Fresh and Elegant: Why the 2024 Bordeaux Vintage Stands Out

A Promising Start to the 2024 Bordeaux Wine Future Campaign

First releases, price drops, enticing and accessible profiles—take a behind-the-scenes look at the 2024 edition.

A few weeks ago, Chateau Pontet-Canet kicked things off by unveiling its new vintage, marking the start of this new highly anticipated campaign. The first releases always attract particular attention: they not only provide early indications of the vintage’s overall style but also offer a preview of pricing. So, what trends are emerging for Bordeaux’s 2024 futures campaign?

Bordeaux 2024 Wine Futures Prices Drop: A Turning Point for Buyers

The 2024 Wine Futures campaign is characterized primarily by a clear reduction in release prices—a reflection of market pressure and estates’ willingness to stimulate demand after several years of price increases.

While Chateau Lafite-Rothschild made headlines with a notable 29% price cut, other estates have been more reserved. Chateau Pontet-Canet, the first classified growth to launch the campaign, took a more measured approach with a 10% price reduction.

Following a significant price drop with the 2023 vintage, 2024 reinforces and accelerates this trend, marking a true turning point in the market and offering real opportunities for buyers in search of good value. Moreover, the style of the wines—fruit-forward freshness, fine structure, and approachability in youth—aligns perfectly with today’s consumer preferences.

Several chateaux stand out in particular, combining strong critic scores with attractive pricing—true gems for savvy wine lovers!

Staggered Releases Define the 2024 Bordeaux Futures Schedule

The 2024 Bordeaux en primeur campaign is notable for its particularly spread-out schedule, with releases staggered over several weeks and often following an uneven rhythm. But all changed on May 1st, when two Bordeaux heavyweights—Chateaux Lafite Rothschild and Angelus—stepped onto the scene. By announcing significant price cuts, they gave a real boost to a campaign that had been relatively quiet up until then. Following their lead, many estates from the Sauternes region also announced their release prices, bringing fresh energy to the 2024 edition.

For sweet wines, prices have remained relatively stable or seen only moderate reductions. This restraint is partly due to the overall high quality of the 2024 Sauternes wines, and partly due to the extremely selective harvesting process, which required rigorous sorting and resulted in particularly low yields.

Fresh and Elegant: Why the 2024 Bordeaux Vintage Stands Out

“An enticing profile at irresistible prices”—this is the motto. In contrast to the hot, powerful vintages of recent years, 2024 is defined by freshness and seems to perfectly meet modern wine lovers’ expectations: less power, more finesse, moderate alcohol levels, and greater accessibility from a young age. Offering both a drinkable style and attractive pricing, 2024 stands out as a particularly appealing vintage.

Want to learn more about the character of this new vintage? Discover our article: “Bordeaux 2024 Wine Futures: What to Expect from the New Vintage?”