Château Laroque continues to go from strength to strength. Director David Suire has now been at the helm for just over a decade, arriving here at the start of the 2015 vintage. He has helped fashion a set of terrific wines on what is a wonderful slice of varied terroir surrounding the property. Laroque continues to be one of the best wine values in Bordeaux. The release price [£117/$150 per six] is competitive with comparable vintages on the market. Frankly, it’s a bit of a bargain for the quality, though Laroque hunters should seek out the 2019 for immediate enjoyment! David Suire describes 2025 Laroque as, ‘Classical, in the very best sense.’ I know what he means.

I certainly need to buy more Fronsac. The wines here offer very good value and in a vintage like 2025 they really do shine. The best terroirs here are on limestone and clay limestone and produce wines of complexity that can age well. More modern methods in the cellar combined with more attention in the vineyards have further transformed Fronsac in the last few decades and today the wines here offer increasing refinement and sophistication. This year I have been especially impressed by the wines of Château de La Dauphine, Château Dalem, Château Villars and Château La Vielle Cure. Château Fontenil, Château Les Trois Croix, Château Moulin Haut Laroque, Château de La Huste and Château de la Riverière also look very good.

The Côtes de Bordeaux is always a source of great value Bordeaux, especially in decent vintages. I don’t expect this to be news to you, but it is worth repeating! 2025 is an exciting year for the best terroirs in Bordeaux and there are notable successes for me amongst the Bordeaux Côtes – in my tastings this includes Cadillac, Blaye, Francs and Castillon. Very good wines have been made at Château Alcée, Château Côte Monpezat, Château d’Aiguilhe, Château de Laussac and Clos Puy Arnaud in Castillon. There are also good wines to be had in Cadillac including Château Carignan, Château de Ricard and Château Réaut. In the Francs, Château La Prade and Château Puygueraud are very impressive for the reds with Château Puygueraud and Château Les Charmes Godard looking great for the whites. Château d’Aiguilhe has also succeeded with an excellent white [100% Sauvignon Blanc] in 2025.

Going through my notes you can easily see the patterns. Colour, minerality, intensity, structure, tannin, freshness and classicism are all descriptors that would lead the 2025 word cloud. Overall, it is a consistent vintage when taken together for the reds. Yes, there is some variation but generally the wines had a lot in common. It is an exciting vintage for sure. And there is a distinct style – 2025 reds are typically concentrated, intense, mineral wines with evident structures, fresh fruit qualities and plenty of tannin. Early drinking doesn’t spring to mind in many cases. As I said in my first thoughts, there are also a few wines at the lesser levels that feel a bit dry and puckering, where the phenolics were not ripe owing to the heat and drought of the growing season, and where the selection wasn’t as strict. But these are the exceptions. For the whites, I tasted less comprehensively. Generally, these were better than I expected given vintage conditions which on paper may not have favoured them. I will look at Sauternes and Barsac later. So far, early release prices for the reds have been competitive and encouraging, especially given the amount of recent Bordeaux on the market cheaper than initial release prices. You should certainly consider buying a fair bit of 2025 on a qualitative level. But if you do so now you want to believe you are paying less than you will later. I think this was only last true with 2019 en primeur pricing. So, fingers crossed the prices are right for 2025 and that you’ve enough space in the cellar [or can afford some storage for a few years]. If so, what where the standouts?