2023 Primeur, Fronsac

2023 Fronsac

 

Fronsac has another winning vintage on its hands, Dalem is delivering the most finesse and nuance ever and together with Les Perrieres from the Lafleur in Pomerol team, are setting a new benchmark in 2022 and now 2023 on what levels are achievable in Fronsac. Fontenil as well, but I did not taste Le Defi this year. Grand Village, Les Perrieres and Les Champs Libres are bottled under Bordeaux, not Fronsac, which is a shame, when Fronsac should have the same prestige as Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. They are all made on Fronsac soil! Remember, Pomerol didn´t have that much of a name either, 100 years ago. While Fronsac actually has had a great name, historically. 

 

La Dauphine and La Riviere as well as in the last few vintages, Château de Carles is just behind. There is a new dawn in Fronsac, and prices are incredibly low for the quality you get. Don´t expect, and neiter want lower prices compared to last year. With the inflation, even the same price is lower than last year, and honestly, I wonder how much better all these could be if they could charge €2-5 more per bottle. Most of them must cost what they get to produce, or even more. 

 

They are ridicolously underpriced, and Fronsac has some of the greatest soils of all Bordeaux. I am sure the potential in Fronsac can be 100 point wines. But them we will have to start paying more than €10-15 a bottle. Please, especially to the negociants, don´t haggle with Fronsac. Let them shine. Just look at the scores these wines get from all journalists. 

 

Should be some of the easiest wines of them all to sell at the prices you pay…

 

 

2023 Château Beausejour Cuvée Prestige

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice nose, lifted. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice, energetic, saline, long. 89-91

 

2023 Château Canon Pécresse

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, nuanced nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, detailed, energetic, nuanced, long. 92-93

 

2023 Château Dalem

Ruby. Scented, blackberries, anise, blueberries, dark fruits, floral, detailed nose, charming. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, red and dark fruits, elegant texture, detailed, lovely expression, different from what we are used to from Dalem, brighter, more pixels. Refined. 93-95

 

2023 Château de Carles

Ruby. Dark fruits, raspberries, anise, scented, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, nuanced, elegant, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Château de Carles Haut-Carles

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, dark fruits, detailed, nuanced, minerals, long. 91-93

 

2023 Château de La Dauphine

Ruby. Dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, fruit forward, detailed, and elegant nose.Scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, dark fruits, spices, liquorice, juicy, long finish. 91-93

 

2023 Château de La Huste

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, scented, lifted, detailed nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, anise, detailed, juicy, elegant, probably the most refined La Huste to date. 91-93

 

2023 Château de La Rivière

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward nose. Scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red and darker fruits, juicy, elegant texture, lovely fruit, bright, minerals, long finish. A lovely La Rivière! 91-93

 

2023 Château Fontenil

Ruby. Vanilla, spices, liquorice, nuanced, detailed, spices, somewhat smoky. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, blackberries, deatiled, nuanced, elegant texture, long finish. 92-94

 

2023 Château Grand Village (Bordeaux)

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, blueberries and light herbal notes nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red berries, anise, spices, juicy, fruit driven, long finish. Saline. 90-92

 

2023 Château Grand Village blanc (Bordeaux)

Pale lemon yellow. Peach, apples, lemons, minerals, some salinity on the nose. Fresh acidity, minerals, saline, detailed, nuanced, juicy, lemons, tension to it, bright, some vanilla and spices behind, long. 92

 

2023 Château La Vieille Cure

Ruby. Blackberrires, anise, spices, vanilla, dark fruits nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, spices, leaner finish. 88-90

 

2023 Château Les Trois Croix

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, vanilla, spices, fruit forward, detailed nose, scented. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, dark fruits, liquorice and spices, juicy, long. 90-92

 

2023 Château Moulin Haut-Laroque

Ruby. Blackberries, dark fruits, some spices, liquorice nose, fruit forward. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, sweet red and dark fruits, anise, spices, liquorice, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Château Richelieu

Ruby. Blackberries, anise, dark fruits, liquorice, fruit forward nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red and dark fruits, juicy, detailed, minerals, saline, long finish. 89-91

 

2023 Château Richelieu Cuvée Royale

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

 

2023 Château Villars

Ruby. Dark fruits, blackberries, fruit forward, vanilla and spices nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, blackberries, anise, juicy, spices, long finish. 90-92

 

2023 Les Champs Libres (Bordeaux)

Pale lemon yellow. Apples, lemons, some citrus, some vanilla, intense, detailed, layered nose. Grilled lemons and pears. Fresh acidity, detailed, nuanced, layered, saline, energetic, somewhat creamy, long finish. 94

 

2023 Les Perrieres (Bordeaux)

Ruby. Scented, red berries, spices, minerals, detailed, almost saline on the nose, layered. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, red fruits, dark berries, saline, detailed, layered, nuanced, intense yet lifted and lovely texture, long finish. Vibrant. 93-95