All of the following 2023 St. Emilion wines were tasted in Bordeaux in April in non-blind tasting conditions. Most of the wines were tasted at the property. However, I also tasted several wines at Negociants, and Consultants, as well as with various trade groups. Whenever possible, the wines were tasted on more than one occasion.
Because we have tasting notes for close to 160 different, 2023 Saint Emilion wines, this report has been divided into 3 separate articles. Part 1 starts with wines A – D, and Part 3 wraps up with wines M-Z
2023 St. Emilion Part 2 Wines E-L
2023 Faugeres -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Quite floral in nature, the wine is also loaded with ripe, sweet, dark, red pit fruits, espresso, chocolate mint, licorice, and black raspberries. Medium/full-bodied, the wine is silky, lush soft, and polished, with luscious, dark pit fruits, coffee bean, and black cherries in the finish. The wine blends 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2027-2039.
2023 Faugeres Calice de Faugeres -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Medium-bodied, forward, soft, and elegant, this is as easy-to-like, as it is easy-to-drink. This is perfect for near-term, delicious, enjoyment. Drink from 2026-2032. 89-91 Pts
2023 Figeac -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Just a single swirl brings out the flowers, leaves, tobacco, truffle, black cherry, plums, and black raspberries. From there you discover the medium-bodied, silky, energetic backdrop for all of the black cherries exuding their gorgeous sense of purity. There are no hard edges. This is the quintessential definition of elegance. For history buffs, this is the 130th vintage under the ownership of the Manoncourt family. The wine blends 41% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and 37% Cabernet Sauvignon. 5% Press wine. 13.5% ABV, 3.68 pH, 5% press wine. The key to the vintage was two green harvests and finding the best picking dates, which encompass a long wait for the Cabernets to mature. Picking took place September 6 – October 5. The length of the harvest is due to the 12 day break between the Merlot and the Cabernets. Drink from 2029-2065. 97-99 Pts
2023 Fleur Cardinale -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Chocolate covered black cherries, licorice, plums, and espresso nuances are all over the place on the nose, and on the lush, polished, round palate. The blend is 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. All that extra Cabernet really makes a difference adding more freshness, complexity, and individuality. Drink from 2027-2040. 92-94 Pts
2023 Fleur Cardinale Croix Cardinale -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Espresso, chocolate, and black cherries, with hints of licorice are all over the place here in the perfume, and on the round, fruity, open palate. You can enjoy this with pleasure in release. Drink from 2026-2033. 90-92 Pts
2023 Fleur Cardinale Croix Cardinale Revelation -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Medium-bodied, with chocolate covered cherries on the nose and palate. Forward, and fruity, you can enjoy this on release and over the next few years. The wine is made from 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2032. 88-90 Pts
2023 Fleur Cardinale Intuition -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Red cherries, mint, and licorice form the character here. The wine is round, forward, fruity, and already fun to drink with its plummy and coco character. Drink from 2026-2032. 89-91 Pts
2023 Fleur de Lisse -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Crisp, bright, and fruity, with a core of vibrant, red fruits, soft, tannins, and sweetness to the cherries, as well as lift in the finish. Drink from 2026-2035. 89-91 Pts
2023 Fombrauge -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherries, flowers, chocolate covered plums , smoke, espresso, licorice and cherries create the perfume. The fruits are ripe, sweet, forward, and juicy with touches of chocolate, black raspberries, and cherries on the mid-palate, and in the finish. This should offer pleasure almost on release. The wine blends 90% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2040. 92-94 Pts
2023 Fonbel -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Cherries, licorice, flowers, and a hint of spice fill the perfume. Medium-bodied, silky, elegant, and fresh, with soft, creamy tannins, and sweetness to the red berries on the mid-palate, and in the finish, with a refreshing edge of tobacco leaf on the backend of the finish. The wine blends 64% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Carmenere. Drink from 2027-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Fonplegade -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Orange blossoms, raspberries, flowers, and cherries, with touches of licorice, mint, and sea salt fill the perfume and the palate. The wine is medium-bodied, silky, vibrant, fresh, and nuanced with an oceanic air to the red berries, and chocolate from start to finish. The wine blends 85% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% ABV. Drink from 2027-2047. 93-95 Pts
2023 Fonroque -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, black cherries, and espresso blend in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, round, chewy, chocolatey, palate. There is a dryness to the finish, so allow it a bit of time for it to develop more softness, and it could be a better wine. Drink from 2027-2038. 89-91 Pts
2023 Franc-Mayne -St. Émilion Grand Cru -The wine is rich, supple, long, and fresh with a depth of flavor, strong floral edge, and vibrant, fruit-filled finish accented with licorice, and chocolate notes. The wine was made from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2045. 92-94 Pts
2023 Godeau -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Ripe, red fruits, licorice, strawberries, and black raspberries fill the nose. The palate is fresh, vibrant, elegant, fruity and focused on its core of red fruits, finishing with dusty tannins, and a touch of fresh greenery. The wine is made from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2026-2036. 89-91 Pts
2023 Grand Corbin – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Plums, flowers, and cherries, with accents of licorice, and cocoa form the character of this medium-bodied, bright, fresh, red pit fruit, and berry-filled wine. You can enjoy this with ease on release, or age it for more complexity. Drink from 2026-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Grand Mayne -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers cherries, plums, and licorice pop in the nose. Medium-bodied, elegant, juicy, and silky, with sweetness, and lift in the plummy, licorice oriented finish. Drink from 2027-2045. 92-94 Pts
2023 Grand-Corbin-Despagne -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, licorice, chocolate, cinnamon, black cherries, and black raspberries fill the aromatic profile. Silky, long, and vibrant, with richness, creamy textures, and a vibrancy to the sweet, dark fruits in the mid-palate, and in the finish. The wine is produced from blending 75% Merlot, with 25% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2043. 92-94 Pts
2023 Haut Brisson -St. Émilion Grand Cru -The core of flowers, herbs, cherries, and spice fill the nose and the medium-bodied palate. The soft-textured mid-palate, and finish delivers its bright, spicy, red fruits with a refined, refreshing, minty edge. You can enjoy this with pleasure just about on release, or age it for more complexity. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, forward, soft, and fruity, with a chalky nuance in the plummy finish. The wine blends 95% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 Haut Veyrac -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Medium-bodied, vibrant, forward, chewy, and vibrant, with a crisp, refreshing edge to the fruits, and a touch of garrigue that show up in the finish. Made from a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2025-2037. 88-90 Pts
2023 Haut-Sarpe -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, espresso, crushed, rock, and red fruits show in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, chalky, vibrant, energetic palate. This is a wine of place, with its crushed rock character. Drink from 2027-2039. 89-91 Pts
2023 Jean Faure -St. Émilion Grand Cru -The wine is vibrant, floral, fresh, juicy, meaty and lifted, with a strong sensation of crushed rocks, stones, flowers, spice and marine influences. The wine is complex, fruity, and lively, with an earthy character that should age quite well. Give it a year or two in the bottle, and it will be even better. The wine blends 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot, and 6% Malbec. Drink from 2027-2043. 92-94 Pts
2023 L’Archange -St. Émilion -Soft, supple, silky, and fresh, the fruits are vibrant, with a red, raspberry edge to the berries, letting the purity, and energy shine this year in the nose, and on the medium-bodied palate. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. This should be ready to go on release. Drink from 2027-2036. 90-92 Pts
2023 L’Etampe -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Juicy, sweet, round, soft, and fruity, the wine is medium-bodied, elegant, and ready-to-go on release, with a refreshing touch of citrus in the finish. Drink from 2026-2036. 89-91 Pts
2023 La Clotte -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Floral in nature, you also find notes of licorice, cherries, and red with black plums. The medium-bodied wine is soft, silky, vibrant, fresh, and spicy, with a lifted, red berry finish. You can enjoy this with just a year or two of aging. The wine blends 85% Merlot, with 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2042. 92-94 Pts
2023 La Commanderie -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Espresso, chocolate, licorice, and floral nuances mesh with the medium-bodied, forward, creamy, chocolate-coated, black cherry, licorice, mint, and oak-touched palate. If the oak is eaten by the fruit, this could be quite good. Drink from 2027-2037. 89-91 Pts
2023 La Confession -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, spice, smoke, black raspberries, licorice, cherries, and plums shoot from the glass. Medium-bodied, silky, fresh, and lifted, the fruits are clean, pure, bright, and sweet. There is length, definition, and complexity. With Thomas Duclos as the new consultant, this is a property to watch. The wine blends 70% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec. 13.5% ABV. Drink from 2027-2045. 92-94 Pts
2023 La Croizille -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherries, espresso, and plums pop in the aromatic profile. The wine is medium-bodied, juicy, fresh, and creamy, with soft, polished, sweet, red plums and licorice in the finish. You can enjoy this young, or age it for more complexity. Drink from 2027-2038. 91-93 Pts
2023 La Dominique -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Elegant is the keyword here. The wine is medium-bodied, edgy, and fresh, with soft, and silky tannins. The fruits are bight, crisp, and clean, with touches of mint, licorice, spice and tobacco in the mid-palate. The finish focuses you on the energetic raspberries, cherries, and plums, with their tobacco, mint, and spicy character. The wine blends 88% Merlot, with 12% Cabernet Franc, 14.1% ABV, 3.85 pH. The wine is aged in 50% new, French oak, and 10% amphora. Harvesting took place September 6 – October 3. Drink from 2026-2045. 93-95 Pts
2023 La Fleur Morange Mathilde -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Bright, fresh, pure, and vibrant, the wine is on the red berry side of the style range, with an elegant, easy-going charm, softness, energy, and fruity charm. Year after year, this remains one of the top value plays in Saint Emilion. The wine is made from 100% Merlot from vines with more than 50 years of age. Drink from 2026-2034. 91-93 Pts
2023 La Fleur Perey Cuvée Prestige -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Medium-bodied, forward, fruit-filled, soft-round, aromatic and charming that is going to be delicious on release and for at least a decade after that. Drink from 2026-2036. 89-91 Pts
2023 La Fleur St.Emilion -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Round, fruity, and sweet, but lacking in complexity. Still, the chewy fruit in the finish has charm. This is best suited for early drinking pleasure. The wine is produced from a blend of 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2027-2039. 89-91 Pts
2023 La Gaffeliere – St. Émilion Grand Cru – Black plums, flowers, cherries, and fennel fill the nose. On the palate, the wine is luscious, elegant, polished, fresh, sweet, and lifted, with lingering cherries, and plums on the backend in the salted-chocolatey, finish. Drink from 2028-2050. 94-96 Pts
2023 La Marzelle -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, black cherries, plums, and chocolate pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is supple, creamy, and fresh, with layers of dark red berries, cocoa, licorice and spice, leaving you with chocolate-covered, black cherries, and a sprig of mint. Drink from 2027-2040. 91-93 Pts
2023 La Serre -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherries, herbs, spice, and licorice come together in the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, vibrant, sweet, and juicy, with a nice lift in the red plum finish. Drink from 2026-2040. 91-93 Pts
2023 La Voute -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black cherries, licorice, chocolate, and flowers create the attention seeking nose. Rich, supple, creamy, and loaded with chocolate covered cherries, this is a fine, hedonistic wine. Drink from 2027-2040. 92-94 Pts
2023 La-Fleur-Morange -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Black raspberries, flowers, cherries, spice, licorice, and herbs fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is fresh, vibrant, fruity, elegant, and polished, with loads of sweet, red berries on the backend. The wine blends 70% Merlot, with 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2040. 93-95 Pts
2023 La-TourFigeac -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Spring flowers, cherries, plums, licorice, and a hint of espresso get the wine going. Medium-bodied, soft, silky, fresh, and creamy, the red fruits with their spicy accents express a nice sense of purity on the mid-palate, that carries through to the finish, where you also find a refreshing salty, licorice nuance. The wine blends 65% Merlot, with 35% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2042. 92-94 Pts
2023 Lafon La Tuilerie -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, chocolate, spice, espresso, and black cherries show easily here. The wine is bright, fresh, juicy, and forward, finishing with cocoa, black raspberries, spice, and juicy, red plums. Produced from 100% Merlot, this will drink well young, and age for at least a decade or more. Drink from 2026-2038. 90-92 Pts
2023 Laforge -St. Émilion Grand Cru -With a spicy touch to the red fruits, incense, licorice, and flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied, fresh, bright, and fruity, the wine finishes with sweet black raspberries from start to finish. The wine blends 92% Merlot with 8% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2039. 90-92 Pts
2023 Laniote -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, black cherries, and espresso form the core of this medium-bodied, vibrant, chewy wine. There is a crispness, with a salty accent to the red berries in the finish. Drink from 2027-2036. 89-91 Pts
2023 Larcis Ducasse -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Crushed stone, flowers, strawberries, cherries, licorice, tobacco, and spice create the complex aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is crisp, ripe, long, and vibrant. It is easy to find its trademark sense of minerality accompanying the layers of fruit that linger on the mid-palate. There is purity, length, and energy in the finish. The wine blends 86% Merlot with 14% Cabernet Franc. 14.7% ABV. Drink from 2029-2055. 94-96 Pts
2023 Larmande -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, crushed stone, black raspberries, smoke, licorice, and chocolate show in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, fresh, elegant, soft, creamy-textured palate. The black raspberries, licorice, and cocoa in the finish seal the deal. Drink from 2027-2040. 91-93 Pts
2023 Laroque -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Deeply colored, the wine opens with a strong, marine influence before you get to the flowers, licorice, red berries, and spice. The palate displays a medium-bodied, energetic core of spicy, fresh, sweet, ripe, salty, red fruits. Elegant in nature, there is a vibrant, almost, racy character to the fruits. This is a refined, charmer that leaves you with sweetness, spice, and ample purity in the salt-edged, red fruits that remain with you, from start to finish. The wine was made with 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, 14.15% ABV. Drink from 2028-2045. 94-96 Pts
2023 Laroze -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Espresso, herbs, tobacco, and cedar aromatics show effortlessly. Medium-bodied, with a fruity core of red pit fruits, the creamy finish leaves with you sweet, ripe, cherries, with licorice accents, dark chocolate, and a touch of mint. Drink from 2027-2039. 90-92 Pts
2023 Lassegue -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Crushed rocks, mint, flowers, espresso, and cherries are what you find in this vivacious, mineral-driven, bright, wine. The finish delivers a touch of salt, with the sweet red fruits, licorice, and spice. Drink from 2027-2040. 91-93 Pts
2023 Le Chatelet -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Bright, crisp, medium-bodied, red fruits with a savory edge accompanying the red berry core of fruit The finish, with its mint, and herbal accent is fresh, as well as reserved. The wine blends 80% Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2036. 89-91 Pts
2023 Le Dome -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, espresso, sandalwood, smoke, black plums, and black cherries create the perfume. The palate offers a rich layer of salty black cherries, plums, licorice, and chocolate. Equally lush, and racy, this is going to be even better with a few years of aging. The wine blends 80% Cabernet Franc with 20% Merlot, 14.1% ABV. The harvest took place September 20 – October 2. Drink from 2028-2052. 95-97 Pts
2023 Le Prieure -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Quite floral in nature, you also find black raspberries, marine influences, orange, and flowers in the perfume. The wine is medium-bodied, elegant, energetic, and silky-textured on the palate, with freshness, ripe fruits, and a complicating touch of salt in the finish. The wine is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.14.5% ABV, 3.5 pH. Drink from 2027-2045. 92-94 Pts
2023 Les Gravieres -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Chocolate-covered black cherries, plums, flowers, with a strong mineral essence, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, forward, and fruity, finishing with licorice, dark cocoa, and red pit fruits from start to finish. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2026-2038. 90-92 Pts
2023 Lif -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Quite floral in its nature, the wine is spicy, fresh, floral, and exuberant in the nose. On the palate, it is easy to see all the lift, and energy in the wine. The red berries have a vibrancy that gives energy, and length, paired with purity, and a refreshing, spicy endnote. This remains one of the new stars of St. Emilion and is a wine to follow before prices jump. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc, 14.1% ABV, pH 3.37. The harvest took place September 18-October 2. Drink from 2028-2050 95-97 Pts
2023 Louis -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Flowers, spearmint, cherry blossoms, and raspberries are on display in the nose, and on the palate. Medium-bodied, elegant, and fresh, this is going to be good-to-go on release. Drink from 2026-2035. 89-91 Pts
2023 Lucia -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Licorice, black cherries, chocolate, espresso, and a sprig of mint produce the core of the nose, and palate here. The wine is round, medium-bodied, and polished,, with loads of chocolate-covered fruits in the finish. The wine is made from 90% Merlot, with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2036. 91-93 Pts
2023 Lynsolence -St. Émilion Grand Cru -Chocolate covered black cherries, licorice, truffle, and espresso pop in the perfume. The palate is lush, round, and polished, with a spicy edge to the layers of ripe, sweet, back with red pit fruits. 2023 is the first vintage produced without the previous owner, Denis Barraud who passed after making the 22s. Drink from 2026-2042. 91-93 Pts
Up next, we are wrapping up our coverage of 2023 St. Emilion with 2023 Saint Emilion Pt. 3 Wines M-Z before moving on to 2023 White Bordeaux wine and a look at the best 2023 sweet Bordeaux wine from Sauternes and Barsac.
For a detailed overview of the 2023 Bordeaux vintage, growing season, and harvest, with links to all of our appellation reports 2023 Bordeaux Vintage Analysis with Buying Tips for the Best Wines of the Vintage
