Go back to the Bordeaux 2025 hub.

 

08.06.26

With a busy Bordeaux week ahead, first out of the blocks this morning was Ducru-Beaucaillou, released at £540 per 6 and immediately looks one of the more attractive pieces of pricing among the leading Left Bank wines so far — only marginally up on the 2024 release and still around 27% below the 2023 vintage. More importantly, it falls comfortably within our recommended price band, with the cheapest comparable peer vintage currently the 2019 at around £600 per 6 in the market. Moreover, it's coming out lower than any other back vintage, except for last year's release. Unfortunately, tasting of the 2025 at the château was strictly by appointment, and it did not make its way into our team’s itinerary this year.

L'Eglise Clinet soon followed at a release price of £1,194 per 6, and although we scored it 17.5-18, it was disappointing to see it being offered as one of the most expensive young vintages on the market. 

Clos Fourtet at £336 per 6. Clos Fourtet was a firm favourite of team C&B this year and a wine we enjoyed greatly. An estate very much on the ascendancy, the wines’ aromatic purity and precision on the palate reflect the outstanding terroir of Clos Fourtet, the expression of which the Cuvelier family has been careful to hone over the last 20 years. A fair price to complement a positive score. Just outside our fair price range of £256-£320 its 'Clos' enough to be a win!

Saint-Émilion releases are non-stop, this morning and Beau-Séjour Bécot deserves a worthwhile nod among them — one of the appellation’s modern rising stars. Released at £270 per 6, the 2025 is up 20% on the 2024 release. It is important to recognise however that Beau-Séjour Bécot was among the most aggressive discounters last year, reducing pricing by around 45% versus the 2023 release while simultaneously producing one of the highest-scoring wines of the vintage.

Against the physical market, vintages such as 2018 and 2019 can still be found at lower prices, and, from a purely analytical standpoint, this increase pushes the 2025 outside our preferred pricing framework. That said, Beau-Séjour Bécot increasingly feels like an estate that needs to be viewed through a slightly different lens.

 

 

05.06.26

Since our last entry, there have been a myriad of releases, but here we will highlight the wines worthy of note.
The first release to mention came on Wednesday morning, which was one of the campaign’s heavy hitters: Mouton Rothschild. Released at £912 per 3, the wine falls outside our recommended range of £680-£850, which had been built around a hoped-for maximum 10% increase on the 2024 release. We felt this increase was a realistic approach for the Bordelais to generate stronger commercial momentum.  Even so, the pricing appeared to be carefully judged by the team at Mouton, particularly given that production in 2025 was little more than half that of the previous vintage.
Accompanying this was the estate’s ‘second’ wine, Le Petit Mouton Rothschild at £732 per 6, and the white wine Aile d’Agent de Mouton Rothschild at £660 per 6, both of which have loyal followers.
 
Later that day, we had Haut-Bailly released at £384 per 6… a property which remains under the radar for some. However, it's a wine which can punch alongside others that flaunt a considerably higher price tag! It has produced some of the standout wines from Pessac over the last few vintages, highlighting both its consistency and potential. The 2025 vintage is no different, with plaudits and strong scores coming from all critics — sadly, we didn't taste it.
 
Finally, that day we had Brane-Cantenac. Often considered the “Pauillac of Margaux”, this second growth property released at a sensibly priced £237 per 6.
 
Moving to Thursday, we saw the release of a very familiar name, Phélan Ségur. At £189 per 6, it remains one of the more consistent release pricing strategies in recent campaigns, matching both the 2024 and 2023 release prices. The château briefly pushed higher in 2022 before sensibly recalibrating, and while the wine rarely sells through en primeur these days, it has built a loyal following as one of Bordeaux’s most dependable “affordable fine wines” — the sort that many merchants have probably sold by the pallet-load over the years.
 
Thereafter, we had the release of Beychevelle at £378 per 6. One of the jewels of Saint-Julien, Beychevelle has a loyal following with claret lovers who look for a little of the exotic; a little of the “je ne sais quoi” which sets this property apart from its peers. Released a touch higher than last year’s 2024 price. Though there is a run of very good vintages around £350, including the great trilogy of 2018, 2019 & 2020, we believe this is still worth having due to consistently sensible pricing and clear exceptional quality in 2025, despite our somewhat reticent score of 16.5+.
 
Cantenac-Brown followed next at £192 per 6. The 2025 comes in 12% above the 2024 release, though fractionally below the 2023 price. In the context of the current market, that places it broadly alongside vintages such as 2018 and 2020. Unsurprisingly therefore, the wine landed above our fair value bracket of £132-£165.
 
Finally, that afternoon, we saw one of the more exciting releases of the campaign, Les Carmes Haut-Brion. Released at £429 per 6, which is frustratingly up on last year's price, the château would defend this price, citing yields down 17% on last year and the fact that it is one of the cheapest good vintages on the market. We should also remember that the 2025 Bordeaux vintage is still being lauded by most critics as a very good year, so it’s not surprising to see prices up on the 2024. Though sadly it has fallen outside our very tight fair price range of £296-370, it still punches above its price point. It has continued to find favour amongst our customers, offering a modern expression, great aromatic complexity, rich sweet fruit, fresh acidity and silky tannins.
 
Onto Friday, and what a ‘Glor-ious’ stat with the release of Gloria at £135 per 6. Slightly up on last year's release price but cheaper than the far majority of strong back vintages on the market (inc. 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022) — this also includes the unfavourably perceived 2017 and 2021 vintages, which for a strongly received 2025 vintage, is highly commendable.
 
Léoville Poyferré was up next at £318 per 6. Cheaper than the three vintage trilogy of 2018, 2019 & 2020, we continue to see a trend with these ‘cheaper’ releases, which are proving to be the real litmus test. Frustratingly, the château continues to price above 2023 & 2024, citing low yields and perceived strong vintage quality as the basis for their methodology, yet ignoring market sentiment. Riding high on some very strong critic scores, we too enjoyed the wine, scoring it a handsome 17-17.5.
 
Rauzan-Ségla followed with what felt like one of the more commercially sensible releases of the campaign, compared to others we've seen. Released at £290 per 6, the 2025 is only a marginal increase on the 2024 release (£282), while still sitting close to 20% below the 2023 release price (£360). Proper pricing that shows a clear awareness of the current market, rather than pretending it does not exist. Against the physical market, the release looks very competitive. Aside from the unloved 2021s and 2017s (weaker vintages), only a handful of 2019s and 2020s sit around similar levels. Based on our tasting impressions, the 2025 more than holds its own in that company. We felt this was very worthy of a purchase.
 
From the same stable, Canon followed. Part of the Chanel ownership alongside Rauzan-Ségla, this famous Saint-Émilion estate released at £435 per 6. Much like its Margaux sibling, the pricing shows a degree of restraint — up just 2% on the 2024 release and around 19% below the 2023 release price. However, it is in the secondary market where Canon has become something of a curious case. Despite the obvious quality and early drinking appeal of recent vintages, younger releases from 2021 onwards have struggled to sustain commercial momentum. Prices on vintages such as 2018 and 2019 have drifted back toward the £50-per-bottle mark, while 2017 and 2021 sit even lower still. Those market realities inevitably place a degree of caution around the pricing of the 2025 release.

 

02.06.26

A busy day in Bordeaux as the pace of releases continues to ramp up this week, with three major names landing earlier today.

All three wines stood out strongly in our En Primeur tastings, each showing clear identity and impressive quality in their respective styles, and were among our very favourites of those we tasted. 

Of the trio, Pichon Comtesse is perhaps the pick of the day at £597 per 6. While some recent back vintages remain available around similar levels, the 2025 still represents a meaningful discount to benchmark vintages such as 2022 and 2016. At under £100 per bottle in bond, the sheer quality on display here will be difficult to match elsewhere in the campaign.

La Mission Haut-Brion Rouge was released at a price flat on the 2024 vintage — a decision warmly welcomed in the context of the current market and, truthfully, the sort of pricing discipline we would perhaps have liked to see more consistently across the campaign. Pavie meanwhile impressed with its depth, precision and increasing reliance on Cabernet Franc to bring freshness and structure to the blend.

Please speak to your Corney & Barrow representative for further information or to place orders.

 

22.05.26

As we draw close to the long bank holiday, we have had a myriad of releases these past couple of days.

 

Yesterday morning we had the release of Château Lascombes, a Margaux property that has been in the news recently, having undergone new ownership in 2022 with a new winemaking team led by Axel Heinz — formerly of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia.

Released at £264 per case of 6 bottles, the wine is priced below the current market prices of both the 2023 and 2022 vintages. Our score of 17 points suggests it's a well-made wine that has a clear identity, and at this level, it looks reasonably priced for what is now a much more contemporary interpretation of Margaux under a very different regime.  That said, within Margaux itself, we still see stronger value propositions already released in the form of Kirwan, Angludet, and Malescot Saint-Exupéry, all of which we rated highly relative to their price points.

 

Next up we had the wines of Famille JM Cazes: Châteaux Lynch Bages, Echo, Blanc de Lynch Bages and Ormes de Pez.

Always one of the most anticipated releases of any Bordeaux campaign, Château Lynch-Bages was one of our most successful in the 2023 campaign a couple of years ago, and we had high hopes that the 2025 would be judiciously priced. Released at £402 per case of 6 bottles, the wine sits slightly above our recommended value bracket, though importantly still compares well against the broader market for quality back vintages of Lynch-Bages. We particularly enjoyed their effort this year and scored it a well-deserved 17.5-18.

If you want a more accessible, cheaper value play, Echo at £153 per case of 6 bottles offers a taste of the vintage in very competent winemaking hands.

With only approx. 1,000 cases are made each year, and to secure one of only a handful of great Bordeaux blancs, you won’t go wrong by picking up a case of Blanc de Lynch Bages at £252 per case of 6 bottles.

The final wine in the stable is Ormes de Pez. A longstanding Saint-Estèphe favourite, the wine draws from two distinct terroirs — gravelly parcels favouring Cabernet varieties, alongside cooler sandy-clay soils reserved for Merlot. At £108 per case of 6 bottles, it remains one of the best-value wines of the campaign. It has a genuine Left Bank pedigree and consistently proves to be a dependable choice for customers seeking classically styled Bordeaux without the price tag of the grander names in the stable.

 

Yesterday afternoon, we saw the release of one of the benchmark names of Saint-Julien, Château Talbot. Released at £216 per case of 6 bottles, the wine is up a tad on the 2024 release, though it still compares favourably against peer vintages such as 2018 and 2019 that are currently available in the market. Talbot has long been one of the more reasonably priced classed growths of the Médoc and, while perhaps not always commanding the headlines, remains a classic that should not be overlooked. Our score of 17.5 reflects another strong, dependable showing from the château,

At £102 per case of 6 bottles, Connétable de Talbot is another value play that, if bought alongside ‘Echo’ from Lynch-Bages, will make for a fantastic and interesting Pauillac vs Saint-Julien taste off. Very few ‘second wines’ receive 17-17.5 from us, so if you want an affordable yet serious ‘entry’ level Bordeaux wine this vintage, it's certainly worth a look.

 

As we woke to a very warm Friday morning here in London, we were greeted by our first release of the day, Château Palmer and Alter Ego — one of the Bordeaux campaign’s luxury Left Bank offerings. Released at £1,155 per case of 6 bottles and £324 per case of 6 bottles respectively, the grand vin represents one of the larger increases on the 2024 release price. Playing devil’s advocate, production in 2025 was extremely limited, with yields of just 20hl/ha. Coupled with the château’s longstanding strategy of retaining meaningful stock for its exclusive 10-year release programme, further reduces immediate market availability.

Palmer has always taken a notably long-term view with release strategy and stock management, meaning physical availability of mature vintages is often far less straightforward than market grids initially suggest. For loyal followers of the estate, securing stock on release therefore continues to carry appeal despite firmer pricing. Perhaps unsurprisingly, both wines fall outside our recommended buy price brackets, which were benchmarked more closely against the pricing of the excellent 2019 and 2020 vintages. As we did not taste either Palmer or Alter Ego during this year’s en primeur tastings, our critique is more subjective and based on quantitative data than on qualitative assessments. That said, this remains a major release each year with a consistent collector audience.

 

Our penultimate release of the day was Branaire-Ducru. A wine that we scored a very healthy 17.5. One of the most attractive Saint-Julien wines, with its focus on tradition, elegance and sophistication, it is no wonder that this property has yet again excelled in 2025. Branaire-Ducru consistently produces wines of outstanding quality, showcasing the appellation’s signature elegance and balance. Continuing an upward trajectory, it is now one of the most consistent properties on the Left Bank. We certainly erred on the side of caution when putting together our recommended buy price range, however, with low yields cropped at 33 hl/ha (the lowest since 1991), the 2025 price of 186 per case of 6 bottles seems a more proportionate response and somewhat justified.

 

If you have any questions regarding availability or format sizes of the wines mentioned, please feel free to contact your salesperson.

 

That wraps up another busy en primeur week. It’s worth noting that Vinexpo Asia is next week, so we are not expecting any releases. We will use this breathing space to remind you of worthy releases that may have been overlooked, upload new episodes of our Bordeaux Unpicked podcast, and share articles from the team.

 

20.05.26

Two of Saint-Julien’s perennial favourites are out today, with the Barton stable.

Léoville Barton has been released at £318 per case of 6, representing a 10% increase on the 2024 release. While this does place the wine above several back vintages currently available in the market and outside of our recommended value bracket, it’s worth noting that Léoville Barton's crop in 2025 was drastically down on the yearly average (22hl/ha, normally in excess of 40). Despite paltry yields, the wine has been well received, and with its lower alcohol level, it shows great terroir expression. It's a wine our tasting team very much enjoyed, and that sentiment has been echoed by some of the industry's prominent critics.

Langoa Barton follows at £175 per 6, also up on the 2024 release and likewise produced from a minuscule crop of around 20hl/ha. As ever, it offers a slightly more approachable window into the Barton style — classic, composed Saint-Julien with plenty of loyal followers year after year.

Due to low yields, it’s worth noting that quantities are limited for both wines, but that 2025 continues the Barton reputation for classically structured, age-worthy wines.

Later this morning saw the release of one of our highest-scoring wines of the vintage, and arguably the headline release to date: Château Lafite Rothschild.

Released at £1041 per case of 3, the wine lands just above our recommended value bracket of £792-990, which itself had already factored in scope for a meaningful increase on the 2024 release. While pricing is therefore on the firmer side, it is likely to still have plenty of appeal at close to 10% discount on the 2019 vintage. This remains one of the campaign’s benchmark wines.

Production was significantly reduced in 2025, with yields of just 22hl/ha versus 32hl/ha last year, and négociant allocations have been cut accordingly. As expected, response to this wine has been particularly strong given its stature and critical response. As a result, all stock will be offered strictly on allocation, giving priority to our pre-orders.

Carruades’ quantities have also been affected in the 2025 vintage. This release does open at a premium compared to other vintages in bottle, but demand remains high.

Closing the day is Château Rouget. Sadly, it is up on our original recommended buy price range, but on reflection, we may have given this Pomerol favourite undue short shrift. It is a wine we enjoyed immensely during our en primeur tastings, scoring a strong 17+. Additionally, it has received very commendable critics' scores, and coming from the highly respected Labruyère family, we remain very much behind the 2025 release. 

 

19.05.26

Château Gruaud Larose started the day bright and early. This second growth property has been a firm favourite with Corney & Barrow customers (indeed, the UK wine trade) for many years, thanks to their long association in making well-priced, honest ‘Claret’ — 2025 is one of their most exciting releases for many years!

Released at £258 per case of 6, it falls flat on the 2024 release price — this is great value for Gruaud, entering below all back vintages in the market and falls within our recommended buy price range.

The 2025 vintage also marks Gruaud's 300th anniversary. To commemorate this, the 2025 release will feature a special black and gold label, complemented by a gold-waxed capsule — looking particularly stylish in the larger formats…

The wine itself is an expressive, pure, supple and refined example of Saint-Julien. Also released is the very dependable second wine Sarget de Gruaud Larose at a delicious £99 per 6.

Two of the Mouton stable followed up: Château d'Armailhac and Clerc Milon.

The former is released at £184.50 per case of 6, which is a small increase on the 2024 price. It falls just above our recommended buy price range, but looking at much of the market, £180-£200 seems to be the going rate for back vintages. It was a real favourite during our en primeur tastings, with our C&B score coming out at 17.5 — certainly one of the highest scores at this price point!

Alongside d'Armailhac came Clerc Milon. Released at £309 per 6, it represented an increase on the 2024 price. Although entering at a lower price than some of its peer vintages, we questioned whether it was cheap enough. Ultimately, this wine falls outside our recommended buy price range and our score was fair to good.

 

18.05.26

 

The week starts on a positive note with one of our favourite left bank wines, Cos d'Estournel, bucking the recent pricing trend. At the same price as the 2024 release - £510 a six - there is real value here for Cos fans. This sits alongside the lowest priced peer vintages. Cos 2025 is serious, but wears its heart on its sleeve, with wonderful St-Estephe expression. It will be a fantastic Cos with some cellar time and is very much a buy in our eyes! 

 

13.05.26

 

Today sees the release of the Mitjavile family wines: Tertre Roteboeuf (iconoclastic and yet one of the great Saint-Émilions — £774 per 6), Roc de Cambes (an exotic gem — £264 per 6) and L’Aurage (an absolute bargain at £325 per 12).  

François Mitjavile described the 2025 vintage as “a dense, ripe, unusual and dynamic year.” The C&B team tasted these wines on a few occasions, including at our London HQ and during our annual en primeur visits to Bordeaux. Head of Fine Wine Buying, Guy Seddon, commented that “the ‘25s are beautiful, affording rich fruits and a glimpse of that ‘degraded’ Mitjavile structure, while retaining astonishing vitality.” 

Read the full offer, with prices, scores & tasting notes: https://www.candblibrary.co.uk/brochure/tertre-roteboeuf-roc-de-cambes-laurage-2025-vintage-en-primeur/

In addition, we have had a sprinkling of releases from both sides of the Gironde; most notably Rauzan-Gassies, La Lagune, Haut-Batailley and Gazin. 

First out of the blocks (and before we even had time to tuck into a pain au chocolate) was Château Rauzan-Gassies… a mighty 2nd Growth from Margaux at £383 per case of 12 bottles. The price fell marginally outside our fair price range; regardless, it’s a wine worthy of note if you follow the 1855 classification, where positioning means so much. Not to labour the point, but we really do feel that Château Kirwan (released on Monday) at £150 per case of 6 bottles is the value play in Margaux to date.  

Château La Lagune has always been a wine with a solid reputation and offering good quality to price ratio… this release being no exception, being offered at £130 per case of 6 bottles — as our Head of Fine Wine, Will Hargrove commented, “as a Left Bank ‘cheapy’, I think this is a bargain.”

Up next came Château Haut-Batailley at £210 per case of 6 bottles. Sadly, our pre-tasting market analysis set our price bracket lower than this, however, there is occasional mitigation and reason to allow some exemptions to the rule. There are suggestions that this is Cazes's best vintage, and as such, the 2025 looks to provide plenty of value.

Last but by no means least is a trusted old friend of ours, Château Gazin. The immediate neighbour of the fabled Petrus, it is a wine with whom C&B has a profoundly long connection for many, many years. At £267 per case of 6 bottles, there is clear light of day between this and some other trusted physical vintages on the market, such as 2016 & 2018. It is a wine worthy of applause, deserving of consideration.   

Other formats are available on request. 

 

12.05.26

This morning has seen a flurry of smaller estates released; Duhart-Milon (both red and white), Cantemerle, du Tertre and Sociando-Mallet. We were very keen on the quality of Duhart in 2025 but sadly the lower market prices of older equivalent-quality vintages make it a pass, unless you are a die-hard Duhart enthusiast. Château du Tertre has fallen into a similar (if less clear-cut) trap. We would steer your attention towards Château Kirwan instead which, at £150/6, is an impressive Margaux which falls within our recommended buy price

 

11.05.26

Cheval Blanc is out today. Cropped at just 15hl/ha, this is a small vintage here: only 55,000 bottles were made in 2025, versus 128,000 in 2023, for example. In light of this, and of the fact that of recent high quality vintages, only 2020 is cheaper in the market, although the release price falls above our target price range, we believe this high quality wine deserves the attention of followers of the estate. 

 

 

06.05.26

Today sees the release of the Moueix stable of wines, comprising some reference names of the Right Bank of Bordeaux. Wines of note include Saint-Émilion’s BÉLAIR-MONANGE (£530 per 6) and Pomerols LA FLEUR-PÉTRUS (£725 per 6), HOSANNA (£580 per 6), LATOUR À POMEROL (£320 per 6), LAGRANGE (£146 per 6) and BOURGNEUF (£205 per 6). And don’t overlook our new early-drinking favourite, PEYMOUTON from Saint-Émilion, at £148 per 12.

 

 

29.04.26

The 2025 Bordeaux en primeur campaign kicks off today with the release of one of Pauillac’s big names, Château Pontet-Canet. Taking the bull by the horns and going early has paid dividends in the recent past for Pontet.
 
At a significantly higher price than their 2019 vintage in the market, they may find it tough going this year. Disappointingly, at £378 per 6, the price fell well short of our fair value bracket of £224-280 per 6, and was a tad up on last year’s release price of £360.
 
Propelled into the spotlight with strong critical praise for the 2009 and 2010 vintages, the biodynamic Pontet-Canet has won plaudits in recent years.
 
We didn’t get to taste the wine at the estate but a few critics have in the past couple of days published their reviews of the 2025 and have been very complimentary. With a loyal following for the estate, some may choose to look beyond price.
 
What is worth consideration however is the more unassuming release of Château Angludet yesterday. We thought this was a gem of a wine, scoring it 16.5-17. A firm favourite among UK wine lovers, this neatly packaged Margaux is a bargain at £120 per case of 6 bottles in bond (other formats available). Holding their price on the 2024 release, they are to be commended.