Forget the extremes of the very hot and dry 2022 vintage and its concentration, 2023 was a vintage (if one was able to combat the big risk of mildew which destroyed hopes of many) where at harvest vignerons heaved a big sigh of relief to see relatively good quantities and nice juicy fruity wines (not the concentration of the best vintages of 2020, 2022, 2019 which are hot and dry). (The last vintage ending in a 3, 2013 was a very difficult year for all except those with the best terroir as there was no sunshine and wet conditions all season). I think it might be of the style of 2014 on the Right Bank or 2018 – not for longterm ageing but enjoying sooner.
This photo I took early in the season was perhaps a sign of wet conditions to come…
Due to the wettish spring Mildew was the big problem this year for everyone especially organic producers. One needed to be immediately reactive with just a few hours making a difference. It first attacked the leaves but went on quickly to the green grapes. It helped to forget the leaves at one point and put the full force of the nozzles onto the grapes to avoid the mildew fungus getting into the bunches before they ‘closed’ (fermeture de grappe). Merlot is particularly sensitive to Mildew as it has thinner skins and more gaps between the grapes in the bunch. It was evident that some producers quite early on had nothing left to pick. I have never seen so many plots of vineyards abandoned as this year, 2023. Not easy for those already struggling.
No frost so at last the white wine and particularly the sweet wine producers could make a quantity of wine this year – the first for years.
Flowering conditions were good. It was dry and sunny end May start of June but even though the Merlot suffered from coulure and millerandage in the bunches with many small green berries not developing. It was quite strange.
The colour was relatively easily extracted with the ripe skins. Some nice hot periods helped with ripening particularly in August. Big differences in morning and afternoon temperatures in the leadup to harvest.
Futures tastings ‘en primeur’ will take place the last week of April (week of 23, 24, 25 april) for the world’s wine press and trade. The wines will be judged while they are still ageing in the barrel.
Graves and Pessac-Léognan; Château CarbonnieuxSauternes and Barsac: Château CarbonnieuxSaint-Emilion Grand Cru: Château SoutardPomerol: Château Le GayMargaux, Haut-Médoc Sud: Château La LaguneSaint-Julien, Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc: Château Branaire DucruPauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Haut-Médoc Nord and Médoc: Château Lynch Mousas
2023 Harvest ‘The Crush’ in pictures from top left to right: first juice of 2023 straight from the vat for my lucky clients at Leoville Bartons new cellar (and we got a sneek view of the beautiful gardens behind the chateau below), Béard La Chapelle St Emilion bringing in Terres Rouges 2023 and seeing the colour from the juice in the cellar, Cabernet Franc bunch of Grapes, Château la Gaffelière 2023 pumping over, Château Tour St Christophe (recently promoted St Emilion Grand Cru Classé) just before harvest.
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