What are your top 10 wines of 2023?

[JoelD]

For some reason this is often my favorite topic of the year. I love seeing everyone look back at their years in review and sharing their top overall wines. Sometimes they seem so obvious, other times the wines are quite unexpected.

I also have fun trying to chase down other's top wines from time to time with mixed results, given the old adage "there are no great wines, only great bottles." I'm not sure that I fully agree with that statement, as with others like "producer over vintage," but it's very fun to test these theories out.

As I've said in another post, this was an amazing year of wines for me. By far the best ever. Sharing them with new friends and old has been wonderful and I hope to keep it up in 2024 (although possibly with a little break at some point for my liver and sanity)

This is still a working list and I fully reserve the right to amend it with reflection or if a top wine presents itself in these last few days of the year. Some order near the top for now and it gets harder after that :

Updated

1) 1959 DRC Grands Echezeaux (current WOTY and unlikely to be surpassed)
2) 1982 Mouton
3) 1989 La Mission Haut Brion (Arguably the better wine than the Mouton, but could use a bit more time to gain complexity)
4) 1990 Latour
5) 1982 Latour
6) 1990 DRC La Tache
7) 1983 Cheval Blanc
8) 1990 Lafite
9) 1983 Drouhin Chambertin
10) 1988 Veuve La Grande Dame

Just missed the cut
2013 Guy Amiot Puligny Demoiselles (Magnum)
1985 La Mission Haut Brion
2010 Jadot Corton Charlemagne (may move this to number 10, debating recency bias and if it's better than the 2013 Amiot above)
1996 Latour (twice, both equally great)
1983 Robert Arnoux Vosne Chaumes
1989 Pichon Lalande (375ml)
2009 Rousseau Chambertin
1996 Dom Pérignon
1993 Lafarge Clos de Chenes(375ml)

What are your top wines of 2023? No need to rank of course. Feel free to put any caveats/conditions that you considered as needed.

[JayLives]

Great tasting year for me;

1) Dr. Hermann Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 2010
2) Martinez Lacuesta Rioja Gran Reserva 2010
3) Brane-Cantenac 2009
4) Clos Apalta 2018
5) Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve 2017
6) Isole e Olena 2019
7) Majella Cabernet 2017
8) Inglenook Rubicon 2018
9) Purple Angel 2020
10) Malartic Lagraviere 2019

Honorable mentions: Reichsgraf Kesselstatt Piesporter 2015, Tondonia Reserva 2010, and Castello Vicchiomaggio Chianti Riserva 2018. The biggest letdown for me was the 2010 Lynch Bages because it's not even close to being ready. sigh

[Comte Flaneur]

That’s a hard act to follow Joel

In no particular order and no burgundies made the cut:

Cheval Blanc: 1964, 1966, 1983 (had the ‘85 and ‘98 too but the oldies really did it for me)
La-Las: 1976 Mouline and 1985 Landonne
Capellano Barolo: 1967 and 2004 Pie Franco
Giacosa Red label Barbaresco Rabaja 2001
1978 Haut-Brion (d-mag)
1975 Petrus (d-mag)

[jckba]

Yeah, it’s going to be tough to outdo Joel or Ian but here are my top wines on the year judging by my camera roll and arranged by vintage.

1908 d’Oliveiras Boal (not the oldest Madeira of the year but had those old church smells in spades)
1966 Beychevelle
1966 Pichon Lalande (tie, I don’t own or drink enough older wine but pristine bottles of old Bdx are captivating)
1981 Vega Sicilia Unico (maybe not a top vintage but at peak and glorious (after a lot of air))
1996 Mouton Rothschild (irresistible and fully in its drinking zone where it will likely last for the next 20+ years)
1996 Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Blanco (mature and lights out good)
1998 Vieux Chateau Certain (everytime I have it, I am in awe of its sheer beauty)
1999 Soldera Brunello di Montalcino (simply put, when it comes to Brunello there is Soldera and then everything else)
2008 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlie GC (stunning and now so out of reach, sigh)
2020 Coche-Dury Puligny-Montrachet Les Enseigneres (off the list at a restaurant in Dijon for 295€ and needed air, but the last couple of sips were some of the most divine white burgundy to ever cross my lips)
2021 Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Clos Guillot (sentimental pick as it was the best wine in show when I tasted amongst the current lineup at the estate)

[JoelD]

On a fun note. I just realized that there was either a BWE member or at least someone who came to one of the 2023 conventions at every single tasting for all of my top 10 wines. Very interesting. Long live BWE..

[hautbrionlover]

Not necessarily in order, the 10 best wines I drank this year were probably the following:
1982 Margaux
1982 Leoville Las Cases
1982 Mouton
1983 Palmer
1982 Lynch Bages
1996 Cos
1996 Angelus
1996 Pontet Canet

and two non-Bordeaux:
1996 Chateau Montelena Estate Cab
2007 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance

[JeanFred]

Great Year
All great wine I had the chance to enjoy during dinner with great BWE friends!

1- Mouton 82
2- Mouton 96
3- Pichon Baron 90
4- Lafite 02
5- Lafite 08
6- Lynch 89
7- Cos 86 Mag.
8- Margaux 82
9- Pichon Lalande 95
10- La tour Blanche 2002

Mention for 2 non-Bordeaux
Ermita 96
Insignia 99

JeanFred

[DavidG]

Still reliving the ‘80s glory days:
1989 Haut Brion
1988 Krug
1988 Yquem
1989 Montrose
1989 Lynch Bages
1985 La Mission Haut Brion
1990 Leoville Las Cases
1982 Haut Brion
1982 Gruaud Larose
1986 Talbot

[robert goulet]

2008 Hudelot Noellat clos vougeot
1995 Malescot
1990 Ch. Margaux
1979 Chappellet
1988 Pichon Lalande
1983 Talbot
1997 L'evangile
1990 Sociando
1995 Gazin
1989 Ch. Latour

[Nicklasss]

Very easily, my top 10 is coming from 2 events, London convention and my pre-wedding day diner. It is always tough to make a selection...

1983 Cheval Blanc
1975 Petrus (double magnum)
1937 Pichon Comtesse de Lalande
1983 Chambertin Joseph Drouhin
2002 Lafite Rothschild
2008 Lafite Rothschild
1996 Mouton Rothschild
1996 Ermita Alvaro Palacio
1986 Cos d'Estournel (magnum)
2001 I Clivi Brazan Bianco (best dry white i had from Italy)

Lastly, a 2021 Emidio Pepe Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo almost made the cut... so sorry i did not bought more while in Rome this summer.

[JoelD]

Very easily, my top 10 is coming from 2 events, London conventio and my pre-wedding day diner. It is always tough to make a selection...

1983 Cheval Blanc
1975 Petrus
1937 Pichon Comtesse de Lalande

Great list, Nic. I'm glad that I got to drink many of these with you. Funny but it seems like we had the exact same top 3 wines at the London Saturday dinner. Plus that lovely Drouhin Chambertin on Friday night (although that seemed to be the clear consensus if I remember correctly). I also very much enjoyed MP's mystery 1959 village burg.

I think that we need to discuss BWE Paris and/or Bordeaux

[barsacpinci]

1998 Grange
1990 DRC Richebourg
2010 Bryant Family
1977 Charles Krug
2014 Occidental Pinot Elizabeth Bodega Headlands
1982 Pichon Lalande
1994 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg VT
2014 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren
1976 Hugel Gewurtz VT
2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

I drink and love a lot of German wines, but none hit my top ten. Odd, I guess I'm hoarding the good bottles.

[JoelD]

1998 Grange
1889 DRC Richebourg
2010 Bryant Family
1977 Krug
2014 Occidental Pinot Elizabeth Bodega Headlands
1982 Pichon Lalande
1994 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg VT
2014 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren
1976 Hugel Gewurtz VT
2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

I drink and love a lot of German wines, but none hit my top ten. Odd, I guess I'm hoarding the good bottles.

A few thoughts. First was damn, I missed the 1889 DRC and 1977 Krug. Then I realized that you meant 1990 DRC and 1977 Charles Krug. Both were wonderful.

Second was that once I looked closer, I think I drank all of these with you except for the 1994 Zind Humbrecht?

Third was, damnit, I drink too much.

[barsacpinci]

1998 Grange
1889 DRC Richebourg
2010 Bryant Family
1977 Krug
2014 Occidental Pinot Elizabeth Bodega Headlands
1982 Pichon Lalande
1994 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris Rotenberg VT
2014 Aubert Chardonnay Lauren
1976 Hugel Gewurtz VT
2007 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne

I drink and love a lot of German wines, but none hit my top ten. Odd, I guess I'm hoarding the good bottles.

A few thoughts. First was damn, I missed the 1889 DRC and 1977 Krug. Then I realized that you meant 1990 DRC and 1977 Charles Krug. Both were wonderful.

Second was that once I looked closer, I think I drank all of these with you except for the 1994 Zind Humbrecht?

Third was, damnit, I drink too much.

I corrected! But I would have loved to have tried an 1889 DRC!

[Comte Flaneur]

I was a bit late compiling my top 100 wines for the year as I usually do between Christmas and New Year. It was such a bumper year that I ended up compiling a list of my top 200.

This is 200 to 100 on the list, and all these wines scored 93 points

[hautbrionlover]

Comte-
When do we get the first 100?

[stefan]

I am amazed by some of the wines that did not make your top 100.

[Comte Flaneur]

These are the 94 point wines, wines 99 to 70

[Claudius2]

Hmmm..
A harder question for me this year as I’ve had lots of good young wines yet not so many top old wines.

In no order except the first one.

Best wine of the year:
2020 Chateau Canon St Emilion

Other top wines:
Philippe Leclerc Gerry Chambertin Combe Aux Moines 2009
Berthaut Gevry Chambertin Cazetiers 2009
Savaterre Beechworth Chardonnay 2012
Remoissenet Corton Charlemagne 2014
Chateau Valandraud 2020
Ch Pontet Canet 2020 (2019 is close)
Muga Prado Enea 2009
Ch Giscours 2019
Ch L’Evangile 2019.

The wines I’ve drunk the most of in 2023 - and by some distance - are Cape Mentelle Chardonnay (2012 to 2020) and NV D’Villandry Champagne 1er Cru Brut. Blame the weather as really full bodied reds don’t show well in the relentless heat and humidity and I’ve sipped few Barossa reds for some years.

Cheers
Mark

[Nicklasss]

Hmmm..
A harder question for me this year as I’ve had lots of good young wines yet not so many top old wines.

In no order except the first one.

Best wine of the year:
2020 Chateau Canon St Emilion

Other top wines:
Philippe Leclerc Gerry Chambertin Combe Aux Moines 2009
Berthaut Gevry Chambertin Cazetiers 2009
Savaterre Beechworth Chardonnay 2012
Remoissenet Corton Charlemagne 2014
Chateau Valandraud 2020
Ch Pontet Canet 2020 (2019 is close)
Muga Prado Enea 2009
Ch Giscours 2019
Ch L’Evangile 2019.

Cheers
Mark

I lile your top 10 Claudius2. Young red Bordeaux have never been better than in the last few vintages.

A few Bourgogne too,nice!

[Claudius2]

Nic
I think one change over the years is that I could not be bothered buying the first growths nor the top GCs of Burgundy.
Of course I'd like to drink them more often but I have different priorities in life these days.
I sometimes shake my head in amazement how cheap such wines were in the 90's in Australia.
DRC Richebourg for USD130?? Yup. Endless GC Burgundies (Chambertin, Clos de la Roche, Bonnes Mares, etc) for c. USD20.
HB, Margaux, Mouton and Latour for USD30-50.

Oh well.
First growths here on En Primeur are over SGD1000 (USD750) and back vintages way more.
I try and pick up a few cheap at auction but only if they are in perfect condition AND much cheaper.

I have lots of 2005 to 2010 Bordeaux in storage - I really must start pulling some more out.

I wonder however if the latest vintages in Bordeaux (say, 2019 onwards) will stand the test of time?
The 2020's in particular were stunning when I went to the Union tastings last year, and seriously, I could have added twenty more that were delicious.
The 19's however seem to be closing down and I've tried some 4 times already at various tastings, so better to leave them for some years.

The 2022's are being talked up in the trade but 22 was another very hot year.
Some reviewers are also swooning over them but the heat summation data puts me off.

cheers
Mark

[JimS]

Have to say on the Bordeaux side of my top wines of 2023, a 2014 Haut Brion from a 375mL I had toward the end of December really jumped toward the front end of the line! 2006 Trotanoy, 1982 GPL also pretty neck and neck…rest of my highlights are a smattering of white / red burgs (2014 Bachelet Monnot Batard Montrachet was insane as well as a few younger Guffens Heynan) and a few German Rieslings to boot.