Bordeaux at the Crossroads: 2023 En Primeur
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Left Bank: Saint-Estèphe | Pauillac | Saint-Julien | Margaux | Moulis and Listrac | Pessac-Léognan and Graves | Left Bank Satellites | Sauternes
Right Bank: Pomerol | Saint-Émilion | Right Bank Satellites
Tasting Bordeaux en primeur is largely the art of shutting out extraneous noise and concentrating just on the wines. This year, the noise is especially loud as estate owners, winemakers, consultants, négociants and other professionals debate the merits of 2023 within the context of today’s global market. Many of these views are fueled by agendas, which is certainly understandable. For this taster, it’s only about what is in the glass. When all is said and done, 2023 has a lot to offer. It is not a great vintage across the board, yet plenty of wines merit serious attention.
Eric Kohler and Saskia de Rothschild at Duhart-Milon,
where they and their team turned out an especially fine 2023.
The 2023 Growing Season & Wines
Two thousand twenty-three was the hottest year on record in France, although that was not the case in Bordeaux. The growing season got off to an early start. A dry winter and warm temperatures in March led to early bud break. Flowering took place under especially favorable weather as vines set a generous crop. June brought heavy rain and elevated temperatures, unfortunately, the very conditions that are ideal for mildew. Vineyard managers had to be especially vigilant and ready to intervene quickly, decisively and often with greater frequency than most years. Compared to other recent vintages with similar disease pressure, damage from mildew was relatively contained, at least at top estates.
“We had to treat frequently,” Technical Director Juliette Couderc told me at L’Évangile. “The key was really managing crop loads on different types of soils at the property. We had ten people focused just on this task. Ultimately our yields were higher for Merlot than Cabernet Franc.” Technical Director Guillaume Pouthier at Les Carmes Haut-Brion shared a similar view. “The whole year came down to managing water in the vineyards, We had to make very specific decisions for each site pretty much in real-time as the season unfolded.”
The rest of summer was relatively cool and lacking in sunlight, to the point winemakers started to worry if fruit would ripen properly. "We were unsure of quality all the way through August because vegetative growth continued," CEO Thomas Duroux explained at Palmer, echoing the thoughts of many of his colleagues. From mid-August, two heat waves and well-timed rains caused the outlook to shift. “August storms were incredibly localized,” Technical Director José Sanfins explained at Cantenac Brown, just outside the château’s gleaming new winery. “For example, one parcel might have gotten some rain while the adjoining blocks saw none.” This further heightened irregularity in ripening. “It was hot and dry but also quite cloudy during the middle of August, Henri Lurton relayed at Brane-Cantenac. "We had some issues with mildew. That final blast of the year really changed the style of the year.”
Marielle Cazaux and her team turned out a brilliant 2023 at La Conseillante.
Tasting Bordeaux en primeur is largely the art of shutting out extraneous noise and concentrating just on the wines. This year, the noise is especially loud as estate owners, winemakers, consultants, négociants and other professionals debate the merits of 2023 within the context of today’s global market. Many of these views are fueled by agendas, which is certainly understandable. For this taster, it’s only about what is in the glass. When all is said and done, 2023 has a lot to offer. It is not a great vintage across the board, yet plenty of wines merit serious attention.
Show all the wines (sorted by score)
Producers in this Article
- Adaugusta
- Alcée
- Angélus
- Angludet
- Arnaud
- Ausone
- Bad Boy
- Badette
- Balestard La Tonnelle
- Barde-Haut
- Baret
- Bastor-Lamontagne
- Batailley
- Beaumont
- Beauregard
- Beau-Séjour Bécot
- Beauséjour-Duffau
- Bel-Air (Lussac-Saint-Émilion) Jean & Gabriel
- Bélair-Monange
- Bel-Air (Pomerol)
- Belgrave
- Bellefont-Belcier
- Bellegrave
- Bellevue
- Berliquet
- Berneateau
- Beychevelle
- Bourgneuf
- Bouscaut
- Boutisse
- Branaire-Ducru
- Branas Grand Poujeaux
- Brane-Cantenac
- Broustet
- Cadet-Bon
- Calicem
- Calon Ségur
- Canon
- Canon-Chaigneau
- Canon La Gaffelière
- Cantelauze
- Cantemerle
- Cantenac Brown
- Cantereau
- Capbern
- Cap de Faugères
- Cap de Mourlin
- Cap d'Or
- Capet-Guillier
- Cap St. George
- Carbonnieux
- Cardinal-Villemaurine
- Carlmagnus
- Certan de May
- Chante Alouette
- Charmail
- Chasse-Spleen
- Château des Sabines
- Cheval Blanc
- Cheval Noir
- Citran
- Clarke
- Claud-Bellevue
- Clerc-Milon
- Climens
- Clinet
- Clos 56
- Clos Badon-Thunevin
- Clos Bertineau
- Clos de Boüard
- Clos de la Cure
- Clos de la Molénie
- Clos de l'Oratoire
- Clos de Sarpe
- Clos des Jacobins
- Clos des Lunes
- Clos des Six
- Clos Dubreuil
- Clos du Marquis
- Clos Floridène
- Clos Fourtet
- Clos Grangeneuve
- Clos Haut-Peyraguey
- Clos Junet
- Clos Lardière
- Clos L'Eglise
- Clos Lunelles
- Clos Manou
- Clos Marsalette
- Clos Puy Arnaud
- Clos René
- Clos Romanile
- Clos Saint-Julien
- Clos Saint-Martin
- Clos Saint-Vincent
- Clos Vieux Taillefer
- Corbin
- Cos d'Estournel
- Cos Labory
- Côte de Baleau
- Coufran
- Couhins
- Couhins-Lurton
- Coutet
- Couvent des Jacobins
- Croix Cardinale
- Croix de Labrie
- Croizet-Bages
- d'Agassac
- d'Aiguilhe
- d’Aiguilhe Querre
- Dalem
- d'Arce
- d'Armailhac
- Dassault
- Dauzac
- de Callac
- de Camensac
- de Candale
- de Carles
- de Chantegrive
- de Fargues
- de Fonbel
- de France
- de Grissac
- de la Cour d'Argent
- de la Huste
- de Lamarque
- de Laussac
- de Malleret
- de Pez
- de Pressac
- de Saint-Pey
- Desmirail
- des Ormeaux
- des Rêves
- Destieux
- Deyrem Valentin
- d'Issan
- Doisy-Daëne
- Doisy-Védrines
- Domaine de Chevalier
- Domaine de la Solitude
- Domaine de l'Aurage
- Domaine des Cambes
- Domaine Simon Blanchard
- Duclos
- Ducru-Beaucaillou
- du Glana
- Duhart-Milon
- Durfort-Vivens
- du Tertre
- Enclos de Viaud
- Enclos Tourmaline
- Faugères
- Ferrière
- Feytit-Clinet
- Figeac
- Fleur Cardinale
- Fombrauge
- Fonbadet
- Fonplégade
- Fontenil
- Fourcas Dupré
- Fourcas Hosten
- Franc Lartigue
- Franc-Mayne
- Garraud
- Gazin
- Giraud
- Giscours
- Gloria
- Godeau
- Grand Barrail La Marzelle Figeac
- Grand Corbin Despagne
- Grand-Mayne
- Grand-Puy Ducasse
- Grand-Puy-Lacoste
- Grand Village (Lafleur)
- Granins Grand Poujeaux
- Gruaud Larose
- Guillot-Clauzel
- Haut-Bages Libéral
- Haut-Bailly
- Haut-Batailley
- Haut-Beauséjour
- Haut Bellegarde
- Haut-Bergey
- Haut-Brion
- Haut-Brisson
- Haut-Chaigneau
- Haute Sarpe
- Haut Fontenelle
- Haut-Maillet
- Haut-Marbuzet
- Haut Nouchet
- Haut Rocher
- Haut Selve
- Haut-Simard
- Haut-Surget
- Haut Veyrac
- Hosanna
- Hostens-Picant
- JCP Maltus - Laforge
- JCP Maltus - Le Dôme
- JCP Maltus - Mazerat
- JCP Maltus - Teyssier
- Jean Faure
- Jean Faux
- Joanin-Bécot
- Kirwan
- Labégorce
- La Chénade
- La Clotte
- La Commanderie
- La Confession
- La Connivence
- La Conseillante
- Lacoste-Borie
- La Création
- La Croix Chaigneau
- La Croix de Gay
- La Croix Lartigue
- La Croix St. Georges
- La Croix Younan
- La Dauphine
- La Diligente
- La Dominique
- Lafaurie
- Lafaurie-Peyraguey
- Lafite-Rothschild
- Lafitte-Carcasset
- Lafleur
- La Fleur
- La Fleur Cravignac
- La Fleur de Boüard
- Lafleur-Gazin
- La Fleur-Pétrus
- La Fleur Saint-Bonnet
- Lafon La Tuilerie
- Lafon-Rochet
- Lafont-Fourcat
- La France
- La Gaffelière
- La Garde
- La Gorce
- La Grace Dieu
- Lagrange (Pomerol)
- Lagrange (Saint-Julien)
- La Grave
- La Gurgue
- La Lagune
- La Louvière
- La Marzelle
- La Mission Haut-Brion
- La Mondotte
- Lamothe-Bergeron
- La Naude
- Langoa Barton
- La Parenthese
- La Patache
- La Pointe
- La Prade
- L'Archange
- Larcis Ducasse
- Larmande
- Laroque
- Larose-Perganson
- La Rose Pourret
- Larose-Trintaudon
- La Rousselle
- Laroze
- Larrivaux
- Larrivet Haut-Brion
- Lascombes
- La Serre
- Lassègue
- Latour
- Latour à Pomerol
- La Tour Blanche
- La Tour Carnet
- La Tour de By
- La Tour de Mons
- La Tour Figeac
- Latour-Martillac
- Laujac
- Laurence
- La Violette
- Le Bonnat
- Le Bon Pasteur
- Le Boscq
- Le Caillou
- Le Chemin
- Le Clos du Beau-Père
- Le Coteau
- Le Crock
- Lécuyer
- L'Eden
- Le Doyenné
- Le Gay
- L'Eglise-Clinet
- L'Enclos
- Léoville Barton
- Léoville Las Cases
- Léoville-Poyferré
- Le Pin
- Le Prieure
- Leroy-Beauval
- Les Carmes Haut-Brion
- Les Champs Libres
- Les Charmes-Godard
- Les Clauzots
- Les Cruzelles
- Les Dames de la Renardière
- Le Sergue
- Les Grands Chenes
- Les Gravières
- Lespault-Martillac
- Les Perrières
- Le Thil
- L'Évangile
- L'Exception
- Leydet-Valentin
- L'If
- Lilian Ladouys
- Liouner
- Liversan
- Loudenne Le Château
- Louis
- Lucia
- Lusseau
- Lynch-Bages
- Lynch-Moussas
- Lynsolence
- Magnan La Gaffelière
- Magnol
- Maillet
- Malartic-Lagravière
- Malescasse
- Malescot St. Exupéry
- Mangot
- Manoir du Gravoux
- Margaux
- Marjosse
- Marjosse Blanc
- Marquis d'Alesme
- Marquis de Terme
- Maucaillou
- Mauvesin Barton
- Mayne Lalande
- Mazeyeres
- Meyney
- Milens
- Moine Vieux
- Monbadon
- Monbousquet
- Mondesir-Gazin
- Mondou
- Monlot
- Montlabert
- Montlandrie
- Mont-Perat
- Montrose
- Montviel
- Moulin du Cadet
- Moulinet
- Moulin Eyquem
- Moulin Riche
- Moulin Saint-Georges
- Mouton-Rothschild
- Nénin
- Olivier
- Ormes de Pez
- P4 (formerly Chateau Pauillac)
- Palais Cardinal
- Palmer
- Pape Clément
- Patache d'Aux
- Paveil de Luze
- Pavie
- Pavie-Macquin
- Pavillon Beauregard
- Péby Faugères
- Pédesclaux
- Petit Faurie de Soutard
- Petit Gravet Aîné
- Petit-Village
- Petrus
- Pey La Tour
- Peymouton
- Phélan Ségur
- Pibran
- Pichon Baron
- Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
- Picoron
- Picque Caillou
- Pierre 1er
- Pitray
- Plain-Point
- Plincette
- Poesia
- Pontet Bayard
- Pontet-Canet
- Potensac
- Poujeaux
- Pretexte
- Prieuré-Lichine
- Prieuré Sainte-Anne
- Puybarbe
- Puyblanquet
- Puygueraud
- Puy Guilhem (Fronsac)
- Quinault L'Enclos
- Quintus
- Rahoul
- Rauzan Gassies
- Rauzan-Ségla
- Rayne Vigneau
- Reynon
- Ripeau
- Roc de Cambes
- Roc de Montpezat
- Rochebelle
- Rol Valentin
- Rouget
- Roylland
- Sacre Coeur
- Saintayme
- Saint-Pierre (Pomerol)
- Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien)
- Sanctus
- Sansonnet
- Seguin
- Sergant
- Siaurac
- Sigalas Rabaud
- Simard
- Siran
- Smith Haut Lafitte
- Sociando-Mallet
- Soutard
- Soutard-Cadet
- St. Georges Cote Pavie
- Suduiraut
- Talbot
- Tayac
- Tertre-Rôteboeuf
- Teysson
- Toulouze
- Tour Bayard
- Tour de Bellegarde
- Tour de Capet
- Tour de Pas Saint-Georges
- Tour de Pez
- Tour des Termes
- Tour Perruchon
- Tour Peyronneau
- Tour Saint Christophe
- Trapaud
- Trianon
- Trigant
- Tronquoy (formerly Tronquoy-Lalande)
- Troplong Mondot
- Trotanoy
- Trotte Vieille
- Valandraud
- Valois
- Vieux Château Certan
- Vieux Château Palon
- Vieux Maillet
- Villemaurine
- Virginie Thunevin
- Vray Croix de Gay
- Xans
- Zaya