This year’s En Primeurs Week will not only pour the 2025 vintage but also take visitors on a tour across six emblematic host châteaux, each anchoring tastings for its appellation and turning Bordeaux into a live masterclass.
The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) has confirmed the final program for En Primeurs Week 2026, running from April 20–23 and dedicated to the new 2025 vintage. After the opening presentation of the vintage on April 20, tastings continue from April 21 to 23 in a network of host châteaux that each act as the focal point for one or more appellations. The UGCB explains that this format is designed to help trade visitors taste methodically—moving from Pessac‑Léognan and Graves to Saint‑Émilion, Pomerol and Sauternes, rather than rushing between scattered estates.
Among the 2026 host properties are Château Beauregard in Pomerol, Château Valandraud in Saint‑Émilion Grand Cru and Domaine de Chevalier for Pessac‑Léognan, Graves and the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Each of these estates welcomes a cluster of UGCB members from the surrounding appellations, turning their cellars and tasting rooms into mini‑salons for the week. For visiting professionals, this means that a single stop can deliver a focused snapshot of a whole appellation’s expression of 2025, from flagship names to under‑the‑radar performers.
The UGCB notes that tastings run from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and are strictly reserved for accredited wine professionals and press, with pre‑registration required and confirmations subject to availability. The idea is to balance access with a controlled, professional environment, giving buyers and critics enough time and space to form their own view of the vintage. With more than 5,000 participants expected from around the world, the logistics and clustering by appellation become essential to maintaining tasting quality.
For merchants and collectors focused on premium European and Californian wines, the host‑château model is particularly valuable. It allows buyers to benchmark Bordeaux 2025 in coherent flights—for example, tasting a line‑up of limestone‑driven Saint‑Émilion Grand Cru at Valandraud—before comparing those impressions back home with top Napa Cabernets and Tuscan blends in their portfolios. The result is a much clearer sense of where Bordeaux should sit in a modern fine‑wine range, both stylistically and in terms of value.
Sources: UGCB “EN PRIMEURS WEEK 2026”, Vintage by UGCB “2026 En Primeurs Week – Presentation of the 2025 Vintage”
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