2023 Primeur, Margaux

2023 Margaux

This commune always differ more, and soils also varies more than in the other top Médoc communes. We have gotten used to Brane-Cantenac being one of the top estates, vintage after vintage, and now Durfort-Vivens also seem to have settled in the top leage, after the stunning 2022. Two of my absolute favourite expressions this year. Baron de Branne is probably the best one to date.

 

There is such finesse in Cantenac Brown this year, for me one of their most refined ever. 

 

Château margaux has been a bit bold and alcoholic for a few vintages, so if you love the Château Margaux´s of past, this will be the newest vintage in that style. Bright, detailed, refreshing, superbly balance, a stunning expression. 

 

Dauzac seems to be climbing as well, as does Siran. Both made one of their best in recent vintages. 

 

Château Palmer also shows one of their more utterly seductive wines in the last vintages, and it isn’t that Palmer hasn’t been seductive, but they have also been on the bold side. The energy and brightness in 2023 is borderline spellbinding, and great Bordeaux should always have that. Everyone can make big fruit, that is not what Bordeaux is famous for. 

 

Rauzan-Ségla is also gorgeous this year. 

 

2023 Château Angludet

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, nuanced and detailed nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red and dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced, elegant. Lovely Angludet. 91-93

 

2023 Château Boyd-Cantenac

Ruby. Blackberries, vanilla, spices, leaner nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, spices, liquorice, blackberries, leaner finish. 88-90

 

2023 Château Brane-Cantenac

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, spices, nuanced, lifted, scented, detailed nose, bright. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, liquorice, dark fruits, spices, blueberries, juicy, detailed, anise, layered, long. Wonderful.96-98

 

2023 Baron de Brane

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, spices, blackberries, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, detailed, fruit forward, liquorice, long. 90-92

 

2023 Château Cantenac Brown

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, blueberries, fruit forward nose, elegant. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, detailed, more precise than any vintage before it from Cantenac Brown, lovely balance and texture, long. 95-97

 

2023 Château d'Issan

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, spices, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, leaner finish. 92-94

 

2023 Blason d'Issan

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, anise, some herbs, leaner finish. 87-89

 

2023 Château Dauzac

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice, dark fruits, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, detailed, anise, spices, fruit forward, layered and long. Probably best Dauzac to date. 92-94

 

2023 Château Desmirail

Ruby. Dark fruits, vanilla, spices, nuanced, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, blueberries, firmer, lots of wood, but concentration packs it in better than usual. 92-94

 

2023 Château Deyrem Valentin

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, fruit forward, spices, richer nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward, detailed, has some energy to it, long. 91-93

 

2023 Château du Tertre

Ruby. Blackberries, vanilla, spices, liquorice, bit smoky nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, spices, dark fruits, liquorice, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château Durfort-Vivens

Ruby. Scented, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced, fruit forward nose, lifted, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, liquorice, juicy, detailed, intense and firm, layered, deep, another great success at Durfort-Vivens. Lovely. It seems to have settled in a new league. 96-98

 

2023 Château Ferriere

Ruby. Blueberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, detailed, blackberries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, nuanced, juicy, a very fine Ferriere. 91-93

 

2023 Château Giscours

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, dark fruits, spices, nuanced nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, spices, dark fruits, nuanced, detailed and long. Fruit forward Giscours. 92-94

 

2023 Château Haut-Breton Larigaudiére

Ruby. Jammy, spices, herbs, woody nose. Medium acidity, flat, fat, woody. 85-87

 

2023 Château Kirwan

Ruby. Blueberries, dark fruits, anise, spices, blackberries nose, fruit forward. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, blueberries, fruit driven, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château La Gurgue

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, fruit forard, long. 89-91

 

2023 Château Labegorce 

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, fruit driven nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, blueberries, fruit forward, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château Larruau

Ruby. Herbs, anise, some dark fruits nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, leaner bodied. 83-85

 

2023 Château Lascombes

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, blueberries niose, nuanced. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, juicy, detailed, elegant, long finish. 93-95

 

2023 Chevalier de Lascombes

Ruby. Blackberries, red fruits, anise, some spices, leaner nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, liquorice, spices, leaner. 88-90

 

2023 Château Le Coteau

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, some spices, liquorice, long finish. 89-91

 

2023 Château Malescot St.Exupery

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, anise, blueberries, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, juicy, touch jammy, long finish. 93-95

 

2023 Château Margaux

Ruby. Cassis, anise, dark fruits, blackberries, spices, fruit forward nose, detailed, layered, scented, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, detailed, layered, nuanced, deep, long finish. After a few vintages with a rather bold expression for Margaux, this is more recognisably seductive. The Château Margaux style we all love. 97-99

 

2023 Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, spices, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, vanilla, spices, some vanilla, detailed, nuanced and long. 92-94

 

2023 Pavillon Blanc du Château Margaux

Pale lemon yellow. Peach, apples, some citrus, vanilla, nuanced, detailed, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, apples, peach, citrus, grilled lemons, saline, detailed, long. 94

 

2023 Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, juicy, fruit forward, detailed, long finish. 93-95

 

2023 Château Marquis de Terme

Ruby Dark fruits, anise, liquorice, fruit driven and fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, elegant texture, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château Monbrison

Ruby. Some herbs, anise, spices, liquorice, blueberries notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, blackberries, anise, leaner finish. 88-90

 

2023 Château Palmer

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced, fruit forward nose. Floral, nuanced, elegant. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, liquorice, detailed, nuanced, minerals, blackberries, soft texture, detailed, nuanced, refined, salinity, long. So seductive. 97-99

 

2023 Alter Ego 

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, anise, spices, blackberries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, blueberries, detailed and long, lovely softness to it, like velvet. 91-93

 

2023 Château Pouget

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, spices, leaner nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, herbs, leaner. 87-89

 

2023 Château Prieuré-Lichine

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, spices, a very fruit driven nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, leaner finish. 89-91

 

2023 Château Rauzan-Gassies

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, spices, liquorice, good length. Easy going. 88-90

 

2023 Château Rauzan-Ségla

Ruby. Cassis, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, spices, nuanced nose, lifted.Pure, almost a faint citrus hint. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red berries, blackberries, detailed, nuanced, elegant texture, long finish.So lively and refreshing. Superb. 95-97

 

2023 Segla

Ruby. Scented, red berries, floral, nuanced, detailed nose, lifted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, blueberries, detailed, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Château Siran

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, blueberries, detailed nose, lifted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, juicy, fruit forward, long finish. Superb Siran! One of the great vintages from here, and during primeurs I was reminded how well these are made. A superb 1914 was served at one dinner, and a beauty (94 points), super smooth. And I vividly recall a wonderful 1959 from a few years back. 93-95

 

2023 Château Tayac

Ruby. Blackberries, blueberries, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, nuanced, elegant if leaner, structured. 88-90

 

2023 Château Tour de Mons

Ruby. Blueberries, anise, dark fruits, leaner nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, juicy, some spices, liquorice, energetic, probably best Tour de Mons ever. 89-91