Bordeaux 2023: Our Initial Thoughts

The dust is beginning to settle following last week's visit to Bordeaux and the team are frantically try to compile their pages of tasting notes and information before the flurry of releases appear in rapid succession. Our Head of Private Clients Joe Fogg shares his thoughts on the vintage and what to expect.

I always do my best to approach each primeurs tasting trip with an open mind, but with murmurings of a tough growing season in 2023 due to climatic conditions and severe mildew pressure, there was a little more trepidation than I had before flying out to taste the 2022s from barrel at the same time last year. What was clear very early on though, is that 2023 is very much a vintage to get excited about…

The Style

In terms of style, the wines couldn’t be more different than the more ‘international’ 2022s that were released last year, even though they both come from warm vintages. The 2023s have lower alcohol, higher acidity and fruit profiles that tend more towards the purple, blue and floral end of the spectrum. They are fresh, elegant, vivacious and in most cases have beautifully supple tannins that glide across the palate. This is in part due to cooler nights versus 2022, which helps to preserve acidity in the grapes, but it is also down to some excellent winemaking too.

Many producers are experimenting with, and are already employing very different oak regimes to the past. Using less new oak and larger oak vessels such as tonneaux allows the fruit to really shine, and this combined with what many winemakers describe as ‘infusion’, rather than ‘extraction’ of the grapes during fermentation, gives the tannins some wonderful profiles that I found to be silky and velvety. Put all of these elements together and what you have are ‘classic’ Bordeaux wines, but with a real modern touch due to the continued advancements in both the vineyard and cellar, which is evidently a compelling mix.

Reasons to Buy

One thing that is clear is that large price rises each year for Bordeaux En Primeur wines don’t provide a seriously compelling prospect in order for consumers to part with their hard earned cash. After spending the whole of this week tasting with, and talking to the top producers in Bordeaux, I can now say with certainty that there is a clear understanding that pricing is key to generate interest in the 2023 campaign.

Whilst we are yet to see the actual release prices, I am now far more confident that there will be some prices that will be hard to ignore, and given that we have the unprecedented move of producers such as Château Lafite-Rothschild releasing as early as the 2nd of May, I would strongly advise paying attention to these releases, as they could be the most compelling wines on offer since the 2019s were released during the Covid lockdown.

Final Thoughts

Rarely has there been a more complicated backdrop to a Bordeaux En Primeur campaign, yet after having doubts about both quality of the wines and pricing of them on release, I must say I have been pleasantly surprised on both fronts. Due to mildew pressure and some rain events in September, producers had to be diligent in the vineyards and get picking dates right, however most of those we spoke to managed this well. There were lots of producers such as Montrose, who didn’t suffer at all, with their prime terroir next to the Gironde with its breezes keeping the vineyard very healthy, and as a result made incredible wines.

Many of the wines are delicious, and show true typicity of their respective appellations, which will delight fans of Bordeaux. If pricing is as keen as we are expecting, then there will be lots to get excited about so keep your eyes peeled for our offers which will come thick and fast.

William Kelley has summed up the paradoxes of the vintage when stating, "2023 is something of a hybrid vintage that fits uneasily into the traditional typology of sunny versus “classic,” Continental versus Atlantic, that categorized so readily most 20th century vintages. The best 2023s exhibit the fully ripe tannins and suave, seamless mouthfeels of a sunny vintage such as 2019; yet their vibrant aromas and flavors, evocative of fresh fruits and flowers, are more indicative of a cooler year. Above all, however, the vintage tended to amplify the voice of each estate and terroir, producing extremely characterful wines."

Because of this, we recommend being selective this year, and our team will be highlighting those wines which we believe meet our criteria for quality and fairness of price and are worthy of a place in your cellar. We are here to guide you and help you make the the right decisions on which wines to buy, whether that be for future drinking or investment. If you are looking for advice and would like to hear from Cru Wine on upcoming releases please view our dedicated campaign page and sign up to our En Primeur Offers.