Michaela Morris: My top wines of 2023

The year began auspiciously with a Decanter panel tasting evaluating the cellaring potential of Chianti Classico. At 25 years old, San Giusto a Rentennano’s 1998 Riserva was a resounding validation. Soon after, at the denomination’s annual-release tasting, Podere Il Palazzino’s 2016 Grosso Sanese lent positive reinforcement to the Gran Selezione category.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for Michaela Morris’ top 10 wines of 2023

Onwards to a zone more commonly fêted for the longevity of its wines, Montalcino’s producers were generous in sharing from their libraries. Topping the list, Biondi-Santi uncorked a Riserva from the much-lauded 1988 vintage – and did it ever live up to its reputation!

Of Brunello di Montalcino’s current releases, I was reminded yet again that even challenging vintages yield cellar-worthy specimens. Sesti’s Phenomena Riserva wondrously transcended the excruciatingly dry, hot conditions of 2017 while simultaneously expressing the year with ease.

From the variable 2018, San Filippo’s La Lucère captured everything that is positive about the vintage – buoyancy and finesse of structure – and is the best that I have tasted from this estate.

Piedmont was not to be outdone by Tuscany. Among multiple excursions there, I led Decanter’s first ever wine tour in Italy, which included an unforgettable dinner at the three-star Michelin Piazza Duomo.

I also spent time catching up with a cross-section of producers. After tasting the excellent 2019 Barolos at Aldo Conterno, Alessandro Conterno opened a bottle of 2006 Granbussia Riserva. Only nine years old when it was made, he had no specific memory of the year. He chose it simply because the wine reminded him of home. Indeed, it was so hauntingly evocative of a region that has almost become a second home for me.

In Piedmont’s cool alpine corner of Carema, Monte Maletto’s 2019 Sole e Roccia reiterated Nebbiolo’s stunning potential further afield.

During the madness of Vinitaly in April, I made sure to stop for a quick sip of Tiberio’s Fonte Canale Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. While the newly released 2020 could be the best vintage of this single-vineyard wine yet, I took more pleasure in a leisurely glass of the 2019 at a gathering with Vancouver’s top somms. Still an infant, it is emblematic of Italy’s ageworthy whites.

Beyond Italy, I was thrilled to travel to Austria for the first time ever. The impeccably organized ÖTW – or Traditional Wine Estates’ Single Vineyard Summit – allowed me the opportunity to taste through 500 of the country’s leading wines. I was particularly impressed with those from Kamptal, where Jurtschitsch was a new discovery for me. Among the estate’s lovely range, I singled out the 2021 Ried Heiligenstein Alte Reben Riesling.

Undoubtedly, the most epic tasting of the year was a fundraising dinner featuring over 40 wines from Bordeaux’s legendary 1982 vintage. Decanter’s Bordeaux Editor, Georgie Hindle made the trek to my hometown of Vancouver to cover the event. For my palate, the top wine was a toss-up between Latour and Lafite. While the former, unbelievably, still seemed to be asking for more time, the latter seduced with immediate gratification – if you can call it that after four decades.

It is impossible to imagine a tasting to top this. But who knows what 2024 holds…

Michaela’s top wines of 2023

Wines are listed white then red in score order

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