Sneak peek on the 2023 Primeurs week
Every year, the Primeurs week gives winegrowers the opportunity to present the fruit of their latest vintage. In Saint-Emilion, it’s the wines of Saint-Émilion – Pomerol – Fronsac that are on show to wine industry professionals.
The big question is: how do they perceive the 2023 vintage of Saint-Emilion wines?
The winemakers are hoping to seduce once again with a great vintage, having braved the weather and the vagaries of the vineyard… Discover a complete summary of the Saint-Emilion 2023 Primeurs in this article.
What is the Primeurs week?
Les Primeurs is a long-standing tradition in the wine industry, allowing buyers to reserve wines before they are bottled. During this period, wine professionals – merchants, wine merchants, restaurateurs, etc. – travel to the various regions to taste the new vintage and assess its ageing potential. – visit the different regions to taste the new vintage and assess its ageing potential. This period also enables winegrowers to finance their production and offer attractive price
This year’s event for Saint-Emilion – Pomerol – Fronsac wines took place from April 22 to 25 in the Salle des Dominicains in Saint-Emilion.
Primeurs 2023 des Vins de Saint-Emilion - The professionals' opinion
The 2023 vintage was marked by tropical weather conditions, with high humidity and hot temperatures. However, the heat was late, which is not synonymous with a bad vintage. So, what did the tasters think?
After tasting over 900 barrel samples from different Bordeaux 2023 appellations with his team, James Suckling says: “The best reds show balance and freshness with deep ripe fruit palates and a complement of polished tannins. In many ways, I prefer them to the much-publicized 2022, because they’re so Bordeaux in nature, with their taut mouths and energetic finishes. Many 2022 are very powerful and rich, underlining the extremely hot and dry growing conditions of the vintage, unlike the 2023. Some are almost international in essence.”
Alexis Goujard, taster for the Revue du Vin de France, came to Saint-Emilion himself to get an idea: he emphasizes that the wines of 2023 are rather reserved, but can shine on limestone soils, with clear, precise aromatic definition. In his opinion, the finest wines of this vintage will certainly be able to develop favorably, “but it’s in their prime youth that they can surprise us the most“.
The 2022 and 2023 vintages in the wine world therefore present marked contrasts. Whereas the 2022 vintage produced wines rich in ripe fruit, spice and sunshine, 2023 is distinguished by floral, vegetal and red fruit notes.
2023 Primeurs in Saint-Emilion
Watch Alexis Goujard’s video review of the 2023 Primeurs in Saint-Emilion. After tasting a large number of wines, the journalist and taster shares with us 3 of his favorites in the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation: Château Rol Valentin, Château Franc Mayne and Château Canon.