The art of each vintage
Vintage Library
Each vintage is shaped by the climatic conditions of that year, particularly rainfall and temperature, as well as by vine physiology. At Château Boyd-Cantenac, we closely monitor these variables during each growing season in order to manage vine development and optimize wine quality.
We are proud to present a year-by-year commentary on the climatic conditions of our recent vintages.
Vintage 2025
2025 was marked primarily by a profound summer drought. It began in May and continued through June and July. Sunshine during these three months was even more than in 2023. The vintage was immediately ranked among the earliest, comparable to 2022, 2020, and 2018.
After a mild and relatively dry winter, followed by a rather dry March, the ground water reserves were not full at the beginning of the growing cycle. Budbreak occurred in the last week of March. Flowering, between May 16 and June 5, took place under favorable conditions. However, a particularly dry and hot June, followed by a very dry July, as well as the beginning of August, resulted in very small grapes, already indicating a low harvest volume. Normal rainfall returned in the second half of August.
The summer was moderately hot, but marked by a heatwave at the end of June, followed by a month of high temperatures in August, particularly around the 15th. Nights during the ripening period remained generally cool, despite a few nights exceeding 20°C around mid-August. September was rather cool, completing the perfect ripeness of the grapes, preventing any heaviness, and ensuring a good synthesis of aromas.
The harvest finally began on September 13th for the Merlots, the 22nd for the Cabernet Sauvignon, and
finished on the 25th, the date on which the harvest often begins! This was the earliest we have ever
experienced.
The yield, less than 20 hl/ha, was at its lowest, but the quality of the grapes, which were extremely healthy,
was excellent.
From the moment the musts entered the vats, they were very dark. The wines are rich, concentrated, remarkably balanced, with intense fruity aromas. They surprised us with their freshness, lovely acidity, and moderate alcohol levels, close to 13%.
In April 2026, the dominant impression is of freshness, power, balance, finesse, and aromatic intensity. The powerful, long, and flavorful tannins of high quality will need to soften through barrel and bottle ageing before becoming fully integrated.
The 2025 vintage from Château Boyd-Cantenac will be a great vintage for ageing.
Cabernet Sauvignon 82 %
Merlot 7%
Cabernet Franc 6%
Petit Verdot 5%
Vintage 2024
Unlike 2022, which experienced constant heat throughout the summer, 2023 was mainly marked by an exceptional Indian summer, very hot and sunny, which ultimately determined the quality of the grapes harvested, after an almost normal amount of summer rain and heat.
2024 differed significantly from these previous two vintages. After a mild and wet winter, with record rains, spring was cooler than average, and received more rain than usual, from mid-April to the end of June. Bloom took place from May 26th to June 8th, and the rather cool weather triggered some shatter, especially in the merlots.
Summer was moderately dry with normal temperatures, except for a warmer period from mid-July to mid-August, with a hot end of July. September was cool. As throughout the season, the water stress in the soil was absent or only moderate, the ripening process led to a fresh and fruity wine that calls to mind the vintages of the 80s and 90s. Picking took place, during unusually high temperatures, from September 23rd to October 10th.
After thorough and rigorous sorting of the grapes, the wines are lighter and fresher than in the previous vintages, with moderate colour, lovely aromas. On the palate they are medium-bodied, with a refreshing acidity. Their tannins are fresh and soft. Though they will be enjoyable sooner, their acid-tannin balance will allow them to age well, following in the footsteps of the traditional Margaux wines of the 20th century.
The Merlots showed intense and fresh aromas, a moderately compact mouth, perfume of violets. Their tannins are particularly supple. The Petits Verdots were floral, spicy, with a fleshy attack. The Cabernets Sauvignons had a beautiful aromatic complexity, with fresh tannins which will soften with time.
The 2024 vintage from Château Boyd-Cantenac, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, shows, fresh, pure fruit. The palate is fresh right from the beginning, fleshy, aromatic, very balanced, with present, refined tannins. The alcohol content is between 12 and 12,5 %
Cabernet Sauvignon 72%
Merlot 17%
Petit Verdot 5%
Cabernet Franc 6%
Vintage 2023
Unlike 2022, which experienced constant summer heat, 2023 was mainly marked by an exceptional Indian summer, very hot and sunny, which ultimately determined the quality of the grapes harvested, after a wet and rather hot summer.
Overall, the year was warm, despite a cold period in February, and experienced four hot months, well above seasonal averages, from April to June, then especially September and October. Such late-season heat has never been seen in living memory. The overall sunshine during the growing season was above average, comparable to 2015, 2017 and 2019. Stormy episodes were frequent, maintaining constant humidity and making it difficult to control foliage diseases.
After a cold and rather dry February, March was very wet. The growing cycle began on normal dates. The
Merlots, which budded first, suffered a little from the frost of April 5, then flowering took place beginning
from May 21 under favorable conditions, warm and sunny, suggesting an early harvest, with the start
probably beginning between September 20 and 25. Véraison (when the grapes begin to ripen and change
colour) was also quite brief, occurring under favorable conditions.
The summer was particularly stormy (especially in June, which, in the end, only received 66 mm of rain, in
line with the average), and hot. July and August were rather dry, with cool nights, giving hope for good
ripening of the grapes.
The end of August saw a heatwave period, then the high temperatures continued. At the beginning of September daytime temperatures sometimes exceeded 30°C, and nighttime temperatures 20°C. Saturday
September 9 in particular was very hot and many grape clusters suffered from the heat, severely reducing the
volume of the harvest but concentrating the grapes.
The weather forecast finally pushed us to start harvesting the Merlots on September 12, full week ahead of our forecasts. Daytime temperatures were constantly high.
The grapes, ripe and very healthy, made it possible to obtain wines of good concentration, well colored, with lovely aromas, great sweetness, freshness and savorous tannins.
The Merlots showed intense and fresh aromas, a compact mouth, with a surprising freshness given the maturation temperatures. Their tannins are particularly supple. The Petits Verdots are spicy, powerful, with a particularly fleshy attack. The Cabernet Sauvignons have a beautiful aromatic richness, with assertive, fine and long tannins which will have a very beautiful finish after a few years of bottle aging.
In April 2024, the wines show a beautiful, dense color. As is often the case, they have a lot of freshness, combined with good acidity. The tannins are of good quality, fine, ripe and very promising.
Boyd-Cantenac, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, shows intense, fresh, pure and ripe fruit. The palate is fresh, aromatic, very balanced, with a very soft touch and a very present, ripe, fine, long and refined tannin. The alcohol content is around 13.5%.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 56%
Merlot : 33%
Petit Verdot : 7%
Cabernet Franc : 4%
Vintage 2022
Four words describe best this vintage : Very dry, very hot. Once again another very interesting vintage!
With an accumulation of temperatures above 10°C, considered zero for vine vegetation, well above the average
for Margaux, unlike 2021, and much drier than average (a rainfall deficit of 200 mm, or – 25% of rainfall
during the vegetative period), 2022 will remain an atypical vintage.
The winter was rather dry and cold, despite two warmer periods in December and February. After a cold start
to April, which caused many young shoots (the buds) to freeze, thus reducing the harvest, Spring was hot and
dry. Summer was particularly dry, except in June, and constantly hot, with four heat waves where temperatures
reached 40°C (June 14-18, July 11-18, August 3 and August 10-12). Unlike 2003, which saw record heat,
though more punctual, the nights remained relatively cool. With 150 h more than the average, between April
and September, 2022 experienced the second sunniest growing season after the 2018 record (179 h).
From the start of April, the vegetative cycle was announced to be rather precocious, with generalized bud-
break around March 27th. The low temperatures of early April (-3°C) destroyed the most advanced buds on the Merlots. Quickly thereafter, temperatures rose, thanks to the southerly wind (20°C on April 11), but overall
April was in line with seasonal averages. A hot and dry May favored rapid flowering. The progressive drying
of the soil meant the grapes remained small with a good skin/juice ratio, favorable to the quality of the harvest.
Veraison was early, from July 17, in very dry and hot conditions.
From August 13 the weather changed significantly. 13 mm of rain relieved the drought, the last significant rain
dating from June 26, temperatures became milder, from 16-17°C in the morning and 25-28°C at the height of
the afternoon. The grass turned green again and the vines suffered less.
The grapes on August 22 were still quite hard, barely perfumed and already low in acid. The skins still thick.
The last warm period occurred on September 11 and 12, at over 35°C, and again 31°C on the 13th. We had
only received 142 mm of rain since bud break back in late March (!).
The harvest started on September 15th (18°C and misty) and continued until October 11th, punctuated by numerous stops to better
monitor the maturity of the different plots. We harvested on September 15-16 and 22-23, then 26-27 for the Petits Verdots and the
Cabernets Francs. We resumed the harvest on October 3, allowing the rains of September 28 and 29 to pass first. What followed
were cool nights, around 13-15°C, and sunny days of 23-24°C. The ideal conditions for maturing Cabernet Sauvignon.
The grapes have rarely been as beautiful as this year. They gave very ripe, very colorful wines, with lovely aromas and tasty tannins. The Merlots showed aromas of medium intensity and particularly supple tannins. The Petits Verdots, for their part, expressed powerful aromas of rare quality, with very fine tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignons showed beautiful aromatic richness, with assertive tannins that will deserve a few years of bottle aging.
In April 2023, the wines show beautiful color, very dense. They have, as they often do, a lot of freshness, in relation with good acidities. The tannins are of good quality, fine, ripe and very promising. Boyd-Cantenac, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, shows intense, fresh, pure and ripe fruit. The palate is fresh, aromatic, very balanced, with a very soft touch and a very present, ripe, fine, long and refined tannin.
Merlot : 20%
Petit Verdot : 10%
Cabernet Franc : 6%
Vintage 2021
2021 was an atypical vintage for Margaux, marked by very different weather conditions compared with previous years, which were often warm and relatively dry. The cumulative temperatures above 10°C—considered the threshold for vine growth—were below average, while precipitation exceeded the norm by 180 mm. Sunshine from April to September was also below average, comparable to the 2012 and 2014 vintages. This context resulted in a delayed and demanding vegetative cycle, but favorable final conditions allowed the production of a refined and focused wine.
Winter was relatively mild and rainy, leading to early bud break on March 22, which exposed young shoots to frost between April 6 and 9, followed by a second frost period in early May. May was particularly cool, with average temperatures 2.2°C below seasonal norms, and very wet, ranking it among the coldest and wettest Mays in 30 years. Flowering was therefore delayed, beginning on May 26, and coulure was significant on Merlots due to the cool and wet conditions.
June and July continued this unstable pattern: cool, rainy, and conducive to mildew development, these months slowed growth and delayed veraison, which only began on July 18, progressing slowly and unevenly.
Summer finally arrived in early August, with a few warm days reaching 30–32°C, followed by cooler nights from August 16. September alternated between wet and sunny periods, with significant diurnal temperature variation, favoring optimal grape ripening. Notable rainfall from September 17–20 was followed by a week of fine weather, with moderate days and cool nights, creating ideal conditions to complete maturation before harvest.
Harvest took place from September 27 to October 12 under excellent conditions. The grapes, large thanks to abundant spring rains, healthy and well-balanced, showed good acidity and moderate sugar levels not seen for several years. The harvest had to be carried out quickly to avoid deterioration, resulting in an elegant, fresh, taut, and harmonious wine, fully representative of this unique and complex vintage.
At the end of vinification, the Merlots were ripe, with moderately intense aromas and particularly supple tannins. The Cabernet Sauvignons showed good aromatic richness with firm tannins that will benefit from several years of bottle aging. Cabernet Francs held an intermediate position, while Petit Verdots were massive, enhancing the perception of volume on the palate. 2021 once again demonstrated—more than usual—how beneficial blending is.
By April 2022, the wines displayed a beautiful, moderately dense, youthful color and, as often with Boyd- Cantenac, notable freshness supported by good acidity and moderate alcohol levels. The tannins are of high quality, fine, ripe, and very promising.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 62%
Merlot : 26%
Petit Verdot : 5%
Cabernet Franc : 7%
Vintage 2020
2020 was a beautiful year! An early vegetative cycle, a hot, dry summer, and rainfall just before the Cabernet harvest allowed the creation of a very pleasing vintage.
Winter and spring were mild, with December to February temperatures more than 2°C above average, and similarly warm in April and May. This promoted an early bud break—around mid-March for the Merlot—and rapid vine growth. Flowering was brief and occurred under favorable conditions between May 20 and 26.
June was relatively cool, the only month with temperatures below the thirty-year averages. July was hot, with daytime temperatures during the second week 5°C above average, and particularly dry, with exceptional sunshine. From April to June, rainfall had been abundant, exceeding normal levels by 80 mm.
Veraison was somewhat delayed, beginning around July 12, with mid-veraison for the first Merlots observed on July 21. The summer drought kept grape berries small, favoring a high skin-to-juice ratio, and benefitted the best terroirs, where vines did not suffer significantly from water stress.
Late summer was moderate: August was near average, with a warm start to the month, stormy rainfall around the 15th, followed by cool nights in the second half, dropping to 13°C. Dry, sunny weather continued through September, with generally normal temperatures, occasional heat from September 10–17 reaching 30–32°C, and cooler temperatures from the 18th onward.
Ripening took place from August 19–20 under moderate temperatures, wide diurnal ranges, and very favorable conditions. Summer sunshine was exceptionally high, especially in July. Total sunshine from April to September reached 1,467 hours, the second highest of the last ten years after 2018, 126 hours above the thirty-year average (1,341 h), comparable to 2010 and 2011, and slightly below 2018 by 52 hours.
The harvest took place from September 21 to October 8 over 13 days, often under overcast skies.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 71%
Merlot : 18%
Petit Verdot : 8%
Cabernet Franc : 3%
Vintage 2019
The 2019 vintage was one of contrasts, beginning with a cool, wet spring following a mild (0.5°C above average) and relatively dry winter, and then giving way to a hot, dry summer with exceptional sunshine, resulting in another outstanding “9” vintage. The season started cool, with spring frosts and minimum temperatures below 10°C until mid-June, and sunshine close to the seasonal average.
From mid-June onwards, summer was hot and dry, with daytime highs exceeding 35°C. July was 1.3°C above average, peaking at 40°C on the 23rd. The summer drought kept grape berries small, favoring a high skin-to-juice ratio, and benefitted the best terroirs, where the vines did not suffer significantly from water stress.
Late summer was moderate (August 0.9°C below average, with particularly cool nights), and September was close to average, though remaining dry. Summer sunshine was exceptionally abundant, particularly in July. Total sunshine from April to September reached 1,421 hours, 80 hours above normal (1,341 h), comparable to 2015 and 2017, and slightly below 2018 by 98 hours.
Flowering began around May 25 under favorable warm and dry conditions, then experienced rain and cooler temperatures in early June, causing coulure (shatter) in Cabernet Sauvignon on our older vines, which also contributed to greater concentration in the grapes.
Veraison started at the end of July, roughly in line with the past ten years. The rains of August 10–13 (16 mm) accelerated its completion, reactivating vine metabolism, which had been slowed by the summer drought.
Ripening continued through late August and September under sunny skies, moderate temperatures, wide diurnal temperature variations, and a northeast wind, providing ideal conditions. The harvest took place from September 25 to October 18 over 13 days, often under overcast skies.
En mai 2020, ils montrent une très belle couleur, dense et jeune, et ont, comme souvent, beaucoup de fraîcheur, en relation avec de bonnes acidités et des taux d’alcool modérés, de presque 13,5 %. Le 2019 de Boyd-Cantenac a un nez fin, intense, complexe, très cabernet, dense avec beaucoup d’élégance, un beau fruit et un fin boisé.
En bouche, l’attaque est fine et progressive, soyeuse. Vient ensuite un bon corps, souple, longiligne, à l’intensité aromatique croissante, comme l’astringence. La finale est savoureuse, élégante, très longue avec un tanin marqué et d’une grande noblesse.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 68%
Merlot : 21%
Petit Verdot : 8%
Cabernet Franc : 3%
Vintage 2018
The 2018 vintage experienced two periods with very different and pronounced weather conditions: first, six months of rain until mid-July (the rainfall of an entire year concentrated in six months), then a radical reversal, with a hot, dry summer and maximum sunshine in August and September.
January, which was very mild, also set a record for humidity. After cold February and March (2.7°C and 1°C below average, respectively), a very mild April, warm in the second decade, led to a rather early and rapid bud break.
May was marked by a succession of storms, alternating between wet and dry periods. Flowering, which began on May 24—slightly later than in 2017—also alternated between rainy spells, causing some coulure (shatter). Fortunately, the vineyard escaped the severe hailstorms of May 26. June and the first half of July were both rainy and warm, making mildew control more challenging.
Summer arrived in mid-July, warm (+1°C in July, +0.3°C in August above average), dry (42% water deficit in August, 77% in September), but without excessive heat. Sunshine was remarkable, 18% above average for July, August, and September. From April to September, sunshine was by far the highest since 2008, with 179 hours above normal (2010: 111 h, 2015: 111 h). September, in particular, had only three overcast days. Anticipating high sugar levels, and therefore high alcohol in the wines, we reduced the leaf area of the vines.
From August onwards, mornings were mostly cool (14°C on the morning of August 10), with high daily temperature variations, favoring perfect grape ripening, while soil dryness slowed plant metabolism.
The favorable weather allowed us to harvest slowly, waiting for optimal ripeness in each plot, so the harvest lasted from October 1 to 23, on very ripe and healthy grapes.
At the start of aging, all the colors were remarkable. The Merlots had great body, beautiful, vibrant aromas, high alcohol levels but more freshness than expected at harvest. The Cabernet Francs were very seductive, balanced, with beautiful aromatic complexity; the Petit Verdots were massive, with fine tannins; while the Cabernet Sauvignons appeared fresh, fine, and pure, with a beautiful aromatic profile and a long finish, with still firm tannins.
By March 2019, the wines showed a very beautiful, dense, youthful color and great freshness, linked to good acidity and moderate alcohol levels (around 13.6%).
Boyd-Cantenac shows a relatively explosive nose, dense, with beautiful, fine, fruity aromas and subtle oak. On the palate, the attack is fine and gradual, silky. This is followed by a good, supple body, with increasing aromatic intensity, as well as noticeable astringency. The finish is flavorful, long, and elegant, with marked tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 65%
Merlot : 19%
Petit Verdot : 10%
Cabernet Franc : 6%
Vintage 2017
The 2017 vintage will be remembered as one of the years affected by spring frost, similar to 1991, although less severely. Overall, the year was cool, with a dry summer, which shaped the style of the wines produced.
After the 2016 harvest, the end of autumn had been particularly cold, with October averages 2.2°C below normal. January was also cold, 2.5°C below average, unlike February. March and early April were mild, leading to an early and rapid start to vegetation (bud break noted on March 11). However, the last ten days of April were cold, with significant frosts on the 20th–21st and then the 27th– 29th, destroying about half of the potential crop. May and June were rather warm, with a heatwave from June 18 to 22, when temperatures reached 35°C, and June was very rainy. From April to June, sunshine was generally above average. Summer, in turn, was rather cool (July 0.5°C below, and August 1.3°C below the thirty-year averages), with irregular temperatures, and dry. September was also cool (2.5°C below average) and wet, especially during the first two decades, just before harvest, somewhat reminiscent of 1999. Overall, the summer was relatively less sunny, unlike the spring.
The spring frost at Boyd-Cantenac affected all grape varieties, but especially the Merlots, so that Cabernet dominates the blend. Beyond this, the vintage is generally characterized by rather low temperatures and a dry growing season, particularly in summer. Total annual rainfall was only 600 mm. These conditions were favorable to the regular ripening of grapes that had escaped the frost, with good aromatic development. As a result, the quality of the harvest was highly dependent, as always here, on both the work done in the vineyards during spring and summer, and the soils, which played an important role. The quality and depth of the roots allowed healthy grapes to ripen fully, enabling a later harvest to achieve excellent grape maturity. The Cabernet Sauvignons in particular, which benefit greatly from long ripening periods, are remarkable.
The start of the harvest, which was initially planned around September 20—despite the year appearing early from bud break and flowering (mid-flowering of Merlots on May 25, mid-veraison around July 22–25)—was delayed until September 25. The harvest took place in stages, as is often the case for us, and without rain, until October 10. With excellent ripeness, the conditions of the year produced balanced, classic wines, with beautiful freshness and well-ripened tannins.
By March 2018, all the wines showed beautiful, dense colors, still with violet hues. The Merlots were immediately very round, with ripe, fresh fruit and lovely, powerful tannins—already somewhat silky but with a pronounced astringency. The Petit Verdots were massive, sometimes with slight bitterness, while the Cabernet Sauvignons, with intense, pure, and fine aromas and lovely acidity, displayed great finesse and length. The Cabernet Francs were, as often, charming, complex, ample, aromatic, intense, elegant, and superbly balanced.
Although 90% of the free-run wines had been in new barrels for at least four months, the oak remains very discreet. The blends are very balanced, with very fresh fruit, a silky texture, well-present, fine, and generous tannins, and a final astringency still noticeable.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 76%
Merlot : 11%
Petit Verdot : 7%
Cabernet Franc : 6%
Vintage 2016
2016 has been marked by a wet, overcast and relatively cool beginning of the season, followed by an exceptionnally dry summer, rather warm, with a sunny and dry automn, with great differences of temperatures between nights and days.
As an outcome the quality of the grapes at harvest depended closely on the depth of the root system, which was important for the water supply to the vines during the deep drought of summer, as well as on quality of work on the vines during spring and summer. Sunshine was globally close to average but its special distribution strongly impacted the personnality of the vintage.
After a mild and dry automn (November and December 2015 had temperatures above average and 50 % less rainfall, with a constant south wind), January and February, until March 10th, were mild and wet (1°C above average and January received 240 mm rainfall, or three times a normal amount!).
April was relatively dry but overcast and with frequent rains, then May and June were rainy, with much less sunshine than in 2015 and cool (June temperature : 1°C lower than average, with only one hot spell by the end of the month (33- 35°C). Bloom, between end of May and mid-June, made us forecast a beginning of harvest around September 26th.
Unlike for May and June, sunshine in summer was higher than average, especially in August. These months were also especially dry, for 80 days. In average from April to September 2016 got a normal total sunshine, less than 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2015 but more than 2012, 2013 and 2014. Summer temperatures were close to average, August slightly warmer than July with two warmer highs, on Aug. 15th and from 23th to 27th with a maximum of 36.7°C on the 23th. After the 28th nights were cool, around 15°C.
September remained summer-like till the storm of the 13th. Globaly September was mild with rare rainy periods and with big temperature differences between days and nights. This favored a slow ripening of the grapes, which remained perfectly healthy.
October was dry, so that we could pick very slowlywith stops and goes and with no rain till Oct. 26Th, setting a duration record.
With an excellent ripeness, the weather conditions of 2016 allowed rather high alcohol contents, especially for the Merlots, but not as high as 2015’s. The blends, where cabernet sauvignon always dominates, eventually show normal alcohol contents, slightly high, around 13 %.
The Merlots were immediately very soft, with a ripe and fresh fruit, a nice tannin, powerful and silky. The Petits Verdots were massive, the Cabernet, with intense, elegant and complex aromas, brought a good acid and much freshness, which is not very common in this 2016 vintage. The Cabernets Francs were seductive, complex, aromatic, elegant and superbly balanced.
The blends eventually show a dark crimson color. They are well v-balanced, with powerful but elegant and noble tannins, with much freshness. In spite of 90 % of the free run wines having been aged in new oak for at least four months, the wood remains surprisingly suttle.
Cabernet Sauvignon : 75%
Merlot : 11%
Petit Verdot : 7%
Cabernet Franc : 7%