Gerda Béziade : Visiting the Bordeaux Châteaux during the grape harvest is always a captivating experience and a true pleasure. The atmosphere is vibrant, and it’s wonderful to sense the first aromas of the new vintage beginning to fill the cellars. This is the moment when the fruits of a year’s meticulous work are harvested from the vines, a highlight for the châteaux where everyone rolls up their sleeves. Hours no longer matter; it’s time to work tirelessly. However, the stakes are not only for the châteaux: the entire industry is already wondering what this new vintage has in store.
We immersed ourselves for a few days in this excitement to get a first glimpse of the 2024 vintageand to talk with the passionate artisans behind these great wines. The first verdict will be delivered during the Primeurs Week, organized by the Union of Great Crus, from April 14 to 17, 2025.
The year 2024 was marked by complex weather conditions. Bordeaux experienced a rainy winter and spring, while the Indian summer was long-awaited. In the face of this capricious weather, every detail of vineyard management proved crucial to achieving optimal ripeness and perfect uniformity. Furthermore, thanks to significant investments in the cellars, the châteaux can continue this meticulous approach initiated in the vineyards and apply rigorous work during vinification and aging to enhance their exceptional terroirs.
Domaine de Chevalier, Cru Classé de Graves
My first visit took place at Domaine de Chevalier, a classified growth in Graves, where I was welcomed by Adrien Bernard. With great frankness, he confided that they had decided to suspend their organic viticulture approach this year. “We are growers, merchants, but also entrepreneurs, with a responsibility not only to our families but also to our employees, he explained. “There came a time when we had to make the decision to protect the harvest by stepping outside the permitted framework of organic viticulture for treating our vines. It was a difficult decision, but we had no choice.
Château de Fieuzal, Cru Classé de Graves
I couldn’t miss Château de Fieuzal, a classified growth in Graves, which has established itself during the Primeurs 2023 campaign as one of the must-visit estates in terms of quality-price ratio. The quality of the wine is exceptional, thanks in large part to the talented Stephen Carrier, supported by renowned consultant Thomas Duclos. The latter brings significant added value for this new vintage, for which the preparatory work has been crucial.
Château Carbonnieux, Cru Classé de Graves
Château Carbonnieux, a classified growth in Graves, is an iconic estate whose recent history is tied to Philibert Perrin’s grandfather, Marc Perrin, who acquired it in 1956. This year, the harvest for the white wines took place under good conditions. However, a more rigorous selection of Sémillon will result in a yield reduction of about 15%. Regarding the reds, as Philibert Perrin explains, the estate has already gained experience in harvesting under less favorable conditions. “We will do our best, with an equally strict selection for the reds, in order to produce the best wine possible,” he added.
Philibert Perrin
Château Valandraud, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion
I crossed the Gironde to gather some impressions of the harvest on the right bank. My day began with a coffee and a discussion with Jean-Luc Thunevin, owner of Château Valandraud, a Premier Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion. During our conversation, he repeated what he had told me in June 2023, describing himself as “anxious but positive,” emphasizing the importance of not getting locked into a single idea to achieve good results. Staying true to his pragmatic approach, Jean-Luc also decided to suspend organic viticulture for this vintage, a choice driven by the desire to fight back the many challenges posed by this year’s conditions and to ensure the quality of his wine.
Vineyards at Château Valandraud
Château Ausone, 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion
I then ascended the beautiful limestone hill of Château Ausone to spend some time with Édouard Vauthier, one of the co-owners. His father, Alain, a great visionary, implemented density sorting starting with the 2010 vintage. This high-precision sorting is perfectly suited for selecting the Merlots and ensures a more accurate and consistent vinification, aligned with the excellence sought at Ausone and in the other estates of the Vauthier family.
After sorting, the grapes are placed in small 660-hectoliter tanks and kept at a temperature of 4 °C using dry ice for several days. This process provides real comfort for the entire team, allowing them to work without haste, with the sole objective of extracting the best from the grapes. Everything is meticulously planned to ensure optimal quality without rushing.
Château Laroque, Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Since joining Roland Coiffe’s team, I’ve had the opportunity to discover Château Laroque, a Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion, where the magic of limestone elevates the Merlot. As manager David Suire said in 2022, “Château Laroque stands out for its limestone plateaus and slopes, its unique terroir and landscapes. We have over 80 hectares (nearly 60 hectares of vines) in a single block, spread across a plateau and two hills. All these elements give unique characteristics to the wines, such as a remarkable verticality:
The wine is upright, dizzying, and ethereal. This depth is brought about by the limestone soils. The wine is designed and cultivated to age. I cannot bring myself to make wine for immediate consumption; it must evolve over time. This reflects our strong attachment to the concepts of time and transmission. Finally, the mineral signature provides a superb balance.
Château Brane-Cantenac, 2ème Grand Cru Classé Margaux
Since joining Roland Coiffe’s team, I’ve had the opportunity to discover Château Laroque, a Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Émilion, where the magic of limestone elevates the Merlot. As manager David Suire said in 2022, “Château Laroque stands out for its limestone plateaus and slopes, its unique terroir and landscapes. We have over 80 hectares (nearly 60 hectares of vines) in a single block, spread across a plateau and two hills. All these elements give unique characteristics to the wines, such as a remarkable verticality:
The wine is upright, dizzying, and ethereal. This depth is brought about by the limestone soils. The wine is designed and cultivated to age. I cannot bring myself to make wine for immediate consumption; it must evolve over time. This reflects our strong attachment to the concepts of time and transmission. Finally, the mineral signature provides a superb balance.
Château Ferrière, 3ème Grand Cru Classé Margaux
Unfortunately, the situation at Château Ferrière, a 3rd Grand Cru Classé in Margaux, directed by Claire Villars-Lurton, is less promising for this vintage. The estate has been affected by poor blooming and significant pressure from downy mildew. During our conversation in 2022, Claire described herself as “spontaneous, enthusiastic, positive, optimistic, and passionate.” She stated, “I often tell myself that I have no right to cheat. I am transparent with those around me. I inherited my grandfather Jacques Merlaut’s optimism and positivity. I love to engage, even if I have doubts and moments of discouragement; we must move forward in life.
Gonzague (her husband and owner of Château Durfort Vivens) and I want to remain open, be pioneers, and assert our differences. We want to return to healthy viticulture, to produce the best wine in the world naturally, without synthetic products: a viticulture that makes sense and is connected to a living soil.
She emphasizes that the concept of “living soil” encompasses a range of organisms interacting with one another. This is a real challenge in Bordeaux due to the climate and the pressure from downy mildew. Claire and her team strive to find natural solutions to combat this disease daily. “We must stay true to our convictions,” she asserts. Claire did it, and congratulations for it! However, when Mother Nature is too harsh, as she has been this year, it is sometimes necessary to take a pause when this ideal viticulture in a perfect world has too heavy an impact on the vineyard’s economy and the morale of the teams. Fortunately, Claire is a fighter and an optimist who is resolutely moving toward a better future.
Château Rauzan-Ségla, 2ème Grand Cru Classé de Margaux
At Château Rauzan-Ségla, a 2nd Grand Cru Classé in Margaux, we were welcomed by part of the sales team, consisting of Jean-Basile Roland, Charlotte Ruel, and Clara Le Cam. The meticulous selection at Château Rauzan-Ségla goes so far that they vinify certain areas separately. (Charlotte Ruel explains this ‘zoning’ process in the film). We can also see in the film the small vinification vats used for the zoned grapes. This approach demonstrates the estate’s commitment to the quality and authenticity of the wines it produces.
Branaire Ducru, 4ème Grand Cru Classé Saint Julien
At Château Branaire Ducru, a 4th Grand Cru Classé in Saint-Julien, owner François Xavier Maroteaux guided us through the new winery bustling with activity during the harvest. The construction of the winery began in January 2021 and was completed in two phases. They retained the walls of the existing building while demolishing half of the original winery to vinify the 2021 vintage. There are 65 suspended tanks and 10 ground-level tanks. The number of tanks has doubled to enhance the precision of vinification for the different plots.
Château Pontet Canet, 5ème Grand Cru Classé Pauillac
At Château Pontet Canet, we were warmly welcomed by Justine Tesseron. The 2024 vintage will mark a significant new step in the “extraordinary” vinification of this estate, as for the first time, new wooden egg-shaped tanks will be used. The harvest was in full swing, creating a very special atmosphere. The winery was almost silent, as no machines are used for destemming or sorting. Everything is done by hand, with teams working around four tables. There are six horses on the estate, including Bolide, who transported the harvest that day to the winery
And for what’s next… The entire Roland Coiffe team will be delighted to welcome you to Bordeaux during the Primeurs tasting week,
from April 14 to 17, 2025.
Gerda BEZIADE has an incredible passion for wine, and possesses a perfect knowledge of Bordeaux acquired within prestigious wine merchants for 25 years. Gerda joins Roland Coiffe & Associés in order to bring you, through “Inside La PLACE” more information about the estate we sell.