Each year, Millésima offers a wide selection of ‘en primeur’ wines, purchased directly from the estates and delivered after bottling, generally 18 to 24 months after the wine is released for sale. Prices are set between April and July following the harvest, based on assessments by international wine professionals and critics.
As one of the five largest buyers of en primeur wines on the Bordeaux marketplace, Millésima, with over 30 years' experience, includes in its selection not only wines from the great Bordeaux appellations, but also from the Rhône Valley, Burgundy, Alsace and the Loire, offering you a diversified range of en primeur wines.
2024 Primeur wines in France: a unique identity
The year 2024 will remain one of the most significant in French climate history. Paradoxically, it ranks both among the ten rainiest years ever recorded and in the top five warmest since records began in 1900.
These atypical conditions have impacted wine production, leading to a significant drop in volumes. However, thanks to the expertise and resilience of winemakers, the 2024 vintage presents quality wines, distinguished by their freshness, balance, and aromatic intensity.
Bordeaux, when accessibility meets quality
In 2024, a mild and exceptionally rainy winter exceeded the averages of the previous decade, while June's flowering benefited from stable weather conditions. Despite a dry and pleasant summer, September brought a sharp cooling accompanied by heavy rains, thus complicating the harvest.
This Atlantic vintage is distinguished by its natural freshness, perfectly in line with current trends. The wines, floral and fruity, are energetic and display moderate alcohol levels, thus meeting contemporary expectations without compromising their complexity. Offering a wide tasting window, Bordeaux's 2024 en primeur wines can be enjoyed from their youth while possessing good aging potential.
Burgundy, a complex vintage with promising prospects
The 2024 vintage in Burgundy is one of the most complex of the decade. Despite various climatic uncertainties that affected vineyard yields, Burgundy's 2024 en primeur wines present interesting qualitative prospects.
The white wines are distinguished by their tension, minerality, freshness, and elegance. Although they are less opulent than previous vintages, they show promising aging potential. The reds are characterized by their elegance and aromatic finesse. Less powerful than certain recent vintages, they offer a harmonious balance between fruit freshness and integrated tannic structure. The diversity of expressions, due to microclimates and adapted winemaking practices, underlines the quality and complexity of this vintage.
Rhône, climatic challenges at the origin of beautiful successes
The year 2024 was marked by difficult climatic conditions, with a rainy spring and episodes of frost and hail in April. However, the hot and dry summer, accompanied by the mistral, favored regular grape maturation. Although véraison was slightly late, the berries proved healthy, promising beautiful successes for 2024 Rhône wines.
The white wines are distinguished by their liveliness, purity, and tension, with marked acidity and moderate degrees. Grape varieties such as marsanne, roussanne, and viognier offer floral and mineral profiles. As for the reds, they prove balanced, fresh, aromatic, and colored, combining concentration and acidity. The tannins, ripe and silky, bring beautiful structure, and the style, more digestible than that of solar vintages, promises beautiful aging prospects, particularly in Cornas, Hermitage, or Saint-Joseph.
Primeurs 2023 in France: a promising vintage
Bordeaux, a resilient and harmonious vintage
The 2023 Bordeaux vintage was marked by contrasting weather conditions, with a rainy early spring and a late Summer. Thanks to the know-how and vigilance of the winegrowers, the vineyards were spared the pressure of mildew. The sunny month of September and the cool nights ensured that the grapes ripened perfectly, producing wines of outstanding quality and balance.
Wine lovers will be delighted to discover the 2023 Bordeaux en primeur wines, offering a diversity of profiles reflecting the rich diversity of Bordeaux terroirs and grape varieties. The red wines, predominantly made from the Merlot grape variety, boast enchanting fruity aromas and silky tannins, while the dry white wines, made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, offer exquisite freshness and seductive citrus notes.
The Rhône Valley blessed with a mild climate
Unlike Bordeaux, the Rhône Valley enjoyed a particularly mild climate in 2023. Moderate spring rainfall enabled the vines to flower well and grow steadily. The late summer allowed the grapes to ripen slowly and gradually, preserving a perfect balance between acidity and sweetness.
This year, the wines of the Rhône Valley 2023 stand out for their exceptional finesse and elegance. The red wines, made mainly from Syrah and Grenache grapes, reveal intense red and black fruit aromas, as well as captivating spicy notes. The white wines, made from Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne grapes, seduce with their freshness and enchanting floral and fruity aromas.
Burgundy, an unspoilt and generous region
In Burgundy, the 2023 vintage was spared heavy spring rainfall. Winegrowers were able to work in ideal conditions and limit the pressure of mildew. The late summer allowed the grapes to ripen to perfection, particularly for the region's emblematic grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The 2023 Burgundy en primeurs promise red wines with enticing aromas of red fruits and spices, as well as an elegant tannic structure. The white wines, meanwhile, are characterised by their freshness and mineral notes, with seductive citrus and white-fleshed fruit aromas.
The 2023 vintage in France promises to be a vintage to watch, with weather conditions varying from region to region. Despite a rainy spring and a late summer, winegrowers were able to make the most of these conditions and preserve the quality of their grapes. As a result, the 2023 en primeurs will reveal wines with diverse profiles, reflecting the richness and complexity of France's terroirs. It's a vintage that's well worth discovering, and one that will excite the most discerning wine-lovers and bargain-hunters alike.
Why buy En Primeur wines?
Buying en primeur allows you to buy a wine while it is still maturing, i.e. before it is bottled and marketed. The Primeur system, initially reserved for the wine trade and open to private customers since the 1980s, helps estates to finance their expenditure and the following year's production, and offers a unique opportunity to own exceptional wines at competitive prices, with a guarantee of authenticity and direct provenance, as well as providing access to rare and special formats.
Would you like to be informed when certain wines are released as Primeurs? Millésima makes it easy to order thanks to its En Primeur Alert system, enabling you to be informed in real time of the release of your favourite wines.
En Primeur Frequently Asked Questions
What are En Primeur wines? When are En Primeur wines delivered? How long are the wines available at the En Primeur price? Millésima answers all your questions in a dedicated Frequently Asked Questions section.
