Bordeaux 2023 Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Credit: Luke Carver
(Image credit: Luke Carver)

Key releases in the Bordeaux 2023 en primeur campaign on Wednesday (5 June) include:

St-Émilion’s Château Pavie Macquin 2023 (96pts) has also been released at £576 (12x75cl IB) in a busy week of big-name releases, which have included Pichon Baron and Pavie out yesterday (4 June), as well as Pichon Comtesse and Palmer making their debuts.

Although several merchants have reported good consumer interest for at least some of the top names, a fresh report from analyst and consultancy group Wine Lister cast doubt on the overall level of sales. ‘Feedback from the trade indicates a lacklustre reception,’ it said.

Meanwhile, producer JCP Maltus, which owns estates including Le Dôme and Château Teyssier, said it wouldn’t be releasing 2023-vintage wines en primeur.

Decanter Premium subscribers can find more details, and analysis of the latest releases, below.

See Decanter’s full verdict on the Bordeaux 2023 vintage, plus ratings and tasting notes on the top-scoring wines

Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023

Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 was given 97-points by Decanter’s Bordeaux correspondent, Georgie Hindle, who praised its finesse and noted that winemaker Guillaume Pouthier employed 60% whole bunch fermentation. 

‘Seamlessly integrated with the acidity balancing the tannins and the ripe fruit with some mineral wet stone undercurrents and slight bitter liquorice and grapefruit skin on the finish,’ Hindle wrote.

With a UK price of £912 per 12-bottle case IB, Liv-ex said the wine ‘offers reasonable value to buyers’.

This is a château that has been in a rich vein of form. Hindle rated Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2022 98pts en primeur last year, and also gave the 2020 vintage a perfect 100-points in early 2023. 

Furthermore, Les Carmes Haut-Brion has a reputation for rising in price following its initial release – something not all Bordeaux châteaux can claim following en primeur campaigns.

The five vintages from 2018 to 2022 were 42% more expensive on average versus their release prices (in sterling), said analyst and consultancy group Wine Lister in a Bordeaux report in April. Only Pomerol’s Lafleur has performed better.

UK merchant Farr Vintners said Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2023 emerged underneath its price estimate, and said it was a ‘clear winner in terms of score/price ratio’.

Château Canon 2023

Château Canon has been another estate garnering special praise from critics, and its 2023 vintage has continued this trend.

‘Another excellent wine from the team at Canon benefitting from its position on the limestone plateau,’ wrote Hindle, rating Canon 2023 98-points. ‘Just delicious, a wine that tastes great now and feels like it’ll always be that way.’

Canon’s recent back catalogue also features a 99-point score for the 2020 vintage in-bottle, plus 98-point wines from the 2022 and 2019 vintages.

Liv-ex data showed the new release was cheaper than the highly rated Canon 2022, 2020 and 2015 wines, although it appeared slightly more expensive than several other recent vintages.

Château Rauzan-Ségla 2023

This Margaux appellation second growth shares the same owner as Canon – luxury perfume house Chanel – and has also been gaining plaudits.

Hindle rated Rauzan-Ségla 2023 96-points, equalling the in-bottle score for the 2019 vintage.

‘A lot to like here,’ Hindle wrote of the 2023 wine. ‘[It] feels very Rauzan, very polished, a touch “less” than 2022 of course, but this has great energy and a lot of drinkability.’

The score is one point below the 97-point rating for Rauzan-Ségla 2022, tasted by Hindle last year. The 2020 vintage was rated 98-points in the bottle, too.

Liv-ex said buyers had several options among back-vintages of the estate’s wines, highlighting the 2020 vintage available at a lower price.

Château Pavie Macquin 2023 released

St-Émilion’s Château Pavie Macquin 2023 was rated 96-points by Hindle, matching her en primeur and in-bottle scores for the 2022 and 2019 vintages respectively, although one below the 2020 in-bottle score for the grand vin.

‘So precise, finessed, and detailed with layers of fine tannins, bright fruit and tonnes of energy yet still with concentration,’ she said of the 2023 wine. ‘I love it.’

Wine Lister said: ‘Pavie Macquin has made a great effort to come out at the level of the 2019 and below all other recent back-vintages, so should be compelling to fans of the estate.’

That said, it also noted that the well-regarded 2019 vintage looked interesting for buyers.

Mixed signals for Bordeaux 2023 campaign so far

There have been mixed reports about the success of the campaign so far. In a new report published today (5 June), Wine Lister suggested many wines have met a muted response from consumers, despite nearly all châteaux offering discounts versus 2022-vintage en primeur releases – with an average price cut of 22%.

‘Feedback from the trade indicates a lacklustre reception, with consumers less willing to spend money apart from on a cherished brand or a particularly good deal,’ said Wine Lister in the introduction to its ‘Bordeaux – Part II’ report, a follow-up to the pre-campaign study released in April. 

‘Several wines have seen decent sales thanks to coming out significantly below current market prices for back vintages, including the all-important 2019 which has proved a fly in the ointment for so many releases,’ it added.

UK merchants have told Decanter in recent weeks that some top wines have seen good interest from buyers, but there have been mixed reports. 

In the US, Shaun Bishop, CEO of JJ Buckley in California, told Decanter in mid-May that the campaign so far had been ‘very limited’ in terms of successful releases.

Speaking relatively early in the campaign, he referenced Pontet Canet, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Cheval Blanc and Haut-Brion as successes so far, all of which are wines which he said were seeing higher year-on-year sales. 

No Le Dôme 2023 en primeur

On Bordeaux’s Right Bank, JCP Maltus, which owns Le Dôme and Château Teyssier in St-Émilion, said that it would not be releasing 2023-vintage wines en primeur, ‘due to the current economic climate and our reduced production volume’. 

In a note to customers, it said it continued to believe in the en primeur system, but it said that the process should enable buyers to secure stocks at a ‘better price’ before the wine comes to market. 

It added: ‘Our faithful partners have purchased the exceptional 2022 vintage, for which we set a price in relation to the quality and the state of the market. 

‘We find it is inappropriate to release the 2023s and take the chance of devaluing our customers’ stock, jeopardise the business model of our company and the brand image of our products.’ 

It thanked customers for their ongoing support, and also reassured regular customers that, ‘we have set aside some production for you’.  

Explore More
Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.