Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur

Another lovely nose with sweet fruit, almost creamy, then a burst of currant and mulberry. Fresh on the palate, with a bit more blueberry and purity on the finish. Good Pauillac power, this feels like it will take on more texture and weight with age. Straightforward but looks good value, simply lacks a bit of recognition. 3-9 years.

To our minds (and taste) Ormes de Pez is often the most subdued, and therefore approachable, wine coming out of the Lynch-Bages stable. We tasted at the enormous, airport-esque edifice that is the new Lynch-Bages building, hoping that less is more. Possible this year it is. There’s a lovely spicy note on a black fruit nose, mulberry hit and a core of damson on the palate. Dense, stoney character yet a juicy side comes through too and there’s a well-knit, quite fresh feel on the finish. Very decent Saint-Estèphe.

With very similar aspects and position to neighbouring Montrose we have often enjoyed Meyney, even back in the Cordier days (which could be slightly hit-or-miss). Since being taken over in 2004 by CA Bank the quality is more consistent, the fruit more stylish. This year sees a dark colour, possibly from 12% Petit Verdot, and a big juicy palate. Blackberry jam comes through and there?s a seamless, pure fruit finish. Meyney is an easy wine to like this year, for mid-term drinking.

Cantemerle is currently a building site (GM Laure Canu was unfeasibly calm in the midst of an unlikely finish for ‘En Prim Week’) but the wine is formidable. Very attractive, it impressed again, plenty of volume and density of mulberry and damson fruit all in harmony with tension and texture. Balance is good, finish is clean and fresh. On form, as it so often is.

The wine that used to be Lalande Borie is high in Merlot this year, and comes from 40 ha in Saint-Julien close to Lagrange. They had a lot of mildew problems but the resulting wine is juicy and generous, full of red plum and raspberry. Tight, tannic backbone with fresh damson and blueberry finish. A bit edgy but balance will be good, needs a bit of time. 3-9 years. 

An excellent Sociando this year, winemaker François Hugueniot has tamed the terroir here, just north of Saint-Estèphe, to make a wine full of depth and character with good black fruit, ripe, sappy tannins and long length. It still has the trademark minerality and structure but there is balance with the fruit and this will be less challenging when young than in years gone by.5 to 15 years.

Ben Sichel, winemaker at Angludet, described a particularly challenging time in 2023, with the heat of 2022 as the root cause of a significant drop in yield compared with many other properties.There is 17% Petit Verdot in the blend, which gives a lush core to the wine and a pretty, juicy character. There's silky tannin backing the fresh raspberry fruit, and a clean, pure finish. This is a mid-term Margaux of high quality, it's organic traits very much to the fore. 5-15 years. 

It was mentioned, in passing, that the big cruise ships are going to be stopping at Pauillac later this summer. When they do the occupants will see the brand new buildings and facilities that are just being finished including a gravity-fed chai. We suspect this will put Grand Puy Ducasse firmly on the map! Another wine that is on an upward path, the 2023 has a terrific nose with masses of black fruit and hints of tobacco behind, even a touch of polished leather. The tannins are silky and there is power in the texture and body here, balanced and precise oak bring plenty to the party. Should outlive many peers of the same quality.

Much more density and richness from the top dog in the Lorenzetti Family stable. Jean-Michel Wilmotte is increasing the polish and precision every vintage, and it shows. They got their Cabernet, which comes from plots all over Pauillac, harvested at the right time, and the focus is perfect. Behind some lovely mulberry and blackberry fruit is a touch od spice, powerful but silky tannins and excellent length of flavour. Generous, harmonious, quite linear but easy on the finish. As good as we can remember.

An attractive lesser-known Pomerol which flies somewhat under the radar because the quality here is always good. Ripe dark plum on the nose with a touch of mulberry. Nice mouthfeel, soft and round backed with nice tension and good length. Very nice juiciness with texture and substance, and a precise slightly salty finish. Another good effort.

From the plateau in Pomerol, as the name suggests close to the church, this is an excellent wine with the clay soil giving super depth with good tannins. There is plenty of red and black fruit to give balance as well as the juiciness typical of the vintage. Owned by the Casteja family since 1973, this property is making excellent value wines. 5-15 years.

A very successful wine with plenty of black cherry fruit on the palate, soft tannins and touches of attractive, toasty oak. This is a medium weight well balanced wine with good freshness. Well situated at the edge of the Pomerol plateau between Gazin and La Fleur-Pétrus. Run by JP Moueix since 1976.

Frederic Casteja makes things happen in Bordeaux. “A good campaign is a quick campaign,” he said, while berating neighbours who watch the market and sit on their hands. His tenure at Batailley has improved the quality while keeping the price under control, and his wine is once again a firm recommendation. Almost minty on the nose, over sweet black fruit. Then dense on the palate with a bit of chew, currant on the back palate. Linear and grainy with an oak framework, this feels blocky, gourmand and should keep a bit.

Lafon Rochet has joined the Pedesclaux stable that includes Lilian-Ladouys and d’Issan, and they have lured Christophe Congé from Lafite to push the quality forward. We’ve always liked the wine which is usually true to type, a sensible Saint-Estephe at a sensible price that ages well. Tasting with the team we felt that once again this is a worthy effort, very characteristic of the vintage with red plum freshness, a stony feel to the centre and a bright, ripe, long feel in the mouth. The tannins are quite chalky, the overall feel is vivid and pure.

Yet more applause for this wine from the Borie-Manoux (Batailley) stable, now a good value Pauillac with damson, a soft texture at its core and easy oak giving a round, friendly structure. Freddie Casteja, who’s family home this is, has been working hard to improve his wine and that work is paying off. This is a well made and characterful mouthful.

The last remnants of the building site have gone and Langoa is looking great, running full steam ahead. Even the garden has avoided being ravaged by the local wild boar population? for the moment. Lilian is also extremely pleased with the layout of the ne

A mixture of red plum and blueberry fruit, more complex and dynamic in feel than Petit Ducru with subtle oak propping up the freshness of fruit on the mid-palate. Quite dense in the mouth with more blueberry and blackberry, nice balance of some grip and fresh acidity. Well made, not as polished as some but plenty of character.

From a property on the limestone plateau close to the town of St Emilion this has lovely strawberry aromas with a very complete palate with more black fruit and even hints of liquorice. There is just a hint of oak on the finish which also has good, soft tannins and attractive freshness. 5-15 years.

A very complete wine with masses of blackcurrant fruit, supple tannins and good freshness. This has real presence together with balance and elegance. The 9 hectare proprty has belonged to the Vayron family sine 1840 and is well situated on the gentle slope of the Pomerol plateau.

Plenty of investment here too is paying off. There’s more presence in the 2023, lovely tension and purity with plenty of red and black fruit vying for position. The harvest was early and the fresh aromatics give a pretty feel to it, while the shape is smooth and round in the mouth. Nicely integrated oak just creeps into the finish. A well balanced, enjoyable Margaux that will last a bit.

Another great effort with lots of Saint-Julien quality. They have used more Cabernet in the blend than ever, due to the tricky vintage but that fruit was perfectly ripe as they waited to pick after the rain, and sorted extensively on picking. The nose is a wonderful cassis, mulberry and currant medley, followed by a slug of blueberry in the mouth. Tannins are fine, supple and add to the succulence you feel, the whole is charming, soft with lovely length and shape. It’s a delicious mid-term wine this year, highly recommended.

Léoville is darker and denser than Langoa ? we usually taste them side by side ? there is also more length and power here. Seductive and smooth with good density and fine acidity on the back palate. Attractive, sweet fruit on the finish, density and some

A very fine Trottevieile with silky red fruits, lovely concentration and balance with the 100% new oak seamlessly integrated. This small property, owned by the Casteja family, goes undeer the radar but produces wonderful wines from the limestone slopes just outside St-Emilion. This terroir has given great poise and elegane to the wines 2023.

Opening with a gorgeous perfumed, nose of violet, spices and black cherry, the mid-palate delivers more, juicy black fuits, plum, liquirice, cranberry and mulberry fruit . Well knit with fresh acidity and fine grain tannins this is a sumptuous effort which has a promising future.

Alfred Tesseron at Pontet Canet was thrilled to see us at 8:59 on Tuesday morning and berated his son, Noel, who arrived at 9:20. The chai is beautiful, the new 'eggs' (fermenters) in position, a herd of horses in the stables - the place looks immaculate and it's no wonder the results are superb. The wine had classic Pontet poise, lots of pure fruit backed with that organic ‘freshness’ he says they have been after since starting to convert 20 years ago. It is beautiful, succulent and fresh with a layered texture. Delicious mid to long-term drinking we thought, with bags of style - a top Pauillac. Interestingly we had tasted the 2005 vintage the previous evening and were struck by the similarities in structure and flavour.

Inevitably this wine is one of the more showy and extracted of the Left Bank, very much the Cazes style. We detected more restraint however, compared with the blockbusters of recent hot vintages, and the wine is impressive and not over-done (for us). The

Cos is a grand château in Saint-Estèphe that sits just across the stream from Lafite in Pauillac (which is probably number one in the Médoc.) We liked the pure and fresh black fruit character, a bit of fresh raspberry behind. The structure is good, the tannins fine and the oak gives a wash of finesse in the finish. This has real precision and purity with good minerality.

Bruno Borie was hobbling rather when we pitched up, recently fitted with a bionic part. His enthusiasm for his latest vintage was as infectious as ever, You've come to taste a great wine? A big job to make but we love it!? he said. They had a long harvest here, from 16th Sept to 7th Oct but the grapes came in healthy and with good yields. Ducru feels very plush this year, good tannins maybe more four-square than some other places but supple enough with tempered oak coming through on the finish. It's long in the mouth, saturated black fruit with a raspberry edge and the whole quite fresh on the end. Another very good effort, full of character and flavour.

Rather castigated across Bordeaux last year for over-cooking the 2022 release price (fortunately they have rectified this for 2023!), we were amused to see in the official en primeur leaflet that they compare this vintage to 1771… On a more serious note, Antoine Gimbert explained that they now handle the fruit extremely gently, stopping pumping-over and letting the juice filter through as softly as possible. With many small vats they can handle individual plots far more carefully, the sum of the parts making a very impressive whole. Las Cases is a real curranty beauty - intense and concentrated in the mouth, very balanced, textured with beautifully crafted tannins. Generous, long, very clean with a lovely finish. 

Brooding, black fruit, damson and mulberry on the nose. The mid-palate delivers savoury and mineral notes amid layers of blackberry, cranberry, cassis and spice. Well structured, with bright acidity (the vintages calling card) and chalky tannins, the Carraudes has a long finish. Its hallmark Pauillac character is as a result of the highly prized Lafite ‘Caudeyrac’ plot, it’s sourced from.

Quite a formidable second wine that starts with a whack of red plum on the nose, a fair bit of extraction on the palate making it quite strong in personality with an obvious flavour. More plum comes through on the finish around a tannic brace. Should last

The last of the lineup tasted at Clerc Milon. On the nose there are hints of smoke and bacon fat sitting behind more pronounced notes of black fruits and spice. Energetic and well structured, there's super a concentration of black fruits, cassis, damson, black olive and tobacco mingling seamlessly with the oak and lick of bright acidity. Delivering a hint of toast and spice on the long finish, this is a dynamic Grand Vin.

Measured, pure and understated this latest release just oozes finesse. Superbly balanced, with no one element out of place. It delivers a concentrated core of juicy black fruit, spice, touches of graphite and cracked pepper, there is an almost creamy mouthfeel. The tannins are silky and ripe, providing a suitably fine, deliciously long finish.

Fresh and aromatic nose with hints of redcurrants leads to a palate full of red fruit, well balanced with fine tannins. 'A very nice vintage for us' says owner Mathieu Ternault'. 0-5 years

Cissac does it again, with a wine they liken to a blend of 2020 and 2022. Winemaker Laurent Saint Pasteur added that he works hard to preserve the fruit character so he limits the extraction a bit more than he did a decade ago, and, interestingly, they have a fine plot of old Malbec which almost ‘seasons’ the blend. Harmonious and ripe, we were very impressed and Cissac gets top marks this year. Will keep a bit too.

‘Old Robin’ looks good in 2023. The property itself is unremarkable but we missed the fierce dog at the gate. We like this wine in warmer vintages and there is certainly a denser side to it this year. The nose has quite a floral note with blossom coming through. The palate feels mellow, the tannins are supple with a touch of chewiness in them, quite integrated while the finish is fresh and clean. Another good effort from the northern Mèdoc.

There are some great pickings to be had in the satellites of the Right Bank this year, and we enjoy the wines from Jean-Baptiste Bourotte, no more so than the wine that carries his moniker. Being pure Merlot it tends to be quite straightforward; there is a purity of black fruit, some tension and acidity on the palate with chalky tannins to round things off. A juicy, easy and early drinking wine. 3-9 years.

While it’s a long trek up to Begadan in northern Medoc we always get the warmest welcome from cousins Frederic and Benjamin. This Tanners favourite is a very attractive wine in 2023; well textured and smooth with the fresh plummy character of the best Medocs on display, a beautiful claret for the mid-term while the characteristic freshness of the vintage makes it sing in the glass. Delicious. 3-9 years.

While we invariably taste Puygueraud at one of the main Thienpont properties like Larcis Ducasse, Nicolas reminded us that many moons previously (1990 possibly?) we went to this property in the Francs which is the family home, and we must visit again as soon as we can. A date has been suggested. In the meantime we can report that Puygueraud is as good as ever, quite creamy and fleshy in the mouth with a supple blackberry jam feel on the end. It has many fans and for drinking mid-term it is an excellent Right Bank choice.

Tasted at Talbot, the junior member is still a very good wine, and continues to impress us. There is very attractive fruit character on the nose - floral, bit of fennel, hint of tobacco even and a core of black fruit. Well balanced on the palate, with structure and texture behind lithe fresh fruit, some chalky tannins on the finish. Very nicely made. 3-9 years.

Typically attractive aroma here, a compote of sweet red and black fruit then gentle and soft in the mouth. Easy, silky feel on the structure and supple in the finish. Very good again, if more ‘up front’ and forward with quite a vivid, saline end, courtesy of it’s organic credentials. Part of the growing Lorenzetti empire and reaping the benefits of top winemaking investment – Lafon Rochet is also now in the stable alongside Pedesclaux. Continues its good recent run and always worth a good look.

Melanie Barton has made another good wine in tricky conditions, with Moulis suffering with mildew early on. There?s good black fruit character, quite tempered and stylish in the mouth. Nice structure with ripe tannins all in balance and then juicy and fre

This property has been on our radar for quite a few years, but recent vintages have seen it move up a notch. The clay soils here are quite deep, the vines planted in two plots near Neac and in Lalande itself. Michel Rolland has had a hand in the wine making process in the past, and the style is quite dense with sweet fruit and well-integrated tannins. For a ‘Rolland wine’ you’ll find more charm than guts, and it is very appealing. Well worth a look this year.

A smoky hint is followed by plums, black cherry and violets. Juicy and fleshy on the palate with excellent depth of fruit. This is well balanced with some chewy tannins, ideal for short term cellaring. 3-9 years.

Sitting on a mix of alluvial gravel and clay, Potensac is regarded as representing ‘true Medoc style’ – a firm structure with density and concentration as a given. Part of the Leoville Las Cases stable, this year it has a dark, juicy stream with chalky tannin, elegance and a keen energy. There’s a suave side, plenty of blueberry fruit and oaky persistence in the finish. This is an impressive wine that feels very ‘together’ this year.  

While it's a long trek up to Begadan in northern Medoc, we always get the warmest welcome from cousins Frederic and Benjamin. This Tanners favourite is a very attractive wine in 2023; well textured and smooth with the fresh plummy character of the best Me

While it's a long trek up to Begadan in northern Medoc, we always get the warmest welcome from cousins Frederic and Benjamin. This Tanners favourite is a very attractive wine in 2023; well textured and smooth with the fresh plummy character of the best Me

While it's a long trek up to Begadan in northern Medoc, we always get the warmest welcome from cousins Frederic and Benjamin. This Tanners favourite is a very attractive wine in 2023; well textured and smooth with the fresh plummy character of the best Me

While it's a long trek up to Begadan in northern Medoc, we always get the warmest welcome from cousins Frederic and Benjamin. This Tanners favourite is a very attractive wine in 2023; well textured and smooth with the fresh plummy character of the best Me