From our perspective at Normanby, the landscape has clearly shifted. While the 2024 campaign lacked momentum for many, it was our first en primeur campaign, launched alongside the opening of our first store. While this makes it difficult for us to form a completely clear picture of 2024 sales, we were nonetheless thrilled with the level of support we received. We did observe that customers were more considered and selective.

A key dynamic is pricing (and has been for years). For en primeur to make sense today, it needs to offer a clear advantage. With a wide availability of back vintages—often ready to drink and competitively priced—buyers are carefully weighing whether purchasing early represents genuine value. In many cases, that value lies in access to top cuvées, packaging formats, and the opportunity to purchase on release.

Buying habits have also evolved. There is a noticeable shift towards drinking wines sooner rather than cellaring extensively. While many wines sold en primeur are best suited to long-term ageing, within our range we also offer a considered selection of earlier-drinking wines, championing those often overlooked.

That said, Bordeaux continues to offer something few regions can match—scale, consistency, and the ability to produce wines that age with real distinction. The strength of the region remains, but expectations around how these wines are brought to market have changed.

For the 2025 vintage, this means pricing and positioning will be critical. The best wines will always find an audience, but broad success across the campaign will depend on releases being aligned with where the market is today, not where it was five, six, or ten years ago.

At Normanby, our approach is deliberate. We are focused on selecting wines where quality and value meet—estates that have navigated both the vintage and the market well. This is not a year to buy widely, but rather to buy well.

The 2025 en primeur campaign feels like a reset point—a moment where Bordeaux has the opportunity to reconnect with buyers by delivering wines that not only impress in the glass, but also make sense at release.