There are numerous, exciting 2023 Pomerol wines with soft, elegant, lush textures and plenty of chocolate and truffles. The fruits are often bright, and fresh, with a gentle, refined charm that will provide pleasure on release, as well as age for decades.
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 Pomerol and Lalande de Pomerol wines were tasted in my home office earlier this year.
2023 Pomerol and 2023 Lalande de Pomerol Wine Tasting Notes…
2023 Beauregard – Pomerol – Opening with a strong floral note before you find spearmint, cherries, plums, and truffles in the nose. The wine is fresh, but not overtly so, with loads of soft, vibrant, polished, dark red pit fruits, along with touches of orange rind, espresso, and cocoa on the backend. Give this just a few years in the bottle, and it will be fully ready-to-go. The wine blends 74% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2027-2042. 93 Pts
2023 Bel-Air-Pomerol – Pomerol – Cherries, black raspberries, and flowers fill the perfume and palate here. A bit light, it is also. sweet, soft, and vibrant, with a chewy, cherry, and cocoa finish. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2034. 90 Pts
2023 Bon Pasteur – Pomerol – The sweet, red cherries are what you initially notice before getting to the chocolate and flowers in the nose. The palate, however, steals the show with its sensuous, supple, creamy-textured finish that’s perfect for delivering all the sweet, fresh red fruits, chocolate, and a hint of espresso. The character here leads to a wine that can be enjoyed in its youth. But it can age for 2 decades as well. The wine blends 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2045. 93 Pts
2023 Bonalgue – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, and strawberry nuances fill the perfume. Medium-bodied, fresh, silky, and lively, the wine delivers its elegant, fruity red-berry and chocolate charm from start to finish. Give it a year or two of aging, and it will be even better. The wine is made from blending 95% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2042. 92 Pts
2023 Bourgneuf – Pomerol – A truly strong effort for the vintage, the wine already expresses its elegant nature in its wealth of ripe, sweet, vibrant, chocolate-dipped fruits, enhanced by additional notes of spice, orange rind, flowers, and espresso on the nose, palate, and in the lush, energetic finish. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2040. 93 Pts
2023 Cantereau – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries and a sprig of mint fill the perfume. The wine is medium-bodied, forward, fresh, fruity, soft, and creamy, with a core of ripe cherries, and strawberries on the mid-palate and in the finish. This is another 2023 that is showing much better from the bottle, than in the barrel. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2037. 91 Pts
2023 Certan de May – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, cocoa, and black raspberries, with a hint of espresso, fill the perfume. Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, with a brightness to the fruit in the mid-palate and finish, leaving you with cocoa, ripe black cherries, plums, and a touch of orange rind on the backend. The wine is a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2027-2045. 93 Pts
2023 Chambrun – Lalande de Pomerol – Chocolate-mint in the nose, with a blast of ripe, sweet cherries. Medium-bodied, forward, and just about ready to go on release with its sweet, soft, round display of plums, chocolate, and chalk in the finish. Drink from 2027-2036. 90 Pts
2023 Clinet – Pomerol – It is the striking floral bouquet that initially hits you with its showy display of lilacs, violets, smoky, spicy, cherry, plum, licorice, orange rind, and chocolate-mint nuances. The rich palate is energetic, vibrant, long, and lifted. The wine immediately displays its opulence, with layers of lush, ripe, rich, dark red fruits and chocolate, leaving you with sensuous end notes in the finish. In the cellars, this is the first vintage with a pre-maceration cool-down helping protect the grapes from oxidation. The wine blends 75% Merlot with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2055. 97 Pts
2023 Clos LEglise – Pomerol – Chocolate, flowers, mint, black cherries, orange peel, plum, and licorice fill the aromatic profile. The palate is even better with its multiple layers of chocolately dark red fruits, spice, espresso, and plums. The texture is pure silk and velvet, with an opulent, fruit-packed finish. The blend is 70% Merlot with 30% Cabernet Franc, making this the highest percentage of Cabernet Franc ever used in the blend. Drink from 2029-2055. 95 Pts
2023 Clos Rene – Pomerol – The perfume opens with smoke, flowers, licorice, and red fruits. The medium-bodied palate is soft, subtle, fresh, and fruity, with a chalky, cocoa character, and a touch of mint in the finish. The wine blends 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Clos Roskam – Pomerol – Quite floral, with cocoa, cherries and plums in the perfume. The palate is bright, light and airy, with a core of red cherries, cocoa. and mint. You can enjoy it on release, and for over a decade. 2023 marks their debut as being 100% organic. The wine is produced from a tiny parcel of .4 hectares of 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2035. 88 Pts
2023 Clos Sainte Anne – Pomerol – Chocolate, espresso, and cherries create the profile here, in the perfume, and on the medium-bodied palate. The wine is not overly complex; instead it is an early- drinking wine with an olive accent to the red fruits in the finish. Drink from 2027-2035. 84 Pts
2023 Clos du Clocher – Pomerol – Plum, truffle, flowers, chocolate, licorice, and show readily in the nose. The soft, creamy palate is packed with sweet, ripe, vibrant, black cherries, blue fruit, and licorice, accompanied by dark chocolate and espresso, adding richness on the palate and in the finish. The wine is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2045. 94 Pts
2023 Clos-de-la-Vieille-Eglise – Pomerol – Chocolate, flowers, espresso, and black cherries in the nose lead the way to a bright, fresh, vibrant, medium-bodied, almost high-toned wine loaded with cherries, raspberries, chocolate-coated strawberries and spicy oak. Drink from 2027-2038. 90 Pts
2023 Clos-du-Beau-Pere – Pomerol – Espresso, cocoa, truffle, black cherries, licorice, and smoke fill the aromatics. The palate is creamy, fresh, soft, and fruity, with loads of vibrant, minty cherries, plums, and dark chocolate that linger. For those seeking a unique wine, check out the white wine from Le Clos du Beau Pere! Drink from 2027-2038. 92 Pts
2023 ClosVieuxTaillefer – Pomerol – Chocolate covered cherries, flowers, licorice, and truffle pop in the perfume. On the medium-bodied palate, the wine is lifted, energetic, and fruity with a focus on its core of cherries, strawberries and red plums. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release and for over a decade after that. Drink from 2027-2036. 90 Pts
2023 Croix du Casse – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, and a dash of cocoa fill the perfume. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, fresh, juicy, soft-textured, and forward, and remains focused on its red berry profile with its cherries, strawberry, and raspberries. The wine blends 96% Merlot, with 4% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2040. 90 Pts
2023 Domaine-de-LEglise – Pomerol – Flowers, chocolate, espresso, and truffle pop in the aromatic profile. The palate is even better with its silky, lush, and polished core of chocolate-covered plums, black cherries, and licorice. The medium-bodied, vibrant, finish delivers its blend of espresso, spice, cocoa and dark red fruits with ease. The wine blends 98% Merlot with 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028–2045. 93 Pts
2023 Enclos Tourmaline – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, cocoa, black raspberries, and truffle aromatics fill the bouquet. On the palate, which steals the show, the wine is vibrant, fresh, refined, and elegant, with crisp tannins and a beautiful, pure expression of its fruit. If you can allow it just a few years in the bottle, the wine is going be much better. The wine is a blend of 97% and 3% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2050. 95 Pts
2023 Enclos de Viaud – Lalande de Pomerol – Medium-bodied, fresh, fruity, bright, zesty wine with a core of licorice, cocoa, and ripe red fruits defines the wine. On the palate, the wine is going to be easy to enjoy on release with its refined charm that shows on the soft-textured, berries that get even better with their hint of chocolate in the finish. The wine blends 80% Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2035. 90 Pts
2023 Fayat – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, almost light on the palate, the wine quickly focuses you on its vibrant, fresh cherries and strawberries, with a hint of mint that tastes as good as it feels. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release and for over a decade after that. The wine blends 95% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2039. 90 Pts
2023 Ferrand – Pomerol – On the lighter side, with a focus on its core of bright, fresh strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. Not overly complex, but I like the soft-textures, and elegant feel to the fruits. Drink from 2027-2035. 89 Pts
2023 Feytit-Clinet – Pomerol – Rich, lush, deep, and already just approachable, the wine pops with Its nose of flowers, mint, cocoa, and orange peel. The palate is lush, round, and ripe, finishing with multiple layers of spicy, creamy, black cherries, plums, and dark chocolate. The wine blends 90% Merlot, with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2028-2055. 95 Pts
2023 Garraud – Lalande de Pomerol – You find a minty, herbal nose with raspberries that form the character here. The wine is medium bodied wine is better on its soft, easy-going palate. The finish delivers its fruit with a greenish tint that comes in its endnotes. Drink from 2027-2035. 88 Pts
2023 Gazin – Pomerol – Black cherries, flowers, mint, and cocoa already express their essence in the nose, and palate. There is richness, energy, layers of fruit, and finesse here, finishing with sweet, ripe, vibrant red fruits with a round, chocolate endnote adding lushness on the palate and in the backend. The wine blends 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2045. 93 Pts
2023 Grand Ormeau – Lalande de Pomerol – Licorice, smoke, dark red cherries and orange rind get you focused on the aromatics. The medium-bodied palate is already delivering its core of sweet, ripe, creamy-red pit fruits on the palate with a finish that is more on the bright, fresh side with its raspberry and strawberry endnotes. Drink from 2026-2036. 91 Pts
2023 Grange-Neuve – Pomerol – Opening with cocoa, cherries, and espresso notes in the nose, the wine is medium-bodied, bright, fresh, and focused on the red berry side of the style range. This is going to be good to go on release. It will drink best in its fruity-forward youth. Drink from 2027-2032. 89 Pts
2023 Grange-Neuve La Fleur des Ormes – Pomerol – Plums, flowers, and cocoa-dusted plums kick off the wine. The palate is medium-bodied, and vibrant, delivering its plummy fruit, and a touch of cocoa with ease. Drink from 2027-2033 90 Pts
2023 Guillot Clauzel – Pomerol – On the floral side, you also find nuances of orange blossoms, dark chocolate, black raspberries, plums, and truffles. The palate is even better due to its showy, opulent, sensuous nature that comes from the wine’s non-stop layers of chocolate-infused cherries, plums, and oceanic salts. The wine is vibrant, with ample freshness that provides lift, length, and pleasure. If you are seeking a Pomerol that is not yet, well-known, but in a few years is going to be a star, check it out. The endnotes with their aromatics on the palate seal the deal. This insider’s secret Pomerol has an average of only 500 cases per vintage. The wine blends 83% Merlot with 17% Cabernet Franc. Guillaume Thienpont of Vieux Chateau Certan is in charge of the estate. Drink from 2028-2055. 96 Pts
2023 Haut-Chaigneau – Lalande de Pomerol – Creamy-textured layers of chocolate, raspberries, cherries, licorice, and espresso are already expressive in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and fruity palate, leaving you with chocolate, cherries, and hints of spice from start to finish. This will be best over the next decade. The wine blends 85% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2034. 90 Pts
2023 Haut-Maillet – Pomerol – Medium-bodied, fresh, earthy wine with cocoa, cherries, and underbrush accents that will be at its best in its youth. The wine blends 90% Merlot, with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2033. 89 Pts
2023 Haut-Surget – Lalande de Pomerol – Touches of cedar, and tobacco add to the cocoa, licorice, and cherries in the nose, and on the palate. The finish is soft, fresh, and polished, forward, and fruity, finishing with strawberries, red plums, espresso, and a hint of cocoa on the backend. Drink from 2026-2036. 90 Pts
2023 Hauts-Conseillants – Lalande de Pomerol – Smoke, flowers, wild cherries and cocoa are on display in the perfume. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and fruity, so you can enjoy this with pleasure on release and over the next decade. The wine is produced from blending 95% Merlot with 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2035. 91 Pts
2023 Hosanna – Pomerol – Truffles, flowers, black plums, black raspberries, and dark chocolate pop effortlessly fill the perfume. On the palate, the lush wine is also vibrant and expressive. There is depth of flavor, good concentration, and length, finishing with a chocolately display of fruits as dark as the perfume. There is a refreshing, floral mouth aroma in the finish, adding complexity and freshness. The wine blends 74% Merlot, with 26% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2029-2055. 96 Pts
2023 LEgliseClinet – Pomerol – Everything you could ever want in a great Pomerol is here in abundance. From start to finish, this is exceptional! The showy perfume begins with a floral note before revealing its red fruit, along with black pit fruit, truffles, dark chocolate, and a touch of espresso. The stunning palate seals the deal, offering opulence, vibrancy, concentration, purity of fruit, and a sensual, velvety finish that, once it starts, doesn’t want to stop! Made from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, it’s fantastic to see continued excellence from the Durantou family. Drink from 2029-2060. 99 Pts
2023 LEglise Clinet La Petite Eglise – Pomerol – In contention for the best second wine from Pomerol, the wine kicks off with flowers, boysenberries, black cherries, and chocolate. The palate is fresh, creamy, and fruity, with a soft, polished character to its crisp fruit, spice and mint that sticks with you from start to finish. You can enjoy this on release with pleasure. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2038. 93 Pts
2023 LEnclos – Pomerol – Sweet cherries and flowers fill the perfume, while the palate is even better. The wine serves up soft, elegant, sweet fruits, along with the right touch of chocolate, effortlessly from start to finish. The wine blends 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Drink from 2027-2037. 92 Pts
2023 La Cabanne – Pomerol – Flowers, herbs, plums, and cherries express their character easily in the nose. The palate outshines the nose with its softness, energy, and gentle bearing that you feel quite easily. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2028-2042. 91 Pts
2023 La Commanderie Pomerol – Pomerol – Flowers, cocoa and cherries pop in the nose. The medium-bodied palate is Light, fresh, and vibrant with a slight touch of greenery in the high-pitched finish. Drink from 2027-2032. 88 Pts
2023 La Conseillante – Pomerol – Initially, you notice the intensity of the wine’s floral bouquet before exploring its aromas of cocoa, truffle, spice, chocolate, and perfectly ripe black cherries. While the fragrance is striking, it is the palate where the wine truly shines with a vivid display of black and red fruits. The wine is elegant, silky, and fresh, with a beautiful sense of purity in the fruit that leaves you eager to take another sip. The wine blends 88% Merlot with 12% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2029-2055. 98 Pts
2023 La Croix St. Georges – Pomerol – Flowers, chocolate, espresso, and minty cherries form the aromatic profile. The medium-bodied palate is even better with its fresh, creamy style. The fruits are sweet, ripe, lush, and polished. The finish delivers its chocolate-coated black and red fruits, with just a hint of smoke, espresso, and mint. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. This is clearly another level for La Croix St. Georges, who recently brought in Thomas Duclos as their consultant. Drink from 2028-2045. 93 Pts
2023 La Fleur de Bouard – Lalande de Pomerol – The strong floral component in the perfume stand out. On the palate, the wine is soft, silky, fresh, medium-bodied, round, and creamy, finishing with plums, cherries, in an early-drinking style. The wine is a blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2026-2036. 92 Pts
2023 La Fleur de Bouard Le Plus – Lalande de Pomerol – Smoke, licorice, spice, cocoa, licorice, and black cherries pop with little cherries in the nose. On the palate, the wine is round, fruity, sweet, creamy, and already a pleasure in your glass. The wine is produced from 100% old vine Merlot. Drink from 2027-2040. 94 Pts
2023 La Grave Pomerol – Pomerol – Sweet cherries, flowers. smoke, and licorice are delivered in the perfume. The wine is medium-bodied, supple, elegant, fresh, and polished. You encounter silky tannins and freshness, as well as a nice dollop of dark chocolatey-mint in the finish. The wine blends 89% Merlot with 11% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2040. 92 Pts
2023 La Patache – Pomerol – Flowers, mint, orange rind, and cherries open the wine. Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh, and vibrant, there is a dash of mint adding a refreshing quality to the fruits in the in the finish. You can enjoy this on release and over the next 10-15 years easily. The wine blends 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027- 2038. 92 Pts
2023 La Pointe – Pomerol – Even better in the bottle than it was from the barrel. The wine exudes its floral bouquet with ease. The palate is packed with soft, creamy fruits balanced between freshness and elegance. Give it a few years of bottle age, and it will be even better. This is a very strong effort from the vintage. Drink from 2028-2042. 94 Pts
2023 La Sergue – Lalande de Pomerol – Medium-bodied, with a nose packed with licorice, smoke, black plums black cherries, and chocolate. There is freshness, bright red fruits, and espresso, with a touch of dryness in the finish. Give it a year or two in the bottle and it should fill out. The wine blends 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Malbec. Drink from 2027-2038. 89 Pts
2023 La-FleurPetrus – Pomerol – Nobody knows the truffles I’ve seen, but they certainly know the truffle aromatics I’ve smelled with just a swirl, and sniff here. Once past the royal fungus, elements of flowers, cherries, black raspberries, and espresso, cherries, and licorice are apparent in the aromatic profile. On the palate, this is sensuous, vibrant, and fresh, with notes of chocolate-covered black cherries, mint, espresso, and plums. Long, intense, refined, and almost bright, in the finish, you can enjoy this with pleasure with only a few years in the cellar. But give it a decade, and this is going to offer incredible drinking. The wine blends 96.5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and .05 Petit Verdot. Drink from 2029-2055. 96 Pts
2023 Lafleur-Gazin – Pomerol – Spicy strawberries get the perfume started. The palate is medium-bodied, elegant, vibrant, and fresh. The fruits are on the red side of the style range with espresso, licorice, and dark cocoa coming in at the end of the finish to add complexity. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2040. 91 Pts
2023 Lagrange-Pomerol – Pomerol – Vibrant, spicy red fruits decorate the nose. The medium-bodied palate continues with the same energetic profile. The lively, red berry finish is accompanied by a green edge that takes away from the wine. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 LatourPomerol – Pomerol – If you like truffles, and who doesn’t? This earthy gem is for you. Packed with the pungent mushroom, the wine is dark, deep, elegant, and stately, with loads of black cherries, plums, cocoa, and sandy tannins that pop up in the finish. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2028-2047. 93 Pts
2023 Le Chemin – Pomerol – I like the mix of flowers and cherries in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is loaded with sweet red cherries, chocolate, espresso, and mint that you enjoy from start to finish. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release. Made from 65% Merlot with 35% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Lecuyer – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, espresso, spice, and hints of mint create the aromatic profile. The palate is supple, creamy. fresh, and just a bit spicy. All of which adds to the sweet, red fruits, and espresso that start off strong and keep on going. This little-known gem still sells for a song. But not for long. The estate was recently purchased by Ronan Laborde of Chateau Clinet, so you can expect the quality to rise, as well as the price. The wine blends 75% Merlot with 15% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2042. 93 Pts
2023 Les Cruzelles – Lalande de Pomerol – Smoke, chocolate, flowers, plums, cocoa, and black cherries show easily in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and fresh, with energy, refinement, and most importantly, layers of sweet, cocoa-infused plums. The finish is creamy, vibrant, and fruity. You can enjoy this Pomerol look-alike on release if you prefer creamy, youthful fruits, or age it for its secondary characteristics. The wine blends 80% Merlot, with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2038. 94 Pts
2023 Les Cruzelles La Chenade – Lalande de Pomerol – Fresh, vibrant, lively, medium-bodied wine packed with sweet cherries, flowers, and chocolate in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, elegant, silky, fresh, and creamy with roundness on the backend with some oak that still needs to integrate. Produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2026-2036. 91 Pts
2023 Maillet – Pomerol – At first, you find strong herbal notes in the perfume before moving to black cherries, licorice, and truffle in the nose. The palate, with its round, lush character, follows the same path, combining its earthy, herb-infused dark red fruits with espresso and a touch of olives and spice in the finish. A few years of bottle age should help add more to the wine. Drink from 2027-2040. 91 Pts
2023 Mazeyres – Pomerol – Flowers and cherries blend together in the perfume. The medium-bodied palate quickly delivers its soft, supple-textured red fruits with subtle touches of spearmint and spices in the finish. Drink from 2027-2040. 91 Pts
2023 Moncets – Lalande de Pomerol – Medium-bodied, with nuances of chocolate, flowers, and fresh cherries. The finish is delicate, sweet, and vibrant. This charming wine can provide pleasure on release. Drink from 2026-2033. 89 Pts
2023 Monregard La Croix – Pomerol – Cocoa, licorice, flowers, black raspberries, and cherries fill the perfume. The palate is fresh, vibrant, bright, and fruity, with softness to the fruits in the finish. There is a touch of oak remaining on the palate that needs to better integrate. The wine is always produced from 100% Merlot. Only 500 cases are made each vintage. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Moulinet – Pomerol – Chocolate mint, espresso, licorice, and smoky red fruits pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is creamy, supple, and round, with a bit too much wood showing at the moment. Once the oak fully integrates, this promises to be a better wine. It is interesting to note that 8% of the wine was whole-bunch-fermented. Drink from 2027-2040. 91 Pts
2023 Nenin – Pomerol – Truffle, black cherries, flowers, licorice, and chocolate create the aromatic profile. The palate is fruity, fresh, and supple, with layers of dark chocolate, plums, espresso, and cherries, capturing its energy and softness perfectly. The wine blends 67% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is the first vintage with Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Drink from 2028-2044. 93 Pts
2023 Nenin Fugue de Nenin – Pomerol – Cocoa, wet earth, licorice and red fruits are easy to find in the nose, and on the medium-bodied, fresh, bright, and fruity palate The wine will deliver its cherry filled pleasure on release, and for close to a decade after that. Drink from 2027-2035. 90 Pts
2023 Pantheon – Pomerol – Packaged in a spiffy looking bottle with a gold wax top, slightly oversized bottle, the wine opens with espresso, chocolate, licorice, plums and smoke in the nose. On the palate the wine is soft, fruity, and forward making it already open and accessible, so you can enjoy it on release. Drink from 2027-2034. 89 Pts
2023 Petit Village – Pomerol – The perfume gets the wine started with strong floral notes before serving up chocolate, black plums, and licorice on the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, with loads of sweet, fresh, vibrant black cherries and cocoa, allowing you to enjoy its vibrant edge on the berries, with a finish that offers lift and energy. The wine is a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink from 2028-2055. 93 Pts
2023 Plince – Pomerol – Light, bright, forward, and crisp, this forward, accessible wine is high-toned in style, with minty, herbal accents to its vibrant, core of cherries and strawberries from start to finish. Drink from 2026-2036. 88 Pts
2023 Pont de Guitres – Lalande de Pomerol – Light, bright, and fresh red fruits fill the nose and medium-bodied palate. This should be enjoyed on the young side. Drink from 2026-2031. 86 Pts
2023 Rouget – Pomerol – The perfume pops with its floral display before you find all the black raspberries, cherries, and herbs in the nose. Fresh, creamy, and vibrant, the medium-bodied wine delivers an energetic finish loaded with polished, sweet, ripe, red fruits along with a refreshing sprig of mint on the backend. Drink from 2028-2045. 94 Pts
2023 Sacre Coeur – Pomerol – Flowers, mint, hints of chocolate, and plums fill the perfume. The wine is medium-bodied, vibrant, and a touch chalky, with a minty edge to the bright, red fruits in the finish. The wine was produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2038. 90 Pts
2023 Saint-Jean de Lavaud – Lalande de Pomerol – Medium-bodied, fresh, minty wine with a lean to its core of strawberries, red cherries, and mint. Light in character, but pleasant, you can enjoy this upon release. Drink from 2026-2032. 89 Pts
2023 Saint-Pierre-Pomerol – Pomerol – Opening with a bouquet of flowers, with various spices and cocoa that accompany its vibrant red fruits in the perfume. The palate enjoys chocolate-covered cherries with an elegant, almost racy, refined edge. The finish leaves you with lift, and delicate touches of mint, chocolate, and sweet, black cherries on the backend. The wine blends 90% Merlot, with 10% Cabernet Franc. 10% of the wine is whole bunch fermented. Drink from 2027-2040. 93 Pts
2023 Seraphine – Pomerol – Chocolate, flowers, licorice, espresso, and sweet cherries create the attention-seeking nose. The palate is even better with its supple, creamy, opulent character that promises and delivers ample waves of black plums, dark cherries, chocolate, and spice from start to finish. This is my first time tasting this wine. I obviously liked it and look forward to tasting it again. Drink from 2027-2042. 93 Pts
2023 Siaurac – Lalande de Pomerol – Flowers, tobacco, cherries, mint, and herbs pop in the nose. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, elegant, and already accessible. It is easy to find the freshness in the plums, and cherries with their chocolate accent. The soft-textures in the mid-palate, and in the finish seal the deal. You can open this with pleasure on release , and for more than a decade. The wine is a blend of 65% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Malbec. Drink from 2026-2036. 92 Pts
2023 Taillefer – Pomerol – Underbrush, red fruits, and just a hint of tobacco open the wine. Medium-bodied, bright, and loaded with high-toned red fruits, this lighter styled wine will be ready to go on release and should be consumed on the young side. Drink from 2027-2031. 87 Pts
2023 Tournefeuille – Lalande de Pomerol – Sweet cherries, licorice, and flowers are all over the place here in the aromatics. The wine is vibrant, soft, silky, and creamy, with more of those sweet, ripe, pit fruits, with a dash of chocolate that comes in at the end. Drink from 2026-2036. 91 Pts
2023 Tournefeuille La Cure – Lalande de Pomerol – Licorice, smoke, cherries, and chocolate aromas pop in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, round, and supple, with a long, ripe, bitter chocolate, and spicy cherry finish. Produced from a blend of 70% Merlot, and 30% Cabernet Franc, this can be enjoyed in its youth. Drink from 2026-2036. 90 Pts
2023 Trotanoy – Pomerol – The purity of the red fruit shines on the nose, accompanied by a pungent, floral aroma, as well as on the bright, fresh, energetic, full-bodied, supple, and refined palate. The fruits are ripe, deep, and penetrating, with a vibrant character that allows the berries to come in layers, building in intensity as they linger. The seamless finish lasts for over 50 seconds! The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2029-2060. 98 Pts
2023 Valois – Pomerol – Bright, energetic, medium-bodied, herb accented wine that will offer its best drinking in the near term. You can enjoy this on release. Drink from 2027-2032. 87 Pts
2023 Valois L’Eclat de – Pomerol – Produced from a parcel selection of the estates oldest vines, the nose pops with chocolate covered cherries, flowers, espresso, and licorice. Medium-bodied, finesse in style with ample fruit, there is still a bit of oak to integrate, so give it a year or two to evolve and the wine should offer more complexities. This wine would be better if they used less oak in the aging. The wine is a blend of 65% Merlot, with 35% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2037. 90 Pts
2023 Vieux Chateau Certan – Pomerol – Here, you find a delicate balance of showy, floral aromatics topped with black plums, black cherries, chocolate, truffles, and spice in the perfume. There is intensity, richness, velvety tannins, chalky accents, and waves of restrained, refined, chocolate-infused, vibrant, energetic dark fruit finishing with a touch of spice on the palate. This is not a naturally showy vintage. It will take some time and effort to mature before transforming into a sensuous wine with its underlying uplifting acidity. But it will be worth the wait. The wine blends 82% Merlot, and 18% Cabernet Franc. 2029-2060. 98 Pts
2023 Vieux Chateau Certan La Gravette de Certan – Pomerol – Cherries, cocoa, and flowers show with a single swirl and sniff in the perfume. On the palate, the wine delivers vibrance, harmony, and sweet, juicy red fruits topped with chocolate-mint and espresso. You can enjoy this with pleasure on release while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. This is a fabulous vintage of La Gravette de Certan made from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2027-2038. 93 Pts
2023 Vieux Maillet – Pomerol – Flowers, cherries, and cocoa fill the perfume. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, and forward, allowing you to enjoy all of its sweet, ripe, cherries, black raspberries, chocolate and espresso on release. Drink from 2027-2038. 91 Pts
2023 Vray Croix de Gay – Pomerol – Violets, chocolate, truffle, black cherries, and licorice form the perfume. On the palate, the medium-bodied wine is elegant, supple, soft, and silky. The wine is fresh, vibrant, clean, and pure, finishing with creamy, chocolate-covered cherries, black raspberries, and a hint of Indian spice. The wine blends 98% Merlot with 2% Cabernet Franc. This is the second vintage produced by the same team that also makes Calon Segur. Drink from 2027-2045. 93 Pts
Up next, we continue our look at 2023 Right Bank Bordeaux wines with 2023 St. Emilion Pt. 1 Wines A-K followed by 2023 St. Emilion Pt. 2 Wines L-Z
