Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
These three southern Rhône crus produced ripe, fresh, successful reds in 2023, with Gigondas and Vacqueyras also offering very good whites worth seeking out.
Beaumes de Venise
The reds in Beaumes de Venise showed particularly well in 2023, ripe and concentrated but with more moderate alcohols than elsewhere, making for a fresh and drinkable vintage here. The Muscats were less successful.
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Gigondas
‘If we were just looking at the weather, I’m not sure there would be much difference between 2022 and 2023,’ says Benjamin Gras at Domaine Santa Duc, but he believes the cooler nights in 2023 produced fresher tannins.
There’s some diversity of style, even within individual producers’ ranges, but largely it’s a vintage of compact, ripe, elegant wines in Gigondas, often with quite light tannic frames and mild acidity, but it’s a step up from 2022 here.
It’s the first vintage that Gigondas has been permitted to make white wines, and there are some lovely Clairette-based wines that are worth exploring.
Vacqueyras
The style in Vacqueyras is more consistent – juicy, succulent reds, often with quite potent alcohol. Tannins are reliably ripe, often soft; the fruit can be sweet.
The whites are fresher, with good concentration and impact.
Key Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise producers in 2023
- Château de St Cosme – Gigondas
- Domaine des Bosquets – Gigondas
- Domaine Santa Duc – Gigondas
- Domaine la Monardière – Vacqueyras
- Domaine le Sang des Cailloux – Vacqueyras
- Domaine des Bernardins – Beaumes de Venise
Best-value Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise wines in 2023
- Domaine des Bernardins, Beaumes de Venise 2023
- La Ferme du Mont, Jugunda, Gigondas 2023
- Domaine d’Ouréa, Vacqueyras Blanc 2023
Under-the-radar Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise producers in 2023
- Domaine d’Ouréa
- Domaine des Aphillanthes
- Le Clos de Caveau
Rhône 2023 full report and top-scoring wines
Southern Rhône 2023: The connoisseur’s guide
Compare vintages: See our coverage of Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise wines from previous years
Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2022: Report and top-scoring wines
Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2021: Report and top-scoring wines
Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2020: Report and top-scoring wines
Matt Walls’ top-scoring Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2023 wines:
Wines are listed by appellation then white and red by score.
Related articles
- Gigondas to produce white wines
- Walls: The magic of mature Gigondas
- Walls: Vacqueyras 2015 vs 2016 – how are they drinking now?
Château de St Cosme, Le Poste Blanc, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
Beautifully floral, with fennel notes. Full-bodied, it has some enjoyable fresh pear fruit. Compact and well balanced, with discreet oak work that helps to build...
2023
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Château de St Cosme, Le Claux, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
Plum and damson fruit with Christmas spicing, this is full-bodied, fully concentrated and fresh, with wonderful textural finesse. The oak work is still integrating, but...
2023
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Domaine des Bosquets, Le Regard Loin, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
Barrel sample so a provisional score. A punchy, potent and ripe style with big concentration and big alcohol. Huge body and power and very tannic....
2023
Domaine des BosquetsGigondas
Château de St Cosme, Le Poste, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
Full-bodied, with good depth of fruit and concentration. It's juicy and succulent but fresh and precise, with a saline edge to the finish. The oak...
2023
Château de St CosmeGigondas
Domaine Santa Duc, Clos des Hospices, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
This is the new name for Clos Derrière Vieille. An earthy expression, with black cherry, violets and potpourri. It's quite a full-bodied, voluminous style on...
2023
Domaine Santa DucGigondas
Domaine D'Ouréa, Hermaphroditos, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
Gorgeously spicy style of Syrah, with some bay leaf and fresh herb nuances. It's fairly full-bodied and decidedly grippy, with quite fibrous, rugged tannins that...
2023
Domaine D'OuréaGigondas
Domaine Raspail-Ay, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
Lovely sense of purity, with a delightful scent of bright raspberry, strawberry and garrigue herbs. It's full, generous, soft and yielding but so seductively juicy....
2023
Domaine Raspail-AyGigondas
Moulin de la Gardette, Ventabren, Gigondas, Rhône, France, 2023
The domaine's top Gigondas, with crisp berry fruit, cranberry and raspberry. It's fresh, with a tiny VA note that lifts the fruit and plentiful fine,...
2023
Moulin de la GardetteGigondas
Domaine la Monardière, Galéjade, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Good sense of intensity on the nose and palate, this has real precision and energy. Oak work is present, well judged, adding spice, complexity, shape...
2023
Domaine la MonardièreVacqueyras
Domaine D'Ouréa, Blanc, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Interesting smoky bacon notes on the nose, which is fresh and vibrant. Very saline, brisk style with energy, direction and a long finish. Big flavour,...
2023
Domaine D'OuréaVacqueyras
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Un Sang Blanc, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Confit citrus peels on the nose. Fairly full and ripe style, quite rich, but the noble bitter notes help to bring structure. Acidity is present,...
2023
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
Domaine Montirius, Minéral, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Macadamia, almond and white flowers on the nose. A zesty style, with subtle citrus notes, good acidity and a chalky touch to the texture on...
2023
Domaine MontiriusVacqueyras
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Doucinello, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Very soft and juicy style of Doucinello, with tons of bright, gourmand fruit. Fine tannins and elegant in feel, it's very harmonious and well balanced,...
2023
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
Domaine Montirius, Le Clos, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Beautifully spicy Syrah, with oodles of smoky bacon, woodsmoke and menthol. Has good acidity and grip, with ripe and juicy tannins. Plenty of impact and...
2023
Domaine MontiriusVacqueyras
Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux, Lopy, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Peppery herbs, certainly more full-bodied in style, but still has a compact drinkability. Nice saline edge, with enjoyably edgy tannins. Well balanced, and has that...
2023
Domaine Le Sang des CaillouxVacqueyras
Domaine la Monardière, Vieilles Vignes, Vacqueyras, Rhône, France, 2023
Full-bodied, but with good underlying freshness. Crisp acidity, with fresh, structural tannins – much better structure than most Vacqueyras this year. Smoky edge to the...
2023
Domaine la MonardièreVacqueyras
Domaine des Bernardins, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2023
Smoky bacon, bay leaf and olive brine. This is very fine for a whole-bunch style, with lovely tannic finesse and texture. Powerful, tannic and cleansing,...
2023
Domaine des BernardinsBeaumes de Venise
Château la Croix des Pins, Les Contreforts de Montmirail, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2023
The nose is more about wild herbs than fruit, with a relatively athletic form. This is tight, very well balanced, fresh and drinkable, with a...
2023
Château la Croix des PinsBeaumes de Venise
Château Redortier, Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2023
Very ripe but not overripe, with plentiful juicy black berry fruits. Tight, taut tannins and piercing acidity. Good length of fruit and quite a robust...
2023
Château RedortierBeaumes de Venise
Domaine des Bernardins, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Rhône, France, 2023
Butterscotch and apricot jam aromas. A lighter vintage of this cuvée, but very fresh and drinkable, and the best Muscat of the vintage by far....
2023
Domaine des BernardinsMuscat de Beaumes de Venise
