En Primeur Bordeaux 2024

The 2024 La Violette is a sensual yet powerful Pomerol. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, menthol, chocolate and espresso all meld together. La Violette is vinified entirely in French oak barrels. It's an approach that seems especially well-suited to this wine, as the wood amplifies flavor intensity. In recent years, La Violette has shed some of the heavy extraction that was penalizing in the past.

Score: 93 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2034-2054

The 2024 La Violette, aged in 80% in new oak, has a gorgeous bouquet with pure black cherries and crushed violet scents—well defined while retaining that opulent style. The palate is medium-bodied with plush tannins in its signature style, not as complex as the best vintages but it maintains balance and purity to the end. Just 2,600 bottles were produced.

Score: 91 - 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2042

The 2024 Le Gay is powerful, ample and quite seductive. Floral and spice notes meld into a core of dark red-toned fruit, new leather, mocha and pressed rose petal. Le Gay is vinified entirely in barrique, an approach that adds considerable textural resonance, which this vintage needed. Le Gay is a decidedly potent, dense Pomerol. It is very fine in 2024. Only about 50% of the wine from the property was bottled as Le Gay. Tasted two times.

Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2044

The 2024 Le Gay has one of the better aromatics amongst the Pomerol wines with clean black cherry, raspberry and truffle scents, fine delineation and well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. The wood pokes through a little, so it will need a very prudent élevage lest it is rendered austere on the finish. It is actually quite difficult to predict how this Le Gay will turn out. Time will tell.

Score: 90 - 92 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2029-2045

The 2024 La Petite Eglise is really in a class by itself when it comes to the second wines of Pomerol. Dark and sumptuous in the glass, the 2024 exudes attractive inner perfume and fabulous balance. Inky dark red fruit, pomegranate lavender, spice, menthol, incense and rose petal stain the palate. This racy, striking Pomerol is lights out. I would be thrilled to own it.

Score: 91 - 93 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2034

The colour here is vibrant ruby and violet, this has so much precision and energy, sapidy, cherry pit, violets, again the textural side of the vintage is at the fore, coffee beans, espresso and black chocolate, notes that I have not written in many wines this year, No chaptilisation, 3.62ph, 70% new oak, harvest september 20 to 28. Love this, has a sense of vibration that might make this the 2nd wine of the vintage. If this comes out at a good price, run don't walk, as they say.

Score: 93 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2029-2040

The 2024 Vieux Château Certan is a delicate, elegant wine driven by its strong floral component from the significant presence of Cabernets in the blend this year. Silky tannins add to an impression of restraint. I can't remember tasting a young VCC with this equilibrium, one that approaches a Burgundian textural feel, for lack of a better word. The 2024 opens with a bit of time in the glass, but it is a decidedly understated, calm VCC. I can't wait to see how it ages.

Score: 93 - 96 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2034-2054

Violet ruby with a vibrant rim, reflects the savoury vivid quality of the vintage in the wines that deliver. Clear chamomile tea, fragrant white blossom, redcurrant, blueberry, a touch of austerity and reserve compared to the past few vintages, but with purity and finesse, mouthwatering finish, 30hl/h yield, 3.7ph, harvest 20 September to 2 October. 3.70 pH, and a high Cabernet character in the final blend (despite one block less of Cabernet Franc after replanting), 66% new oak. An enjoyable wine from Alexandre Thienpont.

Score: 94 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2030-2044