Is it me or is there less talk around this EP campaign? I have seen very social media posts etc. Maybe everything is being covered up by the tariffs? I know some are calling this a very uneven vintage, I saw the berries last summer and they looked strained. Anyone on the ground in Bordeaux?
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At the risk of being flippant…who in their right mind would buy Bordeaux EP right now?
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I live in Canada
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Ah, well, nevertheless. 
I understand that even before the samples are tasted there are some concerns about quality.
I’ll be there next week and am really looking forward to tasting. I try not to buy into the extreme narratives—whether it’s “vintage of the century” or “disaster vintage”—especially in a region as vast and varied as Bordeaux. It’s rarely so black and white. Even in more challenging years, there are always bright spots if you know where to look, which is where I hope I can offer my folks some first hand insight. Part of the fun is identifying the overachievers and producers who made the most of what the vintage gave them.
For our customers, we’ll definitely be offering the option of European storage. That’ll be included at no cost in the short and medium term, which gives people the flexibility to hold off on shipping and make more informed decisions down the road. I think that kind of flexibility is becoming increasingly important—especially for those building deeper verticals or who place a high value on provenance and long-term condition.
And honestly, for buyers of first growths and other top-tier wines, free storage is a meaningful value-add. Where I have some concern is with more moderately priced wines—where the delta between en primeur pricing (plus eventual shipping and possible tariffs) and wines already on shelves starts to look less compelling. That is what it is, but I’ll still be offering my first hand opinions on wines across the price spectrum.
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I will probably buy modestly in the UK, <6 cases. Will ship to the US when terms are favourable, but storage is cheaper in the UK so I tend to just keep the wine there.
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Bordeaux EP stopped making sense for the consumer several releases ago. The recent Burgundy EP was a struggle. I seriously doubt the pricing for 2024 Bordeaux EP will be compelling enough to excite the market that is awash with secondary market stock after recent year pricing gaffes.
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Somebody that likes wasting money.
I just don’t see any reason to buy into this EP when I can buy the 2016/19/20 for pretty much close to EP pricing
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If 2023 was a lukewarm campaign, and reportedly far better than 2024, I don’t expect any serious sales for 2024. If it is close to 2013 in quality, and with all the uncertainty, I can see it not finding takers at even 30% discounts
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there has been pretty much no talk about the vintage only till maybe 1-2 weeks ago. my guess is that the chateaus don’t want any speculation or preconceived notions about the quality until the critics actually try the wines. but yes my understanding is that its has been a pretty uneven vintage from the recent news that has been trickling out
Suckling who typically goes and makes a big fanfare about EP did not even go this year, at least yet and he has a big China following. I think that says it all. Will
Be interesting to get @William_Kelley’s thoughts
I met with a few wineries, and most were saying to expect a 20% drop in price.
Another issue is the currency volatility right now.
I believe this is the week that the critics go. I know that next week is when the trade goes.
That won’t be enough given macro and potential quality of vintage
I got a first email from French wine critic JM Quarin. He talks about a surprisingly good quality of the wines with quite some fruit and aromatic density at the top. Much more so that he would have expected. He says as surprisingly fresh the 2022 did show (with all the heat), the 2024s (with all the rain) do not show green or unripe - all testament to the progress in every aspect made over the past decade. 2013 will not come back… btw, he also mentioned the very low alcohol levels (Ch. Margaux will probably be around 12.5% vs 14.6% in 2022).
Just to be clear and to not create a false narrative: He’s not particularly bullish on the vintage but surprised that there are some nice wines out there.
I’m sure the negociant are pushing the chateaus hard. They did last year, and it helped.
I think everything is wait and see. Sadly, I could not go to Bordeaux this year (too much stuff going on at home), so I won’t have much to contribute this year.
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This is typically the case though. Even in years like 2017 and 2021, there were wines that were quite successful. To the point in his notes, the most successful 2024s will likely be throwback style wines.
