Overall Pessac-Léognan appears to have succeeded very well in 2025. Even the whites which I’d generally expected to have struggled with the heat and drought, have put in a good showing. They are more textured and generally less aromatic than the cooler years, but they are definitely good. The vintage did start in mid August for the whites in some places to try and retain freshness. The reds were mostly picked in mid-September and they have done really well. At their best they have deep colours, impressive aromatics, classical structures with textured fruit and with plenty of ripe tannin. Given the lower alcohols generally the structure of the wines feels more evident, and the wines don’t have the immediate suppleness of say 2022 or 2019 at the same stage. They will be long lived but tannin management is so sophisticated these days that you needn’t worry that they will take the time that 2010 or 2005 have to come round. So what were the highlights?

Every time get through a horizontal of the wines of Pessac Léognan I come away thinking I need more of these complex wines in my cellar. Aside from the obvious stars of the appellation, Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion, which come with a healthy price-tag, Château Haut-Bailly, Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Domaine de Chevalier and more recently Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, often make some of the best reds across all Bordeaux in any given year, and in the case of Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Domaine de Chevalier and the Haut-Brions, the best whites. But the value drinkers amongst you should also keep an eye on the likes of Château Bouscaut and Château Malartic-Lagravière [both in the notes below], but also the likes of Château La Louviere, Château Carbonnieux, Château Olivier, Château de Fieuzal and Chateau Latour-Martillac whose wines were not shown by the MW Institute last November. All these make super reds and whites and are worth stocking up on in most vintages. So how did the Pessac-Léognan appellation fair in 2021?

There was lots of extract and sweet ripe fruit on display from the nine wines from Pessac-Léognan in 2018 at the MW Institute tasting in late 2022. A few felt a little lacking acidity. This was definitely not the case for Château La Mission Haut-Brion, which even eclipsed the thrilling wine made at sibling Château Haut Brion. Both are outstanding. I was very impressed with a brilliant Domaine de Chevalier and a typically flamboyant Château Pape Clément. Château Malartic Lagravière balanced the ripeness with the freshness and felt complete. The usually knock out Château Smith Haut Lafitte seemed to lack a bit of zip on the end, though it was decadently lush and layered on the palate. Château de Fieuzal felt a somewhat stewed and lacking freshness, while Château Bouscaut was ripe and caressing. Château Oliver was sturdy with a tannic chunky finish.

There are lots of great wines in Pessac-Léognan in the 2016 vintage. You’d expect superlative efforts from the likes of Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion. But there are also magnificent wines from the appellation’s defacto first growths Château Haut-Bailly and Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Brilliant, yet contrasting red wines have been made here. Fractionally outside this club, but only fractionally, is Domaine de Chevalier. Year in, year out this is one of the highest quality, dependable but won’t [entirely] ‘break-the-bank’ reds in all of Bordeaux. Fine wines have also been made at Château Bouscaut, Château Fieuzal, Château Malartic Lagravière. Château Latour Martillac is drinking well, already offering textbook earthy Graves. That said, overall, at the top level these are still wines that need another two or three years in bottle to get really into gear. In some senses a few have crept into their shells since earlier tastings. These will improve further in complexity over the next decade and expect them to last well into the middle of the century.