Below is our current drinking advice for recent vintages of the red wines of Bordeaux but there are many exceptions so please contact us for further information.
Our sales and purchasing teams are extremely knowledgeable with a combined Fine Wine Trade experience totalling many years and are happy to offer advice on specific wines or vintages.
Below is our current drinking advice for recent vintages of the red wines of Bordeaux but there are many exceptions so please contact us for further information.
Our sales and purchasing teams are extremely knowledgeable with a combined Fine Wine Trade experience totalling many years and are happy to offer advice on specific wines or vintages.
| 2019 | A great vintage that draws comparisons to 1982. Seductive yet harmonious with fine freshness, they will benefit from 10 years maturation though have real approachability. |
| 2018 | A very good vintage with some great wines. Ripe, full-bodied and concentrated, they will benefit from 8 years maturation. |
| 2017 | A good vintage showing some similarities to 2014, though with more acidity and less tannin. Second wines and lesser châteaux are approachable now but most wines will benefit from 3-5 years before approaching. |
| 2016 | A great, classic vintage that will benefit from 8-10 years maturation. |
| 2015 | A very good vintage that should be ready 2 or 3 years before the 2016’s. Fleshy and ripe. Great in Margaux. |
| 2014 | A good vintage that still has some firm tannins. Lesser châteaux can be approached soon but the best need another 5 years. Very good in the northern Médoc from the top châteaux, which should be long-lived. |
| 2013 | A weak vintage that should be drunk it its youth or sold off. Only the very best wines of the vintage should be kept more than 10 years. |
| 2012 | A pretty, mid-weight vintage with soft tannins and attractive ripe fruit. All can be enjoyed now, with only the top names recommended for significant further cellaring. |
| 2011 | An awkward vintage in youth, these initially tannic wines are now opening up nicely with classic proportions and savoury fruit. The top names can be cellared further but they should otherwise be drunk or sold. |
| 2010 | A great, classic vintage. Second wines can be enjoyed now but most grand vins will need decanting and/or further cellaring. They will be magnificent to drink from 15 years of age. |
| 2009 | An opulent, seductive and ripe vintage. At all but the highest level these are already gorgeous - even the top names are now starting to open up. They will also cellar well. |
| 2008 | A good but not great vintage. Fresh and at times slightly lean, these are classically proportioned and are now drinking well. |
| 2007 | An average quality vintage that provided delicious and easy drinking at a very young age. These wines should be drunk up now or sold as they will not keep well. |
| 2006 | A good vintage that is now at its peak. Drink now or sell. |
| 2005 | A great, classic and traditional Bordeaux vintage. The top wines of the Médoc are still fairly firm but most can now be enjoyed. Some fabulous wines with structure and grip, they will cellar well. |
| 2004 | A quite good vintage that is now fully mature and should be drunk up. |
| 2003 | A freak vintage that offered Bordeaux lovers New World–style opulence. These wines are opulent and fleshy but many lack acidity. Only the best of the Northern Médoc will keep further though they are excellent now, all others should now be drunk up or sold. |
| 2002 | A light vintage that is fully mature. Drink up. |
| 2001 | An under-rated, very good vintage that offers excellent drinking now. They are at their peak and should be enjoyed over the next few years or sold. They should not be held. |
| 2000 | The famous millennium vintage. The wines have classic structure with a touch of added richness. The lower end should be drunk up. The best are now all drinking well, though they can be cellared further. |
| <2000 | All are fully mature and should be drunk or sold. Only the top wines of 1996 may benefit from further ageing. |
