Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 92-94/100
The 2023 Le Petit Haut Lafitte Blanc is terrific. Airy and vibrant, the
2023 is pure class. Crushed rocks, mint, salt, white pepper and lemon
curd are all beautifully lifted. The Sauvignon Blanc-based Petit is very
fine in 2023.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 91-93/100
The 2023 Le Petit Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is a blend of 80% Sauvignon
Blanc and 20% Sémillon. It has a more complex and refined bouquet
compared to the Les Haut Blanc: dried pineapple, peach skin and
yellow plum. Lovely. The palate is very well balanced with a slightly
waxy texture, a keen line of acidity and a fresh, Golden Delicious- and
ginger-tinged finish. Recommended.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 95-97/100
The 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked from August 23 to
September 9 at 36hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a reticent
bouquet at first, requiring a few swirls of the glass to reveal touches of
orange pith, peach skin, wild fennel and light pressed white flower
scents. The palate is very well balanced with a lovely creamy texture,
counterbalanced by the taut line of acidity. Very poised and focused,
it’s somehow almost Corton-Charlemagne-inspired on the finish
(perhaps due to the umami). This is a seriously fine white PessacLéognan.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 94-96/100
The 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc is quite the extrovert. Apricot,
passion fruit, mint, tangerine peel and pineapple all soar out of the
glass. Medium in body, with gorgeous texture, the 2023 is quite showy.
I imagine it will drink well with minimal cellaring.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 94-96/100
The 2023 Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc is a rich, exotic wine. Tangerine peel, spice, lemon confit and passion fruit build as this explosive, resonant white shows off its considerable pedigree. All the elements are so well balanced. Readers should expect a pretty overt style.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 93-95/100
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is driven by the Sauvignon Blanc (65%) on the nose: Granny Smith apples, kiwi fruit, slate and light spicy aromas. There’s very fine delineation, but I err toward the more nuanced Haut-Brion Blanc. The palate is lively on the entry with a touch of white pepper, very good tension and ample energy. Conference pear mixes with melon and grassy notes toward the finish. This will provide immediate pleasure over the next 20 years, though Haut-Brion Blanc has the intellectual heft.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 92-94/100
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc is a very soft-textured white, its lovely floral and mineral notes very much front and center. Gentle touches of pear, jasmine, white pepper and mint lift from the glass in a wine that impresses with its understatement and class. Aeration fills out the mid-palate as the Sémillon begins to reveal its breadth.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 94-96/100
The 2023 Lafaurie-Peyraguey has a pure and perfumed bouquet with dried honey, peony, orange blossom and quince aromas that are very well defined. The palate is well balanced with a viscous opening and superb acidity, flush with very pure marmalade, quince and apricot flavors. Incredibly persistent on the finish, this is a very impressive Sauternes.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 92-94/100
The 2023 Guiraud, now made by former Yquem winemaker Sandrine Garbay, has a rather reticent nose at first, opening with orange pith and pear aromas. It just needs a bit more intensity. The palate is medium-bodied with a tangy opening. It’s a little spicier than its peers—marmalade and stem ginger, with more peachiness toward the finish. It feels harmonious and poised, but I would wait until the aromatics open, so give it four to five years after bottling.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 98-100/100
The 2023 Suduiraut (100% Sémillon) is a real stunner. Light on its feet yet wonderfully deep, the 2023 offers up a heady mix of tangerine oil, mint, white flowers, apricot and passion fruit. Readers will find a Sauternes that is more finesse than power. The 2023 is essentially a blend of three picks. The first was done at the end of September and accounted for 20% of the crop. The core of the vineyard, about 75%, was picked in a day ten window in October, following the September rains. A smaller third pick rounded out the harvest.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 95-97/100
The 2023 Doisy-Daëne, a blend of 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, takes time to unfurl on the nose. Notes of lemon curd, dried peach and a touch of marmalade are all nicely defined, developing subtle pithy elements with aeration. The palate is just wonderful. Very harmonious with perfectly judged acidity, it’s extremely pure with a tensile finish. This is Barsac in full flight. It will be outstanding once bottled. Bravo!

Vinous – Neil Martin – 95-97/100
The 2023 L’Extravagant de Doisy-Daëne is pure Sémillon, as usual. This is much more streamlined and controlled than other vintages— less hedonistic, with fine delineation and more mineralité.The palate is outstanding, showcasing shimmering, citrus-fresh Clementine and peach notes. It’s less unctuous than other vintages, though perhaps that is due to the acidity (5.4 grams per liter). This fans out wonderfully on the finish. Fabulous.

Vinous – Neil Martin – 92-94/100
The 2023 Château de Rayne-Vigneau has an intense nose that currently shows a bit of oak; that will be integrated with time. The palate is sorbet-fresh on the entry with tangy marmalade, peach and saffron notes. There is an undercurrent of stem ginger that lends a bit more complexity on the finish. Once the aromatics cohere, as I am sure they will, this will constitute a fine Sauternes. Give it four to five years once bottled.

Château Peyrou is gelegen te Saint Magne de Castillon op de grens met Saint-Emilion.  Cathérine Papon Nouvel behoort zonder enige twijfel tot de meest dynamische van de regio (zij is ook eigenaar van Clos Saint Julien en Petit Gravet Aîné in Saint Emilion). Binnen de Bordeaux-regio is zij dé voortrekker van de biodynamische wijnbouw. Zij voelt de natuur als geen ander aan en weet steeds het beste van de druif naar boven te halen in haar wijnen.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 90-93
The 2023 Clos Puy Arnaud is a huge, powerful, intense wine with a ton of fruit density. This feels a bit heavy and overdone—unusually so. Dark fruit and mocha linger. We will see where this goes.

Le Château Reynon, à Béguey, dans les Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, a été acheté en 1958 par le père de Florence Dubourdieu, Jacques David ; sa fille et son gendre Denis Dubourdieu, lui ont succédé en 1976. Grâce à leurs efforts, Château Reynon est aujourd’hui l’un des crus les plus renommés des Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux.

Le Château Reynon Rouge possède une couleur profonde et des arômes fondus aux nuances de réglisse, de cassis, de fumée ; les saveurs sont veloutées, fines et puissantes.

Vinous – Antonio Galloni – 89-91/100
The 2023 Reynon is a terrific entry-level offering from the Dubourdieu family. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, pomegranate, menthol and blood orange are nicely pushed forward. All the elements are so well balanced. Reynon is consistently delicious and also a great value. I would be very happy to own a case of this.