Fair prices, honest pleasures.

The sky opened in January and, with the exception of a brief and rather half-hearted August, declined to close again until the growers had aged a decade apiece. It rained. Then it rained some more. This was, by any reasonable definition, weather behaving badly.

Drink these young. They were never built to last, and they’re not pretending otherwise. But sometimes honest pleasure is the whole job.

The Bordeaux Job

This vintage of Bordeaux will write itself into the history books as it was one of the most rainy vintages on record. Additionally the beginning of the year was cold lacking sun and warm weather. These circumstances lasted until end of June.

Then summer set in and the ripening during August was fine followed by a cool September. The rain came back from around 20th September catching many in a wet harvest.

Some Châteaus told me that if this vintage had occurred during the 1970’s they might not have produced any wine at all.

Today, advanced wine making techniques and high tech equipment means that a lot that was once impossible can now be done in order to save a harvest which would otherwise be in deep trouble.

I tasted most wines during the primeurs in April 2025 and it was clear from the beginning that this vintage had problems. Many wines were thin, skinny and astringent and generally uninteresting comparing to the number of excellent recent vintages we have gotten so used to.

However, something has happened with the wines during the past year. They are generally less astringent than before and seemingly more appealing and pleasant. Especially the right bank wines were positive surprises whereas many wines from northern Medoc still carry the trademarks of the cold and rainy weather.

It is a vintage that will be ready early on and as you see from my notes, many wines are pleasant encounters that should be perfect for medium term consumption especially considering that they will be offered at fair prices.

Château Rauzan-Ségla and La Conseillante each excelled on their respective banks.

- Article and Reviews by Ivar Bjurner, Photography by Johan Berglund

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