Wine critics rate their top Bordeaux 2024 En Primeurs

Discover which wines the critics rated highest quality as the newest Bordeaux vintage hits the secondary market.

The most testing vintage in a decade

Out of adversity a few will shine! Universally, the world’s leading fine wine critics acknowledge that 2024 was a year that tested the winemakers of Bordeaux to the limit. Selection will be critical for investors this year and critics point to a few ‘unicorns’ in the mix which will be the wines of the vintage.

The changing climate of the region created a triple-whammy of challenges in 2024 with mildew, coulure and Botrytis significantly impacting yield but also demonstrating the expertise and determination of the leading producers.

As Neal Martin observes “This is a year where quality resides with those in possession of the best terroir, those with the deepest pockets and those who made the right decisions at the right times”.  Fellow Vinous critic, Antonio Galloni, makes the point that “Weather is no longer the critical element in determining the quality of wines and therefore a vintage… The people, their skill and vision and access to technology are key determinants of quality.”

James Suckling points out that this is his 42^nd year tasting Bordeaux En Primeurs and, in his view, “Winemakers needed Herculean effort to extract the best grapes from what was available in their vineyards”.

Evidently, this was a vintage that ‘sorted the men from the boys’ with vineyard teams battling record levels of mildew pressure triggered by one of the wettest and coolest vintages in decades.

Late flowering and uneven ripening in the growing season were compounded by cool temperatures during harvest in September at 21% lower than the 20-year average and more rain boosting Botrytis. Maturation was extremely challenging; yield was reduced by essential earlier green harvesting and damaged crops.

Deciding when to pick was a risk-laden affair but most harvested later than in preceding vintages. Suckling’s report on the 2024 En Primeurs includes a comment from Nicolas Corporandy, Technical Director from Cheval Blanc “It was like pre-2000 harvests. It was really a question of understanding rain and rot and when to pick. You had to be willing to lose something but to pick later to get some ripeness in your grapes.”

The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley cites Left Bank Pontet-Canet’s risky decision to delay harvest, essential for their Cabernet Sauvignon weighted wine, as key to their success with 2024.

Further sacrifices were then made during sorting which was critical across Bordeaux for the 2024 vintage.  Cheval Blanc revealed a 34% reduction of their 39hl/ha yield between sorting and the press. And in so doing their 2024 is the Wine Advocate's top scored of the vintage. Les Carmes Haut Brion was another example of where Intensive and painstaking work in the vineyard and severe sorting salvaged quality at the expense of yield with a 50% reduction from 50hl/ha to 25hl/ha.

The tastings revealed a highly heterogenous vintage and the critics are aligned with their view on the quality of the vintage and the most compelling wines.

Who are the key wine critics for investors?

Whether you’re a wine collector, connoisseur or investor, getting key pointers to guide your experience of fine wine will enhance your enjoyment and potentially your profit. Globally, there are less than a dozen experts who are regarded as having the palate, experience and knowledge to guide the market on the quality of the world’s finest wines. The following  critics are the most influential for investors in Bordeaux:

• Antonio Galloni 
• James Suckling 
• Jancis Robinson MW OBE 
• Lisa Perotti-Brown MW 
• Neal Martin 
• William Kelley, The Wine Advocate 
• Jane Anson 

Critics’ key observations of the 2024 Bordeaux vintage

The critics each have their own unique opinion and commentary on the characteristics, drinking windows and quality ratings of the individual 2024 wines and you can read the detail published on their websites. Those wines that have attracted the highest scores from several, or all the critics, are the natural targets for investors.

Some of the key observations made by those critics that had published their view at the time of writing are:

• The 2024 vintage has inconsistent quality across Bordeaux with the top terroirs and more quality driven producers creating the outstanding wines of the year.
• Record levels of mildew meant Cabernet-biased estates seemed to fare better, with conditions more challenging for Merlot
• A cooler vintage meant a return to lower alcohol levels and wines that will drink younger which may also attract younger drinkers
• Yields suffered a significant impact and 2024 is the lowest supply vintage in decades
• Better vintage for Bordeaux dry whites than reds
• Pricing is key and the chateaux have responded with discounts to please the market. This vintage may well be remembered for its release prices with 2024 wines some of the lowest priced on the market at launch.

Critics' top-scored Bordeaux 2024 wines 

Antonio Galloni

“the most skilled winemakers found a way to make gorgeous wines”.

The founder of Vinous.com, Galloni observes that it’s important to be selective with this vintage as “the 2024s are all over the place in terms of quality”. His highest quality score was 95-98 and this is consistent with the other critics with no wines achieving a potential perfect 100-point score. He has not scored a First Growth in his top wines and highlights some whites which he describes as “some of the finest wines in 2024.”

Antonio Galloni’s top scored 2024 Bordeaux En Primeur wines

Source: www.liv-ex.com, www.vinous.com

Neal Martin

“A handful of 2024s do touch the sky”

Recognised by the trade as the most valued critical opinion when it comes to Bordeaux En Primeur, Neal Martin’s report, titled Event Horizon, on the 2024 vintage is an excellent read, providing important insight on the current challenges facing the region and the validity of the ongoing En Primeur process.

Martin flags the trials the winemakers battled and describes the year where “Mother Nature put a cap on the maximum quality achievable”. He espouses that the fact many estates did reach ‘this notional peak should be applauded’ and it would have been impossible to do so a couple of decades ago.

Martin scores the First Growths higher than his Vinous colleague, Galloni, and ends his report with an appeal to the Bordeaux chateaux and their agents to reset the En Primeur system and to price to engage the market. His top score was awarded to just one wine as he too recognised the quality of the white wines this vintage.

Neal Martin’s top scored 2024 Bordeaux En Primeur wines

Source: www.liv-ex.com, www.vinous.com

William Kelley & Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate

‘A handful of producers have, against the odds, delivered notable success’

The title for the Wine Advocate’s report on the 2024 En Primeurs authored by William Kelley proclaims, ‘Ripeness is all’. This was the ‘holy grail’ in his view in a year where the rewards went to ‘those who took risks in pursuit of fuller maturity’.

Kelley opines that 2024 exhibits flavours more familiar with vintages of the 1990s than recent years and that 'in the best 2024s, the estate signature is intensely present delivering wines with a strong identity.'

Yohan Castaing joined Kelley tasting the 2024 En Primeurs and their top scored wines are noted below.

The Wine Advocate’s top scored 2024 Bordeaux En Primeur wines

Source: www.liv-ex.com, www.robertparker.com. *Yohan Castaing

Jane Anson

'The best estates leaned into the vintage creating lighter-weight elegant wines’

Jane Anson also remarks in her article on the youthful nature of the 2024 wines and the lower alcohol levels. Anson compares this vintage most closely with 2013, 2011 and 2012 in quality.

Jane Anson’s top scored 2024 Bordeaux En Primeur wines

Source: www.liv-ex.com

James Suckling

'Shimmers of light in a nightmare vintage'

Last year Suckling rated six 2023 wines with the potential to be perfect (99 – 100 points), whereas of the leading 2024 wines he identifies First Growth Latour and Pomerol’s Lafleur as ‘unicorns’, i.e rare and outstanding, in a weak and challenging year.

He compares 2024 wines to those of a decade previously in 2014, and in recent years most like 2021. The wines are lighter and can be drunk younger, which may help attract the younger demographic that Bordeaux is desperately seeking to engage.

Suckling views 2024 as most likely to be remembered for its pricing with most key chateaux releasing at levels making their new wine the cheapest vintage on the secondary market. His report commences with the observation that Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2024, the earliest First Growth reveal, was launched 30% below the 2023 issue price and 50% lower than the ‘heralded 2022.

Olivier Tregoat, Technical Director of Domaines Barons de Rothschild comments that “The price was necessary to send a good message to the market and our neighbours…. We know that it is not an exceptional vintage, and the idea was to set everything at the right price and to try to get dynamism in the market for the next months. All the negociants bought all the wine and all their clients bought the wine. We are confident on the feedback.”

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

‘Storms a-brewin’

The title of Lisa Perrotti-Brown’s Report on the 2024 En Primeur sets the scene for her observations of the challenges of the vintage and the current state of the market. She observes the results of the wetter and cooler year resulting in well-below average yield of younger drinking reds and good quality dry white Bordeaux.

In fact, she points to a ‘spectacular year for dry whites’ with Haut Brion Blanc ‘a pretty pricy unicorn’ already. Her report is an interesting read for those looking for insight on the challenges this year posed the producers. Chateau Figeac was her red pick of the vintage along with smaller production icons Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Petrus, Lafleur and Le Pin.

The Vin-X team had the pleasure of meeting Lisa during the tastings in Bordeaux and getting her insight on the campaign.

Our view on Bordeaux 2024 En Primeur

The critics’ quality scores reflect their view on this extremely challenging vintage for the Bordeaux estates and their rightful acknowledgement of the expertise, commitment and incredibly hard work of the vineyard and winery teams.

They have called out for a campaign that recognises the world the fine wine trade currently exists in, with the sector still suppressed and facing additional economic challenges courtesy of the Trump administration.

A common theme from all the key critics is the need for ‘the price to be right’ to engage  and provide value to participants at all levels of the supply chain; from grower to investor, collector and drinker.

En Primeur as a sales mechanism is under the microscope with the release of the 2024 wines and failure to engage the market would put its future seriously in question. The good news is that the key estates have seen that this is the right vintage to reset. The leading estates of the region have launched at significant discounts of between 30% to 43% on their 2023 release prices. Importantly these levels mean that most key 2024 wines are their chateau’s cheapest on the market and this is where they need to be.

This is the smallest Bordeaux vintage in decades and looks to be the lowest priced. Selection is key and the very best of the 2024s could deliver excellent value in the future based on the release and current market prices.

Contact our expert team for their expert view on the 2024 En Primeur campaign and the allocations we are securing now on 0203 384 2262.