2023 Bordeaux

What was the 2023 Vintage like?

So, what’s the 2023 vintage like?

The reports out of Bordeaux around the 2023 vintage have a distinctly different feel, i.e. without the pomp and circumstance that leaves you wondering whether there really are that many 'Vintages of the Decade'. And to be honest, it's quite refreshing.

Instead, the message is 'come see and try the vintage'. Which is exactly what Glengarry GM and longterm Bordeaux fanatic Liz Wheadon will be doing in April during En Primeur Week. (As she has done since her first En Primeur tasting of the 2008 vintage.)

The 2023 growing season is full of twists and turns that needed navigating. After a mild winter, bud break was early, spring

was then early and development ahead of norms (if there are in fact norms anymore). Alternating periods of rainfall and sunshine followed, which kept producers on their toes. Late summer, the weather was very warm, and a long period of drought ensued.

Early indications suggest the dry white wines will be wonderfully aromatic, with careful skill required to keep them fresh – a talent in abundance in the Bordeaux region. The conditions for red wines were ideal, manifesting in excellent volumes.

Rain at the end of the season resulted in a lot of noble rot. The skies then cleared, the grapes harvested in Sauternes developing high levels of botrytis. Thus, we should expect wonderfully complex sweet wines.

Follow Liz on Instagram @lizziewine as she unpacks the vintage and helps you navigate the great wines of Bordeaux