Bordeaux Primeurs 2024 tasted in April 2025: scrolling images from left to right

These grand wines, undergoing long ageing, exhibit “silky tannic structure in the reds” and a “sleek profile in the whites”

Crafted with the precision of haute couture in fashion, they either embrace current taste trends or innovate in a futuristic style, yet they remain steadfastly true to their terroir, faithfully expressed in the nectar.

It is a complex process to orchestrate, overseen by a team of “owners, oenologists, winemakers, vineyard managers, and cellar masters”—each playing a vital role.

Much like a maestro conducting an orchestra, they weave together every element to reveal the most moving emotion.

The “Bordeaux Primeurs tasting experience” was beautifully animated by estate representatives at every visit—some offering warm, gourmet welcomes even at peak hours, with surprises extending beyond Bordeaux as a bonus.

Here are “my favourite selections for 2024, captured in photos”, reflecting my personal tastes. However, many domains during this whirlwind week “remained unvisited”, as my colleague, sommelier “Séverine Gendre”, and I simply ran out of time.

Without delving too deeply into tasting results, we felt particularly drawn this year to:

– “White and red wines from the Left Bank (Médoc)”

– “Red and white wines from Pessac-Léognan”

– “Pomerol-s”

– “The rare whites from the Right Bank (Saint-Émilion)”

“This complex vintage posed challenges for all, with some producers having better luck in crafting samples that precisely showcased the finest tasting sensations.”

I selected a few 2024 wines still in aging that deserve a rating between 95 and 100 out of 100 —intensely emotional bottles that inspired Wine4Melomanes pairings with musical compositions from the same vintage. These selections emphasize the sensuality, richness, vibrancy, and harmony of Bacchic pleasures.

One of my long-time favorites for its mineral consistency and aerial precision in taste—its elegant linear structure and eurythmic aromatic balance—remains ‘Château Lafite-Rothschild’ in the Pauillac appellation. For the 2024 tasting, I paired it with a composition from the same vintage, ‘Floating Parade’ by ‘Michael Kiwanuka’, underscoring the sensitive qualities of the wine.

“Nearby, the biodynamic vineyards of ‘Pontet-Canet’, its premium hospitality, and its poetic elegance—alongside ‘Château Latour’ with its unwavering gustatory power—proved equally captivating, complemented by a surprise vintage revelation.”

Following in similar refined style, ‘Cos d’Estournel’ in Saint-Estèphe embodies the deep quality of its appellation, like a finely honed aromatic blade, in both red and white. I selected ‘Les Pagodes de Cos’ for this ‘music-wine pairing’ experience, celebrating the 30th anniversary of this vibrant cuvée.

The 2024 musical match, inspired by the gustatory spirituality fused with raspberry and eucalyptus notes, features the South African ‘Kyle Shepherd Trio’ covering ‘Massive Attack’s’ timeless ‘Teardrop’ for the red wine, while the white—crystal-clear and touched with aristocratic ‘exotica’—finds its perfect counterpart in the sublime Brazilian waltz ‘Nao Sei’ (2024) by ‘Marcos Valle’.

 

“In a register of magnificence with elegantly minimal gustatory signatures, ‘Calon Ségur’ and its satellite estates delighted us.”

Further south in the Margaux appellation, ‘Château Palmer’ continues to tease excellence in red wine with each vintage, though this year’s yield was low (22hl/ha) due to challenging climatic conditions for some estates. Its silky rarity and saline biodynamic gustatory profile remain ever-present, seamlessly balancing fruit and floral elements to embody terroir expression.

For its musical pairing, I matched its deep aromatic radiance with the subtle 2024 composition ‘Chihiro’ by ‘Billie Eilish’, evoking its ethereal complexity.

In Pessac-Léognan, Domaine Clarence Dillon, Château Haut-Brion, and La Mission captivated me as they do every vintage, for the precision of the grand crus they deliver in both white and red. With a low yield (26hl/ha), Haut-Brion red reveals an airy floral freshness, a fruity intensity with a lively energy, and balanced acidity. It inspired a perfectly executed musical pairing—a country-infused melody from Beyoncé, Blackbiird (2024).

For La Mission’s white wine, I chose to highlight its ardent exotic and spicy aromatic and gustatory palette with the vibrant composition Take It Higher (2024) by pianist Ashley Henry.

Moving to the Right Bank, in the fabulous Pomerol, Petrus stands out with its well-structured power, density, and atomizing gustatory volume. Its rich, mentholated, and mineral juice defines the 2024 vintage, overseen by Olivier Berrouet. In echo, the contemporary composition « Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose » (2024) by Father John Misty, along with its GainsbourUm musical arrangements, illustrates the magic of this remarkable cru.

Vieux Château Certan, from the Thienpont family, also crafted an exceptional 2024 cuvée despite its low yield (30hl/ha). A magnificent contrast emerges between its violet and elegant iris notes and its fresh, juicy red fruit, delivering exceptional elegance. Tasted just before Petrus, its distinct style adds to the appellation’s perfect eclectic touch, showcasing each winemaker’s approach to their terroir. To match this contemporary art wine, my musical pairing leans toward Michael Kiwanuka and Lowdown (Part I) (2024), where the vocals, accompanied by high-calibre pop instrumentation, beautifully intoxicate the taster throughout their Pomerol journey.

 

Early in the morning at Château LaFleur, owned by the Guinaudeau family in Pomerol, we started strong with a selection rich in emotion, both in white and red. A confidential series with low yields, featuring small vineyard plots with unique geology. Carefully crafted vintages, each showcasing the singularity of their respective winemakers, result in bottled poetry, each as memorable as the other for 2024. For the musical pairing, I chose the mineral white Les Champs Libres, just as splendid as the striking red LaFleur 2024, accompanied by the cuvées Les Perrières and Les Pensées. Born from a unique clay-limestone plateau, the Sauvignon Blanc evokes an extremely successful Loire-like sensation, where the mineral tension leads me to pair this 2024 theme with the fascinating cinematic soundscapes of « Continuum 1″ by experimental jazz artist Nala Sinephro.

Later that day, we headed to Le Pin – Pomerol to taste two cuvées presented by the master of the estate, Jacques Thienpont, in a noble and serene setting. The wine L’If (Merlot, Cabernet Franc), located on the limestone heights of Saint-Émilion, near Troplong-Mondot, and Le Pin (Merlot), the highly sought-after rarity of the appellation. These pure marvels leave no doubt about their airy, streamlined, and vibrant flavors, with notes of rose and a mineral sensation close to the magical terroir. The refined composition and shimmering universe of Japanese pianist Rikuto Fujimoto with Leaving Afar, Into The Blue (2024) seemed to harmonize precisely with the work behind these astonishing cuvées.

Château Troplong-Mondot, Premier Grand Cru Classé at the pinnacle of its Saint-Émilion appellation, on exceptional limestone soils, continues its precise craftsmanship despite a lower yield this year. Complex, chalky, of great taste tension, profound, and lively, the flagship cuvée guided my pairing toward a highly contemporary piece—electro youth, fiery and distinguished—from artist Tenderlonious, with Underworld (6AM Mix) 2024, underscoring the rhythm of this remarkable wine.

As always, Tertre Roteboeuf in Saint-Émilion Grand Cru remains an unmissable stop on the journey, a delight complemented by an aged vintage and a legendary welcome in the cellar.

The lush Château Figeac and its daring 2024 contemporary gospel accord, to celebrate the success of the 2024 vintage, whose fruity vivacity coupled with evangelist floral bodice satellite the now imperious palate.

Jimetta Rose & Voices of Creation « Everywhere I Look (Love Is Everywhere) » 2024

Cheval Blanc, Ausone, the standout La Conseillante and L’Evangile, and other niche Pomerol-s at Château La Dominique—represented by the Rolland & Associates laboratory—rounded off our week’s exquisite collection with successful wines from both banks.

CocoVino agency and Château La Lagune refined the indulgence further with superb vintaged cuvées to complete the mission.

Finally, the Blanc de Valandraud and its companion Blanc du Beau Père delivered a fully accomplished mineral taste resonance for 2024, enchanting us with a powerful pairing that matched their modern image: The Smile (Thom Yorke) with Eyes & Mouth 2024, echoing this energetic sensation.