There were some very interesting insight at the media attended 2023 Bordeaux Release. Buyer Barb Philip, Category Manager – Wines of Europe, who is responsible for choosing which wines to buy for the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, tells us that at the time of tasting the 2023 wines at the wineries in Bordeaux, the wines were fantastic.
Now two and a half years later Philip says she now considers the 2023 Bordeaux wines to be incredible. That’s a good place to start. The wines tend to have a slightly lower alcohol content in this vintage with many at 13.5 and 14 rather than 15%
Ample spring rain in 2023 along with a clay soil base helped to retain moisture for the vines. Compared to 2022 as the hottest, the driest, and the earliest harvest.
More good news; the wines are less expensive than in 2022. This despite higher costs, like transportation. But after a number of years of buyers suggesting to the producers that they were overpricing their wines, finally they are getting the message and lowering their prices somewhat. So bottom line a very good vintage and lower prices. Some Chateaux are not selling out as they did in previous vintages.
Last year I did a separate review titled More Affordable 2022 Wines that included 8 under $100 and one at $100. This year there are 9 wines under $100., with 6 $60. or less, plus one Sauterne at $40.00. Two wines at $100. and $110.
That being said the demand is changing, but we are seeing a bit of an uptick, so taking into consideration that the 2022 order was 40% less than the 2021, the 2023 is down 30% from the 2022 allotment. That is a significant drop over the past two years.
It was unanimous in the room that everyone felt the wines ranged from very good to excellent with many ready to drink now. There are more entry level reds and the whites are gorgeous and so refreshing they are likely to sellout first. Most come from family owned establishments.
This year we tasted 14 wines, two white, 11 red and one sauterne. That’s compared to last year when we tasted 16 overall. Out of the 14 wines tasted, 9 should be considered good value.
After more than two years aging quietly in château cellars, the 2023 vintage lands in British Columbia. 185 wines, hand-picked, at 35 stores province-wide.
Here are the Bordeaux 2023 wines tasted that will be available at select stores on September 26:
Château Ferran Blanc 169
PESSAC-LÉOGNAN · GRAVES & PESSAC-LÉOGNAN · LEFT BANK
Juicy and succulent, this has energy and focus with some sherbet lemon acidity, green apple and a hint of peach florality. I like this a lot, it’s refreshing and focused and makes you sit up and take note. A good showing in 2023. Great bite, tang and minerality on the finish. Long length too. Lovely. GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
This is a beautiful wine exhibiting fresh stone fruit along with pleasant minerality and salinity. Fresh and a bit complex. The citrus on the finish is deliciously pronounced.
$50 750 ml · SKU 246529
Château Brown Blanc 162
PESSAC-LÉOGNAN · GRAVES & PESSAC-LÉOGNAN · LEFT BANK
Plump and fuller in feel than most of its colleague, this white displays creamed yellow apple and pear notes gilded with elderflower and jasmine on the creamy, flattering finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. GEORGIE HINDLE · WINE SPECTATOR
Some scents of grass and hay mixed with stone fruit and oak, but subtle. Great acidity with creamy, rich notes. A touch of celery and spice followed by just a bit tropical. Medium body the wine is lingering with a lovely finish.
$75 750 ml · SKU 246518
Château Latour-Martillac 103
PESSAC-LÉOGNAN · GRAVES & PESSAC-LÉOGNAN · LEFT BANK
Ripe strawberry and fragrant cherries on the nose. Quite compact and tense in the mouth, tannins coiled up with a rich, dark fruit and chocolate core. Nice structure, there’s intensity and grip but with juicy acidity. Feels well made if a little pent up right now. Mint, clove and cinnamon on the finish. A good, clean, drinkable example.GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
Opening with dark fruits like plum and berries. Good depth, delicious and rich. Tobacco, spice and cherry with medium tannins. This one was a bit lighter than I expected and savoury.
$80 750 ml · SKU 258599
Madame de Beaucaillou 110
HAUT-MÉDOC · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
Smells lovely, dark blackcurrants and fragrant violets. Tangy and lively, this is fun with a tense edge, chalky tannins and a really juicy core. A real cooling, mineral bite on the finish. Pure and clean, easy to drink. A touch of austerity but smooth and balanced. Liquorice and graphite on the finish. Clean, gravelly character, not concentrated but really pretty and juicy.GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
Beautiful scents with a touch of dust. Raspberry, blackberry. The wine was lighter than I expected with healthy tannins. A little okay but very nice.
$55 750 ml · SKU 315791
Château Siran 153
MARGAUX · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
Supple and really quite juicy, straight away you have energy and lift while still having structure. Excellent nuance and muscle here with liquorice, coffee, black chocolate red cherry, cooling blueberries and lots of fresh mint. Great tension while still delivering a salivating and moreish expression. Super easy to like. Give this a bit of time.GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
A fresher wine but with less fruity aromas. The scents are very rich. As it sits and swirls it opens as very rich and ripe, juicy and very, very good with flavours of plum and dark fruits with lesser tannins.
$80 750 ml · SKU 315773
Château Margaux 113
MARGAUX · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
Roses and redcurrants on the nose, smells wild and floral, remarkable fragrance. Smooth and supple, so juicy and alive, filling but understated; soft and delicate, ripe but nothing over the top. Rippling with silky tannins, sinewy muscle and precision, but everything is consistent: great weight on the palate, tension, zing, acidity, but so balanced. Refreshing, with raspberry, cherry and strawberry fruits. Perfect, and you could drink it now.GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
I preferred the 2022 over this one but I’m no expert so I suggest you focus on the notes above. A bit subtle, perfect, but lighter body and tannins with good acidity.
$1,600 750 ml · SKU 246342, 258638
Château du Glana 77
ST-JULIEN · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
A stylish, elegant wine, very much in the understated way of Saint-Julien, this wine is balanced and full of potential. Its black currant fruit, licorice aroma and touch of spice all hang together well. The result is a fine wine that should be ready from 2029. ROGER VOSS · WINE ENTHUSIAST
Lovely fruit aroma, dark, ripe fruit. This one I found quite different. Spicy, fresh fruit forward with lots of acidity, a bit toasty. Very delicious with soft tannins.
$60 750 ml · SKU 316334
Château d’Armailhac 3
PAUILLAC · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
Intensely fragrant and perfumed on the nose, smells really deep and heady with a vibrant purple/pink colour to the rim. Roses and violets with freshly picked blackcurrants. Juicy and so bright, gorgeous liveliness straight away – joyful with a hint of sweetness before quite salty, graphite-packed tannins come in giving some nuance and complexity. A lovely, intriguing glass of wine, with plenty to say. It’s cool with some mintiness. Sapid and mouthwatering.Moreish. GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
I found the wine fairly light with subtle fresh scents of blackberries. Really interesting and super good. Very light tannins it is fresh on the palate.
$120 750 ml · SKU 315750
Château Lilian Ladouys 107
ST-ESTÈPHE · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
Perfumed and richly scented on the nose. A little sharp and tangy on the palate, the focus very much on the acidity and just-ripe red berry fruit. Clean and unfussy with a mineral finish. I like that they haven’t pushed this wine, the tannins are great with excellent focus and push. GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
Initially the scents were slightly unusual on my nose but with a swirl it starts to develop more interest. Wow, a power house in the mouth. rich, ripe with blackberry and plum torte. Light and nice integrated tannins. Fresh, not overly heavy with great acidity.
$55 750 ml · SKU 355118
Château Phélan Ségur 137
ST-ESTÈPHE · MÉDOC · LEFT BANK
Succulent and so well controlled, this has lovely balance with fruit concentration, excellent tannin integration and great freshness. Feels very effortless from Phélan, a complete and rounded wine with balance and length. It’s almost a bit reserved at this point, still not fully shining, but there’s no faulting the quality on offer. Crisp, crunchy, bright, juicy and still full of texture and layers of complexity. Delicious. One to hold on to for a bit before opening.GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
Aromas of rich fruit, red fruits like raspberries and floral, violet. Rich but almost less so than expected. This wine is not too heavy with lean medium tannins.
$115 750 ml · SKU 316097
Château de la Dauphine 50
FRONSAC · POMEROL & FRONSAC · RIGHT BANK
Nicely plump and fresh, this has both a soft cushioned aspect to the ripe fruit but also a cool acidity that gives lift and makes this fresh and approachable. Clean with lovely detail. Touches of liquorice, toast and chocolate mark the finish. Feels finessed yet still with power underneath. Will age well.GEORGIE HINDLE · DECANTER
Light scents, beautifully ripe, softer, riper plum with bold tannins, spicey with pleasant taste of plum torte.
$55 750 ml · SKU 258668
Château La Vieille Cure 159
FRONSAC · POMEROL & FRONSAC · RIGHT BANK
Leans toward dark cherry and currant in terms of its fruit profile, with flashes of violet, ink and tobacco leaf helping to fuel the finish. Offers a sense of refinement and freshness throughout. Well-done. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.WINE SPECTATOR
Refined scents. Light but rich with good acidity. Light to medium tannins. A little less flavourful.
$60 750 ml · SKU 315794
Clos de l’Oratoire 38
ST-ÉMILION GRAND CRU · ST-ÉMILION · RIGHT BANK
This is pure and refined from the start, with pretty damson plum and morello cherry notes stitched together with a fine-grained structure. Light flashes of apple wood, incense and iris fill up the remaining space, with everything focused and fresh through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc.WINE SPECTATOR
Scents of delicious fruit, dark, ripe fruit. Very nice, not heavy with good acidity. Lighter with very light tannins.
$90 750 ml · SKU 316310
Château Clinet 37
POMEROL · POMEROL & FRONSAC · RIGHT BANK
Embraces the fruit-forward style, offering up mouthfilling raspberry, boysenberry and black cherry compote flavors that are round and silky in feel. Flashes of anise and black tea add range, and there’s a seductive coating of melted black licorice on the finish. A subtle tug of ink at the very end keeps this honest. A strong effort. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.WINE SPECTATOR
A bit dusty with dark fruit aromas. After a swirl dark, rich fruit with light tannins.
$200 750 ml · SKU 258569
Château Filhot 183
SAUTERNES · SAUTERNES & BARSAC · LEFT BANK
Strong on the nose it shows notes of yellow peaches, mango, papaya and pineapple. Full body, linear, essential and clean structure and a finish that makes grace its most beautiful weapon.WINE CRITIC
Wonderful scents of pear and cream, fresh cut apple. Delicious and fruity, light.
$40 375 ml · SKU 315312
Release Day Information
• Saturday, September 26, 2026
• Participating stores open at 8:00 a.m.
• Complimentary tastings available at participating locations
• Bordeaux-trained Product Consultants will be available to assist customers
• Selections vary by store. Visit the Product Availability Guide on September 18 for participating stores and product availability.
Participating Stores:
Cloverdale, Richmond Brighouse, Northgate, Kamloops Columbia Pl, Hillside, Nicola Station, Tsawwassen, Dunbar, Richmond Ironwood, Westshore, Alberni & Bute, Penticton Plaza, Vernon, Arbutus, Kelowna Mission Park, Langley, 39th & Cambie, Westwood Centre, Meadowtown, Kelowna Orchard Pk, Pr. George Pine Centre, Caulfeild, 8th & Cambie, Whistler Market Place, Broadmead Village, Peninsula Village, Ubc Wesbrook Vill, Kerrisdale, Fort Street, Highgate Village, Solo, Park Royal, Nordel Crossing, Richmond Seafair, Lynn Valley.
Here is what we tasted last year, you may still be able to find a few of these available at select BC Liquor Stores. 40th Anniversary Bordeaux 2022 Release.
Wine notes and bottle shots courtesy of the B.C. Liquor Stores website. My notes (in italics) Feature image: MyVanCity. I attended as a media guest. Thanks to Barb Philip MW for her dedication, and sharing of knowledge, and the team that work to make this such a successful tasting experience.