Well, the 2024 samples are arriving. I couldn’t make it over to Bordeaux for the annual primeurs shindig this year in April owing to pressure of other work and family commitments. That said I’m keen to get a handle on the vintage and I’m now getting samples sent in from various organisations and properties. This week I’ve had six cases arrive from the Grand Cercle and I have been busily working through these. Other samples are due in next week. It would have been better to taste these in situ obviously, especially as barrel samples don’t tend to travel that well and have a short shelf-life once they arrive. That said the best still shine in the circumstances. The 2024 Bordeaux growing season was a tricky one, as it was across much of France. Humid weather, a summer short on sunshine and rain during the harvest proved problematic across the region. It was a busy year for the châteaux who had their work cut out in the vineyard and the cellar to produce good wines. But vintage variation adds to the fascination of Bordeaux wine and there will be a number of successes in this vintage I’m sure.

So far amongst the couple of dozen that I’ve just tasted – a selection of Bordeaux Supérieur, Côtes de Bordeaux [Cadillac, Castillon and Blaye] as well as St Emilion [Grand Cru and Grand Cru Classé] – things are promising and less concerning than you’d expect from the meteorological record of the year. Yes, the acidities are, shall we say, often ‘firm’ and the fruit profiles tend towards the cool blue fruit tones with some capsicum, earthy and leafy notes but generally the wines have been sensitively handled in the cellar. Freshness is a key descriptor. Alcohols are lower too than previous years. There are a few that have felt a little green. Some where the acids are puckering. In one way, this is a Bordeaux vintage that seems to nod back to the past but made with greater understanding in the vineyard and the cellar. Purity and finesse describe the best I’ve had. I’ll be writing in more detail by appellation and specific châteaux soon. So far it feels the best 2024s are more akin to the wines of 2017 and possibly 2021 than the recent rich years such as 2022, 2019 and 2018. It’s definitely better than 2013 which was a rain affected year throughout the growing cycle. Looking further back, there might be comparisons with 2007 and 1997 but final prognosis will have to wait until the wines are in bottle and finished their élevage in a couple of years. I’ll be back with detailed notes on these first samples shortly.