The 2024 Vintage “En Primeur” report
As an introduction to the traditional vintage report, discover the 10 key points developed by Axel Marchal, University Professor at the Oenological Research Unit of the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences.
10 key points about the 2024 Vintage
Prof. Laurence Geny, Elodie Guittard, Dr. Valérie Lavigne and Prof. Axel Marchal
1. A mild and exceptionally rainy winter marked by little sunshine, which delayed bud break and limited access to vine plots
2. Rapid early phenological development followed by a significant slowdown due to cool and rainy weather from mid-April onwards
3. A rainy and often cool month of May lacking in sunshine, which kept vine growth slow and irregular
4. A rainy June, too, resulting in difficult flowering in the context of a high mildew threat
5. A fairly dry summer, but late and spaced out véraison (colour change) due to high water reserves in the soil
6. Ripening from late August onwards, before the sudden arrival of autumn in September
7. Disrupted harvest schedules due to a spell of rain from 20 September
8. In Sauternes, alternating dry and wet weather conditions which were propitious to the onset of Botrytis cinerea and the concentration of the grapes
9. Fresh, fruity red wines including some great successes on the finest terroirs, very good polished and expressive dry white wines, and pure and well-balanced botrytised sweet white wines
10. It is clear that 2024 will not be remembered as an exceptional vintage for Bordeaux wines. Nevertheless, thanks to the considerable efforts undertaken in the vineyards and the technical progress that winegrowers now benefit from, the quality of the wines produced this year bears no comparison to the rainy vintages of the past. While it was obviously easier to make very good dry and sweet white wines, it would be a mistake to systematically overlook the red wines.
Click here to discover the 2024 vintage report in full
