Sales en primeur originated in the 18th century, in Bordeaux, when wine merchants went to the vineyards before the harvest to buy the grapes on the vine. In those days, they were responsible for barrel ageing and bottling.
Today, this has changed somewhat. The primeur season begins with the famous "Tasting Week", which usually takes place in April. During this short period, the entire wine world (negociants, brokers, press, distribution professionals, etc.) gather at Bordeaux to taste the new vintage, still maturing, in order to estimate its potential. This is a crucial stage, as it is at this precise moment that the perception and reputation of the vintage will be decided .
This is followed by the en primeur sale of these Bordeaux Grands Crus. In the spring, wines are offered for sale that have just undergone vinification and are just beginning to mature in barrel. It's a sale before the official market launch, which will take place 2 years later, at the end of the aging process. This system, which used to be reserved for professionals, opened up to private customers in the 1980s.
During these primeur sales, wine merchants play a key role in distributing and promoting the wines of Domaines to international markets. This marketing model, unique in the world, enables Châteaux owners to distribute their wines worldwide.
The opinions of renowned experts such as James Suckling, Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate (Robert Parker), Neal Martin, La Revue du Vin de France, Le Figaro and Lisa Perrotti-Brown provide invaluable references every year to help you make your choices and fully appreciate the potential of each wine.
Every year, this historic tradition attracts enthusiasts and collectors from all over the world, eager to acquire a preview of the new vintage.
For the 2025 vintage, wines will be offered for sale from April/May 2026, with delivery scheduled for the first half of 2028. This approach guarantees the authenticity of the wines while offering privileged access to the finest vintages.
■ Acquire Rares wines at preferential prices : as the wines are still maturing, they are released at more attractive prices than when they are officially released as deliverables. What's more, for some major labels, supply far exceeds demand. Buying en primeur means securing these precious nectars.
■ A choice of bottle sizes packaged in the original Château wooden crate : After barrel ageing, the wines are bottled in Châteaux. As sales take place in advance, it is possible to choose the desired format in advance (Bottle, Magnum, Impériale, Jeroboam, etc.).
■ Guarantee the authenticity of wines by sourcing directly from Châteaux : Wines are bottled at the estate and then sent to customers. This means perfect traceability and the assurance that the wines have not been improperly stored by passing through several intermediaries.
■ Enhance your estate with Bordeaux wines, which improve and increase in value over time : Bordeaux wines are renowned for their long ageing potential, especially the Premiers Grands Crus. Buying en primeur wines at more attractive prices is a way of ensuring value by keeping them for a few years.
Starting in March, the Châteaux of all the prestigious appellations open their doors to wine professionals, journalists and critics for preview tastings. This allows professionals to get a first idea of the quality of the vintage. The reports and scores given by the various critics are eagerly awaited, and have a major influence on the perception of the vintage and its demand on the market.
Following the tastings, each Château individually determines the price and date on which its en primeur wines go on sale. Traditionally, this takes place between May and the end of June, but there's no set timetable, with properties announcing their releases on an ongoing basis. Releasing early can set the tone for the campaign, but it may also be preferable to wait and see how the wines are received by buyers. With this system, there are releases almost every day, which is why it's a good idea to sign up for alerts so you can be notified when your favorite wines go on sale.
To set their prices, Châteaux rely on several things. They look at previous years' prices, the quality of the vintage, feedback from the press and critics, and increasingly, the current state of the market. To do this, they also enlist the help of specialized wine brokers. These brokers play an important role in ensuring the smooth running of transactions between Châteaux and wine merchants. En primeur prices are highly regulated, since the Châteaux set their own selling prices, as well as those of the merchants and wine professionals.
Once the prices have been set, the wines are made available to professional and private buyers via the négociants. It's at this point that we send you information about the sale of your favorite wines. For some wines, you'll have to act fast, because depending on the label, stocks can run out in just a few hours. Sign up for our alerts!
Thereafter, the wines continue their barrel ageing for 18 to 24 months in the winery before bottling. This may be a little longer for Sauternes wines or Premier Grand Cru Classé wines. For the 2024 vintage, deliveries will have to wait until the first quarter of 2027.
PREMIUM GRANDS CRUS takes part in the primeur tastings directly in Châteaux, with the owners, during the tasting week which this year will take place from April 14 to 17, 2025 for the tasting of the 2024 vintage.
In the first half of 2027, our team will alert you to organize delivery of your 2024 primeurs according to your preferences. They will be shipped in their original wooden crate, guaranteeing their authenticity and perfect preservation.
As a subsidiary of a Bordeaux wine merchant and direct allocatee of many Châteaux we guarantee you:
- Direct access to the finest wines from Bordeaux
- Tailor-made advice for each wine, following our tastings
- Guaranteed delivery within 2 years. All our wines have been previously purchased by Premium Grands Crus
You can place your orders as you go along, so you don't miss a thing. Before delivery, we will group all your orders together so that you can benefit from free delivery, in accordance with our general terms of delivery at the time of delivery.
Would you like to postpone delivery? We can store your wines on request thanks to our "Storage" delivery option .
Following a 2024 vintage marked by challenges and climatic hazards, 2025 appears to be a return to greater serenity. Less extreme and more readable, it nonetheless remains a vintage of precision, where each stage of the vegetative cycle found an almost ideal balance.
Winter, overall milder and drier compared to the averages of the last ten years, was punctuated by cold spells in February that slowed the vine's recovery. By disrupting the pre-budburst dynamics, these episodes delayed a budburst that had been expected to be early.
The spring of 2025 contrasts sharply with that of 2024: sunshine was generous, temperatures were relatively mild, and rainfall was rare. Thanks to this, sanitary pressure—particularly from mildew—remained very low, allowing the foliage to develop correctly. From mid-April, after Easter, mild conditions settled in for the long term, favoring homogeneous and regular growth across the vineyard.
Flowering, which was rather early, began at the end of May under almost summery conditions. Rapid and homogeneous, it took place without a hitch, spared from coulure and millerandage. Fruit set (nouaison) followed this same dynamic, driven by stable and dry weather.
The moderate water stress that then set in allowed for the early initiation of phenolic compound synthesis (tannins and anthocyanins), but it also had the effect of limiting berry growth. Summer, despite a few very localized thunderstorms, distinguished itself from the last thirty years by an unprecedented drought which continued to accentuate the precocity of the phenolic cycle, and more broadly, the vintage.
The water stress, becoming increasingly marked, led to a halt in vegetative growth even before veraison, which took place in a rapid and homogeneous manner under ideal conditions. The berries ripened perfectly but remained small: 1.05g per berry on average in 2025, compared to 1.55g per berry on average over the last 4 vintages.
Summer temperatures in August accelerated the ripening of the berries, which were characterized very early by a high sugar content as well as low malic acid levels. The berries, small due to the lack of water, presented remarkable concentrations. However, the few prolonged heatwaves, combined with good diurnal temperature shifts between day and night, allowed for the preservation of a certain aromatic freshness.
At the end of August, the saving rains finally arrived! The water situation rebalanced, and the berries absorbed the water, swelling slightly, thus avoiding any excessive over-ripening and refining the balances. This phenomenon continued between late August and early September, offering ideal conditions to perfect the ripening process.
Thanks to the soil's ability to retain freshness (limestone and clay), the vines navigated this summer period with resilience and serenity. pH levels remained relatively low, proof of this resilience.
The harvest, which was early, took place under excellent conditions, allowing for the gathering of grapes of exceptional quality. While volumes remain low—a direct consequence of the water stress—the quality of the berries suggests a vintage of a very high level, combining concentration, balance, and precision.
April 2026 - ©Marie - Oenologist, Premium Grands Crus
