The 2024 En Primeur campaign is already well underway, with a number of releases at extremely attractive prices. We’ve compiled the Top 10 icons you most definitely should get your hands on for a memorable tasting experience with friends and family in a few years’ time, or to fulfil a long-term ageing objective.

Though the 2024 vintage posed serious challenges, from spring frosts to intense mildew pressure and tricky harvest windows, it has nonetheless yielded wines of true distinction crafted by winemakers who had the skill and patience to wait for full phenolic ripeness. Believe us when we say that the wines listed in our Top 10 tick all the boxes to become fine bottles – a tannic structure offering suppleness, acidity and beautiful aromas. Over the course of multiple tastings, our team has carefully assessed and compared hundreds of samples from the 2024 vintage to compile this shortlist of favourites. Particular attention was paid to producers who delivered top-tier wines but also embody the new energy coursing through Bordeaux, a blend of tradition, innovation, and vision.

Among these pioneers, Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion stands out. In the heart of Bordeaux, the estate has carved a singular identity, mastering whole-cluster vinification and ageing in a mix of amphorae, foudres (large wooden tuns), and barriques, all housed in a state-of-the-art winery by Philippe Starck. Equally committed to pushing boundaries, Château Durfort-Vivens, a second cru classé from Margaux, continues its ascent back into the spotlight from one vintage to the next. Under the guidance of Gonzague Lurton, the estate has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2016. The winemaking has also been moving towards ageing in amphorae since 2018. And finally, Domaine de Chevalier, an iconic estate in Pessac-Léognan, captivates not only with its red wines brimming with character, but and also with a white wine that feels tailor-made for today’s palates. Crisp and fresh, this white Chevalier checks every box for a new generation of wine lovers. With Olivier Bernard and his family at the helm, the estate upholds a deep respect for nature and hands-on viticulture, ranging from biodynamic practices to traditional horse-ploughing in the parcels.

Alongside these innovative winemakers, Bordeaux’s historic greats continue to define excellence through the sheer depth of their technical expertise and exceptional human craftsmanship. Whether family-owned, such as Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild or backed by private groups, like Château Cheval Blanc, Château Montrose, and Château Suduiraut, these estates have risen to the challenges of the 2024 vintage with extraordinary precision and resources, ensuring the production of wines with the great potential destined to transcend decades. On top of that, they can also afford to offer significant price reductions on En Primeur sales, winning over both enthusiasts and savvy investors.

Whether they are from the Right Bank or the Left, some estates continue to shine through their strong identity, family-led management, and consistently high quality at prices that remain within reach. In Saint-Émilion, Château Pavie Macquin embodies this philosophy perfectly. Despite its rising prestige, the estate has maintained measured pricing in relation to the quality offered, making it one of the most compelling buys in the appellation for the 2024 vintage. On the Left Bank, Château Léoville Barton, a grand cru classé from Saint-Julien, has imposed itself as a solid value upheld by eight generations of the Barton family, owners of the estate for almost two centuries. With its resolutely classic style, it earned high praise from the iDealwine team, standing as one of the best value propositions in the Médoc this year, a steadfast anchor worthy of a place in any serious wine lover’s cellar.

View all wines from the 2024 vintage for sale on our iDealwine En Primeur website