Tasting Bordeaux 2023: Day Three

“This is a reference year, a timeless year; 2023 is a kind of wine which could not be made anywhere else, as it could only be Bordeaux.”
Alexandre Thienpont, Vieux Château Certan

Today we set out bright and early to explore the 2023 vintage of the Right Bank.

We started the day in Libourne to taste the J-P Moueix stable. After being warmly welcomed by Bordeaux royalty – Christian Moueix himself – we set out tasting across the range. For me, La Fleur-Pétrus was the real stand out.

Across the day there were several large tastings at Château Ausone and Château Le Gay to get a feel for the Right Bank as a whole. My feeling is that in a vintage that wasn’t always easy, through a lot of hard work, some Châteaux have been able to produce some truly spectacular wines, that are very expressive of their unique terroir.

Lunch was at Troplong Mondot’s Michelin Starred restaurant Les Belles Perdix; which is arguably the best meal you can have in Bordeaux. The gastronomy and service were only surpassed by the 2017 Troplong Mondot, which is in a very special place right now.

After lunch, we tasted their 2023s which were very impressive and showed just how far the Château has come in the last decade; they’re definitely one to watch.

Château Figeac proved once again why they gained their Premier Cru Classé A title last year.

We finished the day visiting some of the shining stars of Pomerol.

At Vieux Château Certan, owner & winemaker Alexandre Thienpont summarised the vintage perfectly when he said “This is a reference year, a timeless year; 2023 is a kind of wine which could not be made anywhere else, as it could only be Bordeaux. It was nature that made it – if it was wrong, it would be my fault.” Unsurprisingly, there was yet again no fault to be found in his very special wine.

Finishing the day on a high, we visited one of my personal favourites, Château Angelus, whose wines are showing great promise even at this early stage.