Climate
Warm, stable, healthy
Red
Full-bodied, ripe, expressive
White
Rich, ripe, aromatic
Ageing potential
15–25 years
Weather conditions that were at times extremely warm kept Bordeaux’s winegrowers on high alert throughout the year. Yet from mid‑July to late September, a long stretch of sunny, stable weather allowed the grapes to ripen beautifully and ensured impeccable fruit across the vineyards. 2018 ultimately offered producers a rare balance of pressure and peace of mind: harvest and winemaking unfolded under excellent conditions. Today, this generous, fleshy vintage stands out for its remarkable quality — radiant, expressive wines with real ageing potential, capable of revealing the full depth of Bordeaux’s terroirs. Without question, a vintage built to last.
RED
WINES
Across all of Bordeaux’s red varieties, quality was outstanding. Picked unhurriedly and at perfect maturity, each grape expressed its full potential.
Harvest began with the earliest Merlot parcels around 17 September. Representing 66% of Bordeaux’s plantings, Merlot shows the hallmarks of a great year: vivid colour, ripe fruit, and impressive concentration. The Cabernets are equally superb, delivering definition and beautiful structure.
DRY WHITE
WINES
The white grape harvest started calmly and relatively early, in the final week of August, to preserve freshness and achieve the ideal sugar‑to‑acidity balance.
Sauvignon Blanc brings lifted notes of exotic fruit, while Muscadelle—the aromatic supporting player in Bordeaux dry whites—shows unusual expressiveness. Sémillon, slower to ripen, adds aromatic complexity and a real depth of flavour.
SWEET WHITE
WINES
Despite a late onset of Botrytis cinerea due to the dry summer, the development of noble rot accelerated rapidly, leading to a harvest brought forward by about two weeks. Multiple careful passes through the vineyards ensured precision and purity.
The resulting wines are silky and beautifully layered, with impressive aromatic complexity.
Rosé and clairet
wines
Picked fairly early—around 20 August—to retain maximum freshness after a hot summer, Bordeaux rosés show excellent quality in 2018: crystalline, delicate wines with striking aromatic intensity.