When I tasted the en primeur wines in Bordeaux in 2015, it was clear that the best wines had firm acidity, as well as bright fruit, balance, nice density and some ripeness. Given the inclement summer weather, this wasn’t a great vintage, but it was certainly ‘good to very good’. Alcohols were not exaggerated, pHs were low and the word that came to mind both then and now is ‘classical’.

The Left Bank performed particularly well, thanks to the fabulous autumnal weather that benefited the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Its most notable performers were the appellations of St-Julien, Pauillac and St-Estèphe. As a result, many estates in these communes had record levels of Cabernet Sauvignon in their grands vins, with the top properties also featuring very strict, almost savage selections.

Generally, the reds of Pessac-Léognan and Graves are a notch or two down from the Médoc. Some properties got it spot-on, due in large part to their Cabernet fruit. Those 2014s with more Merlot are often less compelling. The less successful wines are just a little too jagged, with clumsy tannins and spiky acidity.

The 2014s are most uneven of all on the more Merlot-dominant Right Bank. The keys to success in St-Émilion and Pomerol were often well-drained soils (especially gravels and limestone), good vineyard management and how much Cabernet Franc went into the final blend. There was good Merlot, but not enough. That said, there are a few wonderful Right Bank wines in 2014.

Ten years on, there is still a lot of pleasure to be found in this vintage, provided you choose with care. Some estates have overextracted, with wines that taste a tad too astringent, acidic and underfruited. The best petits châteaux are drinking well now, and many thirds, fourths and fifths are just beginning to spread their wings with a decade in bottle.

As my scores show, the most triumphant are often the supermodel estates that made surprisingly excellent wine in 2014 despite the challenges of the vintage. And these wines should not be overlooked. In several instances, the quality is actually not a huge distance behind their 2010s or 2015s. Moreover, for drinkers, collectors and investors, the prices are still significantly cheaper than both vintages, sometimes by up to 40%. According to Matthew O’Connell of Bordeaux Index, 2014 prices are now on the march again, having risen 20% across the board since January 2020. Maybe the vintage is finally getting the limelight, interest and attention it deserves.