Bordeaux 2025: half-time whistle

Palmer, Durfort, Branaire, Lynch, Talbot, Gaffelière, Berliquet

The commune of Margaux collectively excelled in 2025, and as Jane Anson notes, Margaux property Durfort-Vivens is probably the very best value second growth there is. With a high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon on the gravelly soils, there's aways a marked Cabernet character in Durfort. The 2025 is replete with creamy, glossy cassis. Elsewhere in Margaux, the exquisite Palmer is more driven by Merlot: the bouquet is a hit of violets, and the palate is sheer silk.

Composed, classical Branaire-Ducru is a textbook St-Julien, seamlessly done in 2025: it has the structure of the great 2022, but with fresher flavours. Talbot used to have a sleepy reputation, but recently, under the guiding hand of Jean-Michel Laporte (ex of Conseillante) with Stéphane Derenoncourt consulting, it has been singing, proving just how good its terroir actually is. And from up the road in Pauillac, we had the great Lynch-Bages, which has turned out an impressively powerful 2025. Lynch has always occupied an outstanding piece of land, but hard work, passionate engagement in winemaking and serious investment in micro-managing soils have over the last years elevated the wine to something exceptional.

Historic property La Gaffelière occupies some high-grade St-Emilion terroir in the 'golden triangle' of vines between the hills topped by Ausone and Pavie. The vines span three sections: the limestone plateau next to Ausone, over the cusp of the slope on limestone-embedded clay, and at the bottom of the slope where the black sandy soils need careful management, but bring very fine aromatics. We loved the 2025, and the second wine Clos la Gaffelière is also a steal. And from just outside the town of St-Emilion, neighbouring Canon, Berliquet sits half on the plateau, half on the slope; the mix of limestone and clay soils give a wine of both weight and intense precision, and it’s extremely good value for the address.

It's half time now for 2025 Bordeaux en primeur. Next week the Bordelais will decamp to Hong Kong to showcase their wares at Vinexpo Asia, so we expect no major releases until play resumes in earnest in June. /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