Again the emphasis in St Emilion 2024 overall is freshness. The best exhibit vivid blue fruit characters and are appetising and moreish. There is heterogeneity though. If some are bracingly fresh and lively, others are solid and a bit unexciting. Others feel a bit green, and some are gentle, forward and probably early developing. Generally, the winemaking in the cellar feels sensitive enough, going with the material rather than against the grain. There are a few that feel a bit out of whack at present, either overly sappy or a bit drying. My experience is that these wines usually come good after élevage. Obviously 2024 doesn’t have the wow factor of the sunny, solar years here, like 2018 or 2022, the latter so seductive during primeurs. Still, it’s a journey, not a sprint and I’d be keen to see all these wines further down the track once they are bottled in twelve to eighteen months time as they will all probably pick up I expect.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, the picks amongst the St Emilion Grand Crus for me were a sappy, black cherry Château Pas de L’Ane, a plummy Château Grâce Fonrazade. Amongst the Grand Crus Classés, a seductive Château Grand Corbin Despagne really impressed as did a fresh and cool Château Larose and a super pure, impressive Château de Pressac. I also thought Château Yon Figeac was really good and there were also good efforts at Château Montlabert, Clos Dubreuil and Château La Croizille. I’ve also added in my notes from separate tastings of the wines of Château Larcis Ducasse and Château Laroque. Both impressed – Larcis is terrific for the vintage.

Over in Pomerol the samples from Château La Commanderie and Château Bourgneuf also impressed in different ways.

The following notes were made in early May from samples sent from Bordeaux. I hope you find them useful!

Château Pas de L’Ane, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2024

Mid depth; vibrant purple at the edge; solid and chunky aromatics; sappy black cherry and fresh plum tones; little freshly sawn wood note; attractive; menthol; impressive; black cherry and some violet notes; quite high acidity on the palate but there is sweetness to the fruit and some oak influence. Soft on the finish. Nicely handled. Firm acidity but fresh and appetising. Balanced and polished. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2035. 87-89+

Château Roylland, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2024

Bright and vivid in the glass; spices; wood; some earthy notes; bit dumb at first; solid if a little lacking in excitement and character; not over extracted and light on the finish. Tried to match the vintage with the winemaking. Unexciting but earthy on the finish. Might be an inexpressive sample. [75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5ha planted, 40hl/ha]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2036. 85-87

Château Les Gravières, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2024

Mid depth; redder at the edge; some tea and savoury notes; earthy and green tones to me; weedy; earthy already quite forward wine on the palate but also firm acids; this will be quickly maturing and with spice and tobacco notes in its youth. Clearly struggled in the conditions judging this sample. Will look at again after bottling. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2033. 80-82

Château Grâce Fonrazade, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2024

Mid depth; looser at edge; red purple; soft, some ripe spicy plummy tones; feels substantial; attractive; has a satin quality; attractive and open; some spices and fruitcake notes; positive palate; has very good texture and layers; works well in medium weight style; soft and early drinking but satisfying in an irregular vintage. Bravo. [80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 15-30% new oak]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2035. 87-89+

Lynsolence, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2024

Bold and dark; saturated look; vivid purple and tight to rim; nice and fresh black cherry and briary notes; some spice and leaf; lifted and attractive; little capsicum note too; quite inky and full but not overly dry; some chocolate with the black fruits; this works well; has some texture and bite on the palate; vigour; dark chocolate on the finish. Interested to see how this develops. Later it opened up revealing further chocolate notes and a sturdy, spicy palate with depth and chew. [100% Merlot from 2.5ha plot, 20hl/ha, 55% new oak, 14.5%, Ph 3.63]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2038. 88-90+

Château Tour de Pressac, St Emilion Grand Cru, 2024

Mid depth; light red earthy purple at edge; fresh, red and black fruits and some spices; quite attractive and intense; elegant; plum and strawberry tones; enticing; fresh; touch of VA but this might be the sample; nice palate; very soft and attractive; relies on delicacy; works really well. Good effort. Impressive second wine from de Pressac. Soft finish but satisfying. Drinking nicely now! [85% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Malbec, 2% Carmenène, 1% Petit Verdot, 20% new oak]. Drink 2027-2032. 88-90+

St Emilion Grand Cru Classé

Château de Pressac, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep and saturated; glossy looking; purple at edge; sweet medicinal cherry notes to begin with; cherry and plums; quite attractive; cherry fruit, damson and some wood on the palate; soft and easy but nicely judged. Has good freshness on the palate. Like this. One of the best Cru Classé. Delicate but nicely done. Later opened up further with more plum tones with freshness and salinity. Good length and a beauty on the vintage context. [67% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec, 2% Carmenère, 43% new oak [splt 60:40 225lt/500lt]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2029-2039. 91-93+

Château Grand Corbin Despagne, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Strong colour; earthy purple at the edge; attractive aromatics; plums; savoury edge with good lift; spices and some fruitcake notes; impressive; minerality too; spices; nice entry on the palate; seam of good fruit here; black cherry and plums with a saline/mineral note too; very good; one of the best so far. Has elegance but also finesse. Tasted again later with consistent notes.[84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28ha planted, 35 hl/ha, 35% new oak, 13.4% alc, pH 3.55, TA 3.10]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2030-2042. 91-93+

Château Larcis Ducasse, St Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep; legs; colour bold and tight to the rim but fresh purple at edge; bolder, sweeter and deeper aromatics than many in this vintage; minerality too; pure plummy tones emerge; pretty in fact; fresh; emphasis on the minerality at first but plenty of plummy fresh fruit emerges beneath as it opens; some tar, spice and liquorice notes too; fresh on the palate with delicious and enticing purity; has genuine depth but wonderfully soft tannin extraction; good length on the finish. About as good a wine as you can imagine 2024 can deliver. Bravo to David Suire who had now taken over here as sole director following the retirement of the sagacious Nicolas Thienpont. [10.5ha, 85% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak, yield 41hl/ha, 13.5% alc]. Tasted 17.5.25. Drink 2029-2044. 95-97+

Château La Croizille, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep; tight to rim, earthy purple, plummy aromatics; ripe merlot, enticing; well-integrated; nice entry; black cherry and plum tones; not huge body but has nice delicacy on the palate; softly extracted and easy; little loose on the finish but caressing. Lacks length but is well-made and nicely handled in the cellar. Some astringency on the finish. [70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5ha, 70% new oak]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2029-2035. 87-89

Château La Marzelle, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep bold colour in the glass; dumb initially; some spices; evident depth; opens up; savoury fruit; black cherry and chocolate on the palate; softly extracted; good texture; not hugely flavoursome for this property but works for the vintage. Later – black cherry and sawn wood notes; saline tones and iodine; deep for the vintage; quite a mouthful; sour cherry and woody tones; inky palate at this stage but plenty of middle; good texture and the tannins are ripe. This is a solid effort. Quite extracted cf the others but should settle during élevage. Some espresso and coffee on the finish. [80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% alc]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2036. 89-91+

Château Laroque, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Mid depth; legs; vibrant purple at edge; fresh looking; pure blue fruit aromatics; clean and fresh; inky blueberry, black cherry and blackberry notes with some plum and spices; saline freshness too with savoury tones; palate has some depth and structure and there is freshness and zap; mid-weight; nicely handled on the palate and no trace of bitterness; not overly grippy either but the finish is fresh. This wine has delicacy and finesse. Elegant expression of a seriously tricky vintage. More modest perhaps than the recent knockout wines here at Laroque under David Suire’s directorship but excellent purity in the vintage context. Bravo. Expect this to fill out further during élevage. [13.4% alc, PH 3.48, yield 41hl/ha, 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 50% new oak]. Tasted 17.5.25. Drink 2028-2038. 91-93+

Château Larose, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Dark and deep; purple at the edge; glossy; lovely pure plum tones; cool and enticing; fresh with some spices too but love the purity here on the nose; like old Bordeaux in a good way; blue fruit tones; attractive; spicy, earthy notes emerge too; earthy and cool; really clean and pure; like this and it works well in the context of the vintage. Pure and cool. Has depth and matter but tannins soft. Nice punctuation at the end. Cool fruit tones but this works very well. Tighter on the palate than some but with more obvious freshness and acidity. [47% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec, 41hl/ha]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2038. 90-92+

Château Montlabert, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep, tight to the rim, vibrant purple, inky, black cherry and black fruits and oaky lift; needs to integrate the oak on the nose; quite impressive; some banana and yoghurt tones; oak noticeable on the palate; full and soft; again nicely extracted; some wood tannins and wood to integrate but a fair effort. Some black fruit and punctuation on the end. [75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% alc, pH 3.6, 50% new oak]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2038. 88-90+

Château Rol Valentin, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep and saturated look; legs; gutsy; plenty of depth on the nose; little bit tired the sample; oxidised; nicely judged on the palate and not too extracted but sample feels a bit tired. Will look at again after elevage. Usually impressive. [78% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 7.1ha vineyard]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2029-2036. NR as sample slightly oxidised.

Château Tour Baladoz, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep; tight to rim; decent colour; some spice; depth but not hugely aromatic; more marked acidity on the palate than the two above; quite firm acidity which makes it feel a bit astringent at present. Has grip and some spice on the finish. Will soften a little during élevage I would expect. [80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2029-2035. 85-87

Château Yon-Figeac, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep; less tight to rim; fresher blue tones fruits on the nose; spices; some minerals; sweet entry on the palate; has structure; lacks a bit of middle but soft at the edges and should fill out during elevage; easy on the finish. Nicely judged in the circumstances. Has managed to keep the freshness and the elegance. Plum and spice tones on the finish. Well done! [74% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% alc, 30hla/ha from 24ha]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2038. 90-91+

Clos Dubreuil, St Emilion Grand Cru Classé, 2024

Deep and vibrant; purple at the edge; voluptuous and more decadently styled; seam of creamy ripe black cherry fruit; enticing; some minerality and saline notes too; quite layered for the vintage; intense and full on the palate; but not over extracted; cherry and damson tones with some marzipan and rich fruitcake notes; soft tannins on the end. Another good effort in the vintage. Nicely judged. Has some length too though [arguably] at lacks a bit of middle compared to recent big years here. Fresh finish. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2029-2038. 90-92+

Puisseguin-St-Emilion Château Haut-Bernat, Puisseguin-St-Emilion, 2024

Good colour; solid; purple at edge; stewed red fruits and some blueberry tones; some sap and spice; fresh; little green pepper/capsicum note; easy and light on the palate; not extracted but the acidity is a little puckering at present; hopefully élevage will soften this aspect a bit. Currently dry on the finish. [90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6ha, 35% new oak, 13.5% alc]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2032. 83-85

Lalande de Pomerol

Château Siaurac, Lalande de Pomerol, 2024

Mid depth; earthy purple at edge; little reduced at first; opens up; sour cherry and some peppery notes; fresh; ripe palate; soft with some delicacy; not a heavyweight and lacks some middle but this is attractive, early drinking Bordeaux. Spices and leafy tones. Finishes quite soft. Uncomplicated but works nicely in the vintage context. [53% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 17% Malbec, 13.5% alc, yields 33hl/ha]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2027-2033. 87-89

Pomerol

Château Bourgneuf, Pomerol, 2024

Deep and solid colour; legs; earthy red purple at edge; ripe and has some depth; sturdy as ever; opens up nicely; plums, violets and spices; summer fruits with some depth and richness; meaty; palate solid and meaty too; plenty of mouth filling fruit here which is quite chunky; tannins are soft [if a little rustic] but this should settle nicely into a decent Pomerol after élevage. A value Pomerol which is always worth seeking out. [87% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 35% new oak]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2029-2040. 89-91+

Château La Commanderie, Pomerol, 2024

Mid depth; glossy and healthy looking; legs; red purple at edge; attractive aromatics; spicy and intense; violet notes too; very pretty sample; riper black cherry notes with some plum; some chocolate too; [some liquorice on the nose too]; nice entry; some wood [new oak sample] but this will integrate; plenty of flesh; plums and black fruits; mid weight; nicely done. Fresh and nice extract punctuating the finish. Chunky. Should be good value. [88% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, yield 20hl/ha, 13.3 alc, pH 3.42, TA 3.52]. Tasted May 2025. Drink 2028-2040. 90-92+