I’m still in the process of requesting samples from Bordeaux but I wanted to publish some overall thoughts and picks on the sixty wines sent by the Grand Cercle. These are mostly wines from the right bank, including a number of top St Emilion Grand Cru Classés, but also a fair number of Crus Bourgeois from the left bank’s Médoc and Haut-Médoc appellations. The highlights have been amongst the wines from St Emilion, but the few Pomerol’s I’ve had also look fresh and enticing. There are also promising wines from Blaye, Castillon and Fronsac too. I’ve been generally impressed by the harmony and freshness of wines on the left bank, with some attractive and vigorous wines from the Médoc. Overall, these are wines lower in alcohol than the recent stellar vintages in 2018, 2019 and 2022, owing to the vagaries of the 2024 growing season which was often humid threatening rot, wet at the wrong times, and lacking in sun. Nevertheless, despite the unpromising conditions, attention in the vineyard, strict selection and wise choices in the cellar have enabled the best and most diligent properties to pull a rabbit out of the proverbial hat. Below are the immediate picks from members of the Grand Cercle.

Let’s start in St Emilion. Amongst the St Emilion Grand Crus I was impressed by Château Pas de L’Ane, Château La Grâce Fonrazade and Lynsolence. Château Pas de L’Ane was joyful, with sappy fresh black fruit aromatics and freshness, and Château La Grâce Fonrazade had sweet plummy tones and an attractive texture. Lynsolence is often pretty bold and this ‘24 was quite darkly coloured with attractive black cherry and dark chocolate notes and plenty of vigour on the palate.

There were a number of St Emilion Grand Crus Classés that impressed in 2024 despite the conditions. The top picks for me were a stylish and pure effort from Château de Pressac, a plummy, savoury wine from the regular over-achieving Château Grand Corbin Despagne, an aromatic and fresh Château Yon-Figeac and a cool and pure Chateau Larose, exhibiting enticing blue fruit tones. Clos Dubreuil also impressed with lots of ripe cherry aromatics with a creamy finish. There were also good efforts from Château La Marzelle, Château Montlabert and Château La Croizille. The Château Rol Valentin showed good colour and depth but unfortunately the sample was a little oxidised.

In Pomerol Château La Commanderie and Château Bourgneuf impressed but in different ways. La Commanderie’s 2024 totally outplayed the vintage challenges. This was a very pretty, violet scented black cherry laden wine with plenty of extract and structure. Bourgneuf on the other hand was sturdier and more reticent at first but opened up nicely showing summer fruits, plums and spices with plenty of extract on the palate. This is often a good value, savoury Pomerol to seek out.

In neighbouring Lalande de Pomerol, Château Siaurac has made a delicate black cherry scented wine with leafy undertones which works well in the vintage context. Amongst the Côtes de Bordeaux, in Blaye Château Haut Bertinerie impressed with vivid black cherry fruit tones and a zappy palate, in Castillon Château Côte Montpezat’s Cuvee Compostelle looked good, with texture and grip and Château Ampélia has made spicy, appetising, and vigorous wine. In Fronsac, Château La Dauphine was fresh and gently extracted but Château La Vieille Cure felt a bit awkward at present, stalky with the acidity and tannin standing out.

Amongst the Bordeaux Supérieurs I was impressed by Château Leroy-Beauval, which offers a glass of attractive appetizing Bordeaux in the vintage context, a brambly Chateau de Reignac and their more extracted Balthus which had a lot of ripe cherry fruit, but the palate needs to settle a bit.

Over on the left bank I enjoyed Château Tour Seran, Château Ramafort and an especially impressive Château La Cardonne, as well as spicy, gutsy Château Loudenne in the Médoc. In St Estèphe Château La Haye looked promising alongside Château Tour Saint-Fort. The Haut-Médoc property Château d’Arcins has made a well-judged wine in 2024. It lies on the border of the Margaux appellation and shares a lot of attributes of the wines from there – it is delicate, elegant and moreish. In Margaux itself Château Deyrem Valentin and Château La Tour de Bessan were good. Over in Moulis Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux has produced a wine of delicacy and balance and Château Cap Léon Veyrin made polished and harmonious wine in Listrac. Finally, Château Léognan, in Pessac Léognan, has produced an approachable, earthy red that will provide immediate enjoyment.

A few brief thoughts on the whites in 2024. I can hardly sum up the vintage in the seven white wines sent by the Grand Cercle, but these were all generally impressive, with zip and aromatic lift. I’ve seen a lot of positive coverage on the whites in this vintage from Chris Kissack and Jane Anson. Amongst those I tasted I was really struck by the zip and race of Château Haut-Bertinerie, and a zesty Sauvignon Blanc from Château Fleur Haut Gaussens and a spicy, appetizing Château de Reignac. There was also ambition amongst the whites from St Emilion producers Château Pas de L’Ane, Château La Grâce Fonrazade as well as from Château Loudenne, making an organic white in the Medoc.

Detailed tasting notes to follow. Next up detailed thoughts on two additional 2024 samples from Château Laroque and Château Larcis Ducasse.