En Primeur 2024

The 2024 Troplong Mondot is a total stunner. As has been the case for some years now, the Grand Vin is blended before being barreled down, which means at the time of tasting en primeur, the wine has seen less wood than the vast majority of its peers. That lends this wine a certain raw energy that is impossible to miss. The purity and intensity of the flavors are simply remarkable. Troplong Mondot is one of the standouts of 2024. Even in this vintage, Troplong Mondot possesses remarkable textural presence, but that richness is matched by notable freshness and linear drive. It was deeply impressive on the two occasions I tasted it. Élevage is planned to be 55% in new oak, 26% in 20HL barrels and 19% in once-used barrels.

Score: 95 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026-2030

The 2024 Troplong Mondot was matured in 55% new oak, 26% in 20-hectolitre foudres and 19% in used barrels. It offers minerally, tightly wound black fruit, blueberry and light chalky scents. Very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant yet tensile tannins. Like the Mondot, it is peppery in style, pretty and sapid towards the finish. Not a huge amount of persistence, yet this is still a serious Saint-Émilion that could well end up at the top of my banded score.

Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2032-2068

The 2024 Trotte Vieille is a potent, explosive wine. An exotic mélange of black fruit, new leather, chocolate, espresso, menthol and licorice literally stains the palate. As always, Trotte Vieille is such a distinctive wine. The finish is perhaps a touch light. Then again, this is 2024. Today, Trotte Vieille comes across as raw and not totally put together, but its pedigree and potential are undeniably present.

Score: 92 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2034-2054

The 2024 Trotte Vieille was picked from 20 September to 5 October and matured entirely in new oak, with a small proportion aged in amphora. It has a lovely bouquet with redcurrant and black plum scents that gain amplitude with aeration. Not as intense as the impressive '22, but it has plenty of charm. The palate is medium-bodied with fluid tannins that lend a silky texture. The oak is well-judged and integrated, gaining weight towards the latter half. The finish is composed with just the right amount of piquancy. This is a delightful Saint-Émilion that will provide a great deal of pleasure.

Score: 92 - 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2050

The 2024 Valandraud is quite the powerhouse. Dense and explosive, Valandraud packs a huge punch. Macerations reached up to four weeks, long for the vintage, yielding an especially huge, deep Saint-Émilion. Valandraud is atypically concentrated for the year. Let's see what happens with élevage. There is a feeling of exoticism here that is so alluring. This is an especially heady, opulent wine in 2024. That was clearly the intent, and an approach that worked.

Score: 92 - 95 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2034-2054

The 2024 Valandraud is the first vintage to include grapes from a parcel just in front of the château. Picked between 26 September and 7 October, it was matured entirely in new oak. This cuvée can handle the 100% new oak, with a floral style and more red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black cherries and raspberry, showing a firm grip towards the finish with moderate length. It will require three or four years to cohere, but I am concerned about the oak overwhelming the fruit, hence my score.

Score: 90 - 92 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2048

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