A Year in Bordeaux – Highlights of 2025
Sometimes it feels like the year flew by. But when I think about battling tariffs, air-freighting cases, and sweating over every next container that may or may not beat the deadline, it feels like ages ago. Maybe it’s the fact that those events aged me so dramatically that they now feel ancient.
That said, there are many things I remember with fondness, and some of those feel like just yesterday. Such is the case with our upcoming UGC tasting. Last year’s foundational rendition celebrated the 2022 vintage—one that I grow more bullish on with each passing day. I tasted the wines En Primeur, where some felt extreme and others epic in scale, but revisiting them in bottle put everything into clearer perspective.
Over the year, wines such as 2022 Canon, Montrose, Carmes Haut-Brion, and Pichon Lalande were anointed as the next reference-point wines. Cheval Blanc is otherworldly, Lafite a modern-era icon, Margaux undeniable. D’Issan (JS), Larcis-Ducasse (JD), and Giscours (WS) were named Wine of the Year.
If I had to pick my own wine of the year, I’d probably go with 2022 Branaire-Ducru, St-Julien $59.99—a wine that brings me immense joy, made by one of the region’s great winemakers and luminaries, and remarkably priced for what it delivers. Or perhaps 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot, St-Emilion $129.99, a wine that needs to be tasted to be believed and is absolutely unputdownable. Or 2022 Pichon Baron, an eye-opening rendition. Or 2022 Léoville-Barton for its classic expression of a modern vintage. Or the unreal way 2022 Brane-Cantenac marries depth with finesse. I could keep going… the list goes on, and the vintage is full of brilliance no matter how you look at it.
But Bordeaux is much more than the current vintage. It is somehow the most established market in the world of fine wine and yet one that still struggles to define its identity in the modern era. It is an industry full of driven, innovative people who continue to find ways to improve and evolve. The wines are amazing, and, while they can feel intimidating, they also tend to put smiles on people’s faces. Bordeaux is refreshing in style, creative in spirit, and—if you know where to look—an awful lot of fun.
Here are some of my other highlights, trends, and observations that shaped 2025 in Bordeaux:
• Sauternes — I’ve been impressed by how difficult it has become to keep Sauternes in stock. For so long it was an afterthought, and no matter how much we campaigned for its versatility (an apéritif as much as a dessert wine), resilience (it ages indefinitely and stays open for days), and accessibility (many of the best examples remain affordable), it was a tough sell. Lately, though, bottles are finding homes—and that’s a great sign.
• Finesse in St-Émilion — Whether it’s more affordable gems like Laroque $44.99, Sansonnet, and Bellefont-Belcier, or high-upside collectibles such as Larcis-Ducasse $119.99, Canon $199.99, and La Gaffelière $99.99, the refined, refreshing style emerging on the Right Bank is producing some truly compelling wines.
• Diversity of Critical Acclaim — Two things are happening simultaneously, and together they’re reshaping the landscape. First, individual critic scores carry less gravity than they once did. But that’s okay, because we now have an extraordinary roster of thoughtful voices writing about Bordeaux. Reviews from Neal Martin, Jeb Dunnuck, William Kelley, Jane Anson, Georgina Hindle, Chris Kissack, and others provide depth and perspective. The diversity of opinions — without a single score acting as the final word — allows for a far richer conversation.
• Old Favorites Keep Winning — For all the fanfare surrounding today’s headline wines, I’ve had tastings where Domaine de Chevalier stole the show against top Super Seconds; dinners where Brane-Cantenac was the consensus favorite alongside cult Cabs and 100-point wines; and team tastings where Langoa-Barton emerged as the favorite wine — in every store.
• Breakthrough Producers — I keep finding myself saying some version of this: “I’ve always enjoyed their wines, but what they’re doing now is on another level.” Maybe I haven’t been around long enough to see Bordeaux reinvent itself multiple times, but it’s still novel and inspiring to watch producers take that leap. Some quietly outstanding examples that deserve more attention are Haut-Bages-Libéral, Croix de Labrie, Haut-Batailley, Lagrange, and Dalem.
• Less Demanding Bordeaux — Bordeaux doesn’t have to be old to be good. I’m not suggesting Bordeaux doesn’t benefit from time, but part of the joy (not the frustration) lies in discovering when a bottle feels right. And that requires pulling corks. I can’t count how many Bordeaux wines from recent vintages I’ve opened that were immensely pleasurable and complex without requiring decades in the cellar. I’ve learned a great deal by doing so.
There’s no replacement for a perfectly mature Bordeaux, especially when it hits the mark, and especially when you get to share it with others who also enjoy the magic of aged wine. But I also believe great wines are always great wines — it’s simply a matter of how you choose to experience them. In other words, most wines are ready whenever. The real question is… are you?
Best In Class Pre-Arrivals
2015 Suduiraut, Sauternes (375ml) $44.99 99JD 98WA 98TWI 95-97WE 96VN 95DC 95JA 95JS 95WS
2022 Le "C" des Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan $49.99 94DC 94JD 94JS 94WA
2022 Malartic-Lagravière, Pessac-Léognan $54.99 99JD 97JS 96DC 96JA 95CK 95VN 95WE
2022 Giscours, Margaux $89.99 98JS 97JD 96DC 96WA 96TWI 96VN 96WE 95JA 95WS
2019 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien $99.99 (Elsewhere $130) 98JD 97JA 97VN 96DC 96WA 96WS
2020 Bellefont-Belcier, St-Emilion (1.5L) $99.99 96-97JS
2016 Brane-Cantenac, Margaux $99.99 99JA 96-98WA 96JS 95JD 95TWI
2022 Croix de Labrie, St-Emilion $109.99 99JS 97JD 95DC 95VN
2022 Larcis Ducasse, St-Emilion $119.99 100JD 97JS 97TWI 96DC 96JA 96VN
2016 Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux $124.99 (Elsewhere $150) 98JD 98JS 98TWI 97JA 97VN 97WE 96DC 95CK 95WS
2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan $159.99 100DC 100VN 98JD 98JS 98TWI 97JA 97WA
In-Stock Gems and Finds
2020 Gloria, St-Julien $49.99 96JA 95VN 94DC 94JS
2019 Lagrange, St-Julien $59.99 96JA 96TWI 95JD 95WA 95VN
2018 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Pessac-Léognan $84.99 99JS 97JD 97VN 97WE 96WS 95DC 95TWI
2019 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac $89.99 97JD 97VN 96DC 96JA 96JS 96WA 96TWI 95WS
2009 Langoa-Barton, St-Julien $99.99 94VN
2020 Troplong Mondot, St-Émilion $119.99 100DC 98WA 98TWI 98VN 98WE 97JA 97JD 97JS
2009 Saint-Pierre, St-Julien $129.99 96WA 96VN 95JA 95TWI
2022 Beauséjour (Duffau), St-Émilion $169.99 100JA 98-100DC 98JD 97-98JS 95-97WA 95-97VN
2020 Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe $229.99 99DC 99JD 98JS 98TWI 97JA 97VN
2019 Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien $229.99 99TWI 98JA 98JD 98JS 98WE 97CK 97VN 96DC 96WA
2001 d'Yquem, Sauternes (375ml) $379.99 100JD 100JS 100WA 100TWI 100VN 100WS 98DC 97JA