The 2025 Bordeaux En Primeur campaign has generated more questions than any vintage in recent memory—about quality, pricing, tariffs, and whether to buy now or wait. Here are the answers to the questions we're hearing most from collectors, with links to the full analysis where relevant.
I don't think Bordeaux 2025 compares to anything else, from the growing season to the En Primeur campaign. Harvests were as early as they've been since 1989 and yields were as low as they were in 1961. The solar vintage seemed to hint at 2022, but the result is something far more restrained. It's with these thoughts that I'd advise throwing all other vintage comparisons out the window and consider 2025 like this: there are a lot of remarkable wines that are very refreshing in style, complex in structure, and at prices that range from sharp to can't miss.
When speaking of Bordeaux, Graves and Pessac-Léognan are often left out of the conversation when discussing the Left Bank/Right Bank divide. This is a glaring omission. Some of the region's best wines and values can be found here—and in 2025, the appellation delivered at every level, from the grand crus to the everyday drinking wines, and from the reds to what may be the finest dry whites of the entire campaign.
2025 Bordeaux is one of the strongest vintages in recent memory, released at prices that may not last. The campaign is winding down, larger formats are going first, and the best allocations are already moving. Here is how to make sure you don't miss it.
Where the Left Bank impressed with structure and precision, the Right Bank was about texture. We spent the first half of our trip across the Médoc and Pessac-Léognan, and the wines were stunning. But the moment we crossed to the Right Bank, the whole character of the vintage shifted under our feet. Where the usual suspects of the Haut-Médoc and the Graves showed depth and promise, the Merlot- and Cabernet Franc-dominated wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol gave us something more generous—silky, expressive wines layered with minerality.
The 2025 Left Bank delivered across all four major appellations—but not uniformly, and not in the way recent vintages have prepared us for. Pauillac produced wines of extraordinary density off half the usual crop. Saint-Julien was the steadiest appellation of the entire campaign, top to bottom. Margaux, rescued by sixty millimeters of rain at exactly the right moment, was the appellation of the vintage. And Saint-Estèphe's clay gave the commune a tension the south had to chase. Here is what we found.
If you asked me to describe my perfect Bordeaux vintage, I'd say good concentration, purity, freshness, with moderate levels of alcohol. Balance and full ripeness, but with a sense of weightlessness and texture. That is very nearly exactly what 2025 delivered.
This is a fascinating time for Bordeaux. The wines are as good as they have ever been, and pricing for many releases has fallen to levels that remind us of campaigns from a decade ago. Few regions in the world can offer this combination of pedigree, quality, ageability, and value.
A few months back, an old friend in the wine business turned me on to the wines of Two Mountain. Previously unknown to me, I trusted his palate and sent a request for samples to the winery. Shortly afterward, I tasted through the range and was immediately impressed by both the quality and the exceptional value for money.
Read MoreWhile the primary focus of my trip to Washington was Walla Walla, I decided to extend my visit and check out a vineyard I’ve wanted to see for many years: WeatherEye. As I’ve explained in a previous newsletter, this incredible site on the upper slopes and ridgeline of Red Mountain is one of the most exciting vineyard developments of the past decade anywhere in the USA. Seeing it with my own eyes was truly mind-blowing.
Read MoreWhile technically sitting just across the state line in northern Oregon, the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is a sub-AVA of Walla Walla that produces some of the most distinctive wines in the world. That’s not an exaggeration. The wines from the Rocks District are so incredibly distinctive that the expression of place is often more recognizable than the grape variety itself.
Read MoreWhile it was a lot of fun exploring wines from new producers on the trip, it was equally rewarding to revisit some old favorites and taste new releases from iconic wineries that helped elevate Washington wine onto the world stage in the first place. Here are a few of the crème de la crème wines I was lucky enough to taste—and secure small allocations of for our shelves.
Read MoreLast month I went on an incredible trip to Washington wine country in search of a deeper understanding of the wines coming from Walla Walla and beyond. It was my first time back since before the pandemic, and the trip was long overdue. Four days were packed with insightful vineyard walks, winery visits, large-scale tastings, and more intimate dinners with library wines. It was a wonderful opportunity to check in on some old favorites while also seeking out new producers pushing the boundaries of the current Washington wine scene.
Read MoreHere's the math on summer: more bottles opened, more people showing up, same budget you had in June. So this week we kept things mostly under $20, added a few wines Keith Mabry can't stop drinking, plus the chillable reds on rotation at Chez Ryan Woodhouse. (There's also one splurge at the bottom, because rules are made to be broken...at least once.)
Read MoreChillable reds have been very much in vogue over the past couple of years. These light, bright, crushable wines are often quite translucent in the glass and drink beautifully at cool cellar temperature, around 55-60°F, or even properly chilled like a white or rosé, closer to 45-50°F.
Read MoreThe 2023 Napa Valley vintage is as good as anything I've tasted in years—and the pricing, somehow, is better than ever. Dominus released their 100-point 2023 at a lower price than the 2021! It's a rare combination: an exceptional-quality vintage paired with more favorable pricing. No complaints from me!
Read MoreWith the summer solstice already in the rearview mirror and 4th of July celebrations in full effect for America’s 250th birthday, I figured I should talk a little about some of the crispest, most refreshing wines in our selection. As a lover of white and rosé wines in general, I can’t get enough of wines that enliven the palate—wines that need nothing more than a little sunshine to pair with them. When the opportunity for some day drinking reveals itself, I like to be ready to roll. So let’s keep the fridge stocked, the cooler bag at the ready, and something zesty and refreshing always within arm’s reach.
Read MoreIf you've been paying attention to our email blasts in recent months—especially the Insider’s Advantage offers—you’ve probably gathered by now that there are some exceptional deals to be had in the wine world right now… So, in that spirit, I put together some of the most ridiculous deals we have in inventory right now, so you can load up and drink like a king on a peasant’s budget.
Read MoreOne of the biggest misunderstandings about domestic wine—California wine especially—is that all the wines are big and fruity because California is a sunny, hot place to grow grapes. I hear time and again that people prefer “Old World” wines because California is too hot and the wines are all too big and high in alcohol. Now, apologies in advance if that’s your take on things, but it’s just plain wrong.
Read MoreAcross the vintage releases so far, the wines show wonderful purity of fruit, classic varietal character, powerful structure, and an excellent balance of richness and natural acidity. Many have enough mid-palate fruit and polish to be enjoyed young, yet 2023 will also be a vintage with exceptional aging potential for those with deep cellars and patience.
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