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.

Château Larcis Ducasse has one of the most enviable terroirs in Bordeaux. Perched up on the slopes of the sunny Côte Pavie in St Emilion, this ten-hectare hillside vineyard lies on a natural south facing staircase of soils which are a mixture of clay and limestone. This solar aspect is tempered by natural water sources that run deep beneath the limestone, water springs which can nourish the deep-rooted vines in the driest of summers. But how does it fare in a less solar vintages? Great terroir usually confers advantages in all seasons. Even in a wetter, less sunny vintage like 2024, a hillside vineyard allows for freer drainage and drying winds, tempering humidity and rainfall effects. For over twenty years Nicolas Thienpont has been the winemaker here at Larcis Ducasse, working with David Suire alongside. In July 2024 Nicolas retired and David Suire stays on as director for the Gratiot-Attmane family. Château Larcis Ducasse has been on a roll here in recent years with fantastic wines in my book in 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016 and 2015. So, what is the verdict on Larcis Ducasse 2024?

Château Puygueraud is one of Bordeaux’s great wine values. It’s the family property of Nicolas Thienpont, the legendary winemaker and grower on Bordeaux’s right bank who has worked as a consultant to some of the best properties in the region. Nicolas took over the property in 1983 from his father Georges and has made the wine here with his son Cyrille since 2009. The property is situated in the Bordeaux Côtes de Francs appellation, on the same vein of rocky limestone which runs through the Côtes of St Emilion and the Castillon appellation. The wines have been good for some time. I’ve been tasting them consistently during the primeurs period over the past decade or so. This is one of my go-to value everyday drinking reds at around £16-17 [$25] retail. I’ve recently bought cases of Puygueraud en primeur and I thought it would be interesting to see how the 2018, 2019 and 2020 vintages are getting on and compare at this point. Below are my notes and scores on these bottles.

There were only six wines from Pomerol in 2019 on tasting at the MW Institute’s annual Bordeaux tasting last year. Their collective quality made up for the lack of numbers. Château l’Evangile was sublime. It has wonderfully pure plummy Merlot tones and wonderful freshness. Château Clinet is as seductive as ever. It has deep, layered aromatics and a caressing palate which also retains freshness. Château Petit Village was also very impressive with fabulously glossy qualities and plenty of depth and poise. Château Vray Croix de Gay was inky and textured and reminiscent of Château Gazin [not on show]. Château Beauregard also looked good at the more affordable end of the Pomerol price ladder. Sadly the Moueix properties weren’t on show this year [Château Hosanna, Château Trotanoy or Château La Fleur-Pétrus], though they have been in past tastings.