Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2023

Once again, with great depth, multi-faceted, playful, complex; silky tannins wrap around the fruit, builds momentum, with a very long finish. Classically built.

A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon and 23% Merlot, the 2023 Grand-Puy-Lacoste has turned out very well, evoking aromas of cassis, dark berries, cigar wrapper and rose petals, lifted by a delicate minty nuance. Medium- to full-bodied, enveloping and seamless, it is shaped by powdery, velvety tannins and a layered mid-palate that opens onto a long, vibrant and saline finish. A classic at this address, it nonetheless stands out as a particularly fine effort and an excellent value.

Fragrant floral and blackcurrant notes on the nose. Just ripe fruit, on the bright side but nothing out of place, not too high-toned or too sour. It’s lacking a touch in density, but makes up for it in precision and nuance. Lots of fine, salty and spiced tannins support the pure fruit with a graphite edge that lingers on the tongue. It’s clean and focused, not so vertical or wide, but there’s finesse here no doubt. Mouthwatering and minty all the way through. Very classy and classic with fine ageing potential. Excellent quality. Ageing 75% new oak. 3.56 pH. A yield of 48 hl/ha. 55% grand vin production. 12.5% press wine.

Full-bodied, juicy, fresh, and rich, the wine displays its blend of blackberries, tobacco leaf, cedar, cigar box and lead pencil on the nose. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, lifted, and energetic, but not overly bright, ensuring everything is in balance, with loads of chewy currants and a savory, peppery-tinged finish that lingers. The wine is a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon with 23% Merlot. Drink from 2029 to 2060.

Dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate orange zest, ripe cherry, a hint of cassis, fine oak savouriness, inviting bouquet. Juicy, fresh red fruit, a structure rich in finesse, ripe, round tannins, salty-mineral, appears light-footed, lingers for a long time, a delicate style with freshness and length.

We are in classic Grand Puy Lacoste territory here, with great balance, good freshness, Pauillac typicity, less concentration than 2022, instead showing bright cassis and blackberry fruits, a salted cracker edge, liquorice, graphite, spiced cocoa beans, and flashes of fresher redcurrants on the close. Great quality, and you can see the fine ageing potential stretching ahead. 75% new oak, the rest one-year-old, around 60% of production in this 1st wine (this is similar each year, as here the vineyard footprint has not changed since 1855). Harvest September 11 to 28.

A textbook Pauillac, with a slightly taciturn feel to its rock-steady beam of cassis and bitter cherry fruit, allied to a bright iron spine. Flecks of savory and tobacco dart about, adding a sparkle of energy through the chiseled finish. Shows the vintage’s modest scale, but everything is in proportion. For the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2028 through 2043. 10,000 cases made.