2023 Saint Estephe wins the award for the most consistent appellation of the vintage. From the best Second Growth wines to the Cru Bourgeois, and unclassified gems, there is a lot to discover and like.
For a detailed overview and analysis of the vintage’s growing season, harvest, overall attributes and faults, producer quotes, as well as links to all of our 2023 Bordeaux appellation reports 2023 Bordeaux Vintage Report and Analysis
All of the following 2023 St. Estephe wines were tasted in my home office in early 2026 in non-blind conditions.
2023 Saint Estephe Reviews and Ratings…
2023 Beau-Site – St. Estèphe – Flowers, tobacco, and almost bright red berries feature large in the nose, and on the vibrant, crisp, fresh, raspberry and red currant, medium-bodied palate. This will drink well just about on release and age for over a decade. There’s a lot of character here without a big price tag. The wine blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Beau-Site Haut -Vignoble – St. Estèphe – Light, bright, fresh red fruits with notes of cedar, spearmint, and tobacco come through easily in this medium-bodied, crisp, red currant-filled, early drinking charmer. This will be easy to enjoy on release. Drink from 2026-2035. 85 Pts
2023 Calon Segur – St. Estèphe – Tobacco, underbrush, assorted spices, blackberries, wild herbs, and espresso form the enticing aromatic profile. Concentrated, long, dense, and intense, there is power, as well as lushness giving you a wine that is rich, balanced, well-defined, supple, creamy, and vibrant, with layers of fruit serving up a depth of flavor length and refinement. The refreshing waves of red with black fruits, sprig of mint, and touches of spice in the finish stay with you for close to 50 seconds in the up-beat finish. The wine blends 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2030-2060. 96 Pts
2023 Calon Segur Le Marquis de Calon Segur – St. Estèphe – Creamy, soft, lush, and polished, the wine, with its vibrant waves of black, and red berries taste as good as they feel. As the fruit lingers, the wine expands and intensifies. There is a good length, loads of clean, ripe, fruits, and a minty, refreshing edge to the finish. You can enjoy this on release, but its best days are yet to come. The wine is a blend of 50% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2040. 93 Pts
2023 Capbern – St. Estèphe – Spearmint, tobacco leaf, chocolate, cedar, cherries, and currants pop from the aromatic profile. The palate takes it a step further with its richly-textured layers of sweet, ripe black fruits notes of sea-salt and mint in the finish. This is showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel, which is always a good thing. The wine blends 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2040. 94 Pts
2023 Clauzet – St. Estèphe – A solid wine that starts off with tobacco, flowers, spice, espresso, and currants in the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, vibrant, and fruity, with lift and energy to the strawberries and currants in the spicy finish. Drink from 2027-2036. 91 Pts
2023 Cos Labory – St. Estèphe – Chocolate, licorice, black cherries, and smoke aromas get you instantly focused on the wine. On the palate, the wine is fresh, vibrant, and chewy, with black raspberries, and chocolate in the lifted, minty-fresh, and chalky finish. The debut vintage produced by the team from Cos d’Estournel. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2040. 93 Pts
2023 Cos dEstournel – St. Estèphe – Chocolate, mint, licorice, smoke, tobacco, black and blue blue fruits with hints of Asian spices shows in the aromatic profile with only a few swirls. But, as is often the case, with Cos, it is the palate that offers thrills with its creamy, plush, opulent textures. The fruits are lively, spicy and fresh, leaving you with layers of opulent, black, red and blue fruits with a spicy edge that lingers and expands long after the wine has left has the glass. The wine was made from blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. The wine is going to be approachable early in its life, yet it has the ability to age for decades. Drink from 2030-2060. 98 Pts
2023 Cos dEstournel Les Pagodes de Cos – St. Estèphe – Dark black fruits, licorice, herbs, flowers, exotic spices and chocolate-tinted cherries, with just a hint of chocolate create the perfume. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, supple, and creamy. This is a refined vintage for Les Pagodes de Cos, finishing with fresh, red, and dark red fruits, a touch of spice, and chocolate-mint in the supple in the finish. This is going to be delicious if tasted early, and it will age well too. The wine blends 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2040. 94 Pts
2023 Cos d’Estournel Blanc – Bordeaux – White flowers, lemon curd, spice, almonds, oranges, and crisp, green apples form the bouquet. The palate is bright, zesty, fruity, and fresh. The finish has a spicy tone to the sweet, lively yellow citrus in the finish. This is the first vintage including the new blocks, bringing the vineyard to 10 hectares of white wine grape varietals. The wine is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon. Drink from 2026-2033. 95 Pts
2023 Cos dEstournel Pagodes de Cos Blanc – Bordeaux – Waxy lemons, flowers, honeysuckle, and Marzipan permeate the nose. The palate is vibrant, fresh, juicy, and fruity, with an appealing blend of yellow citrus and a hint of white peaches in the finish. The wine is made from 80% Sauvignon Blanc with 20% Semillon. Drink from 2025-2030. 92 Pts
2023 De Come – St. Estèphe – Tobacco, cigar box, and savory red fruits pop in the nose. Medium-bodied, fresh, and fruity, finishing with a core of soft, bright, red fruits that is going to be delicious on release. Drink from 2026-2035. 91 Pts
2023 De Pez – St. Estèphe – Currants, espresso, tobacco, and forest floor aromas fill the aromatic profile. Fresh, round, and sweet, with a fleshy texture, and a long, minty, fruit-packed finish that lingers. The refreshing touch of mint enhances the finish. The wine is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2038. 93 Pts
2023 Domeyne – St. Estèphe – Flowers, currants, tobacco, and a hint of smoke provide the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, bright, and fresh, with a fruity, bright, mildly spicy, red berry finish. You can enjoy this on release with pleasure. Drink from 2026-2036. 90 Pts
2023 Fleuron de Liot – St. Estèphe – Medium-bodied, forward, fresh, vibrant, and fruity with loads of sweet, ripe, red, and black fruits, in an inviting, energetic style, with a fun, spicy accent to the tangy fruits in the finish. Drink from 2027-2036. 90 Pts
2023 German Marbuzet – St. Estèphe – Flowers, mint, currants, and cigar box notes pop in the aromatic profile. Medium-bodied, soft, vibrant, and fruity, the wine finishes with sweet fruits, with just a hint of bitter chocolate that comes in at the end of the finish. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Graves de Pez – St. Estèphe – Mint, tobacco, spice, and black cherries fill the perfume. The palate is spicy, fresh, soft, round, and easy to drink, with its round-edged texture, spicy blackberries, and mint in the finish. This is going to be good-to-go on release. Drink from 2026-2033. 90 Pts
2023 Haut Coteau – St. Estèphe – Medium-bodied, fruity, and forward, with a light, vibrant strawberry and red currant profile, leaving you with spice and mint accented, crisp, herb-tinted red fruits in the finish. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2026-2036. 88 Pts
2023 Haut Marbuzet – St. Estèphe – Cocoa, espresso, licorice, and smoke add to the wines layers of round, lushly textured, black with red fruits. Supple, fresh, and juicy, there is good length, energy, and a long, creamy finish. You can drink this on the young side, or age it for more complexity. Drink from 2028-2045. 94 Pts
2023 Haut-Beausejour – St. Estèphe – Tobacco, cedar, spice, espresso, and currants pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is forward, medium-bodied, soft, round, and fruity, with a minty chalky endnote. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release, and for at least a decade after that. Drink from 2026-2036. 90 Pts
2023 La Croix de Pez – St. Estèphe – Light, bright, crisp, medium-bodied, vibrant, red berry wine with a short, light, tart-edged finish. This will be best consumed over the next few years. Drink from 2026-2031. 86 Pts
2023 La Haye – St. Estèphe – Mint, underbrush, tobacco, and blackberries form the core of this wine. Medium-bodied, forward, and accessible, with more of those blackberries, mint, and chalk in the chewy, vibrant finish. Drink from 2027-2037. 90 Pts
2023 La Rose Brana – St. Estèphe – Tobacco, flowers, espresso, cocoa, and red pit fruits form the core of this wine. Medium-bodied and chewy on the palate, give it a year or two to often and fill out. Drink from 2027-2037. 89 Pts
2023 Laffitte-Carcasset – St. Estèphe – Flowers, licorice, chocolate and black cherries fill the perfume. The palate is equal to the task with its display of round, soft-textured, black with red fruits. While already charming, this will be even better with a few more years in the bottle. Drink from 2027-2037. 91 Pts
2023 Lafon Rochet – St. Estèphe – The combination of blackberries, flowers, spice, and tobacco is the perfect entree to the wine. The palate is medium-bodied, vibrant, fresh, and gentle, with softness and polish to the mid-palate and a peppery finish. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2045. 93 Pts
2023 Le Boscq – St. Estèphe – Flowers, espresso and blackberries come to the surface in the perfume with ease. The palate is fruity, bright, crisp, and aromatic, with touches of mint, and tobacco in the brisk and energetic, finish. Drink from 2027-2040. 91 Pts
2023 Le Crock – St. Estèphe – Cocoa, cedar, leafy herbs, mint, currants, and black cherries create the enticing aromatic profile. Medium-bodied, lifted, energetic, and fresh, the red fruits are sweet and lively from start to finish, which is where you discover the refreshing minty edge. The wine blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2040. 93 Pts
2023 Lilian Ladouys – St. Estèphe – Chocolate, flowers, spice, and blackberries crowd into the perfume. The palate is even better with its medium-bodied, fresh, soft, juicy layers of fruit that taste and feel great. Give it a bit of time in the bottle, and enjoy it for 15 years after that. This is one of the best deals in Left Bank Bordeaux today! The wine blends 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2042. 93 Pts
2023 Linot – St. Estèphe – Flowers, blackberries, and tobacco shoot from the perfume. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, crisp, and chewy on the palate, with a minty, bright, red currant finish. You can enjoy this upon release. Drink from 2027-2033. 88 Pts
2023 Martin – St. Estèphe – Spice, flowers, espresso, and blackberries fill the nose, and the medium-bodied, bright, chewy, palate. There is a refreshing touch of mint in the chalky finish. Drink from 2027-2033. 87 Pts
2023 Meyney – St. Estèphe – Vibrant, fresh, and creamy, the wine is all about its layers of sweet, ripe, juicy, and clean black currants, blackberries, spice, and its energetic, refreshing minty finish. This is another gem that is showing much better in the bottle than it did during the barrel tastings. Drink from 2028-2045. 93 Pts
2023 Montrose – St. Estèphe – Simply off the hook in every sense of the word, this is what great wine is all about. For those craving more details, in the aromatics, you find smoke, mint, licorice, exotic spices, flowers, crushed rocks, black raspberry, blackberries, and currants with little effort. On the show-stopping palate, there is a gorgeous sense of purity, as well as power, balanced with lift and elegance. The wine is long, complex, and refined. It is intense and refined, with a lingering, expansive finish that hits the 60-second mark and continues to build and escalate. The wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2030-2065. 100 Pts
2023 Montrose La-Dame-de-Montrose – St. Estèphe – Truffle, smoke, tobacco, flowers, mint, cocoa, and espresso add to the black cherry aromas are front and center in the perfume. Plush, and polished on the palate, the layers of ripe juicy fruits are vibrant, fresh, long, spicy and energetic, giving you lift and length. While the wine is going to offer its significant charms shortly after release, but there is good potential for aging as well. The wine blends 61% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2043. 94 Pts
2023 Ormes-de-Pez – St. Estèphe – Cocoa, mint, cherries, tobacco and licorice aromas jump from the glass with a single swirl. The medium-bodied palate is and fruity, with peppery edge to the finish. Give it a year or two in the bottle, and this should be even better. This is showing much better in the bottle than it did during the barrel tastings, which is always a great sign. The wine is a blend of 55% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2042. 93 Pts
2023 Petit-Bocq – St. Estèphe – Flowers, mint, cigar wrapper, and sweet, red berries fill the aromatics. Medium-bodied, with a vibrant, soft-textured core of ripe, red, with black currants, and a shot of mint and tobacco in the finish that adds complexity and freshness. Drink from 2027-2038. 92 Pts
2023 Phelan Segur – St. Estèphe – Black cherries, chocolate, licorice and floral aromas with a touch of spices fill the nose. Medium-bodied, but with richness, freshness, balance, and complexity. The wine finishes red fruits, along with refreshing notes of spearmint on the back end. This should be quite nice shortly after release. Drink from 2027-2045. 93 Pts
2023 Puy Castera – St. Estèphe – Flowers and red fruits create the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, almost light, with a strawberry and cherry-oriented finish. You can drink this on release. Drink from 2026-2032. 84 Pts
2023 Segur de Cabanac – St. Estèphe – Medium-bodied with black and red fruits in the nose and palate, finishing with a minty edge to the blackberries on the backend. This will be at its best in release and over the next 7 years, give or take. Drink from 2026-2032. 87 Pts
2023 Tour Saint-Fort – St. Estèphe – Showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel, the wine is filled with sweet raspberries, spicy currants, and cherries. Medium-bodied, fruity, forward and already easy to drink, you can enjoy this with ease on release, and for at least a decade after that. Drink from 2026-2037. 90 Pts
2023 Tour de Pez – St. Estèphe – Cocoa, espresso, and red pit fruit aromas fill the aromatic profile. On the palate, the wine is soft-textured, medium-bodied, fresh, and already disarmingly easy to taste and enjoy. Drink from 2026-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Tour des Termes – St. Estèphe – Blackberries, flowers, chocolate, and licorice aromas are easy to find. The palate is packed with creamy, supple-textured, deep, dark fruits that start off strong, and keep on going. This is another terrific wine that sells for a song. Drink from 2027-2039. 92 Pts
2023 Tronquoy – St. Estèphe – Quite floral in nature, you also find licorice, tobacco, cedar, and red fruits in the attractive perfume. On the palate, the wine is equal to the nose with its layers of soft, ripe, sweet, round, and supple fruits that linger. This is showing much better in the bottle than it did in barrel, which is always a good sign. You can enjoy this just about on release. But it is only going to get better with a few more years in the bottle. The wine blends 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 11% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2027-2040. 93 Pts
2023 Tronquoy Blanc de Tronquoy – Bordeaux – Honeysuckle, pineapples, white peaches, spice, and roasted pears appear in the perfume. The showy palate delivers an elegant display of tropical fruits in a fresh, refined, mineral-driven style. This is going to be great on release, and will be at its best in its honeyed-fruity youth. The wine blends almost equal amounts of Semillon and Sauvignon Gris. Drink from 2026-2031. 92 Pts
Up next, we continue our look at 2023 Bordeaux with 2023 Pauillac
