carignan, Cadillac – Côtes de Bordeaux, 2024

Mid depth; vibrant purple red; legs; some oak which needs to adjust [probably a new oak sample]; black fruits beneath; black olive notes; soft entry; lacks a bit of dimensionality but soft and easy and full at the same time. Some salinity on the finish with a moreish acidity. Works well enough. Sappy but not overdone. Little hardness here but that could be seen as grip and vigour. Again, élevage should sort this out. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2035. 85-87+

Château Côte Montpezat, Cuvee Compostelle, Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux, 2024

Mid depth; lighter than some; healthy purple at edge; fresh and attractive aromatics and minerality here; stone fruits; plums, cherries and a mineral edge; some pepper and spice too; menthol; spicy and tight on the palate; will round out; firm acidity and almost Loire-like spices; but has texture and appetizing grip. Works in a zesty way. Not hugely concentrated or long but zesty. Like the texture and balance. [80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% alc, 30ha]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2035. 88-90+

Château Ampélia, Castillon – Côtes de Bordeaux, 2024

Mid depth; vibrant earthy purple at edge; legs; black cherry and plum jam; sloes; with some depth; fruit driven and lifted; black cherry notes; good texture and middle here; medium weight with fresh and attractive acidity; vigorous rendition of Ampélia. Some spice and ink on the finish with good punctuation. No hard edges. Nice winemaking in the cellar and clean fruit evidently. Has minerality and texture. [85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 8ha vines, 10% new oak, 40% one year old and 50% tank aged, 29hl/ha, 13.5% alc, pH 3.45 TA 3.76]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2037. 88-90+

Château Vieille Cure, Fronsac, 2024

Deeper; saturated colour; close to edge; vibrant at meniscus; sawn wood and minerality; little reductive note; sour cherry; sharp; has good palate with extract; quite elevated acidity but this should round out; stalky currently quite marked acidity; a bit bitter and austere on the finish. Overall fairly dry and bit chewy – partly tannins but mainly the acidity I think. Good terroir here so be interested to see this later after élevage. Bit savage at present. Inky and intense on the end. [80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25ha in production, 13% alc, pH 3.45 40% new oak]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2030-2040. 86-88

Château de La Dauphine, Fronsac, 2024

Deep and saturated; fresh and vivid looking; appetizing; cream and black cherry notes initially; some spices and mealy notes; soft if a little lacking in middle; gently extracted; plenty here; some dryness owing to acidity could do with a bit of a twist at the end but nicely managed in the vintage context. Later more savoury with smoke and spice elements; elegant and polished. [75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 13% alc, pH 3.5]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2038. 87-89+