(JD 96-98 points) As to the Grand Vin, the 2023 Château Palmer checks in as 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. It too is inky hued but is much more inward, with gorgeous blue fruits, graphite...

(JD 95-97+ points) The Grand Vin 2023 Château Pavie is based on 51% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in 72% new oak. It's a more inward, serious effort that has a layered...

(JD 96-100 points) One of the finest wines in the vintage, the 2023 Château La Mission Haut-Brion is based on 52.7% Merlot, 29.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It's one hell of a gorgeous wine offering...

(95+ points) The 2023 Angelus is structured and fine with the telltale freshness of the vintage mixed with red berries and a precise fruity expression. It has an impressive fruity core and lots of cassis and red berries...

(JD 92-94 points) The second wine of this reference point château, the 2023 Carruades De Lafite is based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot, resting in 50% new French oak. Crème de cassis, graphite, wildflowers...

(JD 95-97 points) As to the Grand Vin, the 2023 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou brings everything up a level, offering a gorgeous perfume of crème de cassis, spring flowers, graphite, and crushed stone. This gives way to a...

(JD 94-97 points) The 2023 Château Leoville Las Cases is another absolute classic 2023 from the Médoc. Pure crème de cassis, leather, graphite, violets, and a Latour-like sense of minerality define the aromatics, and...

(JD 92-94 points) The 2023 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot checks in as 77% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Franc, made all in the new facility and brought up in 54% new French oak, with the rest mostly in oak casks and a kiss in...

(JD 92-94 points) The 2023 Château Bellefont-Belcier is beautiful, with a more focused, elegant, mineral-laced style. Black raspberries, chalky minerality, and spring flowers are just some of its nuances, and it's...

(JD 93-95 points) Located just across from Château Beychevelle, the 2023 Château Branaire-Ducru reveals a dense ruby/purple hue as well as absolute classic notes of red and blue fruits, spring flowers, sappy, and...

(JD 95-97 points) Readers looking for one of the hidden gems in the vintage should jump on the 2023 Château Brane-Cantenac, an incredibly impressive Margaux that does everything right. Cassis, graphite, violets, lead...

(JD 95-98 points) The 2023 Château Calon Ségur is absolutely brilliant and clearly in the top handful of wines in the vintage. Based on 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, it has...

(JS 92-93 points) This offers fresh and vibrant fruit with hints of crushed stones and flowers. It’s medium-bodied with velvety tannins and a firm, bright finish.

(JD 94-96 points) The 2023 Château Canon is an ultra-classic wine from this terroir offering textbook limestone-driven, black raspberry, floral, chalky, and spicy aromas and flavors. As always, it's not massive and is...

(JD 91-94 points) The 2023 Château De Ferrand checks in as 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, resting in 35% new French oak. Deep purple-hued, it offers an impressive nose of ripe black and blue fruits interwoven with...

(91-93 points) Black raspberries, pepper, flowers, and spearmint form the nose. The medium-bodied wine is fresh, juicy, and fruity, with sweetness to the cherries, and plums on the palate. The wine has tension, and...

(98-99 points) The fruit in this is superb, with an al-dente character to the grapes that were perfectly ripe when picked. Surprising openness on the nose, showing blackberries, violet, caramel and cedar with just a hint...

(TWI 94-96 points) A blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc), the 2023 Pensees de Lafleur has a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a swirl or two to spur it on to gallop out with powerful notes of juicy...

(JD 96-100 points) The 2023 Château Margaux is clearly one of the greats in the vintage, and it actually reminds me a touch of the 1996, if not better. Revealing a deep purple hue, it has an incredible bouquet of cassis...

(JD 91-93+ points) The second wine of the château is the 2023 Château Margaux Pavillon, which is based on 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Representing 30% of the...

(JD 92-94 points) Composing one-third of the production, the 2023 Alter Ego De Palmer is based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot. It's an inky hued second wine that has a round, medium to...

(JD 92-95 points) I continue to love this château, and they've done well their 2023 Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien), a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new oak. Red and...

(JD 96-98 points) The Grand Vin 2023 Château Cheval Blanc is based on 52% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and, as always, is resting in 100% new French oak. It's deep ruby/plum-hued and offers a...

(92-94 points) The 2023 Château Clerc Milon is gorgeous, with a salty, slightly bloody character in its red and black fruits, flowers, chalky mineral, and spicy oak-like aromatics. These carry to a medium to full-bodied...

(JD 93-95+ points) The 2023 Château Clinet is flat-out gorgeous, and it's certainly going to be up near the top end of the pyramid in the vintage. Based on Merlot with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep...

(JD 94-96 points) Checking in as 87% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, raised in 50-60% new oak, the 2023 Château Clos Fourtet has a beautiful limestone-driven style in its red and blue fruits as well...

(JD 92-94 points) Red, blue, and black fruits, chocolate, roasted herbs, and violet notes all emerge from the 2023 Clos L'Eglise, a broad, medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless beauty based on 70% Merlot and 30%...

(JD 95-97 points) The Grand Vin 2023 Château Cos D'Estournel checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, resting in 50% new French oak. This beauty brings everything...

(92-94 points) Including slightly more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual, the 2023 Château D'Armailhac is based on 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new oak. It's...