Our En Primeur 2024 Tasting Tour focuses on Margaux and Pauillac investment wines on day 2.
Luxury asset Chanel investment wine
First stop on our second morning in Bordeaux was at ‘super Second Growth’, Chanel-owned, Chateau Rauzan-Ségla. Luxury conglomerates such as LVMH and Chanel have made significant investments in wine estates in Bordeaux and other regions. Chanel also own Chateau Canon and and Berliquet in St Emilion.
Without doubt, 2024 was a difficult year for Bordeaux, but for Rauzan-Ségla it was a landmark in their history as the Chateau became certified organic with this vintage.
We were hosted by Chloe who was very informative giving us a masterclass in the use of oak. The wine-making team opted for 50% new oak for this vintage using seven different coopers for their barrels all offering unique qualities.
Cooper Taransaud could give retention and sharpness, whilst Tonnellerie Berger & Fils can be more approachable sooner than some other coopers. In due course all seven coopers will be blended to give the final product of 2024. Despite their differences, all the barrel samples have the same medium toast profile to allow the grapes to express the terroir of Margaux.
The Rauzan-Ségla tasting was excellent, the benefits of Margaux's gravel soils helping with drainage for the excessive rain through the vintage, on display.
Terroir advantage
From there we swiftly moved on to Chateau Palmer, where we tasted both the Alter Ego and Grand Vin.
We learned that the use of vin-de-press in this vintage played its role, to extract depth, structure and flavour in what the overall harvest may have been lacking in phenolic ripeness.
The terroir of Chateau Palmer and the Margaux appellation in general has proven that it has coped well with the challenges of the 2024 vintage and we anticipate good scores across the board for this region.
From Margaux we headed to Pauillac, the home of three of the great First Growths. First to Clerc-Milon to taste a number of the extraordinary wines of this revered commune. The highlight was Chateau Mouton Rothschild, which made the most of their harvest with everything thrown at them. Key insight for investors was that 2024 could be one of the best value Moutons in the last decade.
Chateau Pontet-Canet has produced what looks like an exceptional wine In 2024. Their wine director highlighted the importance of harvest picking dates for particular plots in the vineyard and the use of 35% of Amphora for ageing.
This allowed them to retain fruit character, something some estates have struggled with. Additionally, the fact that the Pontet team only focuses on producing one wine, rather than multiple, allows them to put all their resources into making something special.
Chateau Montrose welcomed us with another masterclass into their new focus on terroir. We can expect an exciting new release, called Terrasse III in the next few years from Montrose where they use a Burgundian approach to terroir using Bordeaux techniques.
Interestingly, there has been a key focus on how producers can draw in the next generation across the region of Bordeaux as a fall in demand from younger drinkers, is a recognised challenge for the region. Montrose highlighted that they are actively looking to produce wines that can be enjoyed younger and do not require as much cellaring.
We then headed to Saint Julien to sample key wines and noted that the appellation has produced some bold and ripe wines in 2024 even at this early stage with Leoville-Poyferre being the standout for us.
Our second day finished off back where we started in Margaux, with Cantenac Brown showing well and, yet again, has produced a balanced and appealing wine. As we noted from our earlier session, Margaux seems to have done well throughout this vintage.
Day 2 En Primeur 2024 conclusion
An interesting day two produced some excellent insight into the challenges winemakers faced last year but also how the region is evolving to engage consumers. We learned that some of the Chateaux are opening their doors to tourism, following others who have proved the added value this provides in terms of income and brand loyalty and certainly a method to seduce the experience driven next generation of wine consumers.
For more information on investing in En Primeurs speak to our expert team on 0203 384 2262.