Nobody was looking forward to the 2024 En Primeur campaign - even before news from the US made it more challenging. As James Lawther, the Bordeaux-based correspondent for Jancis.Robinson.com said "This is not a ‘must have’ vintage but if the price is right, the interest could be in wines that will be accessible relatively early." Robinson herself was more direct, calling it "the vintage no one seems to want."
The previous vintage - good but not outstanding - had been launched last year as a 'make or break campaign' for En Primeur, with calls for a 30% reduction in prices. Some chateaux, including Lafite, Haut-Brion, Léoville Las-Cases, Haut-Brion, Mouton Rothschild and Lynch-Bages obliged with reductions that went beyond this. Others didn't. But, in any case, sales were slow and there were numerous reports of negociants with too much 2023, and earlier vintages to sell.
Alongside the well-reported decline in wine consumption including among people who might be expected to consume Bordeaux, critics, merchants and wine drinkers had become increasingly aware that mature wines from good vintages can be now be bought for lower prices than the latest ones in barrel.
Worse than last year
The 2024 vintage, in any case, is is less appealing than 2023. After a warm, wet winter, heavy spring rainfall led to record levels of mildew. Following a dry July and August, there were initial signs of optimism before heavy rainfall and cool temperatures in September significantly worsened harvest conditions. While some estates produced high quality wine, the quality was generally acknowledged to be 'uneven'.
Accordingly, once again, there were calls for more price cuts - of another 30%.
The first estates to release their wines did not think a reduction of this level was fair. Pontet Canet opted for a cut of just 9% compared to 2023 and 33% compared to 2022. Unfortunately, as many in Bordeaux noted, this was only sufficient to balance the 9% fall in the value of the US dollar since the beginning of the year. On top of this there will be the 10% (or possibly 20%) 'Trump Tariff' to pay.
Then the Fourth Growth 'Château Branaire-Ducru' broke the ice at the beginning of the second campaign week, with the announcement of a price cut of over 20% to €37.20 (approx. $40) incl. VAT. This was still not particularly welcomed.
Subsequently, as many had expected, Château Lafite announced on April 29th that it would release its 2024 at €288 ex-négociant, corresponding to the 2014 price. According to 'Wine Lister', this places the release price in the London trade around 30% below the price of the 2023 vintage and 52% below that of the 2022.
Other chateaux now have a benchmark to work around, but it is far from certain, even at this level of reduction, that buyers will be lining up to buy any but the very top wines. There is simply far too much mature wine on the market or gathering dust in private cellars.
Negative reviews
William Kelley of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate judged that the vintage is “clearly Bordeaux's weakest... of the last decade.” producing only a “few compelling wines.” He noted that many 2024s are “dilute, herbaceous and tart. Reflecting this assessment, his highest score was only 94–96 points, awarded to just three wineries. He concluded by doubting the wines would improve by the time of bottling.
For Kelley, as for many other observers, En Bordeaux Primeur is a "sinking ship." Jérôme Baudouin, Editor-in-Chief of 'Revue de Vin de France', evidently shared this opinion, saying "A disaster scenario is emerging that highlights how much Bordeaux today is de-structured and incapable of organizing collectively to restore purpose to an industry that is finished."
The 2024 Bordeaux vintage will certainly be remembered, but not for the reasons most Bordelais would have wished. This really could be the year when the En Primeur system in its current form breathes its last.
