Group CEO Patrick O’Connor reflects on Bordeaux 2025: a hot, dry and early vintage defined by small yields, precise viticulture, restrained winemaking and a new wave of estates delivering wines of real distinction.

Patrick O’Connor, Group CEO, explores Bordeaux 2025: a hot, dry, early vintage shaped by precision, small yields and standout wines.

Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: vintage overview      

Bordeaux 2025: vintage overview               

Think of Bordeaux, and you probably don’t think of skateboarding and denim shirts. Damien Barton-Sartorius, however – Director of Château Langoa and Léoville Barton – manages somehow to combine millennial cool with an effortless suaveness that feels distinctly Bordelais. “When you’re one of these old families, the rest of Bordeaux looks at you in a different way,” he tells me. There have been Bartons in Bordeaux since the 18th century. One of the region’s “wine geese”, Irishman Thomas Barton arrived in 1722, and Hugh Barton bought Château Langoa in 1821, acquiring part of the Léoville estate in 1826. Since then, the empire has grown: alongside their Saint-Julien Classed Growth properties, there’s a Moulis estate (Mauvesin Barton) and a négoce operation. As if that wasn’t enough, Barton-Sartorius has two personal side-projects too: Initio and 225, the latter of which is his latest venture – a sustainability-led project, shipping wine in bulk and bottling in the destination market. He’s restless and enthusiastic, having taken over directing the Classed Growth estates (while his sister, Mélanie is in charge of Mauvesin) from his mother and Saint-Julien matriarch, Lillian Barton, in the last couple of years. This year sees the 200th anniversary of Langoa’s purchase – and when I ask him what has changed in that time, the answer is easy: “Not so much,” he shrugs. It’s the mark of a business like this, handed from generation to generation, that shifts are seamless and gradual, no one looking to make a mark – but preserve a unique heritage. Both Langoa and Léoville are classical Saint-Julien – a style often described as sitting between pinpoint Pauillac and sensual Margaux. For Barton-Sartorius, it’s “a bit like Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy, we have everything”. The Langoa estate is defined by its proximity to the river, the estuary’s constant movement helping to rid the vineyards of humidity and moderating the temperature – shielding it from extreme weather, rarely suffering from frosts (even in vintages like 2017) and allowing them to produce balanced wines in otherwise very warm vintages such as 2003, 2009 and 2018. It is, however, the soils that make Barton-Sartorius swoon. “The gravels are quite extraordinary,” he says, animated in his excitement. The gravels reach between three and six metres below the surface, giving the perfect level of drainage – but not too much, with a layer of clay beneath to hold essential water reserves. “The perfect balance,” Barton-Sartorius sighs. While it was once rare to hear the Bordelais talking about their terroir, there’s a definite shift underway. “For a long time Bordeaux was all about the brand – now they want to know what is behind the bottle,” he says. The shift, he feels, however, is not that the Bordelais are suddenly discovering their soils – but they’re talking about it. The region’s more monied estates have, however, been artful, managing to guarantee their place at the head of the fine wine table for over 150 years – and to do so, they’ve had to create stories. “There’s too much show – look at our new winery, our limited bottle....” Barton-Sartorius explains. Admittedly, he’s busily building a new cellar himself – although it is unlikely to be unveiled grandly with a row of new gleaming stainless steel tanks and the latest contraptions. Construction of the winery is already underway at Langoa (where both the Léoville and Langoa wines are made), set to be completed in 2022, the most recent update since his grandfather built it. Because of the sheer expense involved, they’ve only made tweaks over the years, but are now in a position to have been able to properly rethink it. The aim is for it to be more sustainable and functional, simplifying the process. Everything will be gravity operated, and the barrels will be stored two floors below ground so that less energy is required to keep them cool. Such concepts might seem standard elsewhere, however with Bordeaux’s high water table (remember that the Médoc was a swamp until the Dutch drained it in the 17th century), it’s difficult to build down rather than up. Winemaking at both Langoa and Léoville remains reassuringly traditional – “not by choice, but because it’s still the best”. There are exceptions, though, and where something is better done by machine, or it avoids a potential risk to workers’ health, they’ll do it – but there’s no compromising on quality to save a few cents. As just one example, they still rack everything by hand using a candle, because they feel it is a softer way to separate the wine from the lees, without exposing the wine to too much oxygen. “Details like this are very important,” Barton-Sartorius says. “But the wine is made in the vineyard.” He, like most vignerons, knows that it’s the quality of the fruit that matters most. “I like to think we’re good – but terroir is making 90% of the job,” he quips. The winery is, in his view, “more about a religion. You have to trust in something. You believe it or not.” It might be easy to be lulled into the sense that everything here is done by rote – simply following the recipe of their forebears, but that’s far from the case. “There’s a reason we do things the way we do – but we still like to challenge what we do,” Barton-Sartorius tells me, taking me through a ream of current and recent experiments, from pumps versus gravity (gravity won) to their decades’ worth of tests with organic vineyard sprays – looking not just at how they impact the cleanliness of fruit at harvest, but the wine’s final flavour. I ask him how he feels about Bordeaux’s status and relevancy today. “It feels like nobody knows it or people forgot about it,” he says. The region – in his view – remains one of the most exciting. He describes how the generation above are tired of people comparing the wines to how cheap they used to be – however is determined that they still offer great value. You can’t buy “Château Margaux as a lunch wine”, but Langoa Barton costs £30 – and “Napa is double, triple the price for the same quality”. And no one is able to hide their excitement when he gets an old bottle of Léoville Barton out the cellar. “We are lucky to have some of the best soils in the world – like Chambertin Grand Cru, the quality is the same – except instead of having two hectares, we have 80 hectares. We are lucky to produce 100,000 bottles of it.” That might make the wines, as he says, “a little less posh and fancy” – but it also means there’s more to go around. Is it a burden – a 200-year history and everything that comes with it? He instantly shakes his head, “It’s an honour – but a big pressure at the same time. I don’t want to be the generation that f***s up everything.” As Barton-Sartorius rushes off to meet the curfew in place under current Covid restrictions, it’s hard to reconcile his undeniable stature in Bordelais society with the down-to-earth character filling my screen. It’s that very lack of pomp and circumstance, an understated modesty, that will likely guarantee that Langoa Barton survives another 200 years. Browse wines from Langoa Barton and Léoville Barton

As Château Langoa Barton marks its 200th anniversary, Sophie Thorpe caught up with Damien Barton-Sartorius – the 10th generation of the Barton family to run the estate – about tradition, terroir and why Bordeaux remains the most exciting wine region in the world 

Talking tradition, terroir and why Bordeaux remains the most exciting wine region in the world with Damien Barton-Sartorius of Langoa and Léoville Barton. 

Damien Barton-Sartorius on Ch. Langoa Barton

Keeping up with the Bartons

THE LEFT BANK Overall looking at the regional numbers, yields were less impacted on the Left Bank – with Margaux, Saint-Julien and Pauillac producing fractionally more than in 2020, although significantly less wine (-38%) was made in Pessac-Léognan. When you dive into individual estates, the numbers are much more varied – with many down by as much as 50% in each commune. In the Médoc in 2021, Cabernet Sauvignon reigned supreme – with Merlot suffering from coulure (poor fruit-set) and being more susceptible to mildew. As a result, some of the blends are atypically Cabernet-dominant. From our tastings, quality seemed more varied on the Left Bank, especially when it came to second wines – however there are still some exceptional wines. Saint-Estèphe This northern commune escaped the impact of April’s frosts, as it always does – so mildew was the main threat to yields. In general, however, producers fared well, often producing a little more than in 2020. Properties with gravel over clay subsoils – such as Tronquoy-Lalande – thrived, as the free-draining soils that were problematic in 2020’s dry conditions helped provide water stress in 2021, something that aided ripening. At Calon-Ségur, they removed leaves from the vines on both sides, opening up the canopy in the spring to expose the fruit to what little sun there was – something that helped significantly. The key here, as throughout Bordeaux, was to be in the vineyards battling the mildew. At Tronquoy-Lalande, they found that everything ripened at once and they had all their fruit in by 6th October. Cos d’Estournel was just a day behind, and the wine is a modest 12% alcohol, interestingly with lower acidity than the 2020. They employed lower fermentation temperatures to preserve the wine’s aromatics. At Calon-Ségur it was the latest harvest since 2012, starting on 28th September with the Merlot and finishing on 13th October – their decision to wait until after the forecast rain for their Cabernet paying off. The wines here don’t show the austerity sometimes found in Saint-Estèphe, offering pretty and charming expressions of the appellation, but more tannic grip than elsewhere in 2021. Highlights: Calon-Ségur, Cos d’Estournel, Montrose, Marquis de Calon, Phélan-Ségur Pauillac Gravel and Cabernet Sauvignon: the two reasons that Pauillac seems to be more consistent than some other appellations in 2021. The free-draining soils meant vines here saw a little more water stress in the little of the season that was dry, and a natural predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon was helpful – provided you could ripen it. Blends contain high (and sometimes record-making) percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon – 98% at Pichon Comtesse, 96% at Lafite-Rothschild, 88% at Pichon Baron and so on. Yields varied significantly here, with a full crop at Batailley (which produced one of their best vintages), but at Pichon Baron yields were a lowly 22hl/ha – over a third down on the already small 2020 – and 23hl/ha at Ch. Latour (similar to 2018). The battle against mildew was tougher for estates working organically (like Lafite) or biodynamically. At Ch. Pontet-Canet, Justine Tesseron explained how this was the year they could put into action everything they’d learnt in 2018, when they lost two thirds of their crop to mildew, partly because they farm biodynamically. The 2021 vintage was the first with their own “tisanerie” – to produce their own biodynamic treatments on site – allowing them to reduce the time it took to spray the entire vineyard from 16 hours to 11, and allowing them to be much more reactive, meaning losses were just 15%. Frosts were a threat (indeed, it was the first year Pichon-Baron had ever used candles to protect their vines), but the best sites closer to the river generally escaped serious damage. Harvest dates ran from 22nd September through to the third week of October, with the Batailley one of the last teams out on 15th October. The best wines show an old school elegance and pinpoint precision that we expect of Pauillac, the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon shining through. Even wines like Ch. Latour are surprisingly approachable now, with the tannins firm but not monolithic. Highlights: Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Comtesse, Lynch Bages, Batailley, Pontet Canet Saint-Julien There are some lovely wines in Saint-Julien this year. The commune’s proximity to the river meant there was little frost damage, but mildew was a problem for some estates – at Léoville-Poyferré the yields were the lowest since 1991 at 24hl/ha, although Beychevelle had a full 50hl/ha. At Ducru-Beaucaillou – where the wine has an astounding 98% Cabernet Sauvignon – yields were only 20hl/ha, with a significant portion declassified to ensure quality met their standards. At Léoville Las Cases, the acidity was a little lower than normal and they’ve reduced the level of new oak and toasting to balance the naturally less concentrated style of wine. For the Bartons, it was their first vintage with a new vat cellar – meaning they could vinify in smaller parcels, a great advantage in a year where selection was everything. The best wines are supple with a depth of richness – perhaps thanks to the Gironde’s proximity – as well as freshness and a bite of crunchy fruit. Highlights: Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Barton, Langoa Barton, Gruaud Larose Margaux In the Médoc, Margaux seemed the most varied. Frost was a particular threat here, making for sleepless nights in April as four bouts hit the vineyards, and sites further inland saw the most damage. It was, however, the sunny weather from mid-August that turned things round. At Palmer yields are down by around 30%, but at Brane-Cantenac yields were a generous 41hl/ha; Henri Lurton emphasised that he feels it’s a vintage where the best terroirs showed their colours. He was surprised by the sheer number of tannins, which were on a par with warmer years, despite the cooler conditions. At Marquis d’Alesme, Delphine Kolasa noted how happy she was the wines weren’t being sent around the world as samples (a necessity of the global pandemic for 2019 and 2020) – feeling the more delicate style is more fragile, and even more nascent than usual given the late harvest. She thinks of it as a fresh and fruity year dominated by violet aromatics – with careful extraction essential to make sure the wine’s delicacy wasn’t over-ridden. Ch. Rauzan-Ségla produced a stunning wine – putting in the necessary work to do so, with a team of 150 to harvest and sort the fruit, which came in at just 11-12% potential alcohol. Aurélien Valence at Ch. Margaux explained it was the worst mildew pressure the team had ever seen and working organically meant they were often in the vineyard at weekends to spray, but they have made the smallest ever volume of Margaux du Ch. Margaux (the third wine) as a result. The best wines offer dainty floral charm, vibrant red fruit, chalky tannins and well-judged oak. Highlights: Margaux, Palmer, Rauzan-Ségla, Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Brown Graves + Pessac-Léognan Frosts threatened Graves and parts of Pessac-Léognan, although vineyards in the suburban sprawl escaped damage. Haut-Bailly brought in just 19hl/ha due to frost, and yields for Smith Haut-Lafitte were only 20hl/ha; although at Carmes Haut-Brion yields were totally normal, and Haut-Brion saw a healthy 48hl/ha. Despite the more generous yields, the Clarence Dillon team emphasised that selection was key to success; although they reported no issues with coulure in the Merlot, there’s 20% less of the Ch. Haut-Brion Grand Vin than normal as a result. At Haut-Bailly, there will be 60% less of the Grand Vin to go around. While volumes varied, quality here was impressive – the wines tending to show more richness and riper tannins than their northern neighbours, with a plush yet refined, elegant profile. Guillaume Pouthier at Carmes Haut-Brion emphasised that clay and limestone were advantageous, leading to water stress that was essential for quality – indeed he achieved 13.5% natural alcohol in the Grand Vin (a standout of the year) so had no need to chaptalise, and wasn’t alone in that regard. As elsewhere, Cabernet represents higher portions of the blend in some instances – with a record 80% at Domaine de Chevalier. (See below for discussion of the whites.) Highlights: Haut-Brion, Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Haut-Bailly, Domaine de Chevalier, Smith Haut-Lafitte THE RIGHT BANK On the Left Bank Merlot suffered from coulure, but that seemed to be less of an issue on the Right – so Merlot-driven wines shouldn’t be dismissed. We found Pomerol to be impressively consistent, while Saint-Emilion – unsurprisingly given its size – was more varied. In general, the wines of the Right Bank feel almost a little more Left in style – less exotic and polished than in blockbuster vintages, with a charm, elegance and freshness that is invigorating. Yields were down almost a third across both appellations, but again it varied from estate to estate. Pomerol There was no frost in Pomerol, so it was just the mildew that posed a threat to yields. At Ch. Belle-Brise, yields were reduced by 25% – taking them down to a mere 600 cases at this tiny estate. Jacques Thienpont at Le Pin fared particularly well, the warmth of their south-facing gravel slope a boon in the vintage. They picked over a particularly long period – from 25th September to 4th October to bring in each parcel of their two hectares at the perfect moment. At La Conseillante, Dr Bertrand Nicolas emphasised how selection was key – and waiting sufficiently long to pick the Cabernet Franc. For Noëmie and Constance Durantou Reilhac of Ch. l’Eglise-Clinet, it was a particularly swift harvest – lasting just three days, and healthy yields of between 45 and 57hl/ha. The Cabernet Franc in particular was “mesmerising”, in Noëmie’s words. At several estates, the harvest was among the latest this century. Omri Ram at Ch. Lafleur noted how the tannin and sugar ripeness arrived at the same time – thanks to the water stress of August which was key for phenolics. Similarly, Guillaume Thienpont at Vieux Château Certan said it was an easy year to decide when to pick – as sugar, phenolic and flavour ripeness all came at once. At Ch. l’Evangile, it was a baptism of fire for Juliette Couderc as her first full vintage at the estate, and its first certified organic. The warmth of the appellation meant little issue with achieving ripeness, but sandier soils struggled. She noted that younger vines did surprisingly well, suffering from more hydric stress with short root systems and therefore producing more concentrated fruit. The 2021s in Pomerol aren’t powerful, plush wines with 14.5% alcohol; instead they have an alluring transparency, with floral charm and elegance (often at 13-13.5% alcohol), and higher than normal doses of Cabernet in some instances adding a flourish to the wines. Highlights: Lafleur, La Conseillante, Vieux Château Certan, L’Evangile, L’Eglise-Clinet, Clinet, L’Enclos Tourmaline, Belle-Brise, Certan de May, Feytit-Clinet Saint-Emilion Quality in Saint-Emilion varied this year – but it also produced some of the finest wines of the vintage. There’s a herbaceous freshness that isn’t green, crunchy fruit and an appealing presence to the tannic structure that isn’t obstructive – they are moderate, and all the more approachable for it. Despite the drama of the appellation around its classification system, the top wines – classified or not – are impressive. Ch. Laroque shone – continuing its ascendancy, while Clos de Sarpe achieved an impressive 14% natural alcohol in the vintage, holding out until 7th October to start picking. At Tertre Roteboeuf, François Mitjavile declared it a year that was “difficult to define”, but for him the wines show a subtlety, with the structure “tenderised” by the year’s rainy conditions. The Cheval Blanc team excelled – choosing to pick over a particularly long window, from 24th September to 14th October, while at Ausone – another success story this year – the Merlot came in on 30th September, and the Cabernet Franc between 4th and 6th October. Le Dôme felt it was key to wait out the phenolics, picking from 6th October (two weeks later than some of their neighbours) to achieve supple tannins. Frost didn’t have a significant impact here, but mildew did, especially on the crop of Merlot – at Angélus, for example, they lost 40%. Figeac reported a 10% loss, but due to a green harvest. For Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse – her first vintage at the helm of her family estate, Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse – the vintage was a question of extraction to manage the balance of the wines. As Mäylis Mercenat at Clos de Sarpe highlighted, the challenge was to extract weight not tannin – something she did with a combination of infusion and vinification intégrale. Highlights: Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Angélus, Figeac, Canon, Bélair-Monange, Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse, Laroque, Clos de Sarpe, Tour Saint-Christophe THE WHITES The dry whites are outstanding in 2021. Many estates reported it’s the best vintage they’ve ever made – and the wines taste like it. The cool conditions allowed the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon to develop aromatic complexity slowly, while preserving the acidity; as a result they offer incredible richness of flavour, vibrancy and no sign of greenness. Unfortunately yields were a challenge in some places, with frost taking out certain plots (such as Ch. Margaux – although fortunately not a plot that normally goes into Pavillon Blanc). At Cos d’Estournel – where the whites are thrilling – they noted they had the luxury to pick over an unusually long window, with multiple passes. The same was true at Domaine de Chevalier – with exceptional results. At Lafleur, Omri Ram highlighted that the wines were taking longer to come together than normal, but that the lack of water stress was key to their success – wines that he thinks will be the best white duo the property has ever produced. It was fascinating to see exactly the same blend across all three of the Clarence Dillon stable of whites – La Clarté de Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc and Haut-Brion proper – all 55% Semillon, 45% Sauvignon Blanc, and speaking of their site. They were hit significantly by frost – with 20% less Haut-Brion Blanc and 35% less Clarté. For the team here, the combination of acidity and ripeness is what sets the wines apart, even better than either 2014 or 2017. Botrytised sweet wines were made in tiny volumes, hit significantly by frost. The tiny volumes of fruit that survived benefitted from the long, cool growing season, however, and from the late development of botrytis in October. The tiny amount we tasted was exceptional, however very little will make it to market – with yields as low as 1 or 2hl/ha reported by some estates. At Ch. Suduiraut, for example, they made just 500 cases in total. Highlights: Haut-Brion Blanc, Pavillon Blanc du Ch. Margaux, Domaine de Chevalier Blanc, La Mission Haut Brion Blanc, Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc, Cos d'Estournel Blanc, La Clarté de Haut-Brion, Aile d’Argent, Les Champs Libres, Le Petit Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc Browse all available releases, or read more about Bordeaux 2021, including our reports on the growing season and our vintage overview

In 2021, it is incredibly hard to make any generalisations – this really is a vintage to be assessed by individual estate. Below we do our best to break down the year by commune; read all our coverage of the year – including our run-down of the growing conditions and vintage overview 

Your guide to Bordeaux 2021 en primeur broken down by region: Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Pessac-Leognan, Pomerol + Saint Emilion

Bordeaux 2021 en primeur guide by region

Bordeaux 2021: a commune-by-commune guide

2018 Ch. Mauvesin Barton (in jeroboam) + Champagne Elise Bougy, Le Mesnil – chosen by Damien Barton-Sartorius  “To me, a meal is always about a moment. Sometimes very important ones such as announcing a baby, sometimes it’s more casual as would be a meetup with friends. I like to think that the bottle should never be more important than the moment. It should not frustrate the generous person who wanted to share a special bottle that becomes overlooked – or even worse steals the show... Unless it is the show! The special bottle then becomes a moment of its own. It is an interesting thing (and sometimes fun!) to taste great labels blind, judge them on their value/pleasure. But it tears away what wine should be: excitement. If I am going to drink a Mouton Rothschild 1945, I honestly don’t really care if it’s good or not. It’s a piece of history in a bottle that I will be sharing with friends and I would really like to know this ahead of time so I can be excited about it for as long as possible. Just like planning holidays ahead!  “Christmas is an important moment but the moment is family, not the wine that will be put on the table. I want a wine that will trigger some chat. Briefly – before enjoying the wine as a lovely drink, fuel of diverse conversations. There should be enough of it to spend some time with it. Aim for large format. We all know that even a magnum can be short…  “To be very personal here, I just got married and I will spend my first Christmas Eve with my wife’s family. A bit of home, some volume to enjoy and share: Ch. Mauvesin Barton 2018 in jeroboam is my choice for dinner. Oh but what would Christmas be without Champagne… a sneaky bottle to share only with my wife before the dinner: Elise Bougy Le Mesnil. Now I am excited for Christmas!”  Damien Barton-Sartorius is the 10th generation of his family to run the Bartons’ Saint-Julien Classed Growth estates (Ch. Langoa Barton and Ch. Léoville Barton), while his sister Mélanie is at the helm of Ch. Mauvesin Barton, together continuing their grandfather Anthony’s and mother Lilian’s legacy. 2010 Ch. Latour, Pauillac – chosen by Jonathan Maltus  “We’re drinking Ch. Latour 2010. There are 10 of us – all family – two grandparents, four parents and the rest kids. As a family we don’t enjoy turkey so we have beef Wellington – which I’m hoping this will go well with.” Jonathan Maltus is the man behind the Saint-Emilion property Le Dôme, one of Bordeaux’s original garagistes. 2001 Richebourg, Grand Cru. Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat – chosen by Charles van Canneyt “For dinner, a Richebourg 2001. Perfect to drink now and taking full advantage of the complexity and power of a Richebourg – with a good capon! We had Suchots 2017 – all about the fruit – when we put up the tree, a vintage that’s approachable young and very enjoyable!”  Charles van Canneyt is one of Burgundy’s most talented winemakers. The young vigneron is at the helm of Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, based in Chambolle-Musigny, and also has a négociant label under his own name.  2015 Ch. Haut-Bailly + 2019 Meursault, Les Vireuils, Domaine Roulot – chosen by Véronique Sanders “It’s so very difficult to choose just one bottle… while many people start their celebration with Champagne I always love to start (and finish) with a glass of Sauternes or Barsac. Right now I am loving Ch. Haut-Bailly 2015 which is so charming and is pure pleasure! Of course I also love wines outside of Bordeaux – white Burgundy being my weakness… I have my eye on a bottle of Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Vireuils to share with the family this year.”  Véronique Sanders is the powerhouse at the helm of Ch. Haut-Bailly, the leading Pessac-Léognan estate.  2018 Paul Cluver Estate Chardonnay, Elgin, South Africa – chosen by Spencer Fondaumiere  “I grew up in Nairobi at a time when the wine scene was not nearly as advanced as it is now. My mother enjoyed her wine. My dad was a beer man through and through. What was regularly available was wine sold in five-litre boxes labelled as ‘late harvest’, with just enough sweetness to interest you to get to the bottom of the bottle – or more accurately the last dredges of the cask. I have now lived in Cape Town for the last 11 years and my wine appreciation has grown a little bit beyond the voluminous late harvest on tap.  “Christmas is a time for family and my mom and dad will be spending the holidays with me and my family. Since I last saw her, Mom has developed an appreciation for cool-climate Chardonnay and I am quite keen to crack open this bottle that has a bit of age on it. I am hoping it will be like nothing she has ever tasted before and I am hoping even more that she will like it. Dad, on the other hand, remains partial to beer, but every Christmas I optimistically open a bottle and hope that this will be the wine that converts him into a wine lover. That being said, there is not too much 2018 Chardonnay hanging about so it may not be the worst thing if this doesn't turn out to be the one.”  Spencer Fondaumiere is one of the most exciting names on Africa’s wine scene. The Kenyan chef-turned-sommelier and serial entrepreneur is now Chairman of the South African Sommelier Association and has two businesses – using his expertise to advise wine-drinkers, restaurants and producers via Slowgold and Wineyard East Africa. A trio of Bouchard’s best – chosen by Frédéric Weber  “For Christmas with my family, I have planned a 2016 Meursault Genevrières to accompany the foie gras that my sister makes herself every year. I like the combination because our Genevrières has just the right freshness and delicacy, especially in 2016, to awaken the tastes and accompany the sweetness of foie gras seasoned with a touch of Sichuan pepper and a hint of fleur de sel, a great match! With the duck, of course a Beaune Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jésus 2003. Two-thousand-and-three was my first vintage in the house [at Bouchard], 20 years ago already, great memory of this harvest and Baby Jesus is a nice wink for Christmas Eve! And then a Corton 2013, my mum loves Le Corton and we don't refuse her anything.”  Frédéric Weber is the detail-oriented Head Winemaker at Bouchard, one of Burgundy’s leading, quality-focused producers and négociants. He has been at the company since 2002, taking over fully from his predecessor Philippe Prost from the 2014 vintage.  Champagne Corbon, Brut d'Autrefois, Avize (and a couple of back-up bottles) – chosen by Chris Gaither MS  “Christmas is always a special time of the year for my family. My wife, Rebecca (also a Master Sommelier), who is Jewish, always looks forward to the combo of Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations back-to-back, especially with our young daughters. We tend to favour multiple evenings of delicious food and drink that we can enjoy, albeit with moderation. And she and I rarely finish a bottle when drinking together at dinner, if it's only the two of us sipping. Surprised? It’s partially because we have two kids and run two businesses (Ungrafted and GluGlu), so work doesn’t stop even after dinner! So, on Christmas evening we'll be having a low-key 'Jewish' Christmas dinner, with a few other Jewish families. We are going to order Chinese food from one of our favourite restaurants in Millbrae (Wonderful is the name if you'd like to know), and chow down on some tasty dishes with a few of our favourite bottlings from producers we admire.  “Rebecca and I are huge fans of Champagne, and most times if you ever see us sipping on something together, it's usually just that. Champagne Corbon is a tiny grower based in the Vallée de la Marne (run by Agnès Corbon – ladies rule!), but they sell a good portion of their fruit from their vineyards there. They own two hectares of vineyards in Avize, of which they use to produce most of their wines. The Brut d'Autrefois is based on a 35-plus-year-old perpetual reserve (or solera) that is roughly based on 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir. The solera consists of a single neutral oak vat that is 50% drained each year for bottlings of D'Autrefois, and then refreshed with a new year's vintage. Delicious, exuding a bit of richness, with nice texture, and loads of complexity. We were fortunate enough to get a few bottles of these, and I think we'll be drinking the last one we have... for now... The other bottles are ‘just in case’ bottles that we love.  “2018 Domaine Weinbach, Riesling Schlossberg, Grand Cru, Alsace: Who doesn't like Riesling? Any sommelier with street cred will tell you to drink more Riesling – it's routinely underappreciated in the world of wine, and you can get fantastic examples that are made with the same care as Grand Cru wines in other regions, but at less than half the price. Weinbach is one of our favourite domaines within Alsace, and it is currently run by Catherine Faller (again, shoutout to all the ladies making the magic happen in wine!) and her sons, Eddy and Theo. This Riesling is coming from their holdings in Schlossberg, the first Grand Cru to be ratified in Alsace in 1975. The wine almost always has a deftly balanced touch of botrytis, with lovely bruised apple and peach, with a very noticeable meyer lemon twang on the finish.   “2011 Fixin, Premier Cru, Clos de la Perrière, Domaine Joliet Père & Fils: This particular vineyard is a monopole within the village of Fixin, and this bottling is 100% Pinot Noir. It is run by Bénigne Joliet, who purchased the vineyard from his other family members in 2004, with the goal of making the Clos de la Perrière one of the more famous vineyards in the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy. Rebecca had the opportunity to visit the estate and meet Bénigne back in 2014 on a visit. She purchased the bottle of 2011 Clos de la Perrière on this trip. I’m super excited to drink it with her! She’s great at putting bottles away and not touching them!”  Chris Gaither MS was born in Atlanta and started working in hospitality to help pay the bills while at college. He gradually fell into the wine side, becoming hooked and – after a stage at The French Laundry in 2008 – launched into San Francisco’s wine scene, working at top restaurants and earning various awards. He became the fourth black person to pass the Master Sommelier exam when he passed in 2022. Married to a fellow Master Sommelier, Rebecca Fineman, together they own and run two restaurant/wine bars, Ungrafted and Glu Glu, in San Francisco. 2003 Chinon, Les Roches, Domaine Alain & Jérôme Lenoir – chosen by Ivan Massonat  “Of the (many) bottles I intend to open, one is high on my expectation scale: a 2003 Chinon from Domaine Lenoir. It’s a bare bottle, without any label nor cap, that I bought from Jérôme [Lenoir] a couple of years ago, after a few hours of tasting down in his ‘cellar of wonders’. After tasting several decades, 2003 had struck me as super fresh and elegant, like magically untouched by the famous 2003 summer heatwave in France. I would like to open it for New Year’s Eve, with one my best friends from high school who’s also a wine lover – and not a label drinker!” Ivan Massonat is the ex-financier that created Domaine Belargus, the Anjou estate that has fast become one of the Loire’s most famous, shining a light on its varied terroir through a single grape – Chenin Blanc. Stellar Spanish and South American bottles – chosen by Carlos de Carlos  “This year we have some cousins from the USA that will come home for Christmas evening and dinner. As they come to try some good South American wines, I will drive them around some of my all-time favourites for dinner. So the selection will be: Baettig Los Primos Chardonnay 2021 for the aperitivo. A wine that shows the very best of the south of Chile with a finesse and minerality that I love. Then Viña Cobos Chanares Malbec 2018 – one of my favourite wines in Argentina coming from Los Arboles in Tunuyán, Valle de Uco. Really special vintage from a really unique vineyard! And the grand finale will be Vega Sicilia Unico Reserva Especial 2008-2009-2010 [the 2020 release] – not only because the wine itself, but also because it was a very special present for my birthday that a very close friend gave me… and will be tasted alongside my favourite dish, Spanish paella.” The charming Carlos de Carlos is one of the founders of Baettig, along with winemaker Francisco Baettig, a Chilean producer that is one of our favourites. A flight of Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux – chosen by Blandine de Brier Manoncourt  “This Christmas my family will begin with a fabulous Champagne, Laurent Perrier’s Grand Siècle Itération No. 26, which we will enjoy as an apéritif around the tree. At the table, our dinner will begin with Corton-Charlemagne from our dear friend Stéphane Follin-Arbelet, the 2008 vintage, which will pair perfectly with a lobster dish. Next is, of course, Figeac! First the 2010 vintage of Ch. Figeac – it is magnificent right now, and goes very well with truffled capon. Finally we will enjoy our favourite vintage of Ch. Figeac, the 1990. We wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year!”  Blandine de Brier Manoncourt is daughter of the iconic Thierry Manoncourt who established Figeac’s modern reputation. Having studied at Sciences Po Bordeaux, she is Co-owner and General Secretary, especially involved in managing the property’s heritage.  2001 Ch. Figeac – chosen by Frédéric Faye  “My family is very excited this year to serve one of my favourite vintages of Ch. Figeac at our Christmas dinner, the 2001. This is a vintage in its full maturity, a vintage which sadly is often overlooked by wine-lovers but is in fact one of the great references of the property. Fresh, elegant, with a beautiful concentration… it will pair perfectly with ris de veau in a sauce à la morille. Wishing a happy Christmas and New Year to you and your families!”  Frédéric Faye is Managing Director of Ch. Figeac, where he has been working for over two decades, having arrived as an intern in 2002. Blanquette de Limoux, Antech, Brut Nature – chosen by Christina Stanley  “I share a holiday tradition of sipping bubbles with my mum while cooking, before any guests or family arrive. My dad suffered a stroke back in 2014, and she is his caretaker. Last year, when she tasted Varnier-Fannière Blanc de Blancs, she said, “This tastes like every good time I have ever had,” but Champagne is not what we drink while cooking. You know what’s great with a splash of orange juice? Antech Blanquette de Limoux Brut Nature. It has delightfully bright, lemony acidity, an abundance of chalky minerality, and it’s inexpensive. The main grape is Mauzac, locally known as ‘Blanquette’. Wonderful as a versatile aperitif and perfect as a Mimosa base, Blanquette de Limoux plays a starring role in any holiday gathering.”  Christina Stanley is an Advanced Sommelier and the Wine Director at The Slanted Door Napa – an outpost of Charles Phan’s group of legendary restaurants that are a reference point for fine dining and modern Vietnamese food. 2008 Merlot, Miani, Colli Orientali del Friuli – chosen by Michele Dal Forno  “I think I would pick a Merlot from Miani. Enzo, the owner, is truly the ‘last of Mohicans’ of vignerons in Italy, as he is seriously devoted to his vines and the wines he makes are a pure expression of each varietal he grows. I was lucky enough to taste many of his wines last summer with himself and some other friends and I was shocked by the genuineness of them all. In particular the Merlot 2008 was so fresh and rich that I was literally blown away when I tasted it. If you want to understand how an authentic Merlot should taste, Miani is the one.”  Michele Dal Forno is one of Romano Dal Forno’s sons, founder of the legendary eponymous Valpolicella estate  1988 Ch. Montelena, Napa – chosen by Maya Dalla Valle   “After a fantastic 2023 harvest, we are relaxing and celebrating this holiday season. At our most recent team holiday dinner we decided to open a magnum of 1988 Ch. Montelena to commemorate the successes of the 2023 growing season and vintage. With the recent passing of Mike Grgich, it was also an homage to one of the great winemakers of Napa. The wine was stunning, and well appreciated by all of us as red wine producers.”  Having travelled and made wine around the world, Maya Dalla Valle returned to Napa in 2017 to make wine with her mother Naoko at Dalla Valle, as well as embarking on a new project in collaboration with Ornellaia, DVO. 2016 Champagne Henriot, L’Inattendue – chosen by Stefan Neumann MS  “Expect the ‘unexpected’! Henriot’s single expression of Avize called L’Inattendue (translating literally as ‘the unexpected’) from the 2016 vintage is something I look forward to sharing with my family on Christmas Day. Full of energy, this pure Chardonnay gives me on the one hand the comforting softness of spiced pear and golden apple, but on the other hand the razor-sharp freshness of lemon and orange peel. This, in front of the family’s Kachelofen (tiled ceramic stove), paired with a freshly cured trout, might sound simple yet is heaven to me. If life has taught me one thing – you can’t beat an old-time classic.”  Austrian-born Master Sommelier Stefan Neumann cut his teeth at restaurants in Vienna and Salzburg before moving to the UK. He’s worked at many of Britain’s most illustrious establishments, most recently on the floor at The Fat Duck. Today he works as a consultant, using his extensive expertise to advise clients and companies. Explore more Editorial 

There’s no better time than Christmas to crack open a bottle of something special. We asked some of the biggest names in the industry – from top sommeliers to superstar winemakers – to tell us what they’re uncorking this year, and why

We asked some of the biggest names in the wine industry – from top sommeliers to superstar winemakers – to tell us what they’re uncorking this year, and why 

What the wine world is drinking this Christmas 

What those in the industry are drinking this Christmas

It’s difficult to make broad statements about a year like 2023 in Bordeaux. Following on from our vintage overview, we delve further into the year, breaking it down by commune to offer insight on how each subregion fared in this singular vintage     

Bordeaux 2023: a breakdown of the vintage by region, with top picks from Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol 

Bordeaux 2023 – breaking the year down by commune

Bordeaux 2023: the vintage by commune

There's more to Bordeaux’s 2023 vintage than the headlines will have you believe. Fresh from 10 days tasting and talking to the region’s leading producers and our commercial teams, Sophie Thorpe reports on the year – and some of the stunning wines produced    


Having spent time tasting with and talking to top producers, we dive into Bordeaux’s 2023 vintage – with everything you need to know about the wines

Bordeaux 2023 vintage overview

Bordeaux 2023: vintage overview

Burton's (Montesquieu)

Accounts

Your access is restricted because of your age.

Access forbidden

You must be over the legal age to view this page. Please verify your age to enter.

Are you over the legal age to purchase alcohol?

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, there may be a delay to the selected ship date.

As a result of the quantity requested for delivery, we recommend using Third Party Shipping. If you proceed with our Shipping, you will not be able to define a ship date, and we will get in touch with you to arrange delivery.

Your order request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

Due to the quantity requested for collection, there may be a delay in meeting your requested collection date.

Due to the quantity requested for collection, it is not possible to define a collection date at this stage. Our team will liaise with the warehouse and contact you directly to confirm a suitable pick-up date.

This item has been listed by a collector and is available for storage or immediate delivery

For orders with a high value, we recommend shipping with a third party carrier. Items shipped with third parties will remain in banded OWCs.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a collection date. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the collection date with you directly.

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to continue the purchase. Please select third party, or change the quantity (maximum 48 is allowed).

Due to the quantity requested, you won’t be able to select a shipping date at checkout. Please submit your request, and we will liaise with our warehouse and confirm the delivery date with you directly.

For up to 499 bottles in storage, the rate is 39¢/bottle per month or a $50 minimum monthly charge (this covers up to 142 bottles). For over 500 bottles, the storage rate is 35¢/bottle per month.

Storage is charged at HKD 40 per 12-bottle case per month. A minimum monthly storage fee of HKD 80 applies, covering up to 24 bottles.

Standard storage rate

By selecting third-party shipping, you will take full responsibility for all aspects of legal compliance and authorize Vinfolio to transfer the items to the party specified in your instructions. Items shipped via third parties will remain in their original packaging.

Collection times are between 8:30am - 12pm & 1:30pm - 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Wines at Will Call, that are not picked up within 10 business days, will be transferred to storage and subject to a $1.50 per bottle stocking fee.

Items to be sourced and shipped to our state-of-the-art fine wine storage facility for the best possible safe-keeping where you can arrange collection from our warehouse address in Napa.

Will Call (Napa)

You entered the incorrect password too many times. Your account has been temporarily locked. Please wait five minutes before trying again.

It seems you are visiting from {country}, we invite you to experience our {nationality} website.

Are you browsing from {country}?

We’re unable to process your order with both event tickets and a wine or spirit product in the same transaction. To proceed, please remove either the event tickets or the item from your basket. You’ll then be able to complete your purchase.

Please review your basket

Forgot Password

We're in the final stages of upgrading to our brand-new trading platform. As part of this transition, we're currently migrating all customer-owned inventory to ensure a smooth and seamless experience.

Our new and improved platform will be ready for you on Friday, April 4.

Thank you for your patience - we can't wait to show you what's next.

Oops, something went wrong

We couldn't find any results to show here.

Please note: tax will be calculated at the next step

Our website is currently down for maintenance.

Maintenance Mode

Pre-authorizing a Payment Method enables your Account Manager to make payments on your behalf, without payment verification.

Pre-authorize

This transaction has been blocked by authentication failure.

Authentication failure

Your payment card has expired. Please check your details and try again.

Expired card

Insufficient funds to pay your balance. Please check your details and try again.

Insufficient funds

This transaction has been blocked by the payment provider due to possible fraudulent behaviour.

Transaction blocked

Please choose a different payment method and try again.

Unknown error

About description for demonstration purposes

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold, delivered or transferred.

At {shortName}

Your allocation will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your pre-order item will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your delivery request will be cancelled. Are you sure you want to proceed?

represents all the wines that are in your possession and have been consumed.

This is the price you paid for this item.

Cost price

After adding your new address, you'll be redirected back to this page.

Create a new address

Your notification will be deleted. Are you sure you want to continue?

The lowest price you're willing to sell at.

shows all the items that you have pre-ordered, including en primeur wines, and all the items on your watchlist.

Futures

You can set a sell price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

You can set a market price on items you're selling based on a % of current unit net value.

shows all the actions that you have taken on items in your Portfolio.

groups every action by type - Purchase, Sale, Delivery, and Inbound Transfer - so it's clear at a glance what happened to each item.

History

shows all the items that are currently in transit to or from {shortName}.

In transit

Local delivery is free for orders over HK$1,800 (to a single location). For orders below this value, delivery is HK$150 for up to four cases and HK$50 per case thereafter.

Shipping starts from €15 within Italy and €45 to Switzerland and the rest of Europe for up to 48 bottles (75cl). Costs vary by destination. Larger shipments can be quoted on request.

The date shown below is when your order will ship from our local warehouse. Your final delivery date, along with full tracking details, will be provided once our team has processed your request.

You can arrange collection from our Retail store on 22nd Floor, 8 Wyndham Street, Central Hong Kong.
Collection times are between 9:30am-13:00 and 14:00-18:00pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

You can arranged collection from our warehouse STI INTERNAZIONALE SPA, on Viale del Lavoro, 57, 37051 Bovolone, Verona.
Pick-up hours are between 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

This is the current estimated market value for this item.

Manually set prices will be overwritten. Already listed wines are not affected.

Updates all unlisted wines to current market price.

Set all at market

represents all the wines you currently have in your Portfolio that aren't stored with us. Press the

My cellar

Name

Net price

New portfolio available

New portfolio

You do not have any invoices at this time.

shows all the items from your Portfolio that are currently on the market.

On sale

shows all the items you currently have in your Portfolio. You can perform individual actions on them from this page.

Overview

shows any items that are currently awaiting user action.

Pending

This is the dynamic estimated value of the item with trading margin removed.

This is the amount of profit you will receive if your listing sells.

Pre-authorised payments enable automatic transactions on your behalf, ensuring seamless and hassle-free payments. This allows recurring charges, subscriptions, or scheduled payments to be processed without manual approval each time.

The number of cases you wish to place on sale

Your catalogue item will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Your catalogue items will be archived. Are you sure you want to continue?

Before you request delivery, you can adjust the quantity for each item in your selection below.

* At time of sale a 15% trading fee will be deducted from the final sale price.

Total estimated value*'

The fixed custom price you wish to sell each item for.

Split into {caseSize} individual {bottleSize}cl bottles.

Title

shows all the items you currently store with us. These items can be sold.

Available for sale — items stored with {name} eligible to be listed on the marketplace.

Profile

This item is at Vinfolio, available for storage or shipping. For more information on shipping and handling visit vinfolio.com/shipping

This item is at FINE+RARE HOME Hong Kong, available for delivery or local pickup. Most Hong Kong deliveries can be made within 3 working days, an exact date will be available when arranging delivery. International deliveries have longer lead-times, please contact us for details.

Wines sold en primeur will be released from the producer after bottling, typically 18 months after the so-called campaign ends. Upon arrival your wine will be stored at Vinfolio in our temperature-controlled warehouse until you decide to take delivery.

We will source this item at the guaranteed price from our network of suppliers and arrange expedited shipment to FINE+RARE.
 The lead-time depends on many variables, but 2-4 weeks is typical for expedited sourcing.
 Once your order is confirmed, we'll keep you updated on its ETA.
 Every item is checked on arrival by our expert team, with photographs available on request (please note that charges may apply).

When a wine is on "pre-arrival", it means that we have a confirmed order on the bottles from our supplier and we are simply waiting for the winery or distributor to ship the wine to us. The delivery timeframe for pre-arrival wines varies significantly, depending on where the wine is coming from. We will notify you once they arrive at our warehouse and, at that point, you can decide to arrange shipping or list them for sale.

Burton's (Montesquieu)

Filter

Please wait

Related articles