En primeur offer: Bordeaux 2025

The Wine Society is the world’s largest buyer of Beaumont, but even our unrivalled support of this member favourite doesn’t make them immune to the difficulties currently faced in Bordeaux. Due to waning demand, they’ve been forced to grub up a significant portion of the vineyards as they’re no longer financially viable. Despite the difficulties, the wine continues to show unrivalled value, with the 2025 one of the finest we’ve had the pleasure of tasting. Always perfumed and charming in youth, this vintage deserves a little extra patience, with an energetic palate offering plenty of blueberry and toasted spice notes and present yet brilliantly managed tannins. Drink from 2030 to 2038. Magnums (CM35034 @ £132 per six) and bottles (CM35031 @ £110 per dozen) available. 13.5%

Cantemerle is often the first wine we taste en primeur as it acts as a brilliant spirit level for the vintage. Delicious from the first taste, it got better and better with each showing throughout the week. With 71% cabernet sauvignon, it’s almost opaque in the glass with a sweet and silky palate and supple, fleshy tannins. 18% merlot, 7% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc lend notes of blackberry crumble, kirsch and freshly toasted spices that give huge pleasure and opulence to a wine that always provides outstanding value. A brilliant addition to any cellar. Drink from 2032 to 2045. Bottles (CM34831 @ £116 per six) and magnums (CM34834 @£124 per three) available. 13%

Cissac is one of our bestselling Bordeaux reds thanks to its affordability and ageworthiness. It’s a wine that’s at its best after six to eight years from vintage, and the 2025 is a brilliant example. Located just behind the intersection between Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, Cissac is always a wine with great energy and freshness. The 2025 offers added depth and nuance with well-judged oak and distinct herbal spice notes. Drink from 2030 to 2038. Bottles (CM34671 @ £102 per six) and magnums (CM3464 @ £112 per six) available. 12.7%

Also owned by the Dubourdieu family and this year a blend of 88% semillon and 12% sauvignon blanc, this (according to winemaker Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu) is the ‘best Doisy-Daëne (they’ve) ever made.’ With a total residual sugar of 155g/l, the wine shows wonderful balance of rich tropical fruit with notes of passionfruit, pineapple and sugared mango, alongside crisp lime and quince notes. Very impressive. Drink from 2028 to 2050. Bottles (BW8451 @ £179 per six) available. 13.5%

One of the more floral and expressive sweet wines this year with 4% muscadelle providing a lovely chamomile and violet nose, while the palate is laden with bitter orange, peach and apricot. Drink from 2028 to 2038. Bottles (BW8341 @ £149 per six) available. 13.5%

Owned by the Dubourdieu family and the home of The Society's Exhibition Sauternes, this pretty little estate offers fantastic quality for a modest price. Richer than normal, the 2025 offers plenty of noble-rot character with 149g/l residual sugar. With candied pineapple, toasted lime, white-flower aromatics and a full, unctuous palate, there's plenty of please from the off here. Drink from 2028 to 2035. Bottles (BW8451 @ £86 per six bottles) available. 13.5%

Such is the quality of the 2025 Pitray – the oldest family-owned property in Bordeaux – that we’ve decided to offer it early as part of this year’s en primeur selection. The increased depth, complexity, and class found in this wine since Nina Mitjavile (daughter of the legendary François of Tertre Rotebouef fame) arrived as winemaker is staggering. They now include all their malbec into the cuvée, giving the wine intense spice and blackberry notes, with hints of tar, bitter chocolate and bilberry. A blend of 50% merlot, 40% malbec and 10% cabernet sauvignon, the palate is full, generous and powerful, and will reward careful cellaring. Drink from 2030 to 2037. Bottles (CB7641 @ £80 per dozen) and magnums (CB7644 @ £90 per six) available. 13.5%

With 124g/l of sugar, this is a fascinating and slightly serious Guiraud that eschews the opulence and richness of other wines with a more bitter, dry profile with notes of mango-peel, bitter orange, honeycomb and marjoram. Great fun. Drink from 2028 to 2050. Bottles (BW8382 @ £246 per six) available. 13.4%

Another rich and concentrated Rayne Vigneau this year with aromas and flavours of lemon curd, ginger and passionfruit. Spice notes from the oak complement the ripe tropical fruit and saffron notes from the botrytis. Drink from 2028 to 2035. Bottles (BW8401 @ £205 per six) available. 13.5%

Under the ownership of AXA Millesime and run by the same team as Pichon Baron in Pauillac, Suduiraut this year has 158g/l sugar and opens on the palate with intense sweetness, but tapers to a poised, dry finish. Lemon curd, marmalade, full-bodied and with great lift. Very classy. Drink from 2028 to 2045. Bottles (BW8391 @ £246 per six) available. 13.9%

A classic and characterful Batailley this year, with all the dark fruit and savoury smoke notes members have come to love from this popular fifth-growth Pauillac. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot and 3% petit verdot, the palate is concentrated and plush with plenty of attack. Notes of blueberry, spiced plums and sweet, grippy tannins. The 58% new oak brings fresh tobacco notes, adding complexity, while balancing freshness provides a long, linear finish. It has strong ageing potential and is offered this year in a signature Marie-Jeanne (2.25-litre bottle), as well as in magnums. Owned by the Casteja family, who have maintained a very consistent price for Batailley, and 2025 should be a good buy. Drink from 2035 to 2050. Bottles (CM34501 @ £145 per six) and magnums (CM34504 @£156 per three) available. 14%