Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 88-90/100
The 2023 Cantemerle is a deep, potent wine. A blast of dark plum, blackberry, mocha, grilled herbs, gravel and lavender make a strong first impression. The aromatics and overall structure are quite appealing, although I find the tannins a touch bruising at this stage. A long, sustained finish compensates to some degrees. Tasted two times.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 90-92/100
The 2023 Les Grands Chenes is soft, round and enveloping, Silky tannins wrap around a core of black fruit, gravel, spice, menthol, dried herbs and mocha. Most of the wine is now aged in a combination of terra cotta, neutral oak and tank, which really seems to exalt the brightness of fruit in this Merlot-based blend.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 92-94/100
The 2023 Clos Manou has a clean and precise nose of earthy black fruit, with touches of freshly rolled tobacco following through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and finely proportioned, with gentle grip and a keen line of acidity. There is a build in the mouth absent in many of its peers, as well as unquestionably greater persistency. Excellent.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 91-93/100
The 2023 Potensac is a seriously beautiful wine that shows just how complex and nuanced wines from this property can be. Crushed flowers, spice, red/purplish fruit, rose petal and mint are some of the notes that lift from the glass. Bright saline tones underpin the mid-palate and finish. This is one of the most complete young Potensacs I can recall tasting.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 88-90/100
The 2023 Beaumont has a generous bouquet with a mixture of blackberries, red plums and sous-bois. It’s not as powerful as the previous vintage, but there is always a sense of “honesty” about this Claret that I appreciate. The palate is medium-bodied with powdery tannins and fine acidity, quite smooth in texture, with a touch of savoriness on the finish. Enjoy it over six to eight years.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 88-90/100
The 2023 de Camensac is a wine of restraint. Crushed flowers, mint, spice, dried herbs and red berry fruit are some of the notes that grace this mid-weight Haut-Médoc. Pretty floral overtones lift the finish nicely.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 90-92/100
The 2023 Madame de Beaucaillou is a very pretty, aromatic wine. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon, dried herbs and a kiss of French oak are all nicely delineated. This juicy, perfumed, Merlot-based Haut-Médoc is a fine choice for drinking over the next decade or so. The 2023 is absolutely delicious.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 91-93/100
The 2023 La Tour Carnet is superb. La Tour Carnet is one of Bordeaux’s hidden gems. The 2023 is another fine edition. Dried herbs, leather, incense, licorice, crushed flowers, chocolate and spice lend notable aromatic complexity. Medium in body and nuanced, the 2023 has so much to offer. In this vintage, it benefits from the addition of fruit from Bernard Magrez’s estate in Saint-Estèphe. In some tastings, La Tour Carnet has been more opulent. Either way, few wines in Bordeaux offer a better mix of quality and value.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 89-91/100
The 2023 Sociando-Mallet is a deep, powerful wine. Black cherry, incense, blackberry, licorice and cloves add to an impression of somber gravitas. Unctuous and rich, the 2023 shows the natural intensity of the Merlot in this vintage. Sociando is pretty heady in this vintage.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 91-93/100
The 2023 Chasse-Spleen takes time to open on the nose, gradually revealing raspberry and blackcurrant scents, touches of rose petals and freshly rolled tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, adequate freshness and a marine-tinged finish—almost Pauillac-like in style. This is quite a stylish if almost “old-school” Chasse-Spleen that should develop well in bottle.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 89-91/100
The 2023 Mauvesin Barton has an attractive bouquet with black plum, cassis and light floral scents. This is nicely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and modest weight, but the oak is a little conspicuous toward the finish. It doesn’t quite have the ambition or complexity of the 2022, though it represents a fine, perhaps earlier-drinking Moulis-en-Médoc.

Château Dutruch Grand Poujeaux is gesitueerd in een klein gehucht van Moulis, Grand-Poujeaux genaamd, dat vooral bekend staat om zijn verfijnde wijnen. Dit domein slaagt er telkens opnieuw in om een elegante wijn te produceren die tegelijkertijd krachtig en innemend is en bovendien mooi veroudert.

Dutruch Grand Poujeaux  is een mooi rood gekleurde wijn met een bijzonder verfijnd pallet van overheerlijk donkerrood fruit waarin aroma’s van zwarte rijpe kersen de boventoon voeren. Fluweelzachte structuur met perfect versmolten tannines. Een smaakvolle wijn die ook qua prijs goed verteerbaar is.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 91-93/100
The 2023 Poujeaux was picked from September 18 to October 4 andmatured in 30% new oak. The first couple of samples tasted didn’t quite engage as much as a third bottle on the penultimate day’s tasting, which seems more representative. This Moulis, owned by the Cuvelier family (Clos Fourtet) has a tempting nose with blackberry, wild strawberry, incense and crushed violet scents—well defined and focused, blossoming nicely in the glass. There’s good energy and vibrancy. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit. Perhaps just a little gritty in terms of texture, there is a bit of rigidity apropos the tannins on the finish. Hopefully, it will gain more elegance once in bottle, but it feels as if it will meld together during élevage.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 94-96/100
The 2023 Haut-Bages Libéral is fabulous. Deep, layered and exquisitely beautiful, the 2023 bristles with tension. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, leather, menthol and licorice grace a wine of depth, richness and sensuality. It’s a terrific effort from proprietor Claire Villars-Lurton.