Vintage 2024🍷 : A Constant Battle
” There is no success without hardship.”
Jean Giono (French writer, 1895–1970)
📌 Commercial Campaign Schedule
After welcoming many of you in Bordeaux this week, from April 14 to 18, we will take a short break on Monday, April 21st, which is a public holiday in France (Easter Monday).
The campaign is already shaping up to be very active, with a strong start expected from Pontet-Canet, who will release its En Primeur offer on April 23rd. We invite you to keep track of all projected release dates through our shared calendar, available here:
👉Link to calendar :
An Extraordinary Winter
The first trials of the 2024 vintage began as early as the winter of 2023–2024, which was exceptionally mild in Bordeaux: temperatures were +1.5 °C above the ten-year average, and rainfall reached +390 mm — 80% more than the average since 2000. A vegetative cover proved essential to allow any work in the waterlogged vineyards.
This mild winter led to early bud burst in March, raising fears of spring frost — fears that sadly materialized at the end of April, affecting the most sensitive areas. At the same time, excessive humidity led to intense phytosanitary pressure, particularly from downy mildew, requiring quick, precise, and repeated interventions.
A Challenging Spring, Uncertain Flowering
April remained cool, and the water-saturated soils delayed and disrupted flowering. The result was uneven, with signs of coulure and millerandage. On top of this, violent storms on April 19, 22, and 23 damaged plots in Fronsac, Saint-Estèphe, and the southern Médoc.
Thankfully, by early July, vegetative growth began to slow due to slight water stress, allowing the vine to refocus its energy on fruit development.
A Summer Without Heatwaves, But Full of Promise
The summer, though free of heatwaves, was marked by cool nights — a combination that favored excellent aromatic expression in both red and white grapes. In September, despite a few stormy episodes, sunny days, natural ventilation, and the vigilance of winegrowers helped maintain good sanitary conditions for the grapes.
Harvesting began in early September with the Sauvignon Blancs, often picked just before the rain. It continued into October, depending on the terroirs and the harvest strategies of each château.
A Demanding Vintage with Varied Profiles
The 2024 vintage was characterised by a long growing season, which tested the nerves of the winegrowers and now also those of La Place de Bordeaux, in a turbulent market.
It is impossible to speak of a right bank or left bank profile. Even within the same appellation, there are significant differences between châteaux. Yields vary greatly depending on the way mildew is managed, the quality of the sorting and the harvesting choices made. There are major differences between terroirs, depending on the vine’s ability to develop colourful, sweet and aromatic grapes:
in sandy soils, where the roots are continually supplied with water, this process was slower and more difficult, In clay, limestone or gravel soils, they much better. Sorting technologies – manual, optical, densimetric – have been invaluable. Bordeaux remains at the forefront of precision winegrowing, and continues to inspire on the international stage.
2024 Wine Profiles
- Reds: well-balanced, with radiant aromas when ripe. The best batches express freshness, softness and elegance.
- Dry whites: very successful, lively and taut, with good structure and persistent citrus aromas.
- Liquorous: a modern style, with vibrant freshness. To be enjoyed chilled, and why not… without moderation!
Interview with Gerda: Expert Opinion
Thomas Duclos, oenologist and partner at Oenotea
Eric Boisenot, oenologist and Doctor of Science
Julien Viaud, Oenologist/agronomic engineer at Laboratoire Rolland
Gerda: What was the biggest challenge for the winegrowers in 2024?
Thomas: Being courageous and patient.
Eric: The constant battle against mildew. It was difficult because of the recurrence of rain, the load-bearing capacity of the soils, the labour involved… We had to keep at it.
Julien: In some vintages, you have to know how to manage opulence and power. 2024, on the other hand, is a cool, oceanic vintage. Modern Bordeaux wines offer a gentle blend of a certain consistency on the palate, with deliciousness and elegance. In 2024, the main challenge was to find the right balance between seeking a beautiful texture on the palate on the one hand, while avoiding a certain fluidity on the other. The vinifications were meticulously managed to strike this delicate balance. As for the blends, they took a very long time and were very precise in order to find the right alchemy.
G: Could you say a few words about the yields for 2024?
Thomas: There were a number of factors that led to losses: coulure, millerandage, mildew, and sorting… All these factors reduced the harvest significantly – but it was no doubt a blessing in disguise, as we wanted to go as far as possible in our quest for maturity.
Eric: Yields are heterogeneous, ranging from 10 to over 50 hl/ha depending on : Losses due to mildew, more or less sorting at harvest due to botrytis.
Julien: Overall, yields are moderate. Spring weather conditions were harsh. Flowering did not take place in a stable climate, which led to some harvest losses. The search for good aromatic and phenolic ripeness meant waiting and therefore sorting. Harvesting ripe grapes is the key to quality, and it’s a good thing we’re well equipped with sorting tables! A little extra harvest loss but are a guarantee of quality. In addition, the selection during the blending process has been very drastic, always with quality in mind. All these factors explain why the 2024 production is not excessive, but is of good quality.
G: How would you describe the style of the 2024 vintage?
Thomas: It’s a very Bordeaux style, with all that that implies… juice, flavour, balance… Unfortunately, the full-bodied, fleshy wines that qualify as ‘fine wines’ are not in the majority. But when everything lines up, the vintage is interesting.
Eric: It’s a juicy vintage, very well-balanced and often long on the palate. Very tasty in fact. Not very alcoholic and easy to digest. Sometimes more acidic than average.
Julien: Bordeaux wines are vintage wines. Each year has its own style. There’s something for every taste, and that’s also the strength of Bordeaux wines. 2024 is first and foremost a very good vintage for whites. It is an extremely aromatic, fresh and well-balanced vintage. In the reds, we find the same ultra-seductive aromatic sparkle accompanied by a soft, smooth palate full of charm.
G: One word to sum up 2024?
Thomas: Winegrowing is an unfair business … hard work was necessary to make fine wines, but it often wasn’t enough.
Eric: A vintage full of subtleties.
Julien: Bordeaux wines are vintage wines. Each year has its own style. There’s something for every taste, and that’s also the strength of Bordeaux wines. 2024 is first and foremost a very good vintage for whites. It is an extremely aromatic, fresh and well-balanced vintage. In the reds, we find the same ultra-seductive aromatic sparkle, accompanied by a soft, smooth palate full of charm.
Our sales team will send you all the information you need, including notes, technical sheets and marketing information from the wineries.
The Roland Coiffe & Associés team wishes you a wonderful Primeurs 2024 campaign.
Gerda BEZIADE a une incroyable passion pour le vin, et possède une parfaite connaissance de Bordeaux acquise au sein de prestigieux négoces depuis 25 ans. Gerda rejoint Roland Coiffe & Associés afin de vous apporter avec “Inside La PLACE” davantage d’informations sur les propriétés que nous commercialisons.