The Union Grands Crus de Bordeaux is an organization that promotes the Grand Cru wines of the 132 Chateaux members of the Bordeaux region of France that they represent.
The Union not only promotes the wines, but it also embodies “a spirit of conviviality, sharing and solidarity to showcase the greatness of Bordeaux while respecting its values of authenticity”.
Bordeaux is one of the largest wine producing regions in the world, but the Grand Crus are the elite, limited production wines that get all the attention from the wine geeks of the world.
On January 19th they held their annual New York City tasting of the current vintage to be released. The tasting was held Cipriani’s, an event space at 110 East 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan across from Grand Central Terminal.
The building that Cipriani occupies is a repurposed former bank, built at a time when banks were built to impress you enough for you to deposit your money with them, with vaulted ceilings and plenty of marble.
This year the 2023 vintage was showcased. My research suggested it was a difficult year, but the winemakers were able to pull it off. Drinking these wines with a grain of salt because they are still young and need time to come together, but you can get some idea on how the vintage turned out.
For the most part I was getting a lot of light, red cherry fruit with moderate tannin and low acidity. Of course, there were outliers in the bunch, wines with more body and structure, but for the most part I thought this vintage will be for earlier drinking than for later.
Some of what I sampled:
Vintage 2023
Saint-Emilion
Chateau Canon: Opaque dark red, crushed red cherry and graphite on the nose, dense, chewy and silky with red cherry notes ending with moderate acidity.
Chateau Canon La Gaffeliere: Clear medium red, dirty tar and roast meat on the nose, silky dark chocolate fruit ending with silky tannin and a long finish, nice balance.
Clos Fouret: Opaque medium red, cigarette smoke and roasted tar on the nose, tight and dusty red fruit ending with moderate acidity.
Chateau Grand Mayne: Opaque dark red, closed nose of black licorice, chewy red leather fruit, nice balance.
Chateau Larmande: Clear medium red, strawberry and milk chocolate on the nose, juicy red fruit with firm tannin and moderate acidity.
Chateau Pavie Macquin: Clear light red, smoky red cherry on the nose, tight red fruit ending with firm tannin.
Chateau Valandraud: Opaque dark red, dark cocoa sweet cinnamon and violets on the nose, silky red fruit with green herb notes, silky tannin and moderate acidity.
Pomerol
Chateau Clinet: Opaque medium red, sweet tree bark and smoke on the nose, chewy and silky with rosemary notes, silky tannin with moderate acidity, long finish.
Chateau Le Gay: Clear medium purple, dusty crushed dark fruit and black cherry on the nose, tight red cherry fruit, nice balance.
Chateau Gazin: Clear dark purple, sweet cherry, tar and cigarette smoke on the nose, red cherry fruit, tart finish.
Chateau Petit-Village: Opaque medium red, closed nose of tarry dirt, chewy with roast nut notes ending with firm tannin.
Listrac-Medoc
Chateau Fourcas Dupre: Opaque black, purple rim, closed nose of white pepper, chewy dark fruit with sweet licorice notes on the finish, nice balance.
Haut-Medoc
Chateau Beaumont: Clear medium red, toasty, roasted nuts on the nose, chewy tannin with roast nut notes, crisp acidity.
Chateau Cantermerle: Opaque medium purple, perfume of forest floor, dark chocolate, toast, chewy finish firm tannin and crisp acidity.
Chateau Coufran: Clear medium purple, earth and red cherry on the nose, tight fruit with smoky cherry notes ending with tight tannin.
Margaux
Chateau Giscours: Opaque dark red, smoky dark cherry on the nose, chewy, silky red fruit, balanced with a long finish.
Chateau Kirwan: Opaque dark red to black, closed nose of cocoa and roast meat, tight and gritty with a firm finish.
Chateau Rauzan-Segla: Opaque dark red to black, tarry, fresh rosemary notes on the nose, silky and chewy with tar, dark chocolate and tree bark notes, moderate tannin and acidity.
Saint-Julien
Chateau Beychevelle: Opaque medium red, dirty red cherry and graphite on the nose, chewy and dusty fruit with crushed stone notes ending with moderate to low acidity.
Chateau Branaire-Ducru: Opaque dark red, sweet tar, graphite and red cherry on the nose, chewy fruit with milk chocolate notes ending with silky tannin and moderate acidity.
Chateau Langoa Barton: Clear medium red, closed nose of sweet candy and raspberry dark chocolate, silky red fruit with moderate tannin and acidity.
Chateau Talbot: Opaque medium red, crushed slate and red fruit on the nose, silky red fruit with nicely balance tannin and acidity.
Pauillac
Chateau Batailley: Clear medium red, toasty black pepper on the nose, tight red fruit ending with firm tannin.
Chateau Clerc Milon: Opaque dark red, tarry oak and red cherry on the nose, chewy with slate notes, firm tannin, moderate acidity.
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse: Opaque dark red, roast meat on the nose, chewy and silky fruit ending with firm tannin and low acidity.
Chateau Lynch-Bages: Clear medium purple, tar, tree bark and roast meat on the nose, chewy and dusty fruit with oak notes, firm tannin, moderate to low acidity.
Chateau Lynch-Moussas: Clear medium red, tree bark and milk chocolate on the nose, tight and toasty red fruit, firm tannin and crisp acids.
Chateau Pichon Baron: Clear medium red, crushed black fruit, tar and dried herbs on the nose, tight with firm tannin.
Saint-Estephe
Chateau Cos Labory: Opaque dark red, crushed sweet black fruit, black leather and graphite on the nose, chewy and silky with a smoky finish, long balance.
Chateau Phelan Segur: Clear medium red, purple rim, stone and crushed sweet black fruit on the nose, chunky and chewy dark chocolate with silky, firm tannin and low acidity.
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