En Primeur Bordeaux 2023

The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild races out of the glass with notable textural intensity. Explosive and deep, with striking balance, Lafite dazzles in this vintage. The 2023 is a somber, virile Lafite endowed with remarkable depth and tons of sheer character. Plum, blackberry, gravel, pencil shavings, graphite, mocha and lavender build into the intense, palate-staining finish. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.

Score: 95 - 98 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2023-2073

The finest of the first growths this year appears to be the 2023 Lafite Rothschild, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and mint. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's vibrant and refined, with a deep core of fruit, plenty of sweet structuring tannin and a compelling marriage between energy and plenitude. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot that reminds me of 2019's tannins combined with 2016's unimpeachable classicism.

Score: 97 - 99 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com

The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild was picked September 7 to 29 at 45hL/ha and matured in 90% new oak. This is more discrete on the nose—one of the tropes of this First Growth—even when compared to the more immediate Carruades. This takes time to unfurl in the glass, slowly revealing black fruit laced with pencil box and just a touch of pressed violet. There’s wonderful precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with a cashmere texture, very pure (again) with a judicious dab of cracked black pepper. The finish is very sleek, thanks to its almost filigree tannins, seeming to glide across the palate. It's not a grippy or sinewy Pauillac, and on reflection, it is technically perfect. Yet, I find myself searching for a bit more…soul. Perhaps a few rough edges would captivate the emotions. This is a delicious Lafite-Rothschild no doubt, but I want it to move me once in bottle. Maybe it will.

Score: 95 - 97 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2070

The 2023 Lynch-Bages is a dark, brooding wine. In so many vintages, Lynch-Bages is a wine of sensuality, but in 2023, it is quite the powerhouse. Formidable tannins wrap around a core of black fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and gravel. This is a somber, introspective Lynch-Bages with a ton of Cabernet Sauvignon character. I can't wait to taste this from bottle.

Score: 94 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2033-2073

As usual one of the chunkier, broader-shouldered wines of the Médoc, the 2023 Lynch-Bages exhibits aromas of dark berries and cassis mingled with pencil shavings, licorice and pipe tobacco, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, it's deep, concentrated and generously extracted, with plenty of youthfully chewy tannin to carry it along in the cellar. The 2023 is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

Score: 93 - 95 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com

The 2023 Lynch-Bages takes some time to really settle, so I gave it 5-10 minutes in the glass. On the nose, glossy black fruit mixes with touches of cassis, graphite, violets and blood orange, perhaps demonstrating more horsepower than I anticipated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins. There is a lovely symmetry to this Pauillac (not unlike Latour), armed with a cashmere texture and plenty of backbone on the finish, even though I would not describe it as a "grippy" Lynch-Bages. There’s plenty of graphite character on the aftertaste. Excellent.

Score: 93 - 95 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2060

The 2023 Lynch-Moussas is super-expressive right out of the gate. The lifted, expansive bouquet is enticing. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, cedar, new leather and sweet pipe tobacco build over time, adding layers of complexity and overall dimension. This stylish, mid-weight Pauillac is a delight.

Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2043

Lynch Moussas is classically one of the lighter-styled Pauillac classifieds, and its intensity in both colour and tannic architecture in this vintage reflects just how well this appellation has fared in 2023. There is balance to the blackberry fruits set against tobacco leaf and liqourice, although the levels of ripeness are not as fully in evidence as with Batailley. But honestly, this small group of wines, under the ownership of Philippe Casteja, can be relied up for offering typicity and great quality at still-reasonable prices. 49hl/h yield. 58% new oak for ageing, 50% 1st wine.

Score: 93 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2030-2045

Smoky red and black fruits, spicy oak, savory herbs, and cedar all emerge from the 2023 Château Lynch-Moussas, a medium-bodied, nicely balanced, elegant 2023 that has ripe, integrated tannins, moderate overall density, yet solid length on the finish. It's a solid effort in the vintage that's going to shine with just a few years of bottle age.

Score: 89 - 91 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com

The 2023 Mouton Rothschild is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintages on the Left Bank. Its balance of intense, super-concentrated fruit and equally imposing structure is spellbinding. Dark red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, pencil shavings and dried herbs gain intensity in the glass. I especially admire its vertical build and overall energy. This is an exciting young Mouton endowed with palpable dynamic energy. It's a superb effort from the team led by Technical Director Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy.

Score: 96 - 99 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2033-2073

Aromas of crème de cassis and dark berries mingled with pencil shaving, espresso roast and violets introduce the 2023 Mouton Rothschild, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine with a creamy core of ripe but lively fruit, sweet tannins and an expansive finish. In terms of parcels, the 2023 is quite different in origins from the 2022, favoring plots that are better-drained rather than those resistant to drought. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, without either Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot featuring in the blend, and it attained 13.3% alcohol.

Score: 94 - 96 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com

The 2023 Mouton Rothschild was picked from September 7 to 30 and contains 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, the second highest ever (after the 2010). Matured entirely in new oak as usual, this has an intense, floral bouquet with violet petals infusing the black fruit and touches of licorice loitering just off stage—very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with extremely refined tannins. Focused and harmonious, it’s velvety smooth with a long and tender finish that has more crispness than the 2022. In fact, I might ultimately end up preferring this over the 2022…it will be interesting finding out in the future!

Score: 96 - 98 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2030-2070

The 2023 Pedesclaux is one of the best wines I have tasted here in some time, maybe ever. It offers a striking mix of ripe dark fruit and bright acids. My impression is that the extractions are less pushed, which really seems to emphasize vibrancy in the fruit. The 10% Cabernet Franc really lifts the aromatics, but it’s the wine's balance and energy that I admire most. Terrific.

Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2043

The 2023 Pedésclaux is the estate's second organic-certified vintage. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, it offers up attractive aromas of cassis and dark berries mingled with notions of mint and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered palate with sweet tannins, succulent acids and a rather rich, giving profile.

Score: 90 - 93 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com

The 2023 Pédesclaux was picked from September 13 to October 4 and includes the old Cabernet vines. Matured in 65% new oak, it has a comparatively opulent bouquet with perfumed black cherries, violet petals and a hint of licorice. I would like a little more Pauillac DNA to be articulated on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, quite peppery on the entry, with modest depth. Salted licorice and graphite notes emerge toward what feels like a more structured finish. This will require four to five years in bottle. It just needs to develop more personality.

Score: 89 - 91 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2028-2042