Chateau de Pressac 2023

Deep, ripe-fruited, blackberry, blackcurrant, floral notes. On the palate, balanced, plenty of tannins, finely interwoven with the fruit, still a bit wild, shaped by the maturation, yet with excellent potential. Slots seamlessly into the line of high-quality vintages from de Pressac.

Aged for 18 months in 50% new oak, this wine shows a darker hue than average with a ‘modern sheen,’ reflected in more evident oak-derived tannin and ultra-ripe fruit, both dark and red—which is a good thing! I do sense a bit more tannin extraction than I’d like, but I admire the impressive mid-palate concentration and depth. Barrel aging will bring everything nicely into line.

Pure and racy yet deep on the nose, with fresh black and blue fruit, citrus, savory herbs, minerals and hints of flowers and cocoa powder. Medium- to full-bodied with masses of fine, fresh tannins and a long, polished finish. Complex and exquisite. Superb balance. 70% merlot, 18% cabernet franc, 7% cabernet sauvignon, 2% carmenere, 2% petit verdot and 1% malbec. Already drinkable, but will develop more complexity as it ages.

The 2023 de Pressac is terrific. Dark, ample and vibrant, the 2023 has so much to offer. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, gravel, licorice and dried herbs all build in the glass. This is such a classy, polished wine. Pressac remains one of the most distinctive wines in Bordeaux. Give this a few years to be at its best.

Licorice, black cherries, flowers, cherries, and black raspberries fill the perfume. Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, and clean, with layers of juicy plums, cherries, and spice in the energetic, salt-tinted finish. Drink from 2027-2043.

Deep, dark ruby colour, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Floral, intense blackberry fruit, fresh cherries, notes of cassis, a hint of liquorice and currant. Juicy, red-berry profile, fresh structure, ripe tannins, mineral and saline, fine fruit on the finish, long-lingering, a finely spiced food wine.

Beautifully deep inky plum colour, a touch of heat on the nose, but well balanced by peony flowers and damson fruits. This stretches out through the palate, with white pepper and rosemary spice notes, a kick of turmeric and cinnamon, good persistency, and it combines exuberance and restraint. 45% new oak and 5% in amphora for ageing. Jean-François and Dominique Quenin owners, Hubert de Boüard consultant, 50% new oak for ageing.

Score: 91–93. The nose is fleshy, with ripe red-fruit aromas and a floral touch of musk rose. The same intensity carries onto the palate, with very juicy, broad, and generous texture. Acidity is perfectly controlled, and the tannins are beginning to meld. Great ageing potential.

Inky dark purple core and hue. Pure and intense nose, chalk, wet earth, black truffle, blackberry, cassis and dark cherry with mild oak and toast. Bright and fresh with good density and volume, layered with pure and savoury fruit, youthful but grainy tannin and a very long muscular finish.

This offers a warm and caressing feel, as its blackberry and black cherry compote notes glide through slowly, framed by burnished cedar and tobacco. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Malbec. Best from 2027 through 2035. 10,400 cases made, 1,500 cases imported.