The 2025 Bordeaux harvest is likely to go down in history—not only because of its extraordinary growing season and historically early harvest, but also because of the outstanding quality achieved by many wines and the attractive market conditions that make this vintage particularly compelling.

As I write these lines, another star from Pessac-Léognan, Château Haut-Bailly (97–98/100), has just been released at a highly noteworthy price of around €88 from merchants such as Bacchus Vinothek. Even the excellent second wine, Haut-Bailly II (92–93/100), is available for approximately €30.

Earlier today, Château Mouton Rothschild became the next Premier Grand Cru Classé to announce its En Primeur release price. At around €420 per bottle from merchants such as Lobenberg, Bacchus Vinothek and Crurated, it is above the 2024 release price (€354) but still below the 2023 vintage (€455; pricing according to Bacchus Vinothek).

I awarded the wine 98–100/100 points. For me, it ranks among the greatest successes of the 2025 vintage. With an exceptionally high proportion of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Mouton combines concentration and the château’s signature seductive charm with remarkable precision, freshness, and elegance. A great Mouton that is already captivating in its youth while possessing the potential to evolve for decades. More on this wine in one of the upcoming newsletters—or right now in the FINE WINE GUIDE.

Subscribers can find the detailed tasting notes for both wines in German and English in the extensive FINE WINE GUIDE DATABASE.

But back to La Mission and Haut-Brion. When I spoke with Jean-Philippe Delmas, Managing Director of Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Domaine Clarence Dillon S.A.S.), during an exclusive interview at En Primeur week, he drew a remarkable comparison: in his entire career, only the 2003 vintage had started earlier.

For Delmas, 2025 is an exceptional “spring vintage.” While yields had already been influenced by the conditions of 2024, the true quality of the wines was shaped during the spring of 2025. The warm and dry summer that followed reminded him of great Bordeaux vintages such as 2005 and 2010. Throughout the growing season, the vineyards remained in perfect condition—“like a French garden”: healthy, balanced, and free from stress.

Equally noteworthy was his perspective on the market. During our conversation, Delmas emphasized that buyers participating in this year’s En Primeur campaign might be presented with a rare opportunity: acquiring a potentially outstanding vintage at prices significantly below those currently commanded by benchmark vintages such as 2022, 2016, or 2010.

The first releases appear to support this assessment. La Mission Haut-Brion 2023 was offered at around €275 per bottle. The newly released 2025 vintage is currently available for approximately €197–199 per bottle from merchants such as Crurated, Lobenberg, and Bacchus Vinothek, placing it significantly below the comparable 2023 release.

Haut-Brion 2025 - The benchmark in Pessac

I awarded the 2025 Haut-Brion 98–99/100 points, making it a true benchmark for Pessac-Léognan. This tasting note, too, is available in the well-stocked database.

The recently released La Mission Haut-Brion is somewhat more approachable, yet scarcely less fascinating. My rating of 97/100 points reflects this impression.

For now, Bordeaux 2025 remains a barrel-sample vintage. Yet rarely has there been such broad consensus following the En Primeur tastings among producers, critics, and merchants alike. The combination of exceptionally early ripening, remarkable freshness, and classical structure has produced wines that, in many cases, evoke memories of the great vintages of past decades.

For collectors and wine enthusiasts, this may well be the real story of Bordeaux 2025: a vintage with genuine potential for greatness at a moment when prices have not yet reached the levels associated with the celebrated hype vintages of the past.