Last month, as spring approached in Bordeaux, I enjoyed the silky wines of the 2023 vintage. Many of them turned out much better than I expected, especially after hearing so many stories from winemakers about the difficulties of the growing season. Many seemed relieved that they were able to survive the harvest without experiencing complete disaster.
Overall, the wines are too diverse to call 2023 a great vintage, although some are simply magical.
“It’s impossible to categorize the 2023 wines,” says Omri Ram of Pomerol’s Château Lafleur, one of my top wines. “It was as if each castle had a different harvest.”
The annual Bordeaux en primeur rite took place from April 22 to 26, and I arrived early to sample more than 450 cask samples from the 2023 vintage. In total, the event brought together about 100 journalists and thousands of traders from 70 countries.
While each appellation has outstanding wines, ranging from famous to good, that are worth buying, many chateaus miss the mark. Their wines exhibit bitter tannins and a lack of concentration. Some have a green, unripe taste.
Luckily, my first stop—at 9 a.m. on April 15 at the young Chateau Lafite Rothschild—set the standard for the best.
Wine style
My best reds and whites are as good (and sometimes better) than the 2022 releases, but in a style that Bordeaux lovers like to call “classic.” While they lack the richness and appeal of the best 2022 wines, they combine the ripe tannins and smooth textures of a warm vintage with the floral aromas, vibrant fruit, purity and freshness of a cool wine, and lower alcohol levels.
“This is a vintage in which you find the terroir in your glass,” said Mathieu Cuvelier of Clos Fourtet in Saint-Emilion, meaning that you can clearly perceive the individual nuances of each estate’s wines.
The growing season was challenging with a lethal combination of excessive rainfall and warm day and night temperatures, a far cry from 2022, which saw severe drought and heat. Winemakers struggled to cope with sudden changes in weather, and forecasts were often misleading. Success depended on luck, microclimate, soil type, grape variety and human decision making. Experience and resources (i.e. knowledge and money) were critical. For those who made the wrong choice, disaster awaited.
Rain and warm, humid weather in June set the stage for dangerous mold outbreaks that some said were the worst in 25 years. This fungus can quickly spread throughout the vineyard and destroy the crop.
“We had to monitor the vineyard hourly and spray it immediately,” says Véronique Sanders of Château Haut-Bailly, “even on Sundays.” Organic farmers have had to regularly and preventatively spray 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 rolled out. Not all winegrowers had enough workers to respond so quickly. Merlot is more susceptible to mold than Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, so many 2023 wines have a higher proportion of the latter two.
Christian Moueix, owner of many of Pomerol’s leading estates, said they sprayed 18 to 20 times, which increased the cost per bottle. Every time it rains, the leaves are washed and sprayed again with copper or fungicide.
“It was the second hottest year since the beginning of the 21st century,” explains Jean-Philippe Delmas, owner of the original Château Haut-Brion. “The cloudy weather in July protected the grapes from the sun and kept them fresh,” he says. “Then the intense heat waves in mid-, late-August and early-September were like a concentration machine.”
This heat has transformed some wines into something deeper. Some grapes were also burned, so they had to be sorted at harvest. The long harvest window meant that the grapes could be picked at full ripeness.
Winemakers emphasize that rapid adaptation and rethinking of everything they do has become the new norm.
Is it worth buying 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 50% down) while the wines are still aging in barrels, and receive the wines in bottles in the fall of 2026. Don’t think you can sell bottled wines for profit like you once did. happening. Some 2019 futures are now worth less than futures four years ago. One reason to buy now is to lock in your favorite wines and choose the format you prefer (magnums, half-bottles, etc.).
Price was a major topic at private lunches and gala dinners, with negotiators and traders insisting that leading chateaux would have to cut prices by 30% from last year’s levels to generate excitement.
“The market situation is serious,” says Emmanuel Cruz, head of the Commanderie de Bontemps, the trade association for Bordeaux’s left bank chateaux and co-owner of Château d’Issan. “We all know that wine merchants already have a lot of inventory.” Market pressures include high interest rates, inflation, two ongoing wars and a weak market in China.
Says Jeff Zacharia of Zachys, a Port Chester, N.Y., retailer that has been offering Bordeaux futures to buyers since the 1970s: “The quality of the wines has exceeded my expectations, but we will only buy what we can sell.” He says he will take fewer names than before.
Sean Bishop, owner of California-based JJ Buckley, says he’s tasted some amazing wines and will probably offer 100; 10 years ago he would have offered 200. “The first wines will be sold, as well as collectible great wines such as Pontet-Canet and Les Carmes Haut-Brion.”
It appears that some chateaux, including Lafite, have heard this price message. Château Pontet-Canet, which had a super success in 2023, was released at a price 27% lower than last year; the brilliant Leoville Las Cases was priced at 40% cheaper, Lafite Rothschild at 31% and Mouton Rothschild at 37.2%.
The main caveat: buy only from a reputable seller who has extensive experience shipping finished wines in bottles. 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.
What to buy
It’s worth buying a few dozen wines if the price is right (including whites, which I’ll cover in a future column). As usual, all the firsts are among the best wines of the year, and I was blown away by Right Bank stars such as Petrus, Le Pen, Ozon and Figeac. Besides these, as well as my 14 favorites and five values presented below, I would highlight 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, Old Chateau Certan, Troplong Mondo and Rocheiron. 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 (price included where available):
Chateau Beausejour Duffaut Lagarosse
Third harvest under the direction of co-owner and winemaker Josephine Duffault Lagarosse. is the best yet, with a luxurious, silky texture and impeccable flavors of earth, minerals, salt and fruit.
Chateau Belair-Monange
The first vintage, produced in the castle’s magnificent new cellar, has wonderful juiciness, mineral and truffle notes and rich depth.
Chateau Le Carme Haut-Brion
This hotel in Pessac-Leognan has become one of Bordeaux’s new shining stars. The 2023 has more Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc than usual, giving it aromas of violets and peonies, as well as a dark violet and mineral flavor.
Chateau Cheval Blanc
Very rich, structured, nuanced and polished, more mineral and floral than 2022. The perfume scents remind me of violets, peonies, irises and more.
Chateau La Conceilante
A superb wine from this vintage: long and crisp, fleshy and layered, with bright, clean fruit aromas and expansive aromas of lilac, rose petals and a touch of tobacco.
Chateau L’ EGliese Kline
A stunning wine with intense aroma of cherry, raspberry, cocoa and tobacco. It’s very, very long and powerful.
Chateau Haut-Brion
Energy, tension and a superb velvety sensuality characterize this always complex wine, revealing layers of aromas of olive, licorice and cedar.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($520)
A rich wine with quiet, deep power, elegance and energetic freshness, Lafite is filled with stylish aromas of blackcurrant and graphite, as well as a distinctly salty note on an extremely long finish. According to Liv-ex, this is the cheapest Lafite on the market.
Chateau Lafleur
A deep wine that seems even better than the fantastic 2022 wine. It displays expressive aromas of tea, violet and tobacco, as well as deep layers of vibrant dark fruit and hints of spice. One of my favorite wines of the year, it’s expensive but usually goes up in price quickly.
Chateau Margaux
Sophisticated, charming, elegant and vibrant, this first variety is bursting with subtle flavor and energy. It’s very classic and silky.
Chateau Montrose
With dark, intense color; clean nose with notes of blackberry; fine, smooth tannins; and 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 meaty cabernet (93%) has just about everything: layers of smoky black fruit, pomegranate notes, tension and a long finish. This is cheaper than any other vintage on the market.
Chateau Pichon Lalande
Consistently ranked among the best wines of recent vintages, this second wine exhibits a luxuriously silky texture, precise floral and mulberry aromas, and layers of bright, ripe fruit.
Chateau Pontet Canet ($91)
The vibrant aroma of peonies and the exceptionally clean, deep, savory fruit notes of blueberry, mint and fennel really stand out. This wine shows how brilliant Cabernet Sauvignon can be.
Five valuable wines
Chateau Bellefon-Belsier
With each new harvest, this Saint-Emilion estate exceeds all expectations. This vintage is distinguished by its juicy red berry flavor, body and structure, as well as a long, mouth-watering finish.
Chateau Corbin
With cool, enticing dark fruit, a silky texture and everything in balance, this Saint- Emilion Grand Cru Classé exudes harmony and elegance.
Chateau FontpleixGade
The wine from this biodynamic American-owned Saint-Émilion estate is outstanding. Aromas of crushed rose petals, plum fruits and hints of spice.
Chateau Siran
Wine from this Margaux estate is a consistently good buy. Lively and juicy, it has a core of bright mulberry fruit and minerals, plus smooth but powerful tannins.
Chateau Tronquois
The billionaire Bouygues brothers own this property, the quality of which continues to rise higher and higher. The purple-colored wine has mint, floral and tobacco aromas, as well as notes of red cherry.