2025 Bordeaux's Finest: Remarkable Releases

2025 Canon, St-Emilion (Pre-Arrival) ($114.99)

98-100 points The Wine Palate: "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2025 Canon shimmies out with seductive notes of fresh blueberries, mulberries, and black raspberries, leading to an underlying perfume of violets, licorice, Sichuan pepper, and mossy tree bark with a touch of lavender. The medium- to full-bodied palate is intense with stacked black, blue, and red fruit layers, supported by a high level of very finely grained tannins and a crisp yet nicely knit line of acidity, finishing very long and minerally. A real wow wine! The blend is 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 14% with a pH of 3.5. It will age 1618 months in French oak, 49% new, with 7% foudres. (LPB)" (04/2026)

98-100 points Vinous: "The 2025 Canon is a total stunner. Deep and sumptuous in the glass, it offers tons of the vintage's textural intensity along with all the vibrant, saline energy that is such a signature here. Dark-fleshed fruit, mocha, new leather, herbs and dried flowers build gradually in the glass, leading to a huge, dramatic finish laced with hints of blood orange, pomegranate and chalk. The interplay of finesse and power is dazzling. (AG)" (04/2026)

Ryan Moses | K&L Bordeaux Buyer | Review Date: June 04, 2026

At this point I dont need to regale you with what makes Canon an absolute musthave vintage after vintage. Suffice it to say, this fits the billand then some. Cut flowers, turned earth, and black cherries lead generous aromas that flow into a palate defined once again by remarkable texture, purity, and brightness. Mouthwatering redtoblack fruits coat the long, mineraldriven finish, which lingers with a subtle spiciness.I find this a touch serious, structured in a way that reminds me of the 2019. Either way, its a complete, nuanced, and ageworthy gem that will undoubtedly check in at the top of the vintage in every way but price.

Thomas Zacharia | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 04, 2026

Yields were kind at Canon in 2025, ringing in at 40 hectoliters per hectare. At 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, this is a stunning wine from start to finish. Explosive aromatics of supreme purity and elegance flow easily out of the glass, composed of dark fruits and violets. On the palate, its super juicy with great backbone and freshness from the limestone soils. Full of tension and density, this is one of my stars of 2025.

2025 Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux (Pre-Arrival) ($74.99)

96-98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Cassis, assorted red and black fruits, spicy wood, tobacco, and graphite all emerge from the 2025 Château Rauzan-Ségla, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1.5% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% Cabernet Franc that's being raised 18 months in 60% new French oak. It's concentrated on the palate, has a pure, layered mouthfeel, flawless balance, and a great finish. Checking in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.7, it's rockingly good and clearly up with the finest wines in the appellation, as well as the vintage." (05/2026)

96-97 points James Suckling: "Blackberry, dark cherry and crushed stone notes with a medium to full body, extremely fine and polished with a long and pretty finish. Racy and precise. Fresh and fine. Lovel the floral notes in the nose. A blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 1.5% petit verdot, and .5% cabernet franc." (04/2026)

97 points Decanter: "Gorgeous vibrant pink rim to the wine with violet aromas on the nose, very dark but very perfumed and not at all hot or sunny. So juicy and alive with structure the soft tannins give the outline while the real fruit purity sits in the middle. I love this a lot, very approachable, streamlined and focused with layers of fine tannins and brightness. You can feel the concentration in the construction but this carries a really fun, friendly, welcoming aspect because of the juiciness on the mid-palate. (GH)" (03/2026)

97 points Jane Anson: "Inky colour, this is sleek, powerful, a ton of energy and uplift, very classy, bouncy, feel that you are very much in the heart of rose bud and iris flowers, DNA of the Margaux appellation, liquorice and black chocolate, really a skilfully constructed wine that will power through the years. Nicolas Audebert. Harvest September 2 to 24, 29hl/ha yield, 3.67ph." (04/2026)

Ryan Moses | K&L Bordeaux Buyer | Review Date: June 04, 2026

I really admire the restraint and depth of RauzanSéglas 2025. Where some vintages lean more toward power, this one is all about texture, refinement, and elegance. A core of deep red fruits, wonderful savory notes, and long, fine tannins puts the concentration of the Cabernet squarely at center stage. We were fortunate to taste it multiple times, and it delivered on every occasion.For those who gravitate toward the graceful side of Margaux, or who appreciate a wine that continues to overperform for its modest price point, RauzanSégla has been a goto for years. The 2025 is another strong chapter in that story.

Thomas Zacharia | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 04, 2026

A wine of breadth and power, with supply fruit. It has a voluptuous palate of dark, satiny fruit, with well-integrated tannin and oak. This is a powerful, focused-but-full octane Rauzan Segla that will delight lovers of giving, powerful wines.

2025 Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan (Pre-Arrival) ($114.99)

99-100 points James Suckling: "The precision is so seductive and intellectual, with aromas of fresh flowers, iron, graphite, cedar, blood oranges and black fruit. It's medium-bodied with a compact palate of intense tannins that melt into the wine. Rather weightless in nature. It kicks in at the end with incredible intensity and focus. 13% alcohol. 65% whole cluster. 54% cabernet franc, 29% cabernet sauvignon and 17% merlot, mostly co-fermented." (04/2026)

Ryan Moses | K&L Bordeaux Buyer | Review Date: June 04, 2026

One of the regions most unique and ascendant properties, its no surprise to see the enthusiasm building around the next great vintage of Les Carmes HautBrion in 2025. With the highest proportion of Cabernet ever in the final blend54% Franc and 29% Sauvignonthe small berries of the harvest delivered a wine thats deeply concentrated yet remarkably silky and refined. Cab Franc aromatics lift the nose, while juicy dark red fruits form the core. The finish is long, textured, and subtly saline, with an impressive sense of viscosity.What a singular wine, and one that perfectly captures the style that has made this estate so cherished in recent years. Another winner, and I cant wait to see how it evolves in bottle.

Scott Turnbull | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 04, 2026

The 2025 Les Carmes Haut-Brion shows a striking and characterful expression of Pessac-Léognan, continuing the estates recent upward trajectory with confidence and precision. The aromatics open with vibrant bramble and dark berry fruit, layered with a vivid streak of blood orange that brings both lift and definition. On the palate, the wine is marked by bright, energetic acidity that drives the structure forward, keeping the fruit focused and lively rather than weighty. Moderate, finely grained tannins provide shape and grip without overpowering the wines elegance, allowing the mid-palate to remain lifted and agile. A subtle saline edge emerges toward the finish, adding complexity and a faint maritime nuance that enhances the overall freshness. Well-balanced and distinctly styled, this is a refined and slightly unconventional take on Bordeaux, showcasing the estates increasingly distinctive identity within Pessac-Léognan. The result is a wine that feels both precise and expressive, with excellent harmony between fruit purity, acidity, and textural finesse.

Thomas Zacharia | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 01, 2026

The 2025 Les Carmes is crystalline with crunchy character and lots of floral aromatics. On the palate, the wine is like a diamond, precise with a broad mid palate and a superbly focused finish. Savory characteristics abound with olives and cardamom alongside a very pretty core of black fruit. Airy and fresh on the finish, almost a weightless concentration. Gorgeous!

2025 Léoville-Poyferré, St-Julien (Pre-Arrival) ($79.99)

98 points Decanter: "An extremely captivating Poyferré this year. Beautiful vivid and vibrant colour in the glass with soft rose and violets on the nose. Juicy and alive, immediately so charming, chewy, fleshy but cool and stony. Mouthfilling with licks of liquorice, tobacco, cola and hints of clove. I love the restraint on show this is still a powerful wine but so much more relaxed than it could have been. Graceful yet impactful, full of ripe fruit with such a generous and happy attitude. I love it. Potential upscore in bottle. A yield of 20hl/ha, one of the smallest yields. (GH)" (03/2026)

96-98 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Ripe, sexy amounts of red, black, and blue fruits, smoke, tobacco, and scorched earth all define the 2025 Château Léoville Poyferré, a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. It's full-bodied on the palate, with a round, layered, exuberant mouthfeel, plenty of velvety tannins, and ample mid-palate depth. It's a ripe, opulent, beautifully balanced 2025 in the making." (05/2026)

97 points Jane Anson: "Luscious, fabulous construction and grip, a true slow unroll, with waves of orange peel minerality, cocoa bean and espresso, silky texture, great quality, squid ink, yield extremely low at around 20hl/ha but manages to retain an opulent drinkability once you give it time in the glass. An easy one to recommend, and this has so many hidden depths. Harvest September 8 to 23. 3.73 pH. 20.38 hl/ha. 80% new oak. 3.71 pH. Harvest September 8 to 23. Old vines at Poyferre naturally low yields, and with the dry summer, this was the first year since 2011 to do no saignee at all during fermentation because already such natural concentration." (04/2026)

Ryan Moses | K&L Bordeaux Buyer | Review Date: June 04, 2026

I find there's a lot of joy in a great vintage of Leoville Poyferre, and that's the case with this gem in 2025. Leading with black fruits and floral notes, there's a marked intensity on the aromas and followed up on the palate. Deep red-to-black fruit lines an explosive midpalate, mouthwatering acidity, and a long finish. Big but never heavy, modern but still St-Julien, it checks all the boxes at this address and then some. There won't be much of it around, due to painfully low yields, but it otherwise has everything going for it. Superb.

Thomas Zacharia | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: June 04, 2026

The Petit Verdot at Leoville Poyferre shined in 2025, leading to a slightly elevated percentage in the blend of 5%. It may not sound like a lot, but it gives the 2025 a lovely tannic backbone, and striking acidity. This is delicious with fabulously satisfying fruit, great structure, and rich and fleshy mid-palate. One of the standout stars of St Julien!