For this year's En Primeur week, which took place from April 14th to 17th, around 4,500 wine experts from almost 70 countries traveled to Bordeaux, 10% fewer professionals than the previous year. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) reported these figures in a recent press release. At the peak event of En Primeur week, the tasting at Hangar 14, over 1,000 professionals, half of them international, as well as more than 50 accredited journalists, reportedly participated. From Tuesday, April 15th, to Thursday, April 17th, the tastings continued at six châteaux representing Bordeaux's main appellations: Château Gazin, Château Balestard La Tonnelle, Château Kirwan, Château La Louvière, Château Talbot, and Château Grand-Puy Ducasse.
Despite the declining visitor numbers, the organizers are drawing a positive conclusion. "In a global context still marked by ongoing geopolitical and trade policy tensions, the 2025 En Primeur week offered both confidence and new momentum," the press release states. "The strong interest in the 2024 vintage provides welcome optimism for producers and merchants as the industry prepares for an eagerly anticipated sales campaign." François-Xavier Maroteaux, President of the UGCB, describes the wines presented in Bordeaux as "a vintage of immediate pleasure,” whose style perfectly aligns with current consumer expectations. Axel Marchal, Professor of Oenology at the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences, University of Bordeaux, notes "a contemporary vintage with fresh, accessible wines."
While the UGCB now prepares its Asia tour, where the bottled 2022 vintage will be presented to trade professionals in Singapore, Saigon, and Bangkok between May 27th and 30th, other wineries have released their prices for the first ‘tranche’ of the 2024 vintage. This confirmed the trend of sometimes sharp price cuts compared to the previous year, which the trade had urgently called for beforehand. Following Château Lafite's price reduction of 30%, Cheval Blanc also saw a decrease of 29%. The price of heavyweight Angélus also dropped by 31%, and that of Château Mouton-Rothschild by a significant 25%. SP
