Tasting at Château Margaux

“All the talk has been of a very quick campaign and pricing that should get customers very excited indeed.”

Our first day was about getting the overview. Today we have focused on the Left Bank: starting with Margaux and Saint-Julien in the morning, then on to Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe in the afternoon.

It’s been quite manic. Over the last two days I’ve scribbled notes for 148 wines, and have the dark purple teeth now to show for it. Combining large tastings with Châteaux visits has allowed us to taste many of the key wines 2-3 times – which has been essential for forming a picture of the vintage. It’s not been an easy one to nail down.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the driving force on the Left Bank and doing most of the talking. Wines likes Lynch Bages are benchmark in 2023. A distillation of old school Pauillac character: blackcurrant and pencil lead, with abundant gravelly tannin – this is a serious LB indeed. If the price comes out where we’ve heard it might, I cannot emphasis enough what a compelling buy it should present.

In terms of recent vintages for comparison, Château Margaux offered us 2019 and 2016 – picking out in particular the precision of the latter vintage. While at Pontet-Canet they have found 2023 has given them an expression which could only be from Pauillac, only from Bordeaux, such is its harmonious balance.

All the talk has been of a very quick campaign and pricing that should get customers very excited indeed. Next Monday (29^th) will see the first release, and potentially 90% of the Châteaux will be out before end of May… Watch this space.

To pick out a few of the less-obvious stand outs: La Lagune, D’Issan, Giscours, Gruaud Larose, Talbot, D’Armailhac, Duhart-Milon, Lafon-Rochet, Phélan Ségur… I could easily select more.

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If you have any questions about buying en primeur or the Bordeaux 2023 campaign, please email enprimeur@jeroboams.co.uk.