Last month, as Bordeaux neared spring, I enjoyed silky-textured wines from the 2023 vintage. Many were far better than I expected, especially after hearing so many stories from winemakers about the difficult growing season. Many seemed relieved to have made it through the year without experiencing complete catastrophe.
Overall, the wines are far too heterogeneous to call 2023 a great vintage, although some are pure magic.
“You can’t assign the 2023s to any category,” says Omri Ram from Château Lafleur in Pomerol, one of my top wines. “It’s as if each castle experienced a different vintage.”
The annual Bordeaux en primeur rite took place April 22-26 and I arrived early so I had time to taste more than 450 barrel samples of the 2023 vintage. In total, the event attracted around 100 journalists and thousands of traders from 70 countries.
While there are excellent wines worth purchasing in every appellation, from famous names to fine wines, many châteaux have missed the mark. Their wines have bitter tannins and a lack of concentration. Some have a green, unripe taste.
Luckily, my first stop – at 9am on April 15th at Château Lafite Rothschild – a world-class winery – set a benchmark for the best.
The style of the wine
My top reds and whites are just as good (and sometimes even better) than the 2022s, but in a style that Bordeaux lovers like to call “classic.” While they lack the deliciousness and zest of the best 2022s, they combine the ripe tannins and gentle texture of a warm vintage with the floral aromas, vibrant fruit, purity and freshness of a cool vintage – even at lower alcohol levels.
“It’s a vintage where you find the terroir in the glass,” said Mathieu Cuvelier of Clos Fourtet in Saint-Émilion, meaning you can clearly see the personality nuances of each winery’s wines.
The growing season hasn’t been easy given a deadly combination of excessive rainfall and warm day and night temperatures – a far cry from 2022, which was hit by severe drought and heat. Winegrowers had to contend with abrupt weather changes as forecasts were often misleading. Success depended on luck, microclimate, soil type, grape variety and human decision-making. Experience and resources (i.e. expertise and money) made all the difference. For those who made a poor decision, disaster awaited.
Rain and warm, humid weather in June led to persistent virulent mildew outbreaks that some said were the worst in 25 years. This fungus can quickly sweep through a vineyard and decimate a crop.
“We had to monitor the vineyard every hour and spray immediately,” says Veronique Sanders from Château Haut-Bailly – even on Sundays. Organic farmers have had to spray regularly and preventatively with copper sulfate, although the biodynamic Château Fonplégade reports good results with an oak bark solution. Some vineyards were so wet that tractors could not be driven out. Not all winemakers had enough workers on call to be able to react so quickly. Merlot is more susceptible to mold than Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, which is why many 2023 wines have a higher proportion of the latter two.
Christian Moueix, owner of many top wineries in Pomerol, said they sprayed 18 to 20 times, which increased the production cost per bottle. Every time it rains, the leaves are washed off and need to be sprayed again with copper or a fungicide.
This was the second warmest year since the beginning of the 21st century, explains Jean-Philippe Delmas from the first expansion Château Haut-Brion. “The cloudy weather in July protected the grapes from the sun and ensured freshness,” he says. “Then the strong heat periods in mid and late August and early September were like a concentration machine.”
This heat transformed some wines into something deeper. In addition, some grapes burned, so sorting at harvest was essential. Thanks to the long harvest window, the grapes could be harvested at the perfect time of ripeness.
Winemakers emphasize that adapting quickly and rethinking everything they do has become the new normal.
Should you buy now?
The short answer is: yes – if the price is right. But choose carefully.
Here’s a quick reminder of how buying wine futures works. You tie up your money now (sometimes with as little as a 50% deposit) while the wines are still aging in barrel, and receive the bottled wines in the fall of 2026. Don’t assume that you can sell the bottled wines for a profit, as was previously the case. Some 2019s now cost less than they did four years ago as futures. One reason to buy now is to secure your favorite wines and choose the format you prefer (magnum, half bottles, etc.).
Price was the big topic at private lunches and gala dinners, with negotiators and traders insisting that top chateaux would have to cut prices by 30% from last year’s levels to generate excitement.
“The market situation is serious,” says Emmanuel Cruse, head of the Commanderie de Bontemps, a trade association for the left-bank Bordeaux châtes and co-owner of the Château d’Issan. “We all know that wine retailers already have plenty of inventory.” Market pressures include high interest rates, inflation, two ongoing wars and a weak market in China.
Jeff Zacharia of Zachys, a retailer in Port Chester, New York, that has been offering Bordeaux futures to customers since the 1970s, says, “The quality of the wines exceeded my expectations, but we will only buy what we can sell. He says he will take fewer names than in the past.
Shaun Bishop, owner of California Bay Area-based JJ Buckley, says he has tasted compelling wines and will probably offer 100; 10 years ago he would have offered 200. “The first growths are being sold, as are great collector wines with fans like Pontet-Canet and Les Carmes Haut-Brion.”
It looks like some castles, including Lafite, have heard this prize message. Château Pontet-Canet, a super success in 2023, was put on the market at a price 27% lower than last year; the brilliant Leoville Las Cases was reduced by 40%, Lafite Rothschild by 31% and Mouton Rothschild by 37.2%.
An important precaution: Only buy from a reputable dealer with years of experience in supplying finished bottled wines. In the USA for example: Zachys, JJ Buckley, Millesima USA and K&L Wine Merchants. In the UK: Farr Vintners, Bordeaux Index, Fine + Rare and Berry Bros. & Rudd.
Buy something?
Several dozen wines are worth purchasing if the price is right (including white wines, which I will discuss in a later column). As usual, all of the first growths are among the best wines of the vintage, and I was thrilled by Right Bank stars like Petrus, Le Pin, Ausone and Figeac. In addition to these and my 14 favorites and five values below, I would like Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Barton, Haut-Bailly, Rauzan-Ségla, Ducru Beaucaillou, Cos d’Estournel, Giscours, L’Evangile, Les Perrières, Canon, d’Issan , Domaine de Chevalier, Vieux Château Certan, Troplong Mondot and Rocheyron. An expanded list of my top 100 wines with notes will be available on my website (elinmccoy.com) in June.
Here are my top 14 wines (included in the price if available):
Château Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse
The third vintage under co-owner and winemaker Josephine Duffau Lagarosse is the best ever, with an opulent, silky texture and seamless earth, mineral, salt and fruit flavors.
Bélair-Monange Castle
The first vintage, made in the castle’s beautiful new cellar, has wonderful juiciness, along with mineral and truffle notes and a rich depth.
Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
This Pessac-Léognan property has become one of Bordeaux’s vibrant new stars. The 2023 has more Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc than usual, giving it aromas of violets and peony as well as a dark purple and mineral taste.
Chateau Cheval Blanc
Very rich, structured, nuanced and polished and more mineral and floral than the 2022. The perfumed aromas remind me of violets, peonies, iris and more.
Chateau La Conseillante
A great wine this vintage: long and precise, fleshy and complex, with lush pure fruit and extensive aromas of lilac, rose petals and some tobacco.
Chateau L’ EGlisse Clinet
A breathtaking wine with intense aromas of cherries, raspberries, cocoa and tobacco. It’s very, very long and powerful.
Chateau Haut Brion
Energy, excitement and a beautiful, velvety sensuality characterize this always complex wine, which unfolds layers of olive, licorice and cedar aromas.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($520)
Lafite is a rich wine with calm, deep power, elegance and energetic freshness. It is bursting with stylish aromas of cassis and graphite and a distinctly salty note in the extremely long finish. According to Liv-ex, it is the Lafite with the best value for money on the market.
Chateau Lafleur
A profound wine that looks to be even better than the fantastic 2022. It shows expressive tea, violet and tobacco aromas, along with deep layers of vibrant dark fruit and hints of spice. One of my favorite wines of the vintage. It is expensive but usually increases in value quickly.
Margaux Castle
Sophisticated, charming, elegant and lively – this first growth is full of subtle aromas and energy. It is very classic and silky.
Montrose Castle
With dark, intense color; pure blackberry fruit nose; fine, soft tannins; and a concentrated dark fruit character, this is one of the best on the Left Bank.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild ($442)
With a dense texture reminiscent of dark chocolate mousse, this fleshy 93% Cabernet has just about everything: layers of smoky black fruit, notes of pomegranate, tension and a long finish. It is cheaper than any other vintage on the market.
Pichon Lalande Castle
Consistently one of the top wines of recent vintages, this second wine features a luxurious, silky texture, precise floral and mulberry aromas, and layers of bright, ripe fruit.
Pontet Canet Castle ($91)
The vibrant aroma of peony and the exceptionally pure, deep, savory flavors of blueberry fruit, mint and fennel really stand out. This wine shows how brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon can be.
Five valuable wines
Bellefont-Belcier Castle
With each new vintage, this Saint-Émilion winery surpasses its wines. This vintage features juicy red berry flavors, density and structure, and a long, delicious finish.
Corbin Castle
With cool, seductive dark fruits, a silky texture and everything in balance, this Saint- The Grand Cru Classé Émilion radiates harmony and elegance.
Fonple Castlegood
The wine from this biodynamic, American-owned winery in Saint-Émilion is outstanding. Aromas of crushed rose petals, plum fruits and spicy notes.
Siran Castle
The wine from this winery in Margaux is consistently a good buy. Lively and juicy, with a core of bright mulberry fruit and minerals and gentle but strong tannins.
Tronquoy Castle
The billionaire Bouygues brothers own this property, whose quality is constantly improving. This purple-colored wine features mint, floral and tobacco aromas as well as red cherry flavors.