With the release of the 2025 Château Cheval Blanc and Château Lafite Rothschild, two of the most important names recently sent a clear signal in this year's en primeur market. With its end consumer prices, First Growth is significantly more moderate than in many previous years - despite extremely low yields.

A vintage that for a long time was praised only behind closed doors is now revealing in the glass what truly defines it: in a warm year, precision triumphed over power. Aromatic freshness, finely sculpted tannins, and a balance shaped more by restraint than opulence define the style of the best wines.

The opening event was the press tasting at Cité du Vin, where we were able to gain a very solid overview of the vintage with around 150 wines. This was followed by impressions from the Left Bank, featuring numerous Premiers Grands Crus Classés. Seamlessly afterwards came the visits to the Right Bank.

The 2024 vintage is extremely heterogeneous, separating the wheat from the chaff as rarely before. Nevertheless, it would be a big mistake to simply overlook it. Despite the challenges, there are many exciting wines that are more affordable than they have been in decades.

2022 was an extreme year in Bolgheri. From February to June, it was the driest year on record, and from May to September, it was one of the warmest in the past four years. Balanced rainfall leading up to the harvest provided relief in the vineyard and ultimately resulted in a very good vintage.

Hardly any other wine region in the world has experienced such a dynamic boom in the past decade as South Africa. The Cape region in particular is booming like never before. No wonder, because wine-loving visitors can expect a seemingly endless Garden of Eden of epicurean delights.

Hardly any other wine region in Italy has seen as much change over the past two decades as the largest island in the Mediterranean. For a long time, Sicilian wines were considered Italy's answer to the New World. But after the boom...

The pandemic vintage is surprisingly homogenous and of excellent quality. The 2020 Brunello wines display wonderful ripeness, expressive fruit and captivating charm, while also maintaining a good structure with a juicy texture and surprising freshness.

The Landpartie at Hofgut Dagobertshausen near Marburg, which is popular with star chefs and gourmet lovers, celebrated its tenth anniversary this summer with numerous top chefs and star-level dishes.