Northern Rhône 2023: The Art of Perseverance

In contrast to 2023, when relentless rain dominated my two-week tasting spree in the Northern Rhône, my visit in November 2024 offered a backdrop of sunny days and crisp autumn temperatures. With weather like this, it’s a beautiful time to visit the region. Producers are generally more relaxed given that harvest is over and vinifications are well underway. Exploring serene vineyards, tasting in calm cellars and having stimulating discussions in one of the world’s most coveted wine regions is hard to beat.

Vintage 2023 tested the resilience of everyone making wine in the Northern Rhône, especially in the second half of the year. The two defining events, a 16-day heatwave in August and a torrential downpour during peak harvest in September, impacted the final results. This report begins with an in-depth look at the 2023 growing season and an assessment of the first sampled wines, followed by a closer examination of each appellation. After touching on the subject of Brettanomyces, I will also share my final verdict on the 2022 vintage. 

Overlooking the tiny village of Cornas.

Overlooking the tiny village of Cornas.

The 2023 Vintage

Following abundant rainfall between September and December 2022, which replenished the soils after the warmest-on-record 2022 growing season, 2023 began on a notably dry note. Rainfall was significantly below average, with January down 72% and February experiencing an 81% decrease compared to the ten-year average from 2010 to 2020. March and April also recorded below-average rainfall, bringing the total precipitation for the first four months to just 88 mm. Despite the dry start, budbreak began in early April, hinting at the potential for a large crop.

April saw temperatures slightly below average, while May experienced a modest rise with marginally higher temperatures. A much-awaited rain event on May 13 and 14 delivered around 35 mm, marking a significant shift in weather patterns. This was followed by a series of moderate rains, continuing steadily through the end of June. Remarkably, June became the first month of 2023 to exceed the ten-year average rainfall, with a 34% increase. This trend persisted as subsequent months also received above-average rainfall.

From May to August, temperatures consistently exceeded the decadal averages. The combination of regular rainfall and elevated temperatures created ideal conditions for mildew, which became widespread by late May, though initially at low levels. Frequent evening rains in June maintained persistent humidity, leaving vines in a highly vulnerable state and causing damage to grape clusters. Reflecting on the challenges, Loïc Jamet remarks, “It was necessary to ventilate the vines. The wind had to pass, and humidity had to be removed.” Despite these conditions, flowering occurred in early June, consistent with recent vintages.

Véraison began in mid-July, with vegetation appearing far lusher compared to 2022. While the rains in May and June generally provided adequate water for vine growth, the combination of limited precipitation and above-average temperatures resulted in signs of drought emerging by mid-July, particularly in the vineyards’ most drought-prone areas and among younger vines. By this point, the total rainfall for the first seven months of the year had reached just 250 mm, prior to the rains on July 29, which were accompanied by a hailstorm. Jérôme Coursodon recounts, “In 2023, there was quite a heavy crop load, so I had to thin out a lot of grapes. We finished on Friday, July 28, having gone through all the vines, only for hail to damage several parcels the next day. I was disappointed because I had put so much effort into thinning the grapes, and then an entire hectare was completely wrecked by the hail. Fortunately, the arid conditions helped dry out the hail-damaged grapes and berries.”

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From mildew and heatwaves to heavy rainfall and hailstorms, Northern Rhône winemakers faced a true test of skill and patience in 2023. Despite these challenges, the resulting wines display surprising elegance, with moderate alcohol levels and gentle tannins, offering earlier accessibility compared to the more powerful 2022s. Standout performances shine in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas, while mixed results in Crozes-Hermitage emphasize the need for careful selection.

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