Twelve wines with the dream score of 100 points - that has not been seen for a long time. 2025 offers top quality from all appellations, with outstanding highlights from the best wineries and above-average results for everyday wines.
This vintage could rank among the very best, although the quantities were very low this time. The prices for this great vintage will be slightly higher than last year's favorable prices and should therefore provide a suitable incentive to buy. Unlike so often in the last decade, a price increase upon the vintage's arrival on the market in 2028 is foreseeable and therefore one can advise buying a subscription with a clear conscience.
On Monday, April 20, 2026, the official "En Primeurs 2025" tasting week began, during which around 4,000 wine experts from 85 countries were able to personally inspect the barrel samples of the latest vintage in Bordeaux before they are officially bottled and launched on the market around a year and a half later.
98 percent of the visitors are industry professionals, including wine merchants (négociants), importers, sommeliers, specialized journalists and wine critics. Falstaff editor-in-chief Peter Moser had already traveled to the region at the beginning of the previous week and evaluated almost all the important products - more than 500 wines in total - during 53 château visits and seven larger collective tastings by groups of winegrowers, and held many discussions with the winemakers.
His conclusion: Bordeaux has reached a turning point in terms of style. The wines of the regions have never been better than they are today. 2025 embodies the "new Bordeaux" in an ideal way. The wines show moderate alcohol, are complex, both vertically and horizontally, have a great tannin maturity and a surprising freshness; they will be drinkable early and can be stored for a long time.
The wines are deliberately made to be easy to drink. The excessive use of new barrels is avoided, instead more large wooden barrels, stainless steel, concrete tanks or Tava amphorae are used. The era of Parker wines, which ended stylistically after the 2010 vintage, is now finally history after years of trying to find a way to live with the climate crisis; elegance and balance are back in Bordeaux. Many wineries have long since committed themselves to organic and biodynamic production and are certified, and even more are on the way to doing so.
2025 joins the great series of years with a five at the end and is a milestone for the new age in Bordeaux.
Why is 2025 an outstanding year? There were many minor and major factors that contributed to this result: the flowering phase and fertilization were not particularly effective, which is the reason for the low yield. The heat and drought set in as early as mid-May and the grapes were correspondingly small. The first heat peak occurred in June, followed by persistently high temperatures in July and another heatwave until August 20. Despite the dryness and heat of the summer, the night-time values were relatively low and the difference between day and night was considerable. This preserved the aroma and freshness of the wines.
From August 20, it cooled down slightly and the drought stress, which is responsible for the high quality of the grapes, was relieved by some rain. It was exactly the amount of precipitation needed to allow the seeds to fully ripen and prevent the alcohol from going overboard.
In view of the small harvest, some winegrowers did not want to take any risks and started harvesting, while the majority waited a little longer. The harvest conditions in September were optimal, interrupted only by a later episode of rain, which did not affect the health of the grapes. The rainfall merely ensured that the volume of the berries increased slightly, so that the alcohol content of the Cabernets settled at a drinkable level of between 12.5 and 13.5 percent by volume. The fact that the wines have enormous polyphenol levels is already evident from their deep dark color, they have a pronounced fruity aroma, powerful, fully ripe tannins and an enchanting freshness. They will be ready to drink early and also have a long shelf life, perhaps maturing over 15 years. This means that 2025 suits the younger audience, but more mature Bordeaux lovers can also buy this vintage without fear of not living to experience it.
Why should you buy this vintage by subscription? After tasting 500 young wines, countless visits to the wineries and many discussions with the winemakers, it seems fair to say that 2025 is one of the best vintages in a long time; in many respects it is superior to years such as 2022, 2016, but also 2009 and 2010. As Peter Sisseck, exceptional winemaker and Pingus maker, whom we met for a Falstaff interview at his small Saint-Emilion vineyard Château Rocheyron, said: "Never before have such good and precise wines been produced in Bordeaux as today, it's a wonder that consumers haven't noticed this yet."
So why should you buy now? Extremely good quality, very good prices, and above all, very limited supply.
As far as prices are concerned, they will (have to) increase slightly compared to 2024, which is very cheap but not nearly as good in terms of quality. The older vintages on the market must also be taken into account here, so modest price increases are to be expected. However, this means that the wines from 2025 can be considered particularly good value in any case and, in view of the top quality and the generally lower yields, a significant price increase can be expected when 2025 comes onto the market.
Furthermore the vintage offers top wines in all regions, both white and red and sweet, and this quality ranges from Premier Crus down to the Cru Bourgeois, which offer particularly great value for money, such as the wines from the Right Bank satellites from Castillon to Fronsac. The most homogeneous appellation on the left bank is Margaux, where the conditions were tailor-made, in Saint-Emilion the freshness of the wines from the limestone soils is impressive, and in Pomerol too, especially the wines from the core zone.
Conclusion: 2025 is one of the rare vintages in which you can do nothing wrong as a buyer, except not to buy. To miss this opportunity may bring regret - you don't need a crystal ball this time.
Click here to download all results as PDF
TO THE BORDEAUX EN PRIMEUR 2025 TASTING
