I’m a great fan of these two appellations in Bordeaux. They provide good value red wines, of increasing finesse, capable of ageing. Over the years, I’ve bought a fair bit of Château Fourcas Dupré, Château Fourcas Hosten, Château Chasse Spleen, Château Maucaillou and, in particular, Château Poujeaux. All these properties have produced impressive wine in 2025, and I’d expect all of them to offer good value for money. They have plenty of fruit and extract and are well-structured and they manage the tannin density well. The palates are sappy and textured, rather than dry and extracted, which might have been a valid criticism of these wines in the past. Again, more modern winemaking and less extractive methods in the cellar, allied to improved viticultural understanding, have improved these wines immeasurably.

Nothing to complain about here! Pauillac has made an impressive set of wines in 2025. All the wines tasted at the UGCB in Bordeaux back in April looked very good indeed and had all the elements you’d expect. There is plenty of purity and freshness but also lots of density and extract too. The picks at the top-quality level were outstanding efforts from Château Lynch-Bages and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Château Duhart Milon is laser focused and Château Batailley looks like great value. Château Clerc Milon has made attractive, complex Pauillac and Château Haut-Batailley is layered and fresh. Again, these are all wines that will need a certain amount of time in bottle, but 2025 is a very good vintage indeed for the wines of Pauillac.

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.

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?