2015 Bordeaux Vintage

The 2015 vintage followed the so-called rule of five: every Bordeaux vintage ending in five or zero since 1985 has been excellent, and 2015 continued that sequence. A wet winter filled the water table to overflowing, providing vital reserves. Bud-break was delayed until around April 9-10 due to a cold March, but April was the fourth warmest in 65 years and growth accelerated quickly. Flowering in late May and early June was near perfect, with almost no coulure or millerandage. June was the fourth warmest in over a century and the sunniest in 25 years. The canicule, or heat wave, ran from June 30 to July 6, pushing temperatures as high as 41 degrees Celsius. By the end of July, vines had received almost 50 percent less rain than usual, and some vines temporarily shut down. August then delivered nearly twice its normal rainfall, refreshing the vines at a critical moment and preventing full drought-stress shutdown.

• June 29 recorded a vineyard temperature of 41 degrees Celsius; July was the fourth hottest in Bordeaux for over a century, with an average maximum of 29.1 degrees Celsius
• By end of July, vines had received roughly 50 percent less rain than normal; some vineyards irrigated young vines to prevent vine death
• August was one of the wettest on record, delivering nearly twice normal rainfall and allowing phenolic maturity to resume before harvest
• September was cooler than average, with pleasantly warm days and cold nights, ideal for preserving acidity and completing slow, even ripening

The Right Bank delivered the vintage's most universally celebrated wines. Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, where clay soils retained moisture through the July drought and Merlot achieved full phenolic maturity, produced rich, opulent, and intensely flavored wines. Saint-Émilion was described by Wine Spectator as the vintage's epicenter of quality, particularly on the limestone plateau. Margaux was a consistent star on the Left Bank, with Wine Spectator noting that the appellation outperformed its Left Bank neighbors. Saint-Julien also produced outstanding wines. The northern Médoc, including parts of Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, was more uneven: late-season rain and cloudier conditions during the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest affected some estates, leading to dilution and underripe tannins in less fortunate plots. The crucial variable across the region was picking date and soil drainage.

• Pomerol and Saint-Émilion: rich, opulent, fleshy wines with dark plum, blackberry, and graphite; Wine Spectator gave the Right Bank overall 97 points
• Saint-Émilion: nearly foolproof buying opportunity, with 84 of 117 wines reviewed by Wine Spectator earning 90 points or higher
• Margaux and Saint-Julien: described as electric and highly consistent; Margaux considered the most consistent Left Bank commune of the vintage
• Northern Médoc (parts of Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe): quality uneven due to harvest-time rains; free-draining gravel soils performed best

The 2015 vintage produced a remarkable number of classic-scoring wines, particularly on the Right Bank. Wine Spectator awarded 98 points to Château Cheval-Blanc, La Mondotte, and Château Pavie from Saint-Émilion, while Château Canon earned 97 points. Notably, Cheval-Blanc chose not to produce a second wine in 2015, directing virtually the entire harvest into the Grand Vin. In Pomerol, Château Le Pin and Vieux Château Certan both scored 97, with Pétrus and Trotanoy earning 96. On the Left Bank, Château Palmer in Margaux drew exceptional praise, with its 2015 blend of 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 44 percent Merlot, and 6 percent Petit Verdot cited by multiple critics as one of the finest expressions of the estate in the modern era.

• Right Bank standouts (Wine Spectator): Cheval-Blanc 98pts, La Mondotte 98pts, Pavie 98pts, Canon 97pts, Le Pin 97pts, Vieux Château Certan 97pts
• Pomerol highlights: Pétrus 96pts, Trotanoy 96pts; La Conseillante, L'Évangile, and La Fleur-Pétrus also earned classic scores
• Château Palmer 2015: blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot; harvested September 22 to October 7; aged in up to 70% new oak
• Value-oriented discoveries emerged from Fronsac, Castillon, and Lalande de Pomerol, where ripe fruit and moderate prices offered strong quality-to-price ratios

Now a decade old as of 2025, the 2015 vintage is in an interesting transitional phase. Wine Spectator rates the vintage as still best to hold, confirming that the finest bottles have not yet reached their peak. The rich, opulent Pomerol and Saint-Émilion wines are showing beautifully now but will reward patience through the 2030s and beyond. A ten-year retrospective tasting in 2025 confirmed that most of the top wines are developing well, though some higher-alcohol Right Bank wines with less balance are showing their limits earlier than expected. Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Left Bank bottles from the better-drained, more consistent communes require more time. Entry-level wines and satellite appellations are now fully approachable.

• Top Right Bank grand crus (Cheval-Blanc, Pétrus, Le Pin, VCC): still developing; hold through 2035 and beyond for optimal complexity
• Saint-Émilion plateau wines with good balance: drinking well now with 10 to 15 years of additional potential ahead
• Left Bank Margaux and Saint-Julien: beginning to show elegance and integration; top wines best from 2025 through 2040
• Satellite appellations, Fronsac, Castillon, and Crus Bourgeois: at or near peak; drink now through 2028

The 2015 vintage kicked off what has been described as one of Bordeaux's longest runs of great years. On the Right Bank, Wine Cellar Insider ranks 2015 behind only 2022 and 2009 for Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, while on the Left Bank it sits behind 2016, 2022, 2020, and 2010. Compared to 2016, which is regarded as more even across the region and more classically structured, 2015 is richer and more opulent, with higher alcohol. Compared to 2009, another warm and ripe year, 2015 is slightly less concentrated overall but arguably more consistent in Saint-Émilion. One critical nuance is that 2015 was described as a malleable vintage, where picking dates and winemaking choices produced a very wide range of styles across the region.

• 2015 vs. 2009: similar ripeness and opulence on the Right Bank; 2009 still slightly ahead for Pomerol; 2015 closer in Saint-Émilion
• 2015 vs. 2016: 2015 is richer and higher in alcohol; 2016 is more structured, fresher, and more consistent across the Left Bank
• Low acidity is the vintage's acknowledged flaw, with some critics noting wines in the northern Médoc may not age as gracefully as the Right Bank stars
• Sauternes 2015 is an exceptional year: generous sugar levels, ample botrytis, and a luscious character, developing relatively swiftly

The hot, dry summer produced grapes with small berries, thick skins, brown seeds, and brown shoots, indicating excellent phenolic maturity across varieties. One winemaker at Château Figeac described the vintage as requiring pure infusion rather than extraction. Merlot on clay soils produced the most celebrated results, often reaching 14.5 percent ABV or above in Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly from well-drained gravel sites in Margaux and Saint-Julien, showed refinement and concentration. Picking dates were extremely varied, with some estates in the Right Bank starting in early September and others, like Ausone, completing their Cabernet Franc as late as October 15. The high diurnal temperature variation during September harvest helped grapes retain freshness and acidity. Low acidity in many reds remains the key technical concern for long-term aging.

• Grapes at harvest showed small berries, thick skins, and brown seeds across varieties, indicating excellent phenolic maturity
• Right Bank Merlot: frequently 14.5% ABV or above on clay soils; Cabernet Franc on limestone also produced extraordinary results
• Harvest window extraordinarily long: dry whites from late August; Merlot from mid-September; Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc completing by late October in some estates
• Low pH and low total acidity in many reds identified as the main structural weakness, with some critics warning certain northern Médoc wines may not age as well as initially hoped