Bordeaux’s Earliest Harvest on Record

Bordeaux, the heartland of fine wine and home to some of the world’s most coveted grand cru estates, has just entered one of its most unusual harvests in history. This year, vineyards across the region are beginning to pick grapes earlier than ever before, with Château Troplong Mondot in Saint-Émilion leading the way on 28th August, the earliest start the estate has ever recorded.

For collectors and investors, this early harvest signals more than a seasonal quirk. It reflects the ongoing evolution of Bordeaux under the pressures of climate change and highlights the resilience and opportunity within the fine wine market.

An Early Start to a Promising Vintage

The 2025 growing season has been defined by unrelenting summer heat and scarce rainfall, conditions echoing the remarkable 2022 vintage. Troplong Mondot’s managing director, Aymeric de Gironde, described this year’s fruit as “small, aromatic, and concentrated, with freshness preserved despite the heat.”

This profile intensity of flavour combined with balance, is exactly what investors look for in Bordeaux’s leading wines. For grand cru estates, early harvests don’t necessarily signal poor quality; instead, they often produce wines of character and longevity that stand out in a market increasingly shaped by climate volatility.

Climate Stress and Market Context

Bordeaux endured a difficult 2024, with yields falling to their lowest since 1991 due to frost, mildew, and spring storms. In contrast, 2025 has brought healthier vines, less disease pressure, and smaller but higher-quality berries. While yields are expected to remain modest, scarcity often works in favour of collectors, enhancing the long-term desirability of top bottles.

From an investment perspective, this matters. According to our mid-year report, Bordeaux has faced sustained price pressure in recent years, with the Bordeaux 500 Index down 5.6% in H1 2025. Yet, older vintages within the Bordeaux Legends 40 have shown resilience, suggesting that the market still rewards quality and scarcity. A strong 2025 vintage could help restore confidence after a challenging En Primeur campaign earlier this year.

Why Saint-Émilion and Pomerol Deserve Attention

While Troplong Mondot is already harvesting, other right-bank estates are adopting a wait-and-see approach. Neighbours in Pomerol, including top names like Château Cheval Blanc, are expected to begin picking within days. The decision to delay is strategic: a little rain can refresh the fruit, ensuring optimal balance and preventing excessive alcohol levels that have already been creeping towards 14% in some plots.

For investors, these estates represent a blend of prestige and performance. Grand cru classé wines from Saint-Émilion and Pomerol have a long track record of delivering strong returns, particularly when vintages are both scarce and highly rated by critics.

The Bigger Picture: Fine Wine as a Defensive Asset

It’s important to place Bordeaux’s early harvest in the context of today’s broader fine wine market. While equities and other asset classes have been volatile, fine wine continues to act as a hedge, with capital gains tax exemptions in the UK making it especially attractive.

Despite headwinds in 2025, global demand for Bordeaux remains strong. The most traded wines on Liv-ex this year include Château Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild, showing that collectors and investors alike are still drawn to the prestige of Bordeaux’s grand cru estates.

At Moncharm, we are already seeing renewed interest from Asian markets, with buying volumes up over 50% year-on-year. If the 2025 vintage delivers on its early promise, it could spark fresh demand at a time when pricing corrections are offering attractive entry points.

Final Thoughts

Bordeaux’s earliest-ever harvest is more than just a headline. It’s a reminder that fine wine investment isn’t about chasing trends, it’s about understanding how climate, terroir, and global demand converge to shape value.

For those building or expanding their portfolios, focusing on grand cru Bordeaux from established estates remains one of the most compelling long-term strategies. Early signs from 2025 suggest wines of concentration, balance, and scarcity, exactly the kind of profile that has historically rewarded patient investors.

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