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Bordeaux 2023 – left-bank reds

flags out at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Cabernet Sauvignon might be king in this vintage – and James finds the sweet spot. Above, the flags are out at Château Ducru-Beaucaillou. See also Bordeaux 2023 – right-bank reds and whites.

The Médoc’s northern communal appellations, St-Julien, Pauillac and St-Estèphe, provide one of the sweet spots in 2023. There was less rain here in June so downy mildew was not quite as rampant (though there was still fungal-disease pressure). And in this gravelly, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant region, the heat spikes in late August and early September were a boon, allowing the grape variety to be harvested generally at optimum maturity...