In many places, the 2025 harvest was one of the earliest ever: it began in the first week of September and often ended around September 20. This not only put it well ahead of 2024, but in some cases even ahead of the extremely warm years of 2018, 2022 and 2003.

Harvesting had already been completed at many estates, whereas it had only just begun at this time last year.

Stylistics: Firmly classical instead of exotic

2025 presents itself as a bridge between 2020, 2022 and 2023 - with a clearly classic signature. Less opulent than 2022, more precise than 2020 and more structured than 2023, it is also incredibly seductive and fragrant.

Even at the top, the stylistic orientation is clearly evident: Château Cheval Blanc is at around 12.7% by volume, as is Château Lafite Rothschild at a remarkably moderate level, to name just two prominent châteaux to the left and right of the Gironde. Whether Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot ultimately comes out on top remains to be seen - outstanding qualities have been achieved on both sides of the river.

For Glumineau , 2025 embodies everything you could wish for from a great Bordeaux: "A generous vintage full of creaminess, dense without over-concentration, with finesse, freshness, charm and depth - in wonderful balance."

Jacques Thienpont from the legendary Château Le Pin also speaks of a positive surprise. In a video interview, he said: "In view of the extreme weather conditions, we were very surprised by the result."

This tenor was heard in many places - and it was precisely this that ultimately gave rise to the apt title of this vintage: "A Miracle Vintage." The quality is very high, but the quantities are extremely low, Thienpont continued in the video interview: "The only problem will be finding the bottles on the market." - said with his inimitable humor. Take a look for yourself

On the basis of around 500 wines tasted, the level can already be clearly classified: on average easily two to three points above 2024, in some cases even up to four points at the top (e.g. Château Lafite, Léoville-Las-Cases etc) - and thus almost on a par with 2022.

The vintage may not quite reach the stratospheric dimension of 2022, which is mainly due to less homogeneity. Stylistically, however, it is by no means inferior. On the contrary: finesse drinkers and lovers of classic Bordeaux should particularly appreciate this vintage - possibly even more than the undoubtedly great but much more exotic 2022.

I have rated a large number of wines in the 95 to 100 point range, including several candidates for the top score of 100/100.

An even more detailed analysis with all the tasting notes will follow by the end of the month - as well as my best-of lists and exclusive interviews with leading personalities from both shores. Then I will also be looking in detail at the question of whether you should subscribe and, above all, what you should subscribe to.

First of all: I have interviewed around 20 top personalities on both sides of the Gironde. There are many indications that, despite the high quality, prices are tending to remain stable or even fall slightly - with a few exceptions.

Ronan Laborde, Château Clinet and former UGCB president, for example, says: "We will surprise the market with our prices."
Let's hope it will be a positive surprise - because only then can this vintage really become a turnaround for Bordeaux (click here for the video interview).

Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, Nicolas Glumineau is very clear in his video interview with me, which is well worth watching: "We are very aware of the current economic situation." When asked, he confirms that he expects a significant adjustment to the current challenging market situation - an assessment that coincides with many conversations these days and feeds the hope that this vintage could provide the much-needed impetus for Bordeaux , not only in terms of quality but also in terms of price .

The potential for this is clearly there: very high quality, a likely attractive price level and, at the same time, a very limited supply.

This results in an exciting constellation: the 2025s are likely to appear comparatively cheap on release, but in view of the small harvest and the quality, they have considerable potential to increase in value as soon as they are filled and established on the market. The eagerly awaited campaign with Pontet-Canet starts on April 29.

A price at the level of 2019 and 2024 around (or even slightly below) €58 ex Négociant is not unrealistic - this would make the wine an absolute bargain. And especially in the second and third series, there will be a cornucopia of exquisite wines with an extremely attractive price-performance ratio.

Another decisive point: 2025 delivers convincing results across all regions - for red wines and predominantly for white and sweet wines.

The quality extends from the Premier Crus down to the Cru Bourgeois, many of which offer a particularly attractive price-performance ratio - as do numerous wines from the satellites of the Right Bank, such as Castillon or Fronsac.

There are clear strengths within the appellations:

• Margaux, probably the most homogenous appellation on the left bank
• Saint-Émilion, somewhat more heterogeneous (than 2022, for example) but with impressive freshness on the limestone soils
• Pomerol, especially in its core zone, with outstanding depth and precision

On the right bank, Saint-Émilion was somewhat more heterogeneous overall, but produced some outstanding highlights. Among the most impressive were the two - almost identically named - top wines from Château Beauséjour Bécot and Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse, both of which impressed with remarkable precision and depth.

Château Angélus also made a strong statement - not least against the backdrop of its new, spectacular cellar - with a wine of clear style and great presence.

The limestone-rich terroirs of Saint-Émilion and the clay-rich plateau of Pomerol, which were able to retain their freshness, structure and aromatic tension particularly well, were the main beneficiaries.

It is also pleasing to note that the quality is by no means limited to the most renowned names: Even in appellations such as Castillon, Haut-Médoc, Moulis or Listrac, there are numerous wines with a convincing price-performance ratio and independent profile.

The white wines present a differentiated picture: the dry wines from the Médoc and Sauternes often surprise positively with their freshness and clarity, while the white wines from Pessac-Léognan are somewhat less uniform. Sauternes confirms its reputation among the sweet wines and produces a very good, if not quite outstanding vintage - with a successful balance between sweetness, acidity and aromatic precision. Compared to last year, it still lacks the final tension and linearity in places.

Overall, the white wines - with a few exceptions - are on a par with the previous year. For me, the white wines from Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Domaine de Chevalier are particularly noteworthy. In the Médoc, the white wines from Château Cos d'Estournel and the Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux from Château Margaux also impressed. The Les Champs Libres from Château Lafleuer, Vin de France, was also top class.