2025 Bordeaux: the best Chevalier Rouge we’ve tasted en primeur

And Chevalier Blanc, Cantemerle, Duhart-Milon, Gazin

It's been a busy week for Bordeaux releases. Among a raft of excellent Pessacs, we've had the best Domaine de Chevalier Rouge that Uncorked has tasted en primeur. Chevalier occupies a single block of gravel, clay and black sand in the far south-west of Pessac-Léognan, and it's one of the most consistently overperforming spots in its appellation. The cooling effect of the surrounding forest plus the unusual altitude (up to 60 metres at some points) means it can get cold here at night - but wide day/night temperature variation is one of the ingredients of great wine. The Chevalier terroir loved the hot, dry 2025 season, and both the red and the white wines here excelled. The Rouge is released at £216/6, which (excepting the 2024) is the cheapest release since 2014. Who says the Bordelais aren't listening on pricing?

In April last year, Uncorked donned hard hats and visited the vast construction site of fifth-growth Cantemerle's new cellar: it was finished in time to vinify the excellent 2025, which is luscious and dark and sapid. The same cellar also hosted this year's Margaux and Southern Médoc UGC tasting, which was an absolute pleasure. Margaux overperformed in 2025, and almost anything from Margaux is a safe bet this vintage. Pauillac has given us the imposing Duhart-Milon, which has much the same earthy, gravelly character as its neighbour and stablemate Lafite. We've also had Haut-Batailley, which Neal Martin calls a 'marvellous contribution to the vintage, perhaps the best under Jean-Charles Cazes'. Uncorked was impressed, too. St-Julien has given us an excellent, appealing iteration of fourth-growth Saint-Pierre.

It hasn't all been on the left bank. This morning we had the family-owned Pomerol Gazin, which commands the highest point in the appellation, a boon in a warm year. In the vineyard at Gazin they are gently nudging up the small proportion of both Cabernets, as a hedge against global warming. From nearby, we've also had L'Evangile and, tucked in between L'Evangile, Vieux Chateau Certan and Le Pin, Petit Village.

With the French having another bank holiday tomorrow (Ascension Day), that's probably it for this week. But we expect a busy week of releases next week. You can keep up to date with Bordeaux releases on our latest news page. /NT

Offered subject to remaining unsold. Wines expected to arrive in 2028.To place an order, click on the wines below or call 020 7638 5998