Bordeaux wines – Decanter

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Figeac drops 40% in price

Chris Mercer — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:08:23 +0000

Château Figeac 2023 has been released more than 40% below the debut offer for the 2022 vintage debut last year, making it one of the biggest discounts in a Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign that has taken place amid challenging market conditions.

Other highly prized wines released in the past 24 hours include Château Montrose, Château La Conseillante and Château Beauséjour, giving consumers plenty to ponder in the final days of the campaign.

Latest releases at a glance:

Château Figeac 2023 | 98pts (Decanter) | €150 per bottle ex-négociant, down 40.5% versus 2022 | UK price £1,788 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
Château La Conseillante 2023 | 98pts | €150 per bottle, down 32.4% | UK price £1,788 (12x75cl IB)
Château Montrose 2023 | 98pts | €120 per bottle, down 16.7% | UK price £1,428 (12x75cl IB)
Château Beauséjour 2023 | 98pts | €108 per bottle, down 10% | UK price £1,284 (12x75cl IB)
Price data source: Liv-ex.

While Figeac’s discount is sizeable, the 2022 vintage was relatively expensive on release. A potential 100-point wine, it was the first release after Figeac’s promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classé A in the revised St-Émilion Classification.

Although it remains too soon to draw conclusions about sales, some early analysis has suggested a muted overall response to the campaign, despite several success stories among top-rated wines.

Decanter Premium members can read more analysis below.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Troplong, Haut-Bailly and VCC released

See our Bordeaux 2023 scores table

Château Margaux drops price by 30% for 2023 vintage

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Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Troplong, Haut-Bailly and VCC released

Chris Mercer — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:44:52 +0000

Troplong Mondot, Haut-Bailly and Vieux Château Certan were the latest major names to release 2023-vintage wines en primeur, on Tuesday morning (11 June).

New releases at a glance:

Château Troplong Mondot 2023 | 97pts (Decanter) | €90 per bottle ex-négociant, down 11.8% versus 2022 | UK price £1,068 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
Château Haut-Bailly 2023 | 96pts | €90 per bottle, down 25% | UK price £1,080 (12x75cl IB)
Vieux Château Certan 2023 | 98pts | €186 per bottle, down 32.6% | UK price £2,220 (12x75cl IB)
Price data source: Liv-ex.

As the campaign nears its end, early market reports and merchant feedback have continued to suggest a mixed response from consumers to Bordeaux 2023 wines in general.

Most wines have been cheaper than the 2022-vintage releases last year, but a key consideration is also the price of other well-regarded recent vintages that remain available on the market.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Smith Haut Lafitte released

See our Bordeaux 2023 scores table

Château Margaux drops price by 30% for 2023 vintage

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Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Smith Haut Lafitte released

Chris Mercer — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:39:02 +0000

Decanter's Georgie Hindle tastes Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 en primeur, and other wines from the estate.

This morning’s (10 June) release of Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 (97-points, Decanter) maintained the trend for price cuts versus the 2022-vintage en primeur campaign last year.

Yet the wine is more expensive than some of the Pessac-Léognan estate’s back-vintages, according to Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade.

It reported that the wine was released at €91.2 per bottle ex-négociant, down 20% versus the 2022 release, and with a UK offer price £1,188 per 12x75cl in bond (IB). However, initial prices varied; Farr Vintners and Bordeaux Index were offering the wine at £1,080 (12x75cl IB).

St-Émilion’s Château Larcis Ducasse 2023 (95pts) was also released, with a recommended UK price of £50 per bottle (IB), according to consultancy group Wine Lister.

Both releases follow a busy week for the en primeur campaign, which saw offers for first growth Château Margaux, among many others. See our scores and prices table for other Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

See our Bordeaux 2023 scores table

Château Margaux drops price by 30% for 2023 vintage

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: High-scoring Beau-Séjour Bécot debuts

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Bordeaux 2010: Reappraising the grands crus of the Médoc

Georgie Hindle — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:19:53 +0000

The estate of Château Lynch-Bages.

The Bordeaux 2010 vintage stands as a landmark year, one of the most celebrated in recent memory. Superb across the entire region, red wines reached optimum maturity with bright acidity and firm tannins.

Small berries produced concentrated wines with many having increased percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blends, leading to a slight advantage for the Left Bank over the Right.

Often talked about alongside the equally brilliant but contrasting-in-style 2009 vintage, 2010 offered less hedonism but more homogeneity with excellent red, dry white and sweet examples.

Scroll down to see notes and scores for our top 2010 Médoc reds

Hitting their stride: 40 top Médoc 2010 reds to seek out

Bordeaux 2004: A 20-year retrospective

Top value Bordeaux 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Bordeaux 2023 releases: Price cuts in early campaign

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Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: High-scoring Beau-Séjour Bécot debuts

Chris Mercer — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 12:52:27 +0000

St-Émilion’s Château Beau-Séjour Bécot and Margaux-based Château Lascombes released their 2023 wines this morning (7 June) after achieving high scores relative to previous vintages.

Pomerol-based Clinet 2023 was also released this morning, and all three estates continued this year’s theme of dropping prices versus last year’s campaign for the 2022 vintage (see more analysis below).

Three releases today:

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2023 | 97pts (Decanter) | €43.2 per bottle ex-négociant, down 24.2% versus 2022 | UK price £516 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
Château Lascombes 2023 | 94pts | €49.2 per bottle, down 21.2% | UK price £595 (12x75cl IB)
Château Clinet 2023 | 93pts | €57.6 per bottle, down 29.4% | UK price £690 (12x75cl IB)
Price data source: Liv-ex.

Friday’s releases follow the launch of first growth Château Margaux yesterday (6 June). Before that, the market saw the release of châteaux Canon, Rauzan-Ségla and Les Carmes Haut-Brion yesterday, Pavie, Pichon Baron and L’Eglise Clinet on Tuesday, and Pichon Comtesse and Palmer at the beginning of the week.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, ratings and tasting notes for all the top-scoring wines

Château Margaux 2023 drops price by 30%

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

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How to blind taste Bordeaux

Natasha Hughes MW — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 08:26:53 +0000

It’s a bit like one of those bad dreams. There you are, with a line-up of glasses half full of red wine laid out in front of you. You know that you are going to be asked to identify the origins of those wines. No one will give you the slightest clue. And you’ve only got a few minutes per wine to do the job.

Nightmarish as this sounds, the scenario will be familiar to anyone who’s ever sat a blind-tasting wine exam. But let’s make the task a little bit easier, shall we? Let’s assume that you’re told that the wines all come from within the Bordeaux region.

Even then, trying to pin down the source of each of them is no easy task. Nevertheless, every glass of wine contains clues – the question is, what’s the best way of making these clues add up to a strong conclusion?

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 wine styles: What to expect

The post How to blind taste Bordeaux appeared first on Decanter.

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Château Margaux drops price by 30%

Chris Mercer — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 11:18:15 +0000

Château Margaux.

Château Margaux 2023 was released this morning (6 June), alongside the estate’s Pavillon Rouge and Pavillon Blanc labels, with Gruaud Larose and Calon Ségur also joining the day’s offerings.

Releases at a glance:

Château Margaux 2023: 98pts (Decanter) | €360 per bottle ex-négociant, down 30.2% versus 2022 | UK price £4,320 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
Pavillon Rouge 2023: 93pts | €120 per bottle, down 20% | UK price £1,440 (12x75cl IB)
Pavillon Blanc 2023: 96pts | €240 per bottle, down 9.4% | UK price £2,880 (12x75cl IB)
Château Gruaud Larose 2023: 97pts | €60 per bottle, down 13.8% | UK price £716 (12x75cl IB)
Château Calon Ségur 2023: 96pts | €78 per bottle, down 23.5% | UK price £936 (12x75cl IB)*
Price data source: Liv-ex.

Château Margaux’s appearance means that all of the Left Bank first growths have now released their 2023 wines, except Château Latour, which no longer participates in en primeur.

It follows the launch of châteaux Canon, Rauzan-Ségla and Les Carmes Haut-Brion yesterday, Pavie, Pichon Baron and L’Eglise Clinet on Tuesday, and Pichon Comtesse and Palmer at the beginning of the week.

A trend for year-on-year discounts has continued, but analysts have also highlighted potential opportunities for buyers interested in back-vintages.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Canon and Les Carmes Haut-Brion released

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

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Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Pichon Baron, Pavie, L’Eglise Clinet out

Chris Mercer — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 10:58:06 +0000

Pauillac-based Château Pichon Baron and top-tier St-Émilion estate Château Pavie were among the latest big names to join the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign this morning (4 June), alongside Château Giscours and Château L’Eglise-Clinet.

Year-on-year price reductions have continued, with prices on down in the region of 18-25% on an ex-Bordeaux négociant basis.

Four new releases at a glance:

Château Pichon Baron 2023 97pts (Decanter) | €103 per bottle ex-négociant, down 23.4% versus 2022 | UK price £1,234 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
Château L’Eglise Client 2023 | 97pts | €210 per bottle, down 19.2% | UK price £2,508 (12x75cl IB)
Château Pavie 2023 | 97pts | €234 per bottle, down 22% | UK price £2,784 (12x75cl IB)
Château Giscours 2023 | 95pts | €40.8 per bottle, down 18.4% | UK price £492 (12x75cl IB)
Price data source: Liv-ex.

Other highlights this week so far include Pichon Comtesse 2023 (98pts, Decanter), which generated strong praise from several merchants yesterday.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Brane-Cantenac drops 25%

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Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: ‘Brilliant’ Pichon Comtesse down 35%

Chris Mercer — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:35:58 +0000

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2023 has released at a discount of more than 30% versus on its 2022-vintage en primeur offering from last year.

Rated highly by Decanter and others, this could be one to watch in what is expected to be a busy few days of releases in the Bordeaux en primeur campaign – following a pause last week due to Vinexpo Asia.

In the nearby Margaux appellation, top-rated Château Palmer 2023 also emerged on Monday afternoon (3 June), although the wine appeared to be more expensive than several back-vintages.

Four new releases on Monday:

Château Pichon Comtesse 2023: 98pts (Decanter) | €110 per bottle ex-négociant, down 35.3% versus 2022 | UK price £1,320 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
Château Palmer 2023: 98pts | €240 per bottle, down 18.6% | UK price £2,880 (12x75cl IB)
Château Branaire-Ducru 2023: 95pts | €32 per bottle, down 19.2% | UK price £386 (12x75cl IB)
Château Phélan Ségur 2023: 95pts | €31.2 per bottle, down 16.1% | UK price £370 (12x75cl IB)
Price data source: Liv-ex

Update: More releases emerged on Tuesday morning (4 June), including Pichon Baron and Pavie. See our separate article on the Tuesday releases here.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Brane-Cantenac drops 25%

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Bélair-Monange and Beychevelle released

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Elin McCoy: ‘Vertical tastings are tantalising: they carry us into the past’

Elin McCoy — Thu, 30 May 2024 04:00:03 +0000

Bruno Borie, owner and manager of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, with the bottles that represent a 20-year vertical beginning the year he took over the estate

These line-ups give me insight into place, time and weather, and prompt questions. How has a specific vintage evolved over the years? What behind-the-scenes dramas of frost, hailstorms or heatwaves have found their way into tastes and aromas? I treasure surprises, such as a wine from a scorching, heatwave vintage that is still fresh after a decade, and what that tells me about the site it comes from.

What ties the bottles together is the vineyard. An analytical deep dive into 10 or 20 vintages to discover the stamp of terroir reminds me of listening to an opera singer’s performances from young dazzle to a voice beginning to fade away, yet with poignant layers of complexity.

Happily, châteaux in Bordeaux, where great wines can age for a century, are fond of staging such events to show off their liquid history. During Bordeaux’s en primeur week in April 2023, I attended three brilliant verticals, at Château Haut-Bailly (grand cru classé de Graves), Clos Fourtet (St-Emilion 1er grand cru classé B), and Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (St-Julien 2ème cru classé), each followed by a fabulous meal. All charted individual journeys across time, and made clear that focus, commitment, dreams and
ambition are as important to upping quality as plenty of money – and in the 21st century, these can mitigate bad weather.

Clos Fourtet’s 2020 vintage, the final wine in a 20-year vertical tasting held last year. Credit: Marie-Amelie Journel

Graves elegance

Château Haut Bailly’s 25-year, 1998-2022 event, held in a quiet stone-walled cellar room and the château’s elegant dining room, highlighted the decades after American banker Robert Wilmers purchased the Pessac-Léognan estate. He and general manager Véronique Sanders immediately embraced an haute couture approach to viticulture. During the tasting, I could see the effects in the precision and refinement of the 2004 vintage, with another step up with the 2008, and a third in 2016. Since Wilmers’ death in 2017, his son Chris has continued his legacy.

What stood out most was the consistency of quality and style, especially in off-vintages such as 2011, with its cold, wet summer. The hallmarks in all were elegance, subtlety and balance, with a continuing upward curve of purity and precision. Recent vintages are larger in scale, with a suave opulence, but the essential personality continues to show through.

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St-Emilion freshness

Clos Fourtet’s 20-year vertical, 2001-2020, showed off the journey of the Cuvelier family at this St-Emilion 1GCC property since they purchased it in 2001. I could taste and smell the gradual shift towards less oak influence – down from 18 months in 80% new barrels for the 2001 vintage to 40% in barrel samples of 2022.

Rather than a simple older-to-younger line-up, wine flights were divided by style. In comparing those from lighter years together, then a group from sunny vintages, such as 2003, I was surprised to detect in all of them the freshness that comes from vines growing on the limestone plateau. Among the Les Iconiques set, a shining, deep 2001 stood out, while in Les Exceptionnels, great vintages 2005, ’10, ’16, ’18, ’19 and ’20 wowed with the kind of succulent fruit evident in the 1998 and 1989 with dinner. It was clear that the château never embraced the supercharged, opulent style favoured by (now-retired) critic Robert Parker as so many St-Emilion estates did.

Medoc seduction

I could hear church bells ringing in the distance at the beginning of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou’s 20-year vertical – from 2003, when current owner Bruno Borie took over managing his family’s property, to 2022. Older vintages poured at an extravagant four-hour lunch, such as the 64-year-old cedar-scented 1959, were serious evidence of the wines’ longevity.

Borie, too, divided wines into groups, with names such as Challenges (such as 2013), Greats (2010), Underestimated (2017), Classics (2016), Excellence: a New Era (since 2018). They were nods to other dimensions to consider during a vertical tasting. Was 2017 really underestimated? At Ducru, yes.

With the 2004 vintage, Borie began changing viticulture and winemaking, lowering yields, fine-tuning the vineyard, and investing in a new cellar. The gradual effects show up in the subsequent vintages, especially with silkier, softer tannins. And especially from 2016, the wines seem more seductive, plush and rich.

Time travel

There’s another aspect to vertical tastings that tantalises me: they carry us into the past. With Saint-Marcellin cheese at the Ducru lunch, we sipped a still intensely flavoured 1923 and a delicate, fading 1920, the year of the estate’s 200th anniversary. I savoured the latter while recalling that this was the year America gave women the right to vote.

In my glass this month

Château Smith Haut Lafitte, CCG 2010 (US$188-$220 Benchmark, K&L, Rye Brook, Saratoga Wine Exchange). I’ve attended several vertical tastings of this Pessac-Léognan red at the château, but I pulled this great vintage from my cellar for a family birthday celebration. Glossy and vibrant, with gorgeous fruit, balance and savour, it’s ageing beautifully. And I give it the edge over the much-ballyhooed 2009.

Interview: New Château Lascombes owners plot big changes

Pessac-Léognan: Setting the pace

Bordeaux innovators: Meet the names to know

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Top value Bordeaux 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Tue, 28 May 2024 16:06:11 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

The 2023 vintage in Bordeaux is certainly heterogenous in quality, but not always according to price. While true that estates with the means to have properly handled the mildew attack in June, for example, hold an advantage, 2023 nonetheless includes many reasonably priced wines that deliver high quality.

Search all 600+ Bordeaux 2023 en primeur ratings published

See a selection of great value Bordeaux 2023 en primeur wines

Back to the main Bordeaux 2023 en primeur page

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: What to expect from the wines stylistically

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Lafite Rothschild released

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Best dry white Bordeaux 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Sun, 26 May 2024 07:00:29 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

Dry white Bordeaux 2023: An undeniable success

Average yield for whites in Pessac-Léognan: 50.3hl/ha
Variance from 2022: +45%

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top dry white en primeur 2023 wines

See the top-scoring Bordeaux dry white 2023 en primeur wines

Search all 550+ Bordeaux 2023 en primeur ratings published

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: What to expect from the wines stylistically

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Lafite Rothschild released

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Best Sauternes & Barsac 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Sat, 25 May 2024 07:00:58 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

Sauternes & Barsac: Sheer excellence

Average yield: 12.2hl/ha
Variance from 2022: -14%

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Sauternes & Barsac en primeur 2023 wines

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See the top-scoring Sauternes & Barsac 2023 en primeur wines

Search all 550+ Bordeaux 2023 en primeur ratings published

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: What to expect from the wines stylistically

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Lafite Rothschild released

The post Best Sauternes & Barsac 2023 wines tasted en primeur appeared first on Decanter.

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Brane-Cantenac drops 25%

Chris Mercer — Thu, 23 May 2024 11:42:51 +0000

Brane-Cantenac 2023 joined the roster of Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases on Wednesday afternoon (22 May), with other châteaux emerging onto the campaign stage on Thursday morning (23 May).

Four latest releases:

Brane-Cantenac 2023: 96pts (Decanter) | €44.50 per bottle ex-négociant, down 25.8% versus 2022 | UK price £534 per 12x75cl in bond (IB)
La Gaffelière | 95pts | €44.50 per bottle, down 20.5% | UK price £540 (12x75cl IB)
Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2023 | 95pts | €45.60 per bottle, down 22.4% | UK price £546 (12x75cl IB).
Lagrange 2023 | 95pts | €31.20 per bottle, down 21.1% | UK price £372 (12x75cl IB).
Price data source: Liv-ex

Prices have continued to drop year-on-year, albeit the 2022 vintage was relatively expensive on release at some estates.

The latest releases emerge as Decanter publishes more than 550 tasting notes and ratings for a wide range of Bordeaux 2023 wines at all price-points.

All were tasted by Georgie Hindle and Panos Kakaviatos as part of this year’s comprehensive en primeur coverage, which has already seen the early publication of top-scoring Bordeaux 2023 wines.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Bélair-Monange and Beychevelle released

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Subdued reaction to Cos d’Estournel’s 38% cut

The post Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Brane-Cantenac drops 25% appeared first on Decanter.

Best Pomerol 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Thu, 23 May 2024 07:00:00 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

Pomerol: Cooler soils performed best

Average yield: 45.2hl/ha
Variance from 2022: +39%

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Pomerol en primeur 2023 wines

See the top-scoring Pomerol en primeur 2023 wines

Search all 500+ Bordeaux 2023 en primeur ratings published

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: What to expect from the wines stylistically

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Lafite Rothschild released

The post Best Pomerol 2023 wines tasted en primeur appeared first on Decanter.

Best St-Emilion 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Wed, 22 May 2024 08:00:03 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

St-Emilion: The greatness of limestone and clay

St-Emilion average yields: 43.1hl/ha
St-Emilion Grand Cru average yields: 40.6hl/ha
Variance from 2022: -15% and -6% respectively

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top St-Emilion en primeur 2023 wines

See the top-scoring St-Emilion en primeur 2023 wines

Search all 500+ Bordeaux 2023 en primeur ratings published

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: What to expect from the wines stylistically

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Lafite Rothschild released

The post Best St-Emilion 2023 wines tasted en primeur appeared first on Decanter.

Best Margaux 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Tue, 21 May 2024 15:23:39 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

Margaux 2023: Challenging conditions but with some standout wines

Average yield: 37.7hl/ha
Variance from 2022: +20%

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Margaux en primeur 2023 wines

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See the top-scoring Margaux en primeur 2023 wines

Search all 500+ Bordeaux 2023 en primeur ratings published

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: What to expect from the wines stylistically

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Lafite Rothschild released

The post Best Margaux 2023 wines tasted en primeur appeared first on Decanter.

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Bélair-Monange and Beychevelle released

Chris Mercer — Tue, 21 May 2024 11:16:34 +0000

Major Bordeaux 2023 en primeur releases today (21 May) have included Domaine de Chevalier and St-Julien fourth growth Château Beychevelle, following from Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix wines yesterday, including highly rated Bélair-Monange 2023.

These three releases at a glance

Domaine de Chevalier 2023 red | 95pts (Decanter) | €45.6 per bottle (ex-négociant), down 17% on 2022 | UK price £549.60 per 12x75cl in bond (IB).
Château Beychevelle 2023 | 94pts | €60, down 11% | UK price £720 (12x75cl IB).
Château Bélair-Monange 2023 | 98pts | £590 (6x75cl IB).
Ex-négociant price data source: Liv-ex.

Prices have continued to drop year-on-year for a Bordeaux 2023 vintage that is emerging onto a challenging fine wine market.

Some 2022-vintage releases were relatively expensive, however, and the availability and pricing of back-vintages at each individual estate remains an important part of the relative value equation for 2023 en primeur wines.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023: Our en primeur verdict and top-scoring wines

Bordeaux 2023 releases: Price cuts in early campaign

Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Subdued reaction to Cos d’Estournel’s 38% cut

The post Bordeaux 2023 market analysis: Bélair-Monange and Beychevelle released appeared first on Decanter.

Bordeaux 2004: A 20-year retrospective

Charles Curtis MW — Mon, 20 May 2024 09:31:47 +0000

‘Drink the small wines in the great years and the great wines in the small years’, is received wisdom in the wine collectors. A recent horizontal of the 2004 Bordeaux vintage suggests there might be a blade of truth to this old saw.

Tasting through the wines of the 2024 vintage from Bordeaux points up many of the region’s contradictions: some very good wines still show ageing potential, and others are less successful and appear long past their prime. Some demonstrate modern technique and style, while others seem to come from another era.

One overarching theme is evident – there is a lack of consistency, with delicious wines and less successful ones from both the Right Bank and the Left Bank. There is another overall theme, however – the 2004 wines, when available, are often inexpensive and excellent value, warranting a look from value-conscious wine lovers.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the Bordeaux 2004 retrospective

See tasting notes and scores for Bordeaux 2004

Bordeaux 2021 in bottle: Overview and top-scoring wines
Bordeaux 1982 revisited
Château Margaux vertical: 1928-2010

The post Bordeaux 2004: A 20-year retrospective appeared first on Decanter.

Best Pauillac 2023 wines tasted en primeur

Panos Kakaviatos — Mon, 20 May 2024 07:00:26 +0000

All Bordeaux 2023 coverage:

Verdict & top-scoring wines | How the weather conditions shaped the vintage | Decoding the yields | Wine styles: what to expect

Appellation analysis

Pauillac: The best wines showed an extra level of rare opulence

Average yield: 47.1hl/ha
Variance from 2022: +36%

Bordeaux wines – Decanter

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