2023

Duclot Kiste Collection

Grands Vins de Bordeaux

Château Ausone zählt zu den großen Namen in Saint-Émilion - geht dort aber traditionell eigene Wege. Der würzige Cabernet Sauvignon prägt den Stil des Grand Vin mehr als der Platzhirsch Merlot und verleiht ihm seine viel gerühmte Kraft und Intensität. Seit 2022 wird auf die Kennzeichnung als Grand Cru Classé A verzichtet, weil man die Relevanz der Bewertungskriterien bezweifelt. Man kann es sich leisten.

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98-99 Punkte James Suckling
"I don't think I have tasted an Ausone like this. The purity of fruit and fluidity is so primary, like perfectly picked grapes with their juice. Then there is citrus freshness. It's muscular, with toned tannins that caress the palate and give a seamless finish. This really could push the boundaries for the character of Ausone, in the way of finesse with structure. Watch it. 60% cabernet franc and 40% merlot."

95-97 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
"The 2023 Ausone reveals an incipient bouquet of violet, smoke, dark wild berries, spices and cherries, all beautifully interwoven with creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, with a rich chassis of tannin, it has a vibrant core of fruit and a long, mineral, vanillin-inflected finish. At 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot, this ranks alongside the 2014 vintage as one of the most Cabernet-dominant Ausone vintages of recent years, and it will mature for 20 months in new oak barrels."

96 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
"Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Würzig, rote Waldbeeren, frische Preiselbeeren, ein Hauch von Kräutern und Brombeeren, zarte florale Nuancen. Saftig, reife rote Kirschen, balanciert, feine, reife Tannine, frischer Säurebogen, salzig-mineralisch im Nachhall, wirkt leichtfüßig, ein finessenreicher Begleiter bei Tisch."

96-98 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
"The 2023 Ausone was picked September 14 to 30 and matured for a planned 20 months. It has a wonderful bouquet that is very floral in style and perfectly controlled, perhaps more refined than the 2022 (which incidentally had a degree more in alcohol). The palate is medium-bodied with a silky smooth entry, finely tuned with impressive mineralité. It just gently ""rolls out"" on the languorous finish. This is a more understated Ausone compared to recent vintages, but it exudes sophistication and could easily surpass the Vauthiers' 2022."

Um eine eher frische Stilistik und vor allem eine aromatische Brillanz zu erzielen, wurde in diesem eher warmen Jahrgang 2023 der Merlot auf Château Cheval Blanc vergleichsweise früh gelesen. Dies zeigt sich bereits beim ersten Eindruck. Pure, brillante Himbeerfrucht, Holunderbeeren, gerahmt von einer eleganten Floralität. Veilchen und ein Hauch frischer Flieder. Extrem elegant.
Auch am Gaumen zeigt sich der Wein sehr klar, geradlinig, wahnsinnig lang und mit einer satt-seidigen Tanninstruktur. Wow!

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98-99 Punkte James Suckling
"This is so cabernet, with blackcurrants, blackberries, crushed stone, graphite and lead pencil. Full-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that remain fine yet energetic. Winemaker Pierre-Olivier Clouet says this wine is a benchmark for Cheval Blanc. Reminds me of the great 1983. 13.8% alcohol. 52% merlot, 46% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon."

98-100 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
"One of the most profound wines of the vintage is the 2023 Cheval Blanc, a striking wine that stands out for its strong sense of identity and seamless integration at such an early stage in its life. Wafting from the glass with notes of mulberries, lilac, dark fruits, iris root and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with a gourmand core of cool, vibrant fruit that entirely conceals its sweet structuring tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed finish. It's a blend of 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, drawing on fully 46 of the blocks that make up Cheval Blanc, and it attained 13.8% alcohol.
One of Bordeaux's most complex terroirs, Cheval Blanc sits on the site of an ancient river delta, with (to generalize) clay-rich soils in the lower-lying parts where rivulets once flowed and gravel and sand elsewhere. This complexity is reflected, of course, in the resulting wine but also in how it is farmed and made, with thoughtful use of cover crops according to soil type and parcel-by-parcel vinification. A concerted effort is being made, moreover, to bring life back to the vineyard, with hedges of native species to act as wildlife corridors and fruit trees planted among the vines. The same attention to detail that's applied in the vineyards, for example with regard to developing and testing an in-house massal selection, is applied in the cellar, where cooperage trials are notable for their exigence.
The 2023 vintage has turned out superbly at this address; indeed I can't think of any young Cheval Blanc that tasted so integrated and harmonious at so early a stage. Director Pierre-Olivier Clouet described the season as unremarkable in terms of rainfall overall (though thunderstorms in June gave rise to almost tropical conditions that amplified disease pressure), observing that temperatures, while high, were not particularly extreme in the context of the last decade. Flowering was rapid and successful, as at other addresses, and in Cabernet, maturity took its time coming, making for a protracted harvest between September 6 and October 3."

98 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
"Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart nach Mandarinenzesten, feiner Edelholztouch, reife Herzkirschen, etwas Rote Ribiseln, florale Nuancen sind unterlegt. Komplex, straff und frisch, feine rotbeerige Nuancen, präsente, noch etwas fordernde Tannine, salziger Nachhall, zarte Kräuterwürze im Abgang, kirschiger Touch im Rückgeschmack, etwas Umami im Abgang, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

96-98 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
"The 2023 Cheval Blanc is uncharacteristically backward on first meeting, and it takes time to really fire up its engines. Quite strict and focused (surprisingly so), the bouquet reveals black fruit, a touch of bilberry, with just a whiff of iris flower. The palate has wonderful symmetry, outstanding mineralité and ample tension. It's extremely pure, with less weight than the 2022 but perhaps a touch more nerve. Modestly grippy on the finish, this ""serious"" Cheval Blanc will deserve several years in bottle. It's cerebral…and I like that. The 2023 is very different from the 2022—a beautiful minor chord."

Als einziger Grand Cru Classé abseits des Médoc unterstreicht Premier-Legende Haut-Brion in jeder Hinsicht ihre Außergewöhnlichkeit. Das fängt bei der unverwechselbaren, Bordeaux-untypischen Flasche an und hört beim amtlichen Status eines nationalen Kulturguts Frankreichs nicht auf. Kein Geringerer als Prinz Robert von Luxemburg zeichnet verantwortlich für den majestätischen Grand Vin aus Pessac-Léognan.

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98-99 Punkte James Suckling
This is tight, yet so upright and proper, with a vertical line of fine tannin that runs true and deep. It’s medium- to full-bodied with an exquisite texture and a long, structured finish. 52.3% merlot, 38.6% cabernet sauvignon and 9.1% cabernet franc.

95-97 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
The 2023 Haut-Brion exhibits a more Cabernet-inflected personality than the richer 2022, offering up a deep but youthfully reserved bouquet of dark wild berries, licorice, smoke and pencil lead mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, nicely integrated new oak and spices. Full-bodied, deep and velvety, it’s layered and concentrated, with a deep core of fruit structured around abundant but velvety tannins, concluding with a long, controlled finish. Somewhat reminiscent of the estate's successful 2006, it's a blend of 52.3% Merlot, 38.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9.1% Cabernet Franc.

97 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Gewürznuancen, ein Hauch von Kräuterwürze, Bitumen, schwarze Beerenfrucht, zart nach Lakritze, facettenreiches Bukett mit zartem Edelholztouch. Komplex, stoffig und straff, Anklänge von feinen roten Herzkirschen, integrierte, tragende Tannine, frisch strukturiert, mineralisch-salzig, ein Langstreckenläufer.

96-98 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
The 2023 Haut-Brion was picked at the same time as the La Mission Haut-Brion, albeit the secateurs sheathed one day later, on October 6. The nose is less immediate than the La Mission and the fruit is a little darker: blackcurrant, juniper, hints of black olive and a light cedar scent. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip and tension. This has superb energy, presenting a crescendo of flavors toward a complex and persistent finish that lingers in the mouth. There is real pedigree to this First Growth, and it will certainly give 30 to 40 years of drinking pleasure.

Ein echter Lafite, zeigt sich noch etwas verschlossen, ist fein ziseliert. Sehr dicht und kompakt am Gaumen, dabei elegant. 2023 besteht fast ausschließlich aus Cabernet Sauvignon und zeigt diese Sorte von ihrer feinsten Seite. Der Wein erinnert an den 1998er, hat aber noch mehr Charme, zeigt sich mit feinem Tanningerüst und reichlich frischer Frucht. Bravo Eric Kohler!

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97-99 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
The finest of the first growths this year appears to be the 2023 Lafite Rothschild, a terrific effort that unwinds in the glass with deep and incipiently complex aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, lilac and violets mingled with hints of cigar wrapper and mint. Medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated, it's vibrant and refined, with a deep core of fruit, plenty of sweet structuring tannin and a compelling marriage between energy and plenitude. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot that reminds me of 2019's tannins combined with 2016's unimpeachable classicism.
Today, Château Lafite Rothschild amounts to some 110 hectares planted to some 900,000 vines (including 4.5 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon in Saint-Estèphe). If that figure strikes readers as smaller than it used to be, that's because Lafite has ripped up some less optimally situated plots that never tended to produce wine fit for inclusion in the grand vin. As of 2021, what's more, organic conversion is underway (15 hectares are already farmed biodynamically); and hedges and flowering borders, planted with native species, now begin to break up the monoculture of the vine. Cover crops, too, have been added to the viticultural team's agronomic arsenal and are delivering good results in parcels with more humid or clay-rich soils. In the winery, Lafite is meticulously traditional—the grapes are sorted twice, once optically, and see a classical maceration in wooden and cement tanks with pump-overs and some use of the "air pulse" system that disrupts the cap and oxygenates the ferment without the need for a full pump-over. Malolactic fermentation, as ever, is in tank, and the wine matures in barrels that are mostly produced in-house, with a light toast, favoring the forests of Allier and Nevers. Each vintage is racked three times, traditionally, with one egg white fining (which requires up to 8,000 eggs). As is the case almost everywhere in the Médoc, the tendency is for less and less Merlot in the assemblage.

97-98 Punkte James Suckling
The purity of cabernet sauvignon is so evident here. It mesmerizes you with aromas of black and red currants, cedar, tobacco and bark. It's full-bodied yet there's very impressive weightlessness and agility, as well as subtlety and focus. Some iron and terra-cotta. Cedar and sandalwood undertones. Juicy and plummy at the end. 12.9% alcohol. 3.75 pH. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon and 40% merlot.

95-97 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild was picked September 7 to 29 at 45hL/ha and matured in 90% new oak. This is more discrete on the nose—one of the tropes of this First Growth—even when compared to the more immediate Carruades. This takes time to unfurl in the glass, slowly revealing black fruit laced with pencil box and just a touch of pressed violet. There’s wonderful precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with a cashmere texture, very pure (again) with a judicious dab of cracked black pepper. The finish is very sleek, thanks to its almost filigree tannins, seeming to glide across the palate. It's not a grippy or sinewy Pauillac, and on reflection, it is technically perfect. Yet, I find myself searching for a bit more…soul. Perhaps a few rough edges would captivate the emotions. This is a delicious Lafite-Rothschild no doubt, but I want it to move me once in bottle. Maybe it will.

95-98 Punkte Vinous (Antonio Galloni)
The 2023 Lafite-Rothschild races out of the glass with notable textural intensity. Explosive and deep, with striking balance, Lafite dazzles in this vintage. The 2023 is a somber, virile Lafite endowed with remarkable depth and tons of sheer character. Plum, blackberry, gravel, pencil shavings, graphite, mocha and lavender build into the intense, palate-staining finish. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.

„Der Jahrgang 2023 entspricht einem wunderbaren Ausdruck von Chateau Margaux und seinem - dem größten - Terroir der Appellation.“ sagt Alexis Mentzelopoulos, Leiter von Château Margaux. Der Ausdruck des Terroirs ist im Glas wirklich zu spüren. Eine glasklare, pure, filigrane Frucht. Reife Kirsche, Himbeere, Holunderbeere begleitet von einer eleganten Floralität, die durch zarte Noten von Flieder zum Ausdruck kommt. So eine Finesse! Getragen wird dieser Wein durch eine sehr straffe Säure und ein definitiv präsentes, aber seidiges Tannin.

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99-100 Punkte James Suckling
The aromas in this young Margaux are so primary, reminding me of grape must fermenting in the vat, then turning to perfumes and flowers. Violets and roses. Full-bodied but it comes across as so agile and bright, with vivid acidity that makes the wine crunchy and linear. As Alexis, one of the owners of Margaux said, this really shows the DNA of the estate. Weightless. One of the wines of the vintage. 3.6 pH. Blend of 89% cabernet sauvignon, 5% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.

95-97 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
The 2023 Château Margaux shows considerable promise, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis, violets, spring flowers and sweet tobacco, framed by a deft touch of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's taut, concentrated and classically structured, with sweet, refined tannins and lively acids, concluding with a long, mouthwatering finish. It's a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that attained 13% alcohol.

100 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Edelholzwürze, zart nach Nugat und Nelken, dunkle Waldbeeren, Cassis, Lakritze, floraler Touch, zart nach Mandarinenzesten, verführerisches Bukett. Saftig, hochelegant, reife Herzkirschen, seidige, tragende Tannine, lebendig, finessenreich strukturiert, ein Hauch von Schokolade und Brombeeren im Abgang, harmonisch, balanciert, mineralisch-salzig, bleibt sehr lange haften. Ein perfektes Abbild dieses einzigartigen Terroirs.

"Jetzt kommt zusammen, was zusammengehört", mag sich Clarence Dillon gesagt haben, als er 1983 mit dem Erwerb von La Mission Haut-Brion der ewigen Konkurrenz mit dem übergroßen Nachbarn ein Ende setzte. Neben Premier-Legende Haut-Brion, bereits seit 1953 im Besitz des US-amerikanischen Unternehmers, hat sich La Mission seinen Stil bewahrt: kraftvoll, extraktreich, zugleich mineralisch und hochelegant.

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97-98 Punkte James Suckling
The classy mouth-feel and length to this is really gorgeous, and it seduces you with its texture of fine silk and finesse. Lasts for a long, long time. Medium body with medium, creamy and round tannins and a layered, textured finish. Shows blackcurrants, lead pencil and crushed stone at the end. 52.7% merlot, 29.6% cabernet sauvignon and 17.7% cabernet franc.

94-96 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion unwinds in the glass to reveal aromas of ripe red fruits, dark wild berries, spring flowers, burning embers and lilac. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it’s layered and textural with a dense core of fruit underpinned by youthfully firm structuring tannins. This blend of 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17.7% Cabernet Franc its likely to become fleshier and more enveloping with barrel maturation.

93-95 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
The 2023 La Mission Haut-Brion was picked between September 5 until October 5, a relatively long picking, at 50hL/ha. It has a wonderful bouquet with brightness and verve: very well-defined red and black fruit, a little floral in style, maybe not as rambunctious as recent vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins. A perfect line of acidity counterbalances the creamy texture, turning quite plush toward the finish, but it is amazingly well-focused. This is a generous La Mission Haut-Brion that will probably drink earlier than say, the 2022, as winemaker Jean-Philippe Delmas agreed. It’s very fine and very delicious, but I would not place it within the canon of top vintages.

Jedes Jahr aufs Neue fiebert das geneigte Publikum dem Erscheinen des neuen Mouton Rothschild entgegen - nicht zuletzt, um das neue Etikett zu begutachten, das seit 1945 jedes Jahr von einem renommierten Künstler entworfen wird. Ebenso spannend ist die Frage, ob die aktuelle Ausgabe dieses legendären Weins bei den Kritikern, wie so oft, die einen der ersten Plätze des Jahrgangs erreicht. Eine Überraschung ist es nie.

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98-99 Punkte James Suckling
This is the most structured Mouton since the great 2016, with tannins that start slowly and then take off. It’s muscular and toned. It’s full-bodied but doesn’t come across too heavy. It builds up in intensity and goes on and on and on. It just keeps expanding. I took a double take here. 93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% merlot.

94-96 Punkte Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
Aromas of crème de cassis and dark berries mingled with pencil shaving, espresso roast and violets introduce the 2023 Mouton Rothschild, a medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy wine with a creamy core of ripe but lively fruit, sweet tannins and an expansive finish. In terms of parcels, the 2023 is quite different in origins from the 2022, favoring plots that are better-drained rather than those resistant to drought. It's a blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, without either Cabernet Franc or Petit Verdot featuring in the blend, and it attained 13.3% alcohol.

97 Punkte Falstaff (Peter Moser)
Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feine Edelholzwürze, schwarze Waldbeeren, zart nach Brombeeren und Lakritze, tabakige Nuancen. Saftig, elegant, feine rotbeerige Noten nach Preiselbeeren, seidige, feine Tannine, frische Säurestruktur, angenehme Kirschfrucht im Abgang, saliner Nachhall, bleibt haften, ein lebendiger Speisenbegleiter, ein Hauch von Cassis im Rückgeschmack.

96-98 Punkte Vinous (Neal Martin)
The 2023 Mouton Rothschild was picked from September 7 to 30 and contains 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, the second highest ever (after the 2010). Matured entirely in new oak as usual, this has an intense, floral bouquet with violet petals infusing the black fruit and touches of licorice loitering just off stage—very fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with extremely refined tannins. Focused and harmonious, it’s velvety smooth with a long and tender finish that has more crispness than the 2022. In fact, I might ultimately end up preferring this over the 2022…it will be interesting finding out in the future!