Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Médoc & Bordeaux dry whites
db Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay is now close to concluding his tour of the 2025 en primeur releases as he reviews the dry white wines of Pessac-Léognan, the Graves, Médoc and wider Bordeaux region.
Bordeaux 2025 is likely to be remembered as an exceptional vintage cut from the cloth of climatic excess, then saved at the last moment by the rains of late August and early September.
But it is unlikely to live long in the memory for its whites, for the simple fact that they were picked before the rain arrived at the culmination of a period of intense heat and sustained drought.
Yet they should not be written off lightly. They are certainly uneven in quality, with many lacking the compensating vitality and freshness to cut their natural richness. But at their best, they are impressive by any standard and on a par with the greatest whites the region has produced in recent vintages.
As my tasting notes attest, there are many highlights in Pessac-Léognan and the Graves, but also in the new appellation of Médoc Blanc, as well as the Bordeaux Blanc and Vin de France appellations.
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The wines are presented by their appellation group: Pessac-Léognan and Graves first (together), the Médoc and Bordeaux Blanc second.
Highlights in 2025: Pessac-Léognan & Graves whites
Best of the appellations:
- Domaine de Chevalier blanc 96-98
- Château Haut-Brion blanc 96-98
- Château Smith Haut Lafitte blanc 96-98
Truly exceptional:
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion blanc 95-97+
- Château Pape Clément blanc 95-97
- Château Bouscaut blanc 94-96
- Château de Fieuzal blanc 94-96
- Château Larrivet Haut-Brion blanc 94-96
- Château Couhins blanc 93-95+
- Château Couhins-Lurton blanc 93-95+
Value picks:
- Château Picque Caillou blanc 92-94+
- Château La Louvière blanc 92-94
Highlights in 2025: Médoc Blanc & Bordeaux Blanc
Best of the appellations:
- Château Cos d’Estournel blanc 95-97
- Les Champs Libres 95-97
- Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux 95-97
Truly exceptional:
- Aile d’Argent 94-96
- Le Blanc de Duhart-Milon 94-96
- Blanc de Montrose 94-96
- Château Suduiraut, Pur Sémillon 94-96
- Château La Grâce Dieu des Prieurs blanc 93-95
- Le Grand Village blanc 93-95
- Les Griffons de Pichon Baron, Grand Vin Blanc Sec 93-95
- Château Suduiraut, Grand Vin Blanc Sec 93-95
Value picks:
- Le Grand Village blanc 93-95
- Blanc d’Aiguilhe 91-93+
Tasting Notes
Please click here for the 2025 tasting notes, which can be searched by château and by appellation.
For full appellation-by-appellation reviews as they are published, click: Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Haut-Médoc & Left Bank satellite appellations (Listrac-Médoc, Médoc, & Moulis-en-Médoc), Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, ‘satellite’ Right Bank appellations (Fronsac, Lalande & Castillon), Pessac-Léognan & Graves red, Pessac-Léognan & Graves white, Medoc & Bordeaux including Vin de France (white) and Sauternes & Barsac.
Related news
Bordeaux 2025: some additional tasting notes
Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: star picks from the Right Bank 'satellites'
Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Sauternes & Barsac ‘very rich, very powerful’
