St Julien has turned in a super set of wines in 2025. These are somewhat classic vins de garde in the sense that they will all need a bit of time in bottle, but a great future seems assured. These are structured and intense wines with lots of extract and density. The overall quality level is very high. The picks for me amongst a very impressive bunch at the UGCB were Château Gruaud Larose, Château Léoville Barton and Château Léoville Poyferré but super wines have also been made at Château Saint-Pierre and Château Talbot. Château Lagrange and Château Langoa Barton are also impressive but need a decade in the cellar at least I reckon. Château Beychevelle was less coquettish than usual but has a good seam of fruit with freshness and will settle during élevage.

The following notes were taken at the UGCB tasting in Bordeaux on 20^th April, 2026. I hope to catch up with tasting Château Ducru Beaucaillou and Château Léoville-Las-Cases soon. Nevertheless, I hope you find the notes below useful. St Julien in 2025 is a classical, long-term vintage. As I’ve said earlier, I think it feels like a combination of 2016 and 2010 with better tannin management than 2010 and lower alcohols. The drought and heat of the vintage have created this paradox in the wines, which have greater freshness than you’d expect and alcohols in the 13-13.5% range.

For those of you with longer memories, this vintage might be a modern version of 1975 – that famous drought vintage – but with modern winemaking techniques and far gentler extraction and tannin management in the cellar. At the time of release, the 1975s were almost seen in the same light as the legendary 1961s. Many of the 1975s never shed their tannic clout but they were long-lived. These 2025 wines will certainly turn in much more balanced and harmonious Bordeaux in the medium to long term, despite the vintage similarities.

Château Beychevelle, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; solid core of colour; bit dumb initially; wet rock; opens up slowly in the glass; nice seam of blackcurrant and black cherry fruit emerges; cool and tightly wound; quite saline palate with structure and fresh acidity; currently a fraction chewy on the very end but this will round out during élevage. Works well. [52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot].  Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2030-2045. 92-94+

Château Gloria, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; opaque; mineral and saline on the nose; has density; pure blackcurrants emerge; works well; black fruits with structure and density. Currently quite dry on the finish but will round out. [56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2030-2042. 90-92+

Château Gruaud Larose, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; dense colour; smoke, graphite and blackcurrants; mineral notes too; fresh palate with earthy blackcurrant notes; structured with lots of extract and matter; chewy but dense – a classic vin de garde if ever there was one. Will be very good. Lovely, embossed bottle in 2025 to celebrate 300^th anniversary. This is a wine that will probably still be alive and well at the 400^th celebration. [77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2030-2055. 94-96+

Château Lagrange, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; opaque at centre; colour very tight to the rim; mineral, wheat flour notes; concentrated and intense with blackcurrant aromatics beneath; similarly on the palate this is concentrated and tight; finishes with blackcurrant purity. Needs to uncoil. A classic 2025 in that sense. Structured and intense with freshness and minerality. Another vin de garde. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2030-2045. 92-94+

Château Langoa Barton, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated colour; tight to rim; little wet rock, not initially that expressive; study and structured on the palate; lots of extract [black cherry and blackcurrant notes] and acidity. Very classical. Needs a decade in bottle. [45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2030-2045. 92-94+

Château Léoville Barton, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; opaque at centre; again wet rocks, iodine and blackcurrants emerge; stylish; opens up in the glass; great purity but backward; again this wine needs a decade in bottle. Excellent potentially in an unashamedly pure and classical style. Will be practically immortal and will probably outlive me. [86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2035-2065. 94-96+

Château Léoville Poyferré, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; very dense looking; mineral and saline on the nose; dense and a little unyielding to start with; mineral and classical on the palate; bold structure with considerable density; tannins currently quite present but has lots of extract. Another one for the long-haul. Will be hitting its stride by 2040. [61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2035-2065. 94-96+

Château Saint-Pierre, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep bold; saturated colour; opaque and dense at centre; again mineral and saline with blackcurrant notes; feels dense but with purity beneath; clean; dense and saline on the palate; structured and quite dry at present but the middle will fill in during élevage. Another classic in the making. [78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2035-2065. 92-94+

Château Talbot, Grand Cru Classé, St Julien, 2025

Deep and saturated; colour tight to the edge; rounder and more appealing now than many other tightly wound St Juliens on tasting; some earth, spices and meaty fruit tones; spicy and meaty on the palate with texture and earthy tones; I like this. A good buy for Talbot fans if the price is competitive. [74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot]. Tasted 20/4/26 Drink 2035-2065. 92-94+