Cheval Blanc 2025 - Potential 100 Points

2025 L'Evangile Released En Primeur! 

L'Evangile 2025 at the same low price as the 2024, which itself represented a massive -36% reduction versus the 2023 vintage, the key difference this year is the significantly higher quality of the wine, making this a far more compelling release

96-98 Points - Neal Martin

“Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a fine bead of acidity, superb minéralité, as if there were a bit of limestone soil, but there is none. Very saline on the aftertaste with impressive length. This is a marvellous L'Évangile given the growing season, and it seems imbued with so much personality”

 

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Chateau L’Evangile is one of Pomerol’s great names, enjoying a prime location next to Petrus and just across the road from Saint-Emilion. Owned by the Rothschild family of Chateau Lafite since 1990, the estate has seen continued investment and a steady rise in quality. The vineyards are dominated by Merlot, with Cabernet Franc and recent Cabernet Sauvignon additions adding complexity. Organic farming, plot-by-plot vinification, and input from Michel Rolland have helped position L’Evangile among Bordeaux’s most refined and age-worthy wines.

Chateau L'Evangile 2025 is one of the standout Pomerols of the vintage, combining richness with remarkable precision and freshness. Aromas of black cherry, plum, rose petal and spice unfold into a silky, layered palate framed by polished tannins and saline minerality. Despite the warmth of the growing season, the wine remains poised and classical in style, with superb energy, fine structure and impressive ageing potential.

Releasing this morning at €112* In Bond per bottle, Chateau L'Evangile 2025 arrives at exactly the same price as the 2024. Considering the clear step up in quality and the strong critical reception already building around the wine, this feels like one of the more intelligently priced releases on the Right Bank so far this campaign.

Production was tiny across the estate, with yields averaging just 22hl/ha after a growing season that produced exceptionally small berries and naturally concentrated fruit. Juliette Couderc and the team responded with meticulous intra-plot harvesting and a carefully judged élevage using a mix of foudre, amphora and restrained new oak, preserving both freshness and terroir expression.

The result is a beautifully refined and mineral Pomerol that captures the sensual texture expected from L'Evangile, while also delivering the precision and energy that defines the best wines of the vintage.

We have limited quantities available in both 3x75cl and 6x75cl cases.

 

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L'Evangile 2025

€112* In Bond per bottle

Buy L'Evangile 2025

 

97-98 Points | James Suckling

The aromas of blackberries, black olives and hints of tobacco and dried fruit are fascinating and enticing. It’s medium- to full-bodied with creamy and polished tannins and a savory finish. Turns refined and focused after the layered fruit. Classic in character, with a caressing texture and balance. Hints of ripe fruit and freshness at the same time. 86% merlot, 13% cabernet franc and 1% cabernet sauvignon.

96-98 Points | Vinous - Neal Martin

The 2025 L'Évangile has been given new impetus by winemaker Juliette Couderc. It is initially backward, but it really comes forth with a few swirls of the glass: black cherries, mint and juniper berries, just a hint of truffle, quite vibrant and vivacious. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins, a fine bead of acidity, superb minéralité, as if there were a bit of limestone soil, but there is none. Very saline on the aftertaste with impressive length. This is a marvellous L'Évangile given the growing season, and it seems imbued with so much personality.

96 Points | Jane Anson

Damson colour, this has a ton of juicy blue and black fruits, well judged density, energy and lift, clear ageing ability, grilled cumin, peony, iris flowers, slate and crushed rocks, 40% new oak, with large oak casks for almost half of the production. Less Cabernet Franc in this blend simply because of the size of the berries. 3.7ph. Blason no longer sold En Primeur, so not tasted here. Juliette Couderc director. Harvest began on August 26 with young Merlot on gravel. 23hl/h overall yield, fascinating to see how they split across different terroirs in the L'Evangile vineyard - on gravel 15hl/ha, on clay 28hl/ha, on sand, 38hl/h all due to size of berries. In practise this meant a lot of intra-plot harvesting, going through four or five times. The result is impressive.

96 Points | Decanter

Nice plump roundness on the palate with a touch of strawberry acidity to bring some life and lift. Quite serious, fine tannins, a cool crisp, blue fruit edge with a lot of liquorice and wet stone aspects – a mineral, salty, spiced grip on the finish. I like the frame, not too heavy but it’s still quite tight. I don’t find the density of 2022 or 2023 but there’s definitely charm on offer in a cool, serious way right now with a hint of gloss. Ageing 5% amphora. 40% foudre. 45% new oak. 10% used barrels. 3,7pH. A yield of 22hl/ha.

94-96 Points | Vinous - Antonio Galloni

The 2025 L'Évangile is a very beautiful wine. Silky and medium in body, the 2025 is a classic L'Évangile, which is shocking given the intense heat and drought of the year, along with yields of just 22 hectoliters per hectare in aggregate across the châteaux. Bright red-toned fruit, mocha and rose petal all grace the palate. Touches of blood orange and white pepper lift the brilliant finish. Élevage is 40% new oak, 40% foudre, 15% once-filled barrels and 5% amphora. This is a very precise wine and one of the top Pomerols of the year.

93-95 Points | Wine Advocate

Te 2025 L'Evangile is showing well, bursting with aromas of sweet cherries, dark berries, spices and licorice, framed by nicely integrated oak. On the palate, it's medium- to full-bodied, with a rather rich, powerful profile, built around ripe but youthfully structuring tannins. It's a blend of 87% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, some 40% of which is being matured in foudre. The vintage conditions, which produced very small berries (as little as 0.6 grams for Cabernet Franc growing on gravel), have delivered an Evangile of unusual density.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

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Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Report → | Buy 2025 Wines → | En Primeur Explained →

Explore our full range of Buy L'Evangile wines available in bond and for immediate delivery

2025 Pape Clement Releases En Primeur!

Explore the newly released Pape Clement 2025 wines, from the potentially vintage-defining Pape Clement Blanc to the refined and beautifully structured Grand Vin, with full reviews, pricing and buying links below.

 

96-98 Points - Antonio Galloni

“Rich, vivid and textured, the 2025 Pape Clément Blanc is outrageously beautiful. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, tangerine peel, mint and white pepper soar from the glass. All the elements are so well balanced. This builds beautifully through to the intense, palate-staining finish. In 2025, the Blanc is quite simply magnificent—clearly one of the wines of the vintage.”

 

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Chateau Pape Clement is one of Bordeaux’s oldest and most iconic estates, with roots dating back to the 13th century. Named after Pope Clement V, the property has long been renowned for producing powerful yet refined wines from the gravelly soils of Pessac-Leognan. Today, meticulous vineyard work, low yields and precise winemaking continue to elevate Pape Clement among the elite of the appellation.

Pape Clement Blanc 2025 is one of the standout whites of the vintage, combining richness with remarkable precision. Layers of peach, citrus peel, white flowers and saline minerality unfold across a textured, vibrant palate. Despite its concentration, the wine remains crystalline and energetic, with impressive freshness and length. A sophisticated blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Sauvignon Gris, this is a beautifully complete Pessac-Leognan Blanc.

Pape Clement 2025 is a refined, aromatic expression of Pessac-Leognan, showing floral lift, dark berries and savoury spice wrapped around silky tannins. Medium to full-bodied, it balances depth with freshness and precision, favouring elegance over sheer power in 2025. Notes of lavender, graphite, espresso and wet stone add complexity, while the long, structured finish highlights the wine’s strong ageing potential and polished character.

Both colours were released this afternoon, and the early reviews suggest Pape Clement has delivered one of its strongest all-round showings in recent years.

We have the pricing and full reviews below for you.

 

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Pape Clement Blanc 2025

€105* In Bond per bottle

Buy pape Clement Blanc 2025

 

96-98 Points | Vinous - Antonio Galloni

Rich, vivid and textured, the 2025 Pape Clément Blanc is outrageously beautiful. Lemon confit, marzipan, white flowers, tangerine peel, mint and white pepper soar from the glass. All the elements are so well balanced. This builds beautifully through to the intense, palate-staining finish. In 2025, the Blanc is quite simply magnificent—clearly one of the wines of the vintage.

97-98 Points | James Suckling

This is enveloping, with a broad textural element running throughout. It’s bright and incisive, yet with a blanket of fruit that extends across the palate. Flavorful and long. A blend of 56% sauvignon blanc, 30% semillon and 14% sauvignon gris. Aged in barrels, foudres, concrete, amphorae and stainless steel.

96 Points | Decanter

Straw, ripe peach and some waxy lemon aspects with really floral and fragrant aromas on the nose – smells rich and enticing. Beautiful succulence with a dollop of pineapple, lemon and lime, creamy vanilla and peach plus a touch of oiliness that gives amplitude and width. I love the intensity and delicacy here, a wine you really want to drink, full of fruit yet crystalline, focused, mineral, saline and salivating with fruit purity and impressive length. Some enjoyable pineapple bitterness with struck match and oyster shell salinity. Gorgeous precision and clarity – really nothing out of place. A glass I wanted more of immediately. 3.14pH. A yield of 18hl/ha. Ageing 65% in barrels (1/3 new), 16% in foudres and 21% in stoneware, concrete and stainless steel.

95 Points | Jane Anson

Fruit driven, so juicy, laden with white peach and pear orchard fruits, lightly grilled without being heavy, an excellent white that has the structure to last but the generosity to give pleasure immediately. 33% new oak. Yield 18 hl/ha. Harvest August 20 to 25, 33% new oak. The vineyard footprint has gone from around 10ha down to 5ha, focusing on a clear limestone and clay-dominant sector, plus one highly impressive sector in Leognan by the former Château du Sartre.

 

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Pape Clement 2025

€61* In Bond per bottle

Buy Pape Clement 2025

 

95-97 Points | Antonio Galloni

The 2025 Pape Clément is magnificent. The aromatics alone are captivating. Strong floral and savory notes soar from the glass. Lavender, rose petal, sage, mint and mocha lead into a core of wonderfully vibrant red/purplish fruit. Medium in body and deep, Pape Clément is positively stellar in 2025. The Cabernets and Petit Verdot add tons of aromatic presence. Élevage is 85% in barrique and 15% in foudre, with a relatively modest 33% new oak.

95-97 Points | James Suckling

A linear and very tight red with black currant, blackberry and hazelnut undertones. It's medium- to full-bodied with firm and racy tannins and a savory finish. Lots of tannins, but they are very fine textured and show outstanding length. 60% merlot, 36% cabernet sauvignon, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

96 Points | Decanter

Really floral on the nose, expressive with ripe red and black fruit, incense perfumed scents and a rich headiness with such aromatic purity. Supple and velvety, round and lively with quite a delicate style here where the focus is on the clarity of the blueberry fruit and the lifted aspects rather than fleshiness or power. Almost understated, a word not often used with Pape. A soft salty, wet stone and chalky aspect on the finish. Definitely fresh with lots of energy here. Elegant and precise with a soft chew on the finish and ripe fruit. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend. 3.68pH. A yield of 29hl/ha. Ageing 85% in barrels (1/3 new) and 15% in foudres. Harvest 3–25 September.

94 Points | Jane Anson

Wide ranging and expansive, love the bright cherry pit and damson, a ton of expansion and character, luscious with dark berry fruits, espresso and cocoa bean. Julien Viaud consultant. A new group technical director has come over from Penfolds, Pablo Laborde, joined in early 2026 so for the blending and ageing of this vintage. Harvest September 3 to 25. Yield 23 hl/ha. 50% of the wine in barrels of which 25% is new. 55ha, with a recentering to the historical vineyard around the estate in Pessac. Indigenous yeast fermentation.

 

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

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Explore our full range of Buy Pape Clement wines available in bond and for immediate delivery

2025 Laroque Releases! 

We’ve been strongly endorsing Laroque for a few years now as one of the best price-to-quality ratio on the right bank and 2025 does not deviate. Laroque 2025 comes strongly recommended this year.

96-98+ Points -The Drinks Business

“This is another vintage everyone will be talking about. I am struck by the gain in viscosity and volume in the mouth in comparison to even the greatest vintages of the past here, due to almost perfect integration of the ulta-fine grained tannins. We're clearly in 'best ever' territory and that's saying something.”

 

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One of Saint-Emilion's most storied estates, Chateau Laroque traces its origins to the twelfth century, yet it is the transformation of the past decade that truly defines its reputation. Owned by the Beaumartin family and directed by David Suire, the estate has become one of the appellation's most impressive performers, combining careful vineyard work, restrained extraction and thoughtful ageing to produce wines of depth and precision.

Situated in the Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes sector, Laroque's 61 hectares sit atop fractured limestone and clay soils that regulate water and encourage deep rooting. Old-vine Merlot, some planted in the 1950s, thrives in this elevated, wind-exposed setting, lending the wines their hallmark freshness and mineral tension. The result is wines of lifted aromatics, ultra-fine tannins and vibrant energy, a precise expression of one of Saint-Emilion's finest terroirs.

The 2025 Laroque is a wine of startling purity and precision. Fragrant blueberries, black raspberries and violets lead onto a medium-bodied palate charged with energetic fruit, ultra-fine tannins and a mineral, saline finish of remarkable length. Critics marvel at its staggering lift, harmony and viscosity, with several declaring this the finest Laroque ever produced, a wine built for decades of cellaring from 2030 through 2055.

Saint Emilion performed very strongly in 2025, and with the vintage’s hallmark balance of good weight, ultra-fine tannins and an expressive, lifted nose, Laroque comes highly recommended.

Releasing today at €22.50* In Bond per bottle, this is an absolute steal. Given that it’s so affordable, it still comes in 6x75cl OWC.

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Chateau Laroque 2025

€22.50* In Bond per bottle

Buy Laroque 2025

 

96-98+ Points | The Drinks Business, Colin Hay

The old vine Merlot from the 1950s was crucial to the capacity to manage the stress of the vintage - and one can see that immediately in the clarity and limpidity of the wine in the glass. Staggering purity, staggering lift, staggering energy and staggering precision. The impression of harmony is amazing and total. Laroque is utterly gorgeous aromatically and, if anything even more so, on the palate in 2025. The transformation of what has been produced here - and with it the reputation of the wine - over the last decade is extraordinary. We are clearly in "best ever" territory and that is saying something.

95-97 Points | The Wine Palate, Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Laroque slowly unfurls with fragrant notes of juicy blueberries, black raspberries, and fresh black plums, followed by nuances of violets, cedar chest, and chalk dust. The medium-bodied palate is bright and shimmery with energetic black and blue fruit and very fine-grained tannins, delivering a crisp line and a very long, mineral-laced finish.

96 Points | Decanter, Georgie Hindle

Really aromatically complex. Ripe and pristine black bramble berries on the nose, perfumed and nicely fragrant. Lovely aromatic purity. Smooth and so silky, svelte as Laroque does so well. Mouthwatering with bright acidity but so juicy - strawberry and cherry with a hint of cranberry and soft accents of dried herbs, liquorice and wet stones. Grippy but so charming even at this point. Tension with freshness, perfectly polished and friendly.

94-96 Points | The Wine Cellar Insider, Jeff Leve

The estate's signature floral aromatics are on full display, followed by black raspberries, licorice, spice, espresso, and cherry nuances fill the perfume. Fresh, juicy, vibrant, creamy, and concentrated on the palate, the finish delivers its clean, lifted, salty-edged berries with precision from start to finish. Drink from 2030-2050.

93-95 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni

Vibrant, salivating acids and beams of tannin are the first signs we are on the clay/limestone plateau in Saint-Emilion's Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes sector. Blood orange, mint, chalk and white pepper bleed into a core of red-toned fruit. Medium in body, with striking energy and tension, Laroque is positively stellar in 2025. This is another superb showing from the team led by Technical Director David Suire. Drink 2033-2055.

 

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

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Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Report → | Buy 2025 Wines → | En Primeur Explained →

Explore our full range of Buy Laroque wines available in bond and for immediate delivery

Porseleinberg 2023 - South African 1st Growth

We’ve been eagerly awaiting this allocation for a while…!

The top-scoring wine and the only one to receive a perfect 100 points in Tim Atkin’s latest South Africa report. Winemaker Callie Louw, who makes this wine iconic, will depart after the 2025 vintage. Could this be one of the finest wines of his two-decade tenure? Do both yourself and Callie proud by adding it to your collection.

100 Points - Tim Atkin MW

“Fermented with 90% whole clusters, with 70% of the wine using thesubmerged cap technique, it's one of the most sublime Porseleinbergs yet, pairing aromas of incense, thyme and black pepper with firm, age-worthy tannins, blackberry, red berry and liquorice flavours and a stony, mineral core. Truly world class”

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Perched on the rugged slopes of the Porseleinberg mountain in the Swartland, Porseleinberg is one of South Africa’s most compelling Syrah estates. Founded by Boekenhoutskloof and guided by winemaker Callie Louw, the focus is on a single, windswept vineyard of schist soils. Farming is meticulous and low-intervention, with whole-bunch fermentation and restrained élevage. The result is Syrah of striking purity, structure and mineral precision, capturing both place and vintage with remarkable clarity.

The 2023 Porseleinberg is a powerful yet finely tuned expression of Swartland Syrah, shaped by a dry, challenging season that delivered small, concentrated berries. Fermented largely with whole clusters and aged in large-format oak, it shows incense, black pepper and wild herbs layered over dark berry fruit. The palate is structured and mineral, with firm, age-worthy tannins and a focused, energetic finish that promises excellent development in bottle.

Scoring a perfect 100 points from Tim Atkin, the 2023 Porseleinberg was the only wine to achieve this mark in his latest South Africa report, placing it firmly as the standout wine of the vintage. A remarkable endorsement that reflects both the precision of the winemaking and the unique character of this exceptional site.

The only other vintage of Porseleinberg to receive the perfect 100-Point score was the 2018, which, according to wine-searcher, is not available any more in Europe.

Porseleinberg is a must-have for any serious South African wine collector. Don’t miss this iconic vintage.

“Let’s keep it simple: it’s one of the Cape’s best Syrah wines, and you need to have it in your cellar, preferably allowing several years of maturation in bottle” - Neal Martin, Vinous

 

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Porseleinberg 2023

 

€57.50* In Bond per bottle

Buy Porseleinberg 2023

100 Points | Tim Atkin MW

The 2023 growing season was "dry and difficult", according to Callie Louw, at least in this wild and starkly beautiful corner of the Swartland, but you wouldn’t know it from the quality of this superlative Syrah. Picked late, right up to March 8th, it has the concentration and intensity of a small crop. Fermented with 90% whole clusters, with 70% of the wine using thesubmerged cap technique, it's one of the most sublime Porseleinbergs yet, pairing aromas of incense, thyme and black pepper with firm, age-worthy tannins, blackberry, red berry and liquorice flavours and a stony, mineral core. Truly world class. 2027-35

 

95 Points | Vinous, Neal Martin

The 2023 Porseleinberg was made by Callie Louw, although it was announced that he will depart after the 2025 vintage for a new venture. See my producer profile for details. This vintage utilised 100% whole bunch and is raised for 12 months in 90% Stockinger 2,500-litre foudre and 10% concrete egg. It has an outstanding nose with fragrant raspberry, wild strawberry, rooibos and light bay leaf scents that blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiselled tannins, a dash of cracked black pepper intermixed with Five Spice and used tea leaves. Quite feisty yet focused on the finish, this is a wonderful Porseleinberg that will benefit from several years in bottle, as usual.

 

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

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Buy Porseleinberg wines | Buy South Afrian Wines

2025 Batailley Release En Primeur

Released at a price below expectations and last year’s release price, Batailley offers standout value. Classic Pauillac in style, with blackcurrant fruit, freshness and balance. It represents one of the smartest buys of the vintage.

95-97 Points - Antonio Galloni

“The 2025 Batailley marries power with finesse. Crème de cassis, new leather, spice, menthol and lavender caress the palate. The 2025 is quite deep and has great balance. This brooding, potent Pauillac has so much to offer. All it needs is time for the tannins to soften”

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Few Pauillac estates command quiet authority quite like Batailley. Classified as a Fifth Growth in 1855 yet routinely punching far above that designation, this Casteja family estate sits on some of the finest gravel ridges in the appellation, its vines drawing from soils that nurture the quintessential iron-fisted-yet-elegant character that makes Pauillac so singular among the world's great red wine communes.

The 2025 Batailley is being hailed as a benchmark expression of a remarkable vintage. Built on a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot, it opens with crème de cassis, cigar box, tobacco and lavender - a brooding, deep wine of great balance and precision. Finesse and power coexist beautifully, with a creamy, lingering finish that promises exceptional cellaring potential through to 2065.

Over the past decade, the Castéja family’s investment has significantly elevated the estate, delivering wines that consistently punch above their weight for the price-to-quality ratio in Pauillac. Greater attention in the vineyard and a more precise approach in the cellar have brought added definition and polish, resulting in a style that feels more refined, structured and confidently expressive than ever.

Releasing at a very reasonable €27.40* In Bond per bottle with a high Galloni score of 95-97 Points, Batailley is a bit of a no-brainer purchase this En Primeur campaign.

 

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Château Batailley 2025

€27.40*In Bond per bottle

Buy Batailley 2025

 

95-97 Points  |  Vinous, Antonio Galloni

The 2025 Batailley marries power with finesse. Creme de cassis, new leather, spice, menthol and lavender caress the palate. The 2025 is quite deep and has great balance. This brooding, potent Pauillac has so much to offer. All it needs is time for the tannins to soften.

95-97 Points  |  The Wine Cellar Insider, Jeff Leve

Cigar box, tobacco, smoke, flowers, and currants define the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, juicy, fresh, and fruity. The creamy finish lingers, allowing you to savor the elegance and freshness of the sweet fruits. Give it a few years before opening a bottle, and enjoy over the following 2-3 decades.

95-96 Points  |  James Suckling

A focused and refined red with a linear profile, showing the precision that the acidity and fine-grained tannins bring to this cabernet blend. There is rigor but also underlying juiciness and sophistication. 78% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 3% petit verdot.

 

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

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Browse En Primeur

Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Report → | Buy 2025 Wines → | En Primeur Explained →

Explore our full range of Buy Batailley wines available in bond and for immediate delivery

2025 Pontet-Canet releases! 

En Primeur kicked off this week with Pontet-Canet 2025, and we loved it when we tasted it in Pauillac, where it stood out as one of the highlights of the appellation. William Kelley of The Wine Advocate has now released his report, awarding it a potential 100 points (98-100), underlining just how strong this vintage is. Early scores from Antonio Galloni and James Suckling further support this view.

Only the 2009 and 2010 vintages have previously achieved a perfect 100 points from The Wine Advocate, known for its strict scoring. The 2025 Pontet-Canet was praised as one of the finest wines the estate has produced, and one of the wines of the vintage.

Released this morning at €72* IB per bottle, broadly in line with the 2024 price, the key difference this year is the significantly higher quality, making this a far more compelling release. The 2025 vintage is one where price will be mentioned a lot, and we think it is fair here. With the wine now available at an En Primeur price, the question is how long it remains at this level. For us, this is an essential addition to any collection this campaign, and we strongly recommend it.

We have 3x75cl and 6x75cl OWC available on the website, as well as magnums in 1x150cl OWC. There is usually a significant bottling fee for larger formats, but we have managed to waive this on these. A price comparison table is included below.

“Pauillac is jam-packed with great wines in 2025. There are perhaps fewer surprises than in Margaux, as most of the top wines live up to their billing, including all the famous names. Lafite-Rothschild and Pontet-Canet are especially compelling.”

- Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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Situated next door to the esteemed Château Mouton Rothschild, Pontet-Canet has earned a reputation as one of Bordeaux’s smartest buys, consistently delivering wines of Second, or even First Growth, quality at a remarkably accessible price point. Officially a Fifth Growth, it regularly performs well beyond its classification. Known for its bold vision, this iconic Pauillac estate is also a trailblazer in sustainability, becoming the first major Bordeaux château to fully adopt biodynamic practices. Certified by Biodyvin in 2010 and Demeter in 2014, Pontet-Canet exemplifies a commitment to harmonious, terroir-driven viticulture, setting a new benchmark for the region.

2025 is shaping up to be a fantastic vintage in Bordeaux, and in his report released yesterday, Antonio Galloni described the finest wines as “nothing short of thrilling.” With big scores from Galloni, Falstaff and James Suckling releases so far, there is no doubt that the wine is fantastic.

The 2025 Pontet-Canet is a beautifully precise and refined Pauillac, combining purity of fruit with polished, silky tannins that give a seductive, caressing mouthfeel. Medium-bodied yet structured, it layers black cherry, violet and subtle spice with a mineral edge. There is a real sense of harmony and finesse here, with freshness lifting the wine and a long, elegant finish pointing to excellent ageing potential.

Now… onto the price, which will be a big topic of conversation this year…

Pontet has chosen to keep pricing broadly in line with last year, releasing at €72* In Bond per bottle. Based on early scores from Antonio Galloni and James Suckling, the 2025 sits among the estate’s higher-scoring vintages, matching highly regarded years such as 2022, yet coming to market at a more attractive price point.

We have loose bottles and cases of 3x75cl & 6x75cl live on the website. If you’re after large formats, pop us an email, and we can request some for you.

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Chateau Pontet-Canet 2025

 

€72* In Bond per bottle

Buy Pontet-Canet 2025 En Primeur

 

98-100 Points | Wine Advocate, William Kelley
A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that weighs in at 13.3% alcohol, the 2025 Pontet-Canet is one of the finest wines this estate has produced. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cassis, wild berries and plums mingled with notions of violet and burning embers, it's full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a degree of structural polish and sensuality that is rare in the Médoc, ripe acids and a long, penetrating finish. Over the last handful of years, technical director Mathieu Bessonnet and his team have revitalized Pontet-Canet's vineyards with well-timed soil work and precise phytosanitary treatments; and since 2023, the careful use of "pieds de cuve" in the winery, along with early blending, more refined barrel choices and cooler temperatures in the chai—plus more precise bottling practices—have conspired to take this estate to new heights of quality and consistency. In 2025, the team formed lower-than-usual "ponts" (whereby the canopies of adjacent vines are braided together in an arch) to retain denser foliage to protect the fruiting zone from sunshine, and they waited to pick late in pursuit of full maturity in Cabernet Sauvignon, finishing on September 23. The result is one of the wines of the vintage.

98-100 Points | Fine Wine Library

Super refined. Mineral nose with a hint of graphite, menthol, rose, blackberry, cedar and wood spice. Hint of cassis. Fine and robust tannins, well integrated. Powdery tannins. Fruit not too dominant. Pure, velvety with great texture. Harmonious and everything in the right place. With age in the bottle and a little extra development, this could be a perfect wine. Tasted Em Primeur April 2026.

97-99 Points | James Suckling

A precise and beautiful wine with total integration of the fruit and polished tannins that give a caressing and seductive mouthfeel. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit, a gentle nature and an overall softness and gorgeousness. Yet structured.

98 Points | Falstaff, Peter Moser

Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate notes of candied violets, black cherries, some nougat, inviting hint of precious wood, multi-faceted bouquet. Juicy, elegant, ripe heart cherries, fine extract sweetness, ripe, silky tannins, freshly structured, mineral, blackberry confit in the finish, finesse-rich, harmonious style.

96-98+ Points | Vinous - Antonio Galloni

The 2025 Pontet-Canet is a wine of exquisite class. Silky, aromatic and vibrant, the 2025 is all finesse. Crushed red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and a gentle hint of spice are all wonderfully knit together. Pontet-Canet is one of the more refined, sublimely beautiful wines of the year. This could turn out even better than my note suggests. Tasted two times.

96 Points | Jane Anson

Inky but vivid bright plum colour, tannins at the front of the mouth, a ton of energy, if reserved at this early stage. Expect graphite and crayon, lovely lift and floral Cabernet Sauvignon character; low yields like much of Pauillac and small berries ensuring the tannins are plentiful. Walks the line of fresh and juicy flavours alongside a brooding concentrated architecture, huge ageing potential with cold ash and gunsmoke nuance. Although there was some rain at end of June and July, this was still a dry vintage, and vineyard work including braiding the vines for shade and applying chamomile as sunscreen, so they coped better than in 2022 overall. Harvest September 2 to 23, indigenous yeasts that are specific to the vintage, 40% new oak, 35% clay amphoras, 15% one year old barrels. Extended maceration, low SO2 with zero added until after fermentation.

*Prices are accurate as of the blog publication date and may be subject to change.

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Browse En Primeur

Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Report → | Buy 2025 Wines → | En Primeur Explained →

Explore our full range of Buy Pontet-Canet wines available in bond and for immediate delivery

Scores and vintage report by Benjamin Vuorinen, Buying Director at the Fine Wine Library. Based on tastings of over 200 wines and visits to more than 50 chateaux, April 2026.

 

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The verdict, upfront

We do not usually score wines - we prefer to leave that to the critics and remain impartial. But 2025 pushed us. Many of the wines we tasted, we rated 98-100 points. That tells you everything about how good this vintage is.

Across the board, 2025 is a homogeneous vintage with great quality overall. Reds, whites and Sauternes all fared strongly. The best wines had fine, integrated tannins - often chalky and coating the mouth in a beautiful manner. Not all wines were like this; some had harsher tannins and more edges, which were a miss for us. But the proportion of wines that hit the highest level was extraordinary.

Browse and buy Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur →

 

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The vintage in brief

After tasting over 200 wines and visiting more than 50 chateaux, we have built a strong understanding of the vintage. The unique weather conditions have shaped equally distinctive wines, which in our view are phenomenal. We usually leave the scoring to the wine critics to remain impartial, but we rated many wines 98-100 points - more on our recommendations later.

In short, the summer was hot and expectations initially pointed toward a style similar to 2022. However, a wider diurnal range in 2025 - meaning cooler nights following warm days - helped retain freshness. A small amount of rain at the end of August, following two months of drought, brought balance to the wines, with small berries contributing to structure and concentration. Unlike most years, September then cooled significantly, preventing excessive ripeness and preserving energy (and a lower ABV).

The result is a vintage with impressive structure and concentration, lifted by freshness and marked by real aromatic complexity, driven by a long, slow growing season. None of the wines showed excessive oak - they absorbed it and kept great balance. Every winemaker we spoke to quoted a low pH, meaning good freshness.

The best wines had fine, integrated tannins, often chalky and coating the mouth in a beautiful manner. Not all wines were like this; some had harsher tannins creating more edges that were a bit of a miss for us.

Cabernet Franc fared incredibly well in 2025, whether on the Right or Left Bank. Chateaux that might usually have 2-3% in their blend upped it to around 8% as the quality was really good. It is a tricky grape, so not every year is fantastic for the Franc.

Across the board, we would say it was a homogeneous vintage with great quality overall. Reds, whites and Sauternes all fared strongly. We loved the wines and are going out on a limb putting scores on what we thought the wines deserve. Many of these, for us, were close to perfection, showing just how good the 2025 vintage is. What the critics think will come out in due course.

 

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First Release: Pontet-Canet 2025

Pontet-Canet 2025 is going to be the first release, coming out on Wednesday, 29th April. In the 2019 vintage, they came out with a strong and low price that helped set the standard and momentum for the vintage. In 2024, their price was not the most fantastic for the quality.

We are always optimistic, so we hope that the price is going to be fair in 2025 and set the tone for a strong campaign. For us, the wine was fantastic - one of Pauillac's many highlights - and we scored it 98-100 points ourselves. It had everything in the right place and has fantastic potential (see our full note in the Left Bank section below).

We suspect the release will come out without scores, as critics will be catching up on their note-taking after a long few weeks of tasting. We will be adding it to our own collection regardless of critic scores.

 

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Right Bank

Our first day of tasting on the Right Bank proved how good the wines were. Anything grown on limestone, like the Saint-Emilions, was fantastic. As limestone retains water better, this really helped during the drought months, helping producers craft outstanding wines.

 

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Ausone 2025

98-100 Points

Winemaker Edouard Vauthier called it a "classic + vintage", and we found it hard to disagree. Picking was one of the earliest ever at Ausone. They did not make a second wine in 2025 as everything went into the Grand Vin, showing just how good it was. Hugely complex, red and dark fruit, hint of raspberry on the finish, blackcurrant, floral, spicy, 100% new oak that does not show, all perfectly balanced. So fresh with super fine tannins. 65% Cabernet Franc.

The other wines from the Ausone portfolio were also fantastic. Haut-Simard, which is usually from 20ha, has been refined to only the best 4ha, so quality has drastically improved for this cuvee.

Buy Ausone →

 

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Cheval Blanc 2025

98-100 Points

Like Ausone, they did not make a second wine as the quality was so good that everything went into the Grand Vin. A complex nose, so much concentration but in a polished manner, light on its feet, silky, sexy, loaded with mineral and liquorice, red and dark fruit, long finish. Fantastic structure to bring it all together. Wow, what a wine.

Buy Cheval Blanc →

 

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Figeac 2025

98-100 Points

We have always loved Figeac and 2025 comes strongly recommended. Low pH of 3.64 and an alcohol of 13% have created a very sensual, floral, spicy wine, perfectly balanced with fruit and some toasty oak. Fantastic tension and a white pepper note that is a signature of the 2025 vintage. It has so much potential to give. Oak, mineral and spicy are all beautifully intertwined.

Buy Figeac →

 

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Troplong Mondot 2025

97-99 Points

Restrained power, great energy and drive that felt like the wine wanted to burst out of the seams. Incredible purity, body on the bolder side of the Right Bank wines, which comes from its terroir. Amazing structure, fine tannins, aromas of rose, 40% new oak. Silky texture but great length.

The second wine, Mondot, also showed incredibly well. It will come around sooner, and for us was one of the best second wines on the Right Bank.

Buy Troplong Mondot →

 

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Canon 2025

97-99 Points

On the bolder side. Great structure and potential from Canon, which was 74% Merlot in 2025. Great concentration with the "freshness of 2016." Great weight, fruit on the darker side, mineral, oak and spice. Round, long textured finish. "Serenity" was the winemaking team's word for 2025, and we agree.

Buy Canon →

 

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La Conseillante 2025 

98-100 Points

Tough to choose a wine of the vintage on the Right Bank, but for us, Conseillante or VCC just nipped ahead of what was a fantastic showing. Beautiful nose, purple floral violet aromas, gentle oak, spice, a hint of graphite that was not expected. Super aromatic, white pepper. Incredibly silky with a hint of freshly picked raspberry on the finish. Well balanced, long finish and super fine tannins.

Buy La Conseillante →

 

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Vieux Chateau Certan 2025

98-100 Points

We are lucky that we get to try some of the world's best wines all in the same day and VCC was next level and one of our favourites. Alexandre Thienpont reckons the 2025 is a 50/50 blend of the characteristics of 2020 and 2022 - both fantastic wines. The vine age for VCC is usually 25+ years, but they added some younger vines into the mix this year as the quality proved good enough. Amazing power, concentration, but again balanced by freshness. Floral, peppery, dark fruit and juicy acidity.

Buy Vieux Chateau Certan →

 

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Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) 2025

95-97 Points

A very different style from some of the expressions above, Beauséjour is all about elegance - more red than dark fruit, with floral aromas of rose and peonies. More elegant in body with chalky grip and a long refined finish. Fantastic to see just how pure the wines are. Bright with good energy and lift. Salty finish.

Buy Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse →

 

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Left Bank

It was hard to choose which Left Bank region did best as all were very highly rated. Pauillac and Margaux were the most consistent with next-level wines, while Saint-Julien, Saint-Estephe and Pessac were more about choosing the right producers.

 

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Saint-Estephe

Montrose 2025

98-100 Points

We said it last year and will say it again in 2025: if there is one wine to buy from the campaign, make sure it is Montrose. Wow, what a wine. Amazing purity, very precise and not overly big. Great structure, length and balance. An intoxicating nose of spice and floral aromas. On the palate, everything was there - fruit, spice, floral, cedar on the mid palate, and a long salty finish, which is a trademark of Montrose in very good vintages. For us, this was a perfect wine, and we would score it as such. Montrose itself compared it to the fantastic 2016, which was a 3x 100-point vintage.

Buy Montrose →

 

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Cos d'Estournel 2025

97-99 Points

Classic Cos exoticness on the nose, lots of spice and black cherry. Delicate floral notes with a salty finish. Serious structure with super fine tannins. Opulent but not over the top. A little tight right now, but so much potential to develop. Can't wait to taste in bottle.

Buy Cos d'Estournel →

 

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Pauillac

Mouton Rothschild 2025

98-100 Points

After 2024 was a bit on the lighter side, Mouton 2025 is back to being hedonistic with great structure and lots of body. Classic nose of blackberry, damson, cassis, cedar, floral and graphite. Lots of tension with a little tobacco leaf and mineral finish.

Buy Mouton Rothschild →

 

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Lafite Rothschild 2025

97-99 Points

Lafite can be difficult to taste En Primeur, but it was showing well on the day. Blackberry and wild berries intermingled with a liquorice finish. Chalky fine tannins that coat the mouth beautifully with a silky texture, super fine tannins, and a little cedarwood. Everything in the right place to age beautifully. Good energy, ethereal but bold and quite a sexy wine overall with a long finish.

Buy Lafite Rothschild →

 

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Latour 2025

98-100 Points

Bearing in mind that we tasted Latour after Mouton, Lafite and the Pichons, the best way to describe Latour is that it turned the dial up on every aspect of the wine, but in a balanced manner. More body and power, more structure, more purity, more complexity. Deep and aromatic, floral with a long, long finish. The only sad news is that you will need to wait around ten years for release, as Latour left the En Primeur system. Could this be a reincarnation of 2016?

Buy Latour →

 

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Pontet-Canet 2025

98-100 Points

Super refined. Mineral nose with a hint of graphite, menthol, rose, blackberry, cedar and wood spice. Hint of cassis. Fine and robust tannins, well integrated. Powdery tannins. Fruit not too dominant. Pure, velvety with great texture. Harmonious and everything in the right place. With age in the bottle and a little extra development, this could be a perfect wine.

Buy Pontet-Canet →

 

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Pichon Baron 2025

97-99 Points

When you go to taste at Pichon Baron this year, they are so confident in the 2025 that they let you taste the 2023, 2022 and 2020 beforehand. The 2025 still came out on top. Exceptional. Amazing structure and power that is restrained and balanced. Chalky tannins that coat the mouth with a long, structured finish that makes you go "wow." Loved it.

Buy Pichon Baron →

 

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Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2025

97-99 Points

We have always loved this wine, and in 2025, it shows its trademark sexy and velvety body with good concentration and silky tannins. Blackberry, good use of oak and wood spice and so much potential here. Needs time to shine. A very thought-provoking wine.

Buy Pichon Lalande →

 

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Grand Puy Lacoste 2025

96-98 Points

A big overperformer this year. Nicely ripe, blackberry, classic, hint of graphite. Silky texture, fine tannins and good structure. Very savoury. A bit like Goldilocks - not too much, not too little. Elegant and refined with a salty mineral finish. The new winery they built is certainly helping to bring the quality up. Always good value.

Buy Grand Puy Lacoste →

 

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Margaux

Chateau Margaux 2025

98-100 Points

The standout of Margaux this year. They were one of the latest pickers, opting for ripeness, but they only used 37% of the harvest, meaning strict selection. Only the best of the best made it into the wine, and it shows. Wine of the vintage in Margaux without question. 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with a deep, inviting nose, slightly intoxicating. Ripe but restrained, more red fruit and floral - both rose and violet. Super fine tannins and a long finish. Perfumed overall. Elegant but textured.

Buy Chateau Margaux →

 

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Rauzan-Segla 2025

97-99 Points

Unlike other wineries that pour you a pre-selected sample, Rauzan-Segla lets you choose the barrel you want to taste, with the emphasis that they have nothing to hide. The final blend is 60% new oak and 40% old. Beautifully concentrated with aromas of crushed flowers and crushed rocks. Silky but with lots of concentration and a saline liquorice finish. This could be one of the best Rauzan-Seglas we have ever tasted. Incredible energy and drive. It is going to age for decades. Floral notes lean more toward violets than roses this vintage. Also comes from Terrace 4.

Buy Rauzan-Segla →

 

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Palmer 2025

97-99 Points

The most powerful of the Margaux wines from Terrace 4. Muscular with fine tannins, true to the Palmer style. Lots of flair and complexity. Chalky tannins that coat the mouth, beautiful texture and length. Loved it. Highly recommended.

Buy Palmer →

 

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Brane-Cantenac 2025

96-98 Points

Comes from Terrace 4, the same as Palmer and Rauzan-Segla, which makes a more powerful style of wine. Of the three, Brane-Cantenac is the most refined. Almost a Pauillac-esque nose. Nicely ripe, cassis, floral with super silky tannins and mouthfeel. Usually affordable, so great value for the quality. A bit of an underdog this vintage.

Buy Brane-Cantenac →

 

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Giscours 2025

96-98 Points

Of all the Margaux wines, which are known to be aromatic in style, Giscours took the crown as the most aromatic of the day. It just jumped out of the glass right into your face. Really quite intoxicating, and you kept wanting to go back for more. Floral with peonies, fine tannins, quite savoury on the palate with a long salty finish. Serious structure.

Buy Giscours →

 

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What the critics think

Our scores and notes are published now. Full critical scores from Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Jancis Robinson and Decanter will follow as the campaign progresses. We will update this page as scores are released.

Browse and buy Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur →

Allocations and pricing are being added as chateaux release. Sign up below for first access.

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In September 2012, Frédéric Engerer — then president of Chateau Latour — announced that the estate would no longer participate in the Bordeaux En Primeur system. It was, at the time, the most significant departure from Bordeaux convention in living memory.

No other First Growth had done it. No estate of comparable standing had done it. And yet Latour, one of the five most important properties in the world, walked away from the system that had defined how Bordeaux is sold for the better part of a century.

More than a decade on, it is worth understanding exactly why they did it, what the decision changed, and why — for serious collectors — it has arguably strengthened Latour's position rather than weakened it.

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What En Primeur Actually Is

En Primeur is the system by which Bordeaux châteaux release wines for sale approximately eighteen months after harvest, before they have been bottled. Buyers pay at the point of release and wait, sometimes for several years, for the wine to arrive. Merchants like Fine Wine Library buy allocations through La Place de Bordeaux and pass them to collectors.

The appeal for châteaux has historically been clear: guaranteed cashflow early in the wine's life, broad market exposure, and a way to distribute wine across a global network of merchants before a single bottle has been filled.

The appeal for collectors has also been real: access to the finest wines at the earliest prices, the widest selection of formats, and the security of a guaranteed allocation.

But the system has an inherent tension built into it. The wine being sold is a barrel sample — an educated estimate of what the finished wine will eventually become. Critics taste in the spring following harvest and assign scores. Those scores drive prices. And prices are set before the wine is complete.

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Why Latour Walked Away

Engerer's stated reasoning was simple, and in hindsight, hard to argue with. Latour's wines need time. Real time — not the two or three years between release and delivery, but ten, fifteen, twenty years or more before the Grand Vin begins to show its full character.

Selling a wine that needs two decades in bottle at a price set by an eighteen-month-old barrel sample creates an inherent distortion. The wine being assessed is not the wine the collector will eventually drink. And the price being paid reflects the critic's projection of what that wine might become, rather than the certainty of what it is.

From Latour's perspective, this created a problem. Their wine — the one they had spent generations perfecting, investing in, and protecting — was being valued on incomplete information. And once released into the market, the estate had no further control over provenance, storage, or how the wine reached its eventual owner.

The solution was radical: hold the wine back entirely. Release it only when it is ready to drink — or at least approaching a point where it can be meaningfully assessed in bottle — and sell it directly into the market at that point.

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What Changed After 2012

The practical consequences were significant. Latour's wines — from the 2012 vintage onwards — disappeared from the annual En Primeur campaign. Merchants who had historically received allocations found themselves without a Latour line to offer.

The first post-system release came in 2018, when Latour released the 2006 vintage. It was priced considerably higher than it would have been if sold en primeur back in 2008 — but it came with something that barrel samples cannot offer: certainty. The wine was in bottle, assessed in its finished state, and available with impeccable provenance direct from the château.

Subsequent releases have followed the same logic: wines are released when Latour judges them ready, typically ten to fifteen years after harvest. The 2012, 2013, and 2014 vintages were released together in 2021. The 2015 followed. More recently, the 2016 — widely considered one of the greatest Latours ever produced — was released in 2025, nearly a decade after harvest.

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The Effect on Price and Collectability

The decision has not hurt Latour commercially. If anything, the opposite is true.

By controlling the timing of release, the estate has reframed how the market thinks about Latour. Rather than being one of five First Growths competing for attention during the spring En Primeur window, Latour now arrives on its own terms — announced, assessed, and available in a way that generates its own moment of market attention.

Secondary market prices for Latour have remained strong. The combination of finite supply, impeccable provenance (the estate can trace the full chain of custody for every bottle), and the cachet of a château that operates entirely outside Bordeaux's conventional rules has, if anything, increased the wine's mystique.

For collectors, the key implications are these. Latour is no longer available at release prices eighteen months after harvest. It arrives later, priced at what the market will bear at that point, with no early-access discount. But what you receive in exchange is a wine in bottle, with full provenance documentation, at or near a drinking window that has been validated by the estate itself.

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What This Means if You Want to Buy Latour

Purchasing Latour today means buying released back vintages rather than futures. Fine Wine Library maintains access to Latour across a range of vintages — including recent releases from the Pinault era — all held in bond, excise duty free, with complete provenance.

For collectors building a serious Pauillac position, Latour's post-En Primeur releases represent a different kind of proposition from its peers. No early entry price, but no barrel-sample uncertainty either. You know what you are buying. You know where it has been. And you know it comes from one of the most precisely managed cellars in Bordeaux.

Whether that trade-off suits your collecting strategy depends on your time horizon and how much you value the certainty of a château-released, fully documented bottle over the early access that En Primeur provides.

For most serious collectors, the answer has been clear. Latour's secondary market tells you everything.

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Explore Chateau Latour → Buy Chateau Latour wines

Understand En Primeur → The complete guide to Bordeaux En Primeur

Best Vintages → Best Vintages of Chateau Latour to Buy

Compare the First Growths → Bordeaux First Growths: the complete guide

Chateau Latour is one of the most consistent estates in Bordeaux. Its deep gravel terroir in Pauillac, the discipline of the Enclos selection, and the estate's willingness to declassify in difficult years all mean that even in vintages that challenged others, Latour tends to produce something of serious quality.

But consistency is not uniformity. Across the modern era, certain vintages stand conspicuously apart — wines where the combination of exceptional growing conditions and Latour's particular style of winemaking produced results that belong in a different conversation from the standard of an already outstanding estate.

These are those vintages: what makes each one special, where they sit in their ageing arc, and how to think about adding them to your cellar.

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Chateau Latour 2016 — The Benchmark

The 2016 is, by most serious accounts, one of the greatest Latours ever produced. It received multiple 100-point scores across major critics and has been described in terms usually reserved for a handful of wines per generation. What makes it extraordinary is not just its power — Latour is always powerful — but the precision and tension that sits beneath it.

The 2016 growing season delivered a cool, slow ripening period that allowed Cabernet Sauvignon to develop concentration without losing freshness. The result is a wine of almost architectural tension: dark, graphite-edged, with tannins that are formidable but finely delineated, and a finish that seems to extend without limit. It is emphatically not ready. It will not be ready for many years. But for collectors buying for the long term, the 2016 is as close to a certainty as Bordeaux produces.

When to drink: 2035–2060+ Buy it if: You are building a twenty-year-plus cellar position.

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Chateau Latour 2019 — Power Meets Freshness

The 2019 is the most recently released back vintage from Latour and has been widely celebrated as one of the great modern expressions of the estate. It received 100 points and was released by the château in 2026, nearly seven years after harvest — which, by Latour's standards, is still relatively early.

What distinguishes the 2019 from the 2016 is a slightly more open, generous quality — still unmistakably Latour in its structure and concentration, but with a lift and freshness that makes it marginally more approachable in the shorter term. This is partly vintage — 2019 was a warm, generous year — and partly a reflection of the precision with which the estate now manages each parcel.

For collectors who find the 2016 almost intimidatingly closed, the 2019 offers an equally serious proposition with a slightly shorter patience requirement.

When to drink: 2030–2055+ Buy it if: You want a 100-point Latour with an earlier projected drinking window than the 2016.

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Chateau Latour 2010 — Monumental

The 2010 is one of the great Bordeaux of the modern era, and Latour's version is among the finest wines the estate has produced in the past thirty years. The vintage delivered exceptional concentration across the Left Bank, and Latour's response was a wine of almost overwhelming structure: dense, inky, with tannins that remain remarkably unyielding more than fifteen years after harvest.

It is not quite there yet, even now. Those who have opened bottles in the last two or three years report something extraordinary beginning to emerge — graphite, dark fruit, truffle, a depth that seems to grow rather than fade — but most serious tasters advise continued patience. In ten years it will be superb. In twenty, it will be one of the great bottles.

The 2010 is harder to find than the 2016 or 2019 given its age and the fact that it was released through the En Primeur system before the estate's 2012 departure. Provenance matters here: buy from merchants who can document the storage chain.

When to drink: 2028–2060+ Buy it if: You want the most powerful Latour of the modern era and are prepared for a long wait.

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Chateau Latour 2000 — Entering its Window

The 2000 is now approaching something close to its peak, and those who have held bottles from release are beginning to be rewarded for their patience. The millennial vintage was hyped on release and delivered: a wine of classical Pauillac character, with the cedary, cigar-box complexity that defines great Latour at maturity beginning to emerge clearly.

At over twenty years of age, the 2000 has the additional advantage of being more easily assessed than younger vintages — you can buy it knowing, with reasonable confidence, what you are getting and when it will be at its best. Secondary market availability is reasonable, though again, provenance matters enormously at this age.

When to drink: 2025–2045 Buy it if: You want a Latour you can open in the next five to ten years with full confidence.

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Chateau Latour 1996 — The Classic Left Bank Benchmark

In any discussion of classic Pauillac, the 1996 eventually comes up. It was a year that suited the Left Bank's Cabernet Sauvignon more than almost any other vintage of the 1990s: a long, cool ripening season that produced wines of brilliant structural precision. Latour's version is one of the finest in its peer group.

The 1996 has been slow to open — this is Latour, so that is expected — but at nearly thirty years of age it is now delivering what patient collectors waited for: cedar, graphite, dark cherries, tobacco, and a mineral spine that never entirely softened but has integrated beautifully into the whole. It is drinking well now, will continue to drink well for another fifteen to twenty years, and represents one of the finest expressions of what traditional Bordeaux winemaking and great terroir can produce together.

Availability on the secondary market is limited and price reflects the vintage's reputation. Provenance is critical at this age.

When to drink: Now–2040 Buy it if: You want a great Latour to drink in the near term, or to mark an occasion requiring a wine with genuine historical weight.

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What About Lesser Vintages?

One of Latour's defining qualities is its performance in difficult years. The Enclos's deep drainage and vine maturity give the estate a buffer against climatic extremes that younger vineyards, and shallower soils, do not have. In years like 2011, 2012, and 2014 — all of which challenged many Médoc properties — Latour still produced wines of considerable quality, albeit at a lower price point and with a shorter ageing arc.

For collectors who want to explore Latour without the commitment of a significant fine-vintage purchase, these lesser years offer a genuine entry point to understanding the estate's style.

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Buying Latour: Practical Considerations

Since leaving En Primeur in 2012, Latour releases its wines directly from the château in bottle. This means there are no futures to buy — all available stock is either from back vintages bought at En Primeur before 2012, or from château releases since then.

Provenance is more important for Latour than for almost any other wine. The estate has gone to considerable lengths to control its own distribution since 2012, and releases come with documentation. For older vintages bought on the secondary market, storage history matters — a poorly stored 1996 is a very different proposition from one that has spent its life in a temperature-controlled bonded warehouse.

Fine Wine Library holds Latour stock in bond — excise duty free — with documented provenance on every case.

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View available Chateau Latour vintages → Buy Chateau Latour

Why Latour left En Primeur → Why Chateau Latour Left En Primeur

Latour vs Lafite vs Mouton → How they compare

All five Bordeaux First Growths → Bordeaux First Growths: the complete guide

Explore all Pauillac wines

Latour 2016 — a perfect vintage benchmark

Latour 2019 — 100 point precision