Day 4 - Bordeaux EP 2025: Pomerol & Pessac-Léognan

Day Four took us over to Pomerol for a morning of three stops, before crossing back to Pessac-Léognan on Bordeaux’s left bank for the afternoon. A day of real contrasts, with the warmer, clay-driven Pomerols delivering aromatic, generous wines, and Pessac-Léognan showing a more classical Bordeaux elegance. Across both, 2025 continued to deliver the consistency we have seen all week, with balance and aromatic precision the common thread.

La Conseillante

Our first stop of the morning was La Conseillante. Yields came in at around 30 hl/ha against a quoted Pomerol average of 25. The 2025 blend is 87% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and, for the first time in many years, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The reintroduction comes from a gravel plot, which they expect to contribute closer to 8% in future vintages.

Small berries with thick skins gave plenty of tannin, so ageing has been extended to 18 months rather than 16, in 70% new oak. Aromatics led without dominating. Floral, high acidity, medium body, velvety ultra-fine tannins and a silky texture. Elegant and harmonious, finishing on a nice spicy note.

Clinet

A large part of the story at Clinet is 35mm of rain that fell on 20th August, which the team described as a miracle after a hot, dry summer. Old vines with deep roots came through beautifully. The blend is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, with 60% new oak and 20% one-year-old barrels, a touch less new oak than usual. Extraction was gentle: pumping over only, gravity-fed juice, hand sorting. 14% alcohol, 3.65 pH, yields around 34 hl/ha.

The wine showed a slightly different profile to some of the morning's others, with a toasty, oaky character and a savoury register, alongside graphite, pencil shavings, violet, and precise red fruit. Ripe, round tannins, long finish. A finesse-driven expression of Clinet, beautifully balanced and right in the sweet spot of ripeness.

Vieux Château Certan

One of the standouts of the morning was Vieux Château Certan. The late-August rain was equally welcome here, and a second shower at the start of September closed out ripening nicely. Interesting blending decision this year: younger vines have been brought into the Grand Vin, which is normally restricted to vines of more than 25 years.

These younger parcels added freshness and flesh, beautifully complementing the intense concentration of their old Merlot vines. 5% Cabernet Sauvignon also makes the cut, adding complexity. Alexandre Thienpont was emphatic that 2025 is a benchmark vintage for Cabernet Franc, placing it on a par with 2018.

As ever, the wine delivered on the nose: dark fruits, five spice, cinnamon, and a distinctive strawberry sweetness running underneath an earthy coffee note. Full-bodied, opulent, beautifully integrated tannins.

Haut-Bailly

Tasting and lunch at the ever-welcoming and hospitable Haut-Bailly, where the 25-year renovation programme of the estate is now complete. The team has named this the ‘Holistique’ vintage, and the label fits: everything in the wine sits at the right level, with no single element stepping forward.

Yields were 26 hl/ha, 25% below normal. Alcohol at 13.3%. The Grand Vin is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Haut-Bailly II showed very well, approachable, and nicely concentrated, with fresh red fruit, cedar on the finish, and a solid medium-long finish.

The Grand Vin itself was a highlight of the day: beautiful minerality, fragrant nose, precise red fruit, silky tannins and real finesse throughout. Balance, perfume and minerality all present. A wine that will drink well young but has obvious depth for the cellar.

Smith Haut Lafitte

Our first visit to the new Gaïa building at Smith Haut Lafitte was another highlight of the afternoon. The estate continues to push its organic and biodynamic viticulture programme (now with the added aid of robotics, which the team feels is translating into more purity and vibrancy in the wines.

August brought peak temperatures of 42°C, but cool nights of 18 to 20°C kept things in balance, and 32mm of rain after 15th August refilled the berries at the right moment. Yields 28 hl/ha on the red and 18 on the white. Alcohol 13%. Extraction was dialled right back this year, and only 60% new oak was used.

The Grand Vin was very well composed, with balance, freshness, good acidity and silky tannins. The whites, as ever from this address, were a pleasure, precise and expressive. This release has been dedicated to Daniel Cathiard, who passed away in January.

Domaine de Chevalier

A UGC tasting hosted at Domaine de Chevalier, covering a broader spread of Pessac-Léognan and a few Sauternes and Barsac samples alongside the estate's own wines. Domaine de Chevalier Blanc was nicely balanced with peachy notes and good acidity. The Grand Vin rouge was on the softer, fresher end of the day, with approachable tannins, and will likely drink early.

Pape Clément

Our final stop of the day, and the week, was Pape Clément. A new winemaking approach has resulted in a softer tannin structure and a more approachable house style, which we have seen for the first time here. Significant work in the vineyards is supporting this shift, and picking ran from 20th August to 25th September, with careful handling during a hot, dry summer.

The wine showed good concentration from small berries but without excessive extraction, very much in line with the lighter-touch approach we have seen across the vintage. Elegance alongside ripe fruit, with a lovely rounded edge on the finish.

Our Take After Day Four

The move across to Pessac-Léognan gave us a different stylistic lens on 2025. Pomerol delivered the most generous, aromatic wines of the day, with Vieux Château Certan standing out. Pessac-Léognan reds showed balance and aromatic lift, with Haut-Bailly and Smith Haut Lafitte leading the way. Yields are consistently down across both banks, but quality is holding up beautifully.

This marks the final day of our Bordeaux En Primeur 2025 tasting week. Explore our full coverage for in-depth daily reports, estate notes, and market insights from across the region.

Follow Cult Wines on social media for video recaps and behind-the-scenes highlights from the week

Instagram: @cultwines

Related 2025 En Primeur Content