Bordeaux 2023 Wine Futures: An Intense campaign with lower prices

And here we are, the long-awaited 2023 Wine Future season is open! The campaign officially kicked off last week, when hundreds of the world’s journalists and wine professionals made their way to the heart of Bordeaux from all four corners of the world to discover the secrets of the not-yet-released 2023 vintage.

But as soon as the glasses were placed on the tables and the wines were savored, the first 2023 wines were released... right from the start! The Sauternes and Barsac estates released their 2023 wines at 8 a.m. on April 29, officially getting the ball rolling in what promises to be a dense and intense campaign.

Although Monday brought its share of surprises, it was Tuesday April 30, in particular, that the suspense was at its height... The two most eagerly-awaited great names of Bordeaux, Leoville Las Cases and Pontet-Canet, made their debut on the primeur market. It's a carefully-watched event, as the great names are often the ones who determine price trends over the course of a campaign. Price, in fact, is the central issue for these 2023 futures, as it is expected to fall given the current economic climate.

So, how are the prices faring? It's fair to say that the predictions are proving true: Leoville Las Cases is down 36% from the previous year, as is Pontet-Canet, which is also down 26%. This reduction is in no way linked to a drop in quality. The Pauillac icon, Pontet-Canet, reveals an elegant, full-bodied and silky wine, receiving exceptional scores of 96-98 from James Suckling and Wine Advocate. Meanwhile, the famous Saint-Julien benchmark, Leoville Las Cases, presents a profile of finesse, robustness and, complexity, garnering scores of 94-96 from Wine Advocate and 97-98 from James Suckling.

Following the release of these two prestigious references early this week, they have definitely set the tone for a campaign full of surprises and twists...