Bordeaux 2025: Comparing Critics’ Scores and Opinions

Bordeaux 2025 is widely seen as a high-quality but uneven vintage, shaped by heat, drought, tiny berries and late-season freshness. Critics consistently highlight concentration without heaviness, moderate alcohols, vivid aromatics, firm tannins and clear terroir expression. The best wines are exceptional, especially from strong clay, limestone and Cabernet sites, but careful selection and sensible pricing are essential.

Browse the full Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur range, or read our own Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Report from our buying director, who visited more than 50 chateaux and tasted over 200 wines across the campaign.

Comments on Pricing

First of all, all of the major critics have highlighted that while the quality of the 2025 wines is undeniably high, release prices need to be aligned with current market realities. There is a clear feeling that Bordeaux cannot continue with business as usual after several difficult En Primeur campaigns. It is encouraging to see critics not only praise the wines, but also openly address pricing, value and the long-term health of the market, making their opinions heard far more directly than in previous vintages.

If you are new to buying En Primeur, our complete guide to buying Bordeaux En Primeur and our En Primeur beginners guide explain how the system works and what to look for when making your selections.

Bordeaux 2025 Scores Analysis:

We’ve analysed the top wines, scores and key themes across all of the major Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur critics reports, bringing together opinions from Jeb Dunnuck, Jane Anson, William Kelley, Antonio Galloni, Neal Martin and Georgie Hindle.

Scroll down and, you’ll find the standout wines, highest scores and the major talking points shaping the vintage. Scroll down for a full region-by-region breakdown across both the Left and Right Bank.

Top 10 scoring wines of Bordeaux 2025:

Bordeaux 2025: The Headlines

“A singular vintage that defies comparison” - William Kelley

“The most transparent, highly differentiated Bordeaux vintage we have ever tasted” - William Kelley

“Twenty-five ranks amongst the great Bordeaux vintages” - Neal Martin

“A dialled-down and more precise 2010” - Neal Martin

“The best 2025s are tremendous, some of the best wines I have ever tasted” - Antonio Galloni

“The finest 2025s are nothing short of thrilling” - Antonio Galloni

“The combination of soaring aromatics, intense fruit, full, rich flavors, brisk acids and modest alcohols is something I have never seen in the red wines of Bordeaux” - Antonio Galloni

“The wines that excel are brilliant, and the very best are certain to be legendary.” - Jeb Dunnuck

"Bordeaux 2025 En Primeur: A Modern 1961" - Jeb Dunnuck

“The best wines live up to hype” - Jane Anson

What the Critics Agree On

The verdict across the major critics is consistent: Bordeaux 2025 is a vintage of genuine historical significance, and one of the most transparent Bordeaux vintages in recent memory.

William Kelley of Wine Advocate describes it as a "singular vintage that defies comparison", calling it a "clarifier" that reveals terroir and producer style with unusual precision. Neal Martin at Vinous sees it as "a dialled-down and more precise 2010", with classical freshness sitting alongside hot-year concentration. Jeb Dunnuck goes further, calling it "a modern 1961" and placing it among the great vintages of the past century.

The thread running through every assessment is the same: historically low yields and tiny berry size produced wines of authoritative density, while cool September conditions preserved freshness and moderate alcohols. The result is a Left Bank that excels in Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux, and a Right Bank where the clay soils of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion delivered some of the most compelling wines of the campaign.

Antonio Galloni describes a combination of soaring aromatics, intense fruit and brisk acidity he says he has never previously encountered in Bordeaux red wines. Jane Anson's verdict is more measured but equally clear: the best wines live up to the hype, though 2025 rewards careful selection rather than blanket buying.

Pricing remains the critical variable. Every major critic agrees that sensibly priced wines represent a genuine opportunity for collectors.

Our own Bordeaux 2025 Vintage Report reflects the same conclusions, drawn from our buying director's visit to more than 50 chateaux and over 200 tastings across the campaign.

Critic Scores Analysed

We’ve analysed the top-scoring wines across each Bordeaux appellation and calculated the average critic scores to identify the strongest-performing regions of the vintage. Below, you’ll find a full breakdown by appellation, highlighting where the critics believe Bordeaux 2025 truly excelled.