2023 primuer, Pauillac

2023 Pauillac

Pauillac has some beauties this year and was less affected by mildew than several other communes. Mouton Rothschild is a superbly crafted and well balanced Mouton, Lafite is somewhat richer than what you expect, but for me the wine of the vintage in Pauillac, and all of Médoc. Duhart is one of the finest ever from that estate, lovely Haut-Bages-Libéral as well. Lovely Fonbadet, even if there is a rumour that they have sold of quite a bit of land.

 

 

2023 Château d'Armailhac

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, spices nose, blueberries. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, blueberries, nuanced, juicy, long. Saline. 92-94

 

2023 Château Batailley

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, some spices, liquorice nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, somewhat leaner, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château Bellegrave

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, floral, fruit forward nose, nuanced. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, red fruits, liquorice, good length. 88-90

 

2023 Château Clerc Milon

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, scented, detailed, nuanced nose, elegant. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice, detailed, long finish. 92-94

 

2023 Château Clerc Milon

Ruby. Tight, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, spices, liquorice nose, firmer. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, blueberries, detailed, layered, nuanced, lovely balance, long. 93-95

 

2023 Pastourelle de Clerc Milon

Ruby. Scented, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, fruit forward nose, nuanced. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, spices, long finish. Juicy. 89-91

 

2023 Château Croizet-Bages

Ruby. Blackberries, some spices, liquorice, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, anise, leaner bodied, some spices, good length. 88-90

 

2023 Château Duhart-Milon

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, somewhat scented nose, detailed and nuanced, fruit forward. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, liquorice, fruit forward, detailed, layered, minerals, long. A refined Duhart-Milon. 93-95

 

2023 Moulin de Duhart

Ruby. Scented, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced, long. Saline. 90-92

 

2023 Château Fonbadet

Ruby. Cassis, anise, spices, liquorice, vanilla nose, nuanced. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, detailed, liquorice, nuanced, long. 92-94

 

2023 Château Grand Puy-Ducasse

Ruby. Blackberries, coffee, chocolate and spices nose, ripe and rich. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, detailed, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, detailed, juicy, nuanced, deatiled, nuanced, elegant and lonng, lovely. 94-96

 

2023 Lacoste-Borie

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, some spices, juicy, elegant, good length. 88-90

 

2023 Château Haut-Bages Libéral

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit dstones, blueberries, detailed, elegant nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, energetic, detailed, nuanced, layered, long. Mineral finish, chalky and saline.93-95

 

2023 Ceres de Haut-Bages Libéral

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, some liquorice motes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, blackberries, good length. 88-90

 

2023 Château Haut-Batailley

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, cassis, some spices nose, liquorice, nuanced.Scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, spices, fruit forward, detailed, long finish. 93-95

 

2023 Château Lafite Rothschild

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, fruit forward nose, detailed, firmer nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, cassis, blackberries, liquorice, detailed, layered, nuanced, spices, firmer, textured, intense, very long finish. 98-100

 

2023 Carruades de Lafite

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, fruit forward nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward, long finish. 92-95

 

2023 Château Latour

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, liquorice, fruit forward nose, spices. Tifght and firm yet detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, layered, liquorice, nuanced, detailed and long. 97-99

 

2023 Les Forts de Latour

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice and spices, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, blueberries, juicy, long finish. 92-94

 

2023 Pauillac

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, scented, fruit forward nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, some herbs, dark fruits, juicy, long finish. 90-92

 

 

2023 Château Lynch Bages

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, intense, spices, nuanced and detailed nose. Layered and deep.Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, nuanced, detailed and long. 95-97

 

2023 Château Lynch Moussas

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, spices, fruit driven, detailed nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, spices, blueberries, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Château Mouton Rothschild

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits, anise, exotic, spices, fruit driven, nuanced nose, liquorice. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, detailed, nuanced, blackberries, spices, layered, saline, minerals, stuperb balance, long finish. A beauty. 97-99

 

2023 Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild

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

 

2023 Aile d'Argent

Pale lemon yellow. Peach, apples, lemons, minerals, nuanced, bright nose, detailed nose. Fresh acidity, apples, lemons, minerals, saline, citrus, detailed, elegant, lovely. 93-95

 

2023 Château Pauillac

Ruby. Cassis, blackberries, dark fruits and liquorice nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, detailed and juicy. 90-92

 

2023 Château Pédesclaux

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, some spices, blueberries nose, liquorice. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, liquorice, fruit forward, long. 91-93

 

2023 Château Pibran

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, anise, liquorice nose, richer. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, long. 90-92

 

2023 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

 Scented, blackberries, dark fruits, some spices, liquorice, detailed, fruit forward, exotic spices, beautiful nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, detailed, nuanced, energetic, long finish. Lovely. 96-98

 

2023 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron

Ruby. Cassis, dark fruits, liquorice, spices, detailed, layered, nuanced, deeper nose, quite intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, spices, detailed and nuanced, layered and long. Lovely Griffons. 93-95

 

2023 Les Tourelles de Pichon Baron

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit driven nose, detailed. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, nuanced, juicy, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Ruby. Scented, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, vlackberries, fruit forward nose, detailed and layered, lifted.Fresh aciidty, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, juicy, detailed, nuanced, lighter bodied, elegant texture, long finish. 96-98

 

2023 Reserve de la Comtesse

Ruby. Blackberries, cassis, red fruits, some spices, detailed, nuanced nose, lifted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, anise, liquorice, blackberries, some herbs, detailed, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Château Pontet-Canet

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, blueberries, dark fruits nose, nuanced, detailed, intense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, firmer, intense, blueberries, long finish. Lingering raspberries finish. 94-96

 

2023 Domaine Les Sadons

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, juicy, long. Refreshing style. 89-91