Bordeaux 2024: Right Bank—Pomerol and St-Emilion recommended wines

Jeannie Cho Lee MW continues her selection of some of her favorite wines from the 2024 vintage.

st-emilion Right bank bordeaux 2024 — The village of St-Emilion. Photography by milosk50 courtesy of Shutterstock.

The standout performers on the Right Bank in 2024 shared a common thread—their ability to master the timing.

In the vineyard, Frédéric Faye at Figeac said, timing the treatments for mildew containment was critical, as was the timing of the green-harvest for both the Cabernet varieties. At harvest, Olivier Berrouet at Petrus shared, quality came down to picking the right parcel of Merlot at the right time. For many, it was about being patient to obtain better ripeness and harvesting as late as possible, despite the risk of botrytis. For a few estates, like Château Lafleur, there was little impact on yield—37hl/ha, very close to the norm—or quality. There was another consensus among the growers on the Right Bank, which Faye summed up very well as he brought his hands together in prayer and looked to the heavens: “Thank you so much for the month of August!”

Note: The ratings given here are provisional, since they represent the evaluation of unfinished wines tasted as barrel samples, not the final wines.

RIGHT BANK: POMEROL

Château La Conseillante

(80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc)

This is a deliciously aromatic La Conseillante, featuring refined tannins and detailed, intricate flavors. Lighter and fresher than recent vintages, the 2024 was fermented at cooler temperatures, with gentle handling of the tannins. The result: intensely vibrant aromatics and lovely precision in the flavor profile. Rigorous selection and several stages of strict sorting resulted in yields coming down to just 22hl/ha. The wine underwent neither chaptalization nor saignée and achieved 13.5% ABV naturally, but the balance, weight, and flavor profile suggest a wine with lower alcohol levels and slimmer body. 2031–46. 93

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Château Lafleur

(55% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot)

This is a profound wine of intensity and impressive depth. Rather than overwhelming with weight, it impresses with its linear, chiseled character. The flavors present themselves with clarity and compelling layers of intricate flavors, leading to a finish of remarkable length. In a difficult vintage, Lafleur managed to produce exceptional quality with normal yields (37hl/ha). This is a tour de force for Lafleur in 2024! 2034–54. 95

Le Pin

(100% Merlot)

Le Pin is intensely aromatic in 2024, offering spectacular aromas of violets, juicy red plums, graphite, and sweet spices. Cashmere-textured tannins are lithe and flowing rather than dense, and together with lively acidity, create the sense of flavors dancing on the palate. Cloaked in a trim body, this wine delivers elegance with poise and grace. Simply delicious and charming, even in its infancy. 2032–52. 94

Petrus

(100% Merlot)

While subtle on the nose, the palate is explosive, revealing intricate layers of savory spices, dark plums, and green tea leaves. The team employed a shorter extraction in this vintage, resulting in a wine that balances elegance with impressive density and depth. Partly due to low yields from strict sorting—28hl/ha (well below the 36hl/ha average)—the finish is gloriously persistent. This is an exceptional Petrus that drapes a trim body with wonderful elegance, intensity, and precision. 2034–54. 96

Vieux Château Certan

(71% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon)

A graceful and composed wine, with a taut body and understated power. The fruit is subtle yet persistent—dark plums, cherries, and blackberries—interlaced with savory herbs, earth, and tobacco. The flavors are woven together with suave, supple tannins and fine acidity, resulting in a wine with harmony and notable complexity. The wine achieved 13.5% ABV naturally, with no chaptalization. This is an attractive, elegant Vieux Château Certan rather than one with density or power. 2032–46. 93

RIGHT BANK: ST-EMILION

Château Angélus 1er Grand Cru Classé A

(60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc)

The 2024 is a graceful expression of Angelus, balancing depth with elegance. Vivid and expressive, this wine opens with an attractive nose of violets, red plums, and sweet spices. The palate follows through with clarity and vibrancy, showing well-defined fruit and lifted freshness on the mid-palate. Characteristic of Angelus in recent years, the tannins are refined, tight-grained, and silky. There is a lightness and vibrancy that is graceful in this vintage and should allow accessible pleasure in its youth. Unlike many of its neighbors, Angelus enjoyed normal yields in this vintage. 2031–50. 93

Château Ausone

(65% Cabernet Franc, 35% Merlot)

Highly aromatic and polished, this is a detailed, finely tuned wine that is alluring from the onset. Red flowers—roses and violets—blend seamlessly with red plums on the nose, while the palate offers more savory, spicy flavors and a persistent finish. The wine embodies the best of this vintage—elegance, purity, and complexity, without any excess. Ausone has made an exceptional, graceful wine that is a quintessential expression of its great terroir. 2033–54. 95

Château Canon 1er Grand Cru Classé

(78% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc)

The 2024 is harmonious and elegant, with suave, velvety tannins that complement the subtle, layered flavors that expand on the palate—red plums, cherries, nutmeg, and graphite. Beautifully woven and refined, this is a graceful, polished Canon that is discreetly intense, with an extended finish. 2031–45. 92

Château Cheval Blanc

(48% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon)

The 2024 is a concentrated, sumptuous wine, quite remarkable for this vintage. There is less weight, as one would expect, compared with warmer vintages like 2020 or 2022, but the tannin texture, the depth of flavor, and the complexity of the wine are comparable. Tobacco, sandalwood, and savory herbs mingle with black plums, cassis, and spices on the palate. The flavors, fresh acidity, and plush tannins carry through to a long, lingering finish. This is not a gentle wine for early drinking, but a classic Cheval Blanc that will require at least a decade in bottle. 2034–56. 94

Château Figeac 1er Grand Cru Classé A

(39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc)

This wine boasts an attractive, remarkably intense nose of violets and mixed herbs, with cassis and smoky notes providing an elegant backdrop. Figeac made a significant shift in recent years by eliminating sulfites, while implementing a cold soak for five days to enhance aromatics—hence the gorgeous early bouquet. The wine is equally appealing on the palate, even in its infancy, with refined, ripe tannins that provide support but don’t dominate the wine. Long, impressive finish. 2033–55. 95