All of the following 2023 St. Emilion wines were tasted in Bordeaux in April in non-blind tasting conditions. Most of the wines were tasted at the property. However, I also tasted several wines at Negociants, and Consultants, as well as with various trade groups. Whenever possible, the wines were tasted on more than one occasion.
Because we have tasting notes on almost 160 different,2023 Saint Emilion wines, this report has been divided into 3 separate articles. Part 1 opens with with wines A – D, and Part 2 covers wines E – L
2023 Magnan la Gaffeliere -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Forward, juicy, fresh, medium-bodied, lighter-styled, elegant, cherry-filled charmer that is ready for pleasure on release. The wine blends 75% Merlot with 25% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2033. 88-90 Pts
2023 Mangot -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Chocolate mint, with dark red berries is what you initially notice before you find the blackberries, black raspberries, and licorice in the nose. Lively, fresh, and pure on the palate, with lift to the dark chocolate overtones, crushed rocks, and juicy plums, the wine is more elegant than robust, with a refreshing, spearmint accented backend. Give it just a year, or two of aging, and enjoy it over the next 15 or more years with pleasure. The wine is produced from a blend of 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% ABV. Drink from 2027-2040. 92-94 Pts
2023 Monbousquet -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, licorice, black raspberries, and black cherries open the perfume. The wine has a depth of flavor, the fruits are fresh, as well as ripe, sweet, and long, with lift and vibrance in the finish, which allows the cream-textured wine to linger. The wine blends 65% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.15% ABV. Drink from 2028-2040-2042. 92-94 Pts
2023 – La Mondotte – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Incense, flowers, black cherries, cigar box, plums, and spice are easy to spot in the perfume. On the palate, texturally, the fruits are as lush, as they are bright, and fresh. There is an understated sense of elegance that becomes apparent as the wine expands, and lingers on your palate. The lengthy finish continues gaining in intensity and complexity. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc, 13.5% ABV. The harvest took place September 19-30. 2029-2060. 96-98 Pts
2023 Monlot -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, cherries, and licorice form the core of the wine. Medium-bodied, crisp, and almost crunchy, with its citrus accents blended with sweet, and tart red fruits. The finish is slightly drying, so give it time to soften. Drink from 2027-2037. 89-91 Pts
2023 Montlabert -St. Émilion Grand Cru -The nose pops with mint, truffle, licorice, black cherry, and smoke in the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is elegant, soft, fresh, and vibrant. There is a refined touch to the mid-palate, and in the black-cherry oriented finish, with a nice, cocoa-filled endnote. The wine blends 75% Merlot, with 25% Cabernet Franc. 14% ABV. Drink from 2027-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Montlabert La Croix -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Juicy, fresh, round, and ripe, with a core of sweet black cherries, hints of chocolate, and a touch of mint in the finish. You can enjoy this on release with pleasure, and over the next few years, while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. The wine is a parcel selection that blends 85% Merlot, with 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2034. 88-90 Pts
2023 Montlisse -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Vibrant, black cherries, flowers, spice, and plums pop with little effort. The soft, lush, mineral-driven palate is vibrant, with an oaky-edge at the moment, so give it a year or two, and it should come together nicely. You can enjoy this in its youth, as well as age it for more complexities. 2026-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Moulin Saint Georges -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, cherries, black raspberries, and plums offer the wines fragrant profile. The wine is elegant, silky, fresh, medium-bodied, and energetic, with a soft, supple, creamy, black cherry, licorice, and earthy finish, with just hint of cocoa on the backend. 85% percent Merlot, with 15% Cabernet Franc create the blend. Drink from 2027-2042. 92-94 Pts
2023 Moulin du Cadet -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherries, plums, spice, plums and floral notes are all over the place here. On the palate, the wine is silky, lush, and polished. There is sweetness, as well as lift, with an energetic, luscious finish. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. 14.5% ABV. Drink from 2027-2043. 92-94 Pts
2023 Pavie -St. Émilion Grand Cru -With its black purple color, and just a single swirl you find blackberries, black cherries, cassis, mint, tobacco leaves, spice, and oceanic influences. The palate is even better with its layers of black, and red fruits with their gorgeous sense of purity. The wine is concentrated, deep, long, and intense, as is the minerality. There is an electric vibrance providing a racy mouthfeel that energizes the fruit in the long, expansive finish, buttressed with its aromatics on the palate. The key to the vintage was the ability to wait for the right moments to pick each varietal. To illustrate that point, some of the oldest Merlot vines were harvested after the Cabernet. The wine blends 51% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.25% ABV, pH 3.66. Harvesting took place September 18 – October 5. Drink from 2030-2065. 97-99 Pts
2023 Pavie Aromes de Pavie – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Black cherries, blackberries, licorice, Asian spice, dark chocolate, and a hint of smoke fill the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is equally dark, with layers of dark, juicy berries, licorice, vibrance, and length, with a chalky endnote in the long finish. Aromes de Pavie is no longer the second wine of Pavie. All of the fruit comes from a specific 11-hectare parcel, so it should be looked at as its own brand. It is interesting to note that all of the vines are old, averaging 53 years of age. The wine blends 50% Merlot with 50% Cabernet Franc. 14.51 ABV%, 3.63 pH. Drink from 2027-2040. 92-94 Pts
2023 Pavie Macquin -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, red berries, spice, licorice, lavender, and sea-salt are featured in the perfume. The wine on the palate is electric, edgy, fresh, and fruity. The berries are ripe, sweet, and pure, with a strong essence of minerality that you really sense as the wine lingers on your palate. The key to the wine this year is two fold. First, the newer plantings from 2013-2016 have started maturing. In the cellars, the aging program is more gentle, with close to half the amount of punch downs, so you have less extractions which allows the wine to feel more relaxed on the palate. Clearly, this is in contention for the best vintage of Pavie Mac, (As it is affectionally known) ever produced. The wine blends 82% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.1% ABV, 3.5 pH. The harvest took place September 18 – October 3. Drink from 2029-2055. 97-99 Pts
2023 Peby Faugeres -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Smoke, truffle, crushed rocks, licorice, chocolate, black cherries, espresso, and blackberries are everywhere here, in the nose, and on the palate. The wine is concentrated, lush, creamy, polished, dark, and deep. One of the more opulent wines of the vintage, the finish lingers with its layers of fruit. The amount of oak used used in the aging process has declined, which is a good thing here, allowing the fruit to show more purity, and freshness. The wine is produced from 100% old vine Merlot. Harvesting took place September 8. Drink from 2029-2050. 95-97 Pts
2023 Peby Faugeres Le Merle de -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Soft, supple, creamy, sweet, and fresh, the wine is going to provide a delicious tasting experience on release due to all of its ripe, round, polished, dark, red fruits, spice, and chocolate. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release. Drink from 2026-2038. 90-92 Pts
2023 Petit Faurie deSoutard -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, red fruits, licorice, and spice with cherries, black raspberries, and chocolate nuances are all over the place here, in the nose, and on the palate. The finish is rich, lush, lifted, dark, fruity, and creamy. This is going to be delicious just about on release. Drink from 2026-2040. 91-93 Pts
2023 Petit Gravet Aine -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, orange rind, crushed stone, bright red fruits, and spice, with a hint of espresso, cherries, and red plums create the complex character here. This is quite salty, and vibrant, with ripeness, energy, and volume, but, the character remains reserved. This is going to be a gem if you give it time. Produced from 90% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot, making this one of the heaviest concentrations of Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux. Drink from 2029-2050. 93-95 Pts
2023 Petit Val -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Lush, round, fruity, floral, and polished, there is loads of sweet, ripe, dark, red berries with the perfect chocolatey accent on the mid-palate, and in the finish. Drink from 2026-2036. 90-92 Pts
2023 Petit Val Muse du Val -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Lush, round, fruity, and polished, with layers of sweet, black, with red fruits, licorice, cocoa, and plums that carry through from start to finish. Drink from 2026-2037. 91-93 Pts
2023 Peymouton -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherries, mint, and licorice form the core of the wine here. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, sweet, fresh, vibrant, and slightly chewy in the finish. The wine blends 89% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2026-2036. 89-91 Pts
2023 Pierre 1er -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Floral in nature, the wine pops with cherries, licorice, plums, and spice fill the perfume. The palate is soft, supple, creamy, chocolatey, and fresh. Drink from 2027-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Poesia -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, black raspberries, oceanic nuances, and just a hint of cocoa pops in the perfume. There is a vibrancy to the salty, red fruits on the palate, with a hint of orange citrus that adds to the complexity in the mildly, peppery, elegant, long, energetic finish. The wine blends 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV, 3.4 pH. Drink from 2027-2047. 93-95 Pts
2023 Pressac -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, licorice, spice, and black raspberries fill the perfume. Medium-bodied, soft, elegant, and fresh, with a vibrancy to the salt-tinted, chocolate-accented, red fruits in the finish. Drink from 2027-2043. 92-94 Pts
2023 Quinault LEnclos -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, black cherries, flowers, and plums pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is lush, round, and forward, with sweetness, as well as lift to the fruits on the mid-palate, and in the finish. There is a nice sensation of lift that shows in the back of the finish, with all of its sweet, ripe, black cherries. The wine blends 67% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2042. 93-95 Pts
2023 Quintus St. Emilion de Quintus -St. Émilion -Fruity, forward, soft, and sweet, the wine is medium-bodied, with an easy-to-enjoy charm making this perfect for early-drinking pleasure. The wine blends 81.4% Merlot, with 18.6% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2032. 88-90 Pts
2023 Quintus Le Dragon de Quintus -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, tobacco leaves, bay leaf, cherries, licorice, and cocoa fill the core of this medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and refined, red berry-filled wine with a savory edge. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release. The wine blends 71.6% Merlot, and 28.4% Cabernet Franc, 14.1% ABV. Drink from 2026-2033. 91-93 Pts
2023 Ripeau -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, orange rind, smoke, chocolate, and cherries show in the nose, and on the lush, round, deep, palate. The wine is polished, fruity, and already delicious . The wine blends 65% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2027-2043. 92-94 Pts
2023 Rochebelle -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Floral, with black raspberries, cherries, licorice, and plums that show effortlessly in the nose, and on the palate. The medium-bodied wine is lifted, vibrant, fresh, and bright, but, also complex, floral, and long. Drink from 2027-2040. 91-93 Pts
2023 Rocheyron -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Red, and white flowers, black raspberries, licorice, espresso, black cherries, and crushed rocks pop in the perfume. On the palate, the wine manages to provide a wealth of ripe, sensuous, creamy black cherries, plums, spice, and dark chocolate with energy, length, and lift from the mid-palate, all the way through to the fruit, and chocolate finish. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2050. 94-96 Pts
2023 Rol Valentin -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, black cherries, licorice, and chocolatey espresso open the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, soft, creamy, and fresh, with sweetness to the fruits, lift, and energy on the backend. The wine blends 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Drink from 2027-2039. 91-93 Pts
2023 Roylland -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherry, licorice, flowers, cocoa, cinnamon, and plums come through in the nose, and on the palate. The wine is round, lush, chocolatey, and creamy in the mid-palate, which carries through to the finish. Drink from 2027-2038. 89-91 Pts
2023 Saint-Georges-Cote-Pavie -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Savory black cherries, herbs, and licorice with a floral edge in the nose deftly moves to a vibrant, medium-bodied, sweet, chewy, round center of sweet, red berries, chocolate, and espresso. The wine offers an open, forward approach. The wine blends 80% Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2038. 92-94 Pts
2023 Saintayme -St. Émilion Grand Cru -On the floral side of the style range, the wine also displays cocoa, cherry, herbs, spices, and walnuts. The palate is medium-bodied, with soft, silky and vibrant, red plums, cherries, and chocolate in the finish. This will be ready-to-go on release and age for more than a decade after that. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot, 14.6% ABV. Drink from 2026-2037. 90-92 Pts
2023 Sanctus -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Dark red fruits, chocolate, and licorice, with a nice touch of minerality, the wine is juicy, fruity vibrant, and round, with soft, black cherry, and salty espresso note in the finish. Drink from 2026-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Sansonnet -St. Émilion Grand Cru -I like the freshness here, which is exacerbated by its notes of citrus, red fruits, flowers, licorice, smoke, and cocoa. On the palate, the wine is equally complex with its opulent, lush, polished, silky-textures, and crush-rock accents. There is length, and purity here. The change in the in barrel aging program has allowed for more freshness, elegance, and purity to express itself in the wine. The wine blends 87% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.5% ABV. Harvesting took place September 20 – October 3. Drink from 2028-2045. 94-96 Pts
2023 Simard -St. Émilion -Mint, flowers, spice, and black raspberries fill the perfume. The wine is forward, medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and lifted, with a hint of herbs, and spice on the open, fruity palate. You can enjoy this now, or age it for a few years. The wine blends 55% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2026-2037. 90-92 Pts
2023 Soutard -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, flowers, black cherries, and chocolate define the core of this wine. The wine is elegant, creamy, fresh, pure, and precise, The finish combines silky tannins, crushed stones, and fresh, red fruits. Drink from 2026-2047. 93-95 Pts
2023 SoutardCadet -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Inky in color, the wine is equally dark on the palate with its waves of rich, supple, creamy, chocolate-infused, plums, and black cherries. The wine is full, rich, and deep, finishing with a blast of black pit fruits, polished tannins, mint, dark cocoa, and espresso. The wine blends 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. 14.5% ABV. The wine is aging in a combination of new, French oak barrels and amphora. Drink from 2026-2042. 93-95 Pts
2023 Tertre Roteboeuf -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, black raspberries, flowers, smoke, truffle, and cherries are all the place in the nose, and on the palate. The wine is balanced between its freshness, concentration, depth, and energy. The fruit offers an almost racy profile, with its mint-accented, dark red berries, peppery spice, and licorice on the palate. The finish continues with more of those sweet, spicy, and fresh black raspberries. The blend is 85% Merlot, with 15% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV. Harvesting took place on one day, September 26. Drink from 2028-2050. 94-96 Pts
2023 Teyssier -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black raspberries, flowers, and red fruits fill the core of the wine in the nose, and on the medium-bodied palate. Forward, fresh, and already fun to drink, this is going to be charming to enjoy on release. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2037. 89-91 Pts
2023 Tour Baladoz -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Chocolate covered, black cherries, licorice, espresso, and black raspberries are readily apparent in the perfume, and on the palate. Medium-bodied, creamy, and vibrant, the fruits are a bit extracted, leaving you with a lot of juice, but a sense of dryness in the finish as well. Drink from 2027-2038. 89-91 Pts
2023 Tour Saint Christophe -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black raspberries, flowers, black cherries, licorice, and plums pack the perfume. The palate is vivacious, with layers of sweet, black, and red plums, cherries, and raspberries. Texturally, the wine is perfectly poised between its energetic and soft, polished side, finishing with accents of salt, and spice that complement its sweet, red fruits. The wine is made from blending 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. 14.8% ABV, 3.35 pH. The harvest took place from September 18 to October 7. Drink from 2028-2048.94-96 Pts
2023 Trianon -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Espresso, mint, bright red fruits, and licorice show in the perfume. Medium-bodied, vibrant, fresh, and forward, the finish is all about the black-raspberries, dipped in chocolate that you find from the mid-palate, through to the finish. Drink from 2026-2038. 90-92 Pts
2023 Troplong Mondot -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Deeply colored, the wine is rich, deep, full-bodied, concentrated and intense. The wine is silky, lush, with its creamy textures which come across as gentle, vibrant, and elegant, with depth, and width. The lingering finish displays sweet, red, and black fruits, salted oranges, and a beautiful chalky character on the backend. The key for the vintage here was the terroir which allowed for ample water retention during the heatwaves, and the ability to harvest at their own pace. The wine blends 84% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 3% Cabernet Franc. 14.1% ABV, 3.45 pH. Harvesting started September 5 – October 9. Drink from 2029-2060. 96-98 Pts
2023 Troplong Mondot – Mondot by Troplong Mondot -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Cherries, flowers, and dark chocolate fill the aromatics. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, vibrant, fresh, and juicy, with black cherries, plums. and chocolate, with a salty edge in the round-textured finish. This is going to be a pleasure to enjoy on release. The wine, is a parcel selection blending 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2036. 90-92 Pts
2023 Trotte Vieille -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Plum liqueur, flowers, licorice, and black cherries, with dark chocolate notes open the perfume. On the palate, the wine is plush, opulent, ripe, and deep. The fruits are bright, fresh, and most importantly, express a touch of minerality with its salty-edged fruits. There is lift, as well as purity, length and creamy tannins in the finish. The wine blends 53% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon.15% ABV. The harvest took place September 8 – October 4. The extended harvest is due to a parcel by parcel selection process, waiting for each block to achieve phenolic ripeness. Drink from 2028-2055. 94-96 Pts
2023 Trotte Vieille Dame de Trotte Vieille -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Forward, fresh, and fruity, with softenss to the fruits on the palate, leaving you with an already accessible, charming, medium-bodied, vibrant wine that is ready-to-go on release. The wine blends 57% Merlot, with 43% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2035. 89-91 Pts
2023 Valandraud -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, black raspberries, licorice, smoke, espresso, black cherries, and chocolate aromas create the complex aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy, and more importantly, energetic, with freshness, and elegant, creamy tannins. Long, intense, and concentrated, yet, light on its feet, the lingering finish keeps on going with its layers of ripe, sweet, fruits, salty chocolate, and espresso notes. Blending 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% ABV, 3.5 pH. Harvesting took place September 21 – October 15. Drink from 2029-2055. 96-98 Pts
2023 Valandraud 3 de Valandraud -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Medium-bodied, bright, creamy, and sweet, the wine is loaded with red cherries, mint leaf, and a hint of crushed stones. The energetic finish, with its ripe, sweet red berries, and pinch of salt is straight, and juicy. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14% ABV, 3.7 pH. Drink from 2026-2034. 91-93 Pts
2023 Valandraud Blanc de Valandraud – Bordeaux – I love the purity in the fruits, there is intensity in the green apples, lemons, mangos, white peaches, and pineapples. The fruits are vivid, crisp, clean, and a touch salty, making you want to take another sniff, and sip, just for pleasure. The wine blends 53% Sauvignon Gris, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Semillon. Drink from 2025-2037. 94 Pts
2023 Villemaurine -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Silky, fresh, lush, polished, and concentrated with layers of sweet, ripe, black, and red cherries, flowers, spice, and incense in the nose, and on the palate. The wine is refined, polished, long and pure, with a sweetness to the berries in the finish. The wine blends 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc. 14.5% ABV. Drink from 2027-2042. 93-95 Pts
2023 YonFigeac -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Cherry blossoms, licorice, and cocoa come together nicely in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, soft, fresh, chewy, palate, finishing with a touch of salt on the cherries, and licorice on the backend. Drink from 2026-2036. 89-91 Pts
Up Next, we move to look at all of the best 2023 Sweet Bordeaux Wine followed by our final report which focuses on all the best 2023 dry white Bordeaux wine that we tasted.