2023 Futures
For each vintage and each appellation, there are always wines that distinguished themselves by being cheaper than others with the same quality level, or by being far better than others in the same range of prices.
These “best values for money” of the current vintage are highlighted in this category.
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The dry white wine of Lagrange, in a precise and pleasant style. As always in Lagrange, the quality/price ratio is there!
Quarin : 88/100 « Couleur vert pâle. Nez très aromatique, fruité, mentholé et légèrement citronné. Ample à l'attaque, juteux en milieu de bouche, le vin caresse le palais, épicé et parfumé. Finale agréable, de longueur normale. »
Martin : 87/100 « Light pear and Golden Delicious scents emerge on the nose. It's quite pretty, if not the most complex white that you will find in the Médoc. The palate is balanced with white peach and Anjou pear and lightly spiced toward the finish. Drink it over the next two or three years. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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Administered by the Rothschilds (Mouton) since 1996, Coutet has joined the leading pack of the biggest Sauternes after Yquem. Like Climens, it is a true Barsac, pure and remarkably subtle, but with a more marked liquor. Since 2005, Coutet has been in great shape! In a rare feat, the exceptional 2020 vintage came top (ahead of Yquem) in the Revue du Vin de France's ranking of Sauternes 2020 « un sommet de pureté, de précoce harmonie, de naturel ! ».
Revue du Vin de France : 96-99/100 « La robe est claire, le nez d’une évidence brillante, le tranchant de la feuille de citronnier s’insinuant dans un fruit profondément rôti. La matière se pose en bouche avec des pattes de velours, prenant son temps pour définir les dimensions d’une forme que l’on peut qualifier de classique, plus élancée que celle du 2022, d’une beauté apollinienne. Tout se met en place avec aisance, concourant à une sérénité unique et voluptueuse. »
Quarin : 94/100 « Couleur dorée. Nez intense, fruité. Touches d'iode et de coquille d'huîtres. Magique en entrée de bouche, fondant au milieu, le vin évolue complexe et savoureux vers une belle finale au toucher subtil. »
Galloni : 93-95/100 « The 2023 Coutet is stellar. Soaring aromatics and bright acids drive through a core of lemon confit, apricot, mint, spice, passion fruit and pineapple. The interplay of deep, layered flavors and energy is so compelling. »
Martin : 94-96/100 « The 2023 Coutet has a tightly-wound bouquet that demands more coaxing than its peers. It typically already possesses laser-sharp focus and is less flamboyant than fellow Barsacs, underpinned and sharpened by its limestone soils. The palate is well balanced with intense botrytised fruit, lightly spiced dried honey and orange rind notes, just a hint of apricot in the background, stretching out on the finish that lingers on the tongue. I am not sure it is the best Coutet in recent years, but it is certainly a very fine contribution to the vintage that should age well in bottle. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.5%
- Blend:
- 95% Sémillon, 4% Sauvignon blanc, 1% Muscadelle
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Puyguéraud is the reference of the Côtes de Francs, producing with great regularity wines of very high level. The owner, Nicolas Thienpont, also manages Pavie-Macquin and Larcis-Ducasse in St-Émilion. Always well rated, Puyguéraud proves better than others that it is possible to taste a beautiful and great Bordeaux for less than 15 € a bottle.
Revue du Vin de France : 90-91/100 « Une jolie couleur violine, juvénile, un grain fougueux, un joli vin à l’attaque tendre et à la fermeté tannique. Bien défini. »
Galloni : 86-88/100 « The 2023 Puygueraud is laced with dark red cherry, blood orange, plum, spice, dried herbs, mocha and licorice. It has good intensity but also dries out a bit on the close. This is the first vintage to include some Malbec in the blend. It will be interesting to see if this softens with élevage. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Blend:
- 90% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec
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A 4 ha plot selection from Château Rigaud, La Mauriane is not yet another luxurious cuvée on the right bank but a wine built on fine grain tannins where the brilliance and precision of the fruit prevail. A true gem in the right bank !
Quarin : 92/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, au fruité mûr et subtil. Un peu plus parfumé que d'habitude. Minutieux en entrée de bouche, très savoureux au milieu, avec de l'éclat, le vin s'étire en finale, long, juteux, séveux et parfumé. Jolie enveloppe tannique. C'est très bon. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Blend:
- 68 % Merlot, 32% Cabernet franc
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Under the leadership of M. Thunevin (Valandraud), La Vieille Cure presents a more greedy and less square profile than before and reveals itself as one of Fronsac's major properties.
Quarin : 87/100 « Bouche plus discrète qu'attendue. »
Martin : 89-91/100 « The 2023 La Vieille Cure has a pleasant nose with raspberry coulis and black berry fruit, touches of sous-bois evolving in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, impressive depth and focus. The oak is neatly integrated, with just a bit of hardness on the finish. It should mellow with bottle age and come good in the end. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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Selection of the best parcels of Château de Carles (10 ha out of the 20 ha of the estate), certainly the finest and most ambitious wine of Fronsac, making since 2000 equal game with the best classified growths of the slopes of Saint-Émilion. A great wine that should be kept for at least 6 to 8 years.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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With 12 hectares cultivated in biodynamic farming, certified since the 2007 vintage, Clos Puy-Arnaud is one of the great Côtes de Castillon wines that have nothing to envy to neighbouring Saint-Émilion.
Uncompromising, the great wine that has made the estate's reputation is an authentic cuvée, straightforward, deep and made for laying down.Quarin : 89/100 « Couleur sombre et intense. Nez un peu discret et fruité. Délicat en entrée de bouche, savoureux au milieu, le vin glisse sur le palais, charnu, agréable, sur une longueur moyenne. »
Galloni : 90-93/100 « The 2023 Clos Puy Arnaud is a huge, powerful, intense wine with a ton of fruit density. This feels a bit heavy and overdone - unusually so. Sark fruit and mocha linger. We will see where this goes. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 14%
- Blend:
- 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet franc, 5% Cabernet sauvignon
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Roundness, suppleness and depth of flesh are the hallmarks of the consensual red wines produced in Larrivet Haut-Brion, advised by Mr. Rolland until 2014 and then by Mr. Derenoncourt. No link between Larrivet (in Léognan) and Haut-Brion (in Pessac).
Quarin : 91/100 « Couleur noire. Nez intense, fruité, fumé. Délicat en entrée de bouche, savoureux au milieu, avec un corps fondant, le vin caresse le palais. Il gagne du goût en finale tout en maintenant un équilibre et une douceur dans le déroulé qui signent plus que jamais une identité Pessac Léognan (très forte proportion de cabernet). »
Galloni : 93-95/100 « A wine of stature and pure breeding, the 2023 Larrivet Haut-Brion is superb. Its vertical energy is compelling right out of the gate. Dark red-toned fruit, gravel, incense, licorice, spice, rose petal and tobacco build effortlessly in a deep, layered Pessac-Léognan that hits all the right notes. [...] Superb. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 14%
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Since 1985, Pape Clément has magnificently combined the bouquet and natural finesse of the Graves with the power of its terroir (comparable to that of the greatest Pauillac wines). It is undoubtedly one of the super seconds on the left bank, what is confirmed by the marks attributed to its latest vintages.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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By balancing power and softness, finesse and length, Lousteauneuf has established itself in less than 5 years as the example to follow in the north of the Médoc. He reminds us of Poujeaux 20 years ago.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Blend:
- 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot
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A family property since the 1950s, the arrival of a new generation has awakened this 32-hectare cru bourgeois in Cussac-Fort-Médoc, between Saint-Julien and Margaux. Revealed in 2012, du Retout climbs another notch in 2018 and 2019 with enthusiastic, sincere and tasty Haut-Médoc, full of fruit and carried by fresh tannins. Congratulations!
Quarin : 90/100 « Nez très aromatique, au fruité mûr, épicé, vanillé et pour la première fois plus floral que jamais. Moelleux en entrée de bouche, très aromatique au milieu, avec un grand équilibre dans le déroulé, le vin avance juteux, savoureux, sur un des grains de tannin les plus nuancés dans ce cru. Qu'il est doux de remarquer que sur ces terroirs réputés austères, le travail des hommes a permis de révéler un potentiel de parfums jusqu'alors caché. De l'art de faire bouger les lignes. Bravo ! »
Martin : 85-87/100 « The 2023 Château du Retout has an intense and perfumed bouquet with layers of black cherries, red plum and a hint of camphor emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet entry, maybe just a little too saccharine compared to the best Haut-Médocs, although it does offer a sense of lusciousness that I appreciate. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.05%
- Blend:
- 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot
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Second wine of Clos Manou, the Médoc as we like it: generous, sweet and balanced by a good vivacity. A real treat!
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.95%
- Blend:
- 52% Merlot, 42% Cabernet sauvignon, 3,5% Petit verdot, 2,5% Cabernet franc
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Vinified in the cellars of Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, this cuvée benefits from the best care. Its higher proportion of Merlot (68%) makes it a wine of pleasure, gourmet and quickly enjoyable.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Blend:
- 59% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot
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The incessant work of Mr. and Mrs. Dief since 2000 is bearing fruit today: in a tense and distinguished style, Clos Manou shines with a vibrant, deep energy, with pure and radiant fruit, combining length and density. Undoubtedly the most beautiful revelation of the northern Médoc in recent vintages.
Revue du Vin de France : 90-92/100 « Comme à son habitude, cette propriété élabore un vin très charmeur et délicieux, habilement élevé et doté de beaucoup de fruit. Une valeur sûre à la belle évolution prévisible. »
Quarin : 92/100 « Couleur sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez aromatique, au fruité frais et épicé et pour la première fois mentholé. Délicatement charnu en entrée de bouche, aromatique au milieu, avec une construction impeccable où tout glisse dans un grand équilibre, le vin s'achève long et séveux. On halète en finale. »
Galloni : 88-90/100 « The 2023 Clos Manou is a bold, juicy Médoc. Plum, spice, leather, cedar and dried herbs are nicely pushed forward. The 2023 is a but rustic as this stage, but it has potential. Pretty top notes brighten the finish. »
Martin : 92-94/100 « The 2023 Clos Manou has a clean and precise nose of earthy black fruit, with touches of freshly rolled tobacco following through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and finely proportioned, with gentle grip and a keen line of acidity. There is a build in the mouth absent in many of its peers, as well as unquestionably greater persistency. Excellent. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.20%
- Blend:
- 70% Cabernet sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 8% Petit verdot
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The third wine jewel of Bernard Magrez (after Pape Clément and Fombrauge), bought in 1999. After a complete overhaul of the vineyard (it is now the largest Grand Cru Classé in the Médoc with 225 ha of vineyards), La Tour Carnet displays a modern, smooth and powerful style. A formidable competitor in blind tastings.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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Second wine of Brane-Cantenac, Baron de Brane demonstrates even more than his big brother the progress made in this château over the last 15 years. With a silky smooth 2016, deliciously crisp and juicy on the finish, Baron de Brane is now more than a second wine, it is a brand in its own right!
Quarin : 89/100 « Beau rouge sombre. Nez intense, au fruité mûr. Délicat à l'attaque, savoureux au milieu, avec un beau toucher, le vin fond, puis prend de l'aisance entre le milieu et la finale. Longueur normale. »
Galloni : 88-90/100 « The 2023 Baron de Brane offers up dark-fleshed fruit, new leather, tobacco and incense. There's a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon than in most years, and the Merlot was saignéed. All of these elements yield an attractive wine that is still coming together. Today, the Baron is a bit of a bruiser. »
Martin : 89-91/100 « The 2023 Baron de Brane is well-defined on the nose with black cherries, wild mint and pencil box scents that are nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a grippy entry. There's backbone on this Deuxième Vin, quite feisty on the finish with decent length. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13,8%
- Blend:
- 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carménère, 1% Petit Verdot
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Second wine of Lagrange, of an incredible regularity in its quality as in its prices. This classic is an ideal "core of the cellar"!
Quarin : 89/100 « Beau rouge sombre. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur et fruité. Pulpeux en entrée de bouche et tout le long de la dégustation, le vin évolue savoureux, suave et long en finale. Joli déroulé bien équilibré. Une réussite, aidée par le petit verdot. »
Martin : 87-89/100 « Brambly black fruit, briar and light tobacco scents furnish the aromatics, perhaps not the most vigorous amongst the Saint-Julien wines, but suggestive of an approachable 2023. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly powdery tannins, mainly black fruit and a slight chalkiness toward the finish. It delivers a light peppery note on the aftertaste. Fine. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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Second wine of Talbot, creamy and quickly accessible.
Martin : 87-89/100 « The 2023 Connetable Talbot contains some Petit Verdot in the blend, as two plots were deselected from the Grand Vin. It has a well-defined bouquet, predominantly black fruit laced with tabacco and touches of sous-bois. There is a sorbet-like freshness here. The palate is medium-bodied with a crunchy entry. Alinear and nicely focused Connetable in the making, this shows a little more depth on the finish compared to recent vintages. Fine. »
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13,16%
- Blend:
- 56 % Merlot, 41 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 % Petit Verdot
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Second wine of Gruaud-Larose. In a rather powerful and tight register, Sarget is a serious and convincing Saint-Julien, with substance, at its best after 5 to 7 years of ageing.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.5%
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Even if their evolution always involves a period of austerity, Léoville-Barton wines have a supreme class and elegance, due as much to the advanced age of the vines as to meticulous work. Always praised by the critics, as in 2015 "fine, sapid and very long, lots of class on the palate, with a juicy side and superb texture", rated 97/100 by the Revue du Vin de France.
Revue du Vin de France : 97-98/100 « Composé à 96 % de cabernets, ce 2023 est fantastique de définition et de puissance. La matière, tout en muscle, est éclatante, juteuse et les tanins sont parfaitement extraits. Mais c’est une fois encore la finale qui impressionne par son allonge et son éclat. »
Quarin : 95/100 « Couleur intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur, fruité et subtil. Fond de fleurs et de fruits noirs. Délicat en entrée de bouche, suave au milieu, avec un beau toucher, le vin fond au palais, juteux et raffiné. Finale à la saveur profonde et légèrement réglissée. Tannicité très bien enveloppée. L'élevage pourrait le révéler. »
Galloni : 93-95/100 « The 2023 Léoville-Barton marries the classicism the château is so well-known for with an extra kick of textural intensity from the heat of the year. It's powerful, dark and serious, with compelling notes of black cherry, lavender, spice and blackberry. This is an especially dense, somber Léoville-Barton endowed with tremendous presence. [...] This will need time to soften, as the tannins are imposing. »
Martin : 92-94/100 « This takes a long time to settle in the glass, unfolding with black fruit, wild mint and a subtle seaweed scent. This Saint-Julien gains cohesion with aeration-a bit of pep. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. A touch of dark chocolate infuses the black fruit, harmonious with a patina of new oak that will integrate with time. This is classic Léoville Barton from tip to toe, and whilst it does not match the imperious 2022, it is a very impressive follow-up due to its interwoven elegance. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13%
- Blend:
- 87 % Cabernet sauvignon, 10 % Merlot, 3% Cabernet franc
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Second wine of Grand-Puy Lacoste. Fruity, tender, silky, and always elegant. A classic at a reasonable price.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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New denomination of the second wine of Pichon-Baron from the 2012 vintage, undoubtedly at the level of the 5th growths of Pauillac.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.2%
- Blend:
- 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
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Second wine of Pichon-Comtesse de Lalande: velvety, generous, with well-polished tannins and aromas of ripe fruit with a very Pauillaise cedar note. A reliable and regular value, quickly developed.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Blend:
- 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc
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Known for producing one of the firmest and tightest (even robust) Pauillacs available, Duhart-Milon has since 2010 refined its style to gradually approach that of Lafite (same owner and same team). New direction and progress amply confirmed in 2015 and 2016, with an unprecedented charm and fatness. Given the quality of its terroir (the only 4th Grand Cru Classé in Pauillac), Duhart-Milon has certainly not finished its progression.
Revue du Vin de France : 93-94/100 « Le cru aligne une belle série de millésimes, et le 2023 s’inscrit comme un Duhart très classique et classieux. La bouche est vibrante, tendue, légèrement crémeuse, avec des cabernets mûrs et raffinés.
Quarin : 93/100 « Minutieux en entrée de bouche, très savoureux au milieu, le vin caresse le palais avant de prendre de la puissance en finale. Ceci fait tout en restant sur le registre du charme. »
Galloni : 92-94/100 « The 2023 Duhart-Milon is seriously impressive. Dark, virile and brooding in its intensity, the 2023 screams with Cabernet Sauvignon character. Plum, blackberry, incense, leather, grilled herbs and licorice lend notable textural resonance and pure power. There's a good bit of tannin, so patience is a must. A virile, authoritative wine, Duhart- Milon is hugely promising in this edition. »
Martin : 93-95/100 « The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins that belie the backbone of this Pauillac. That graphite element is accentuated in the mouth and controls the classic finish that could only come from this appellation. This is excellent, but patience is required. »More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 13.1%
- Blend:
- 80% Cabernet sauvignon, 20% Merlot
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Fombrauge, the largest vineyard in Saint-Émilion with 57 hectares, has been offering since its purchase by Mr. Magrez (1997) structured wines that do not deny their terroir, full, gourmet and devilishly seductive thanks to a luxurious maturing process.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
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From 2005, La Dominique, prestigious terroir adjacent to Cheval Blanc, L'Évangile and La Conseillante, returns in great shape. His velvety and sensual style places him halfway between Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Potential alcohol:
- 15%
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Rocheyron is the result of a friendly and professional partnership between Sylvio Denz (Faugères and Lafaurie-Peyraguey) and Peter Sisseck (Pingus). Since 2010, they have been investing in this small 8-hectare vineyard, located entirely on the asteriated limestone plateau characteristic of Saint-Émilion: tilling the soil, conversion to organic farming (certified in 2020), gentle vinification at low temperatures... Rocheyron is constantly progressing, and each year offers wines with an unequalled tannic softness.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
- Blend:
- 75% Merlot, 25% Cabernet franc
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Become a first grand cru classé in 2012, just reward for 20 years of effort by Mr. Neipperg (Canon-La Gaffelière, Clos de l'Oratoire) on this small vineyard of 4.5 ha adjoining Troplong-Mondot. A very large Saint-Émilion, fleshy, intense and penetrating, but with a confidential production.
More- To keep or to drink:
- Available early 2026
