This is the first post on our new platform. Some posts will be joint, like the Europe posts, and some will come from one of us. This is a joint post, and that will be made clear at the start of each post. In general (and a reason why we have decided to collaborate), our palates are mostly in line; the main differences are that Avi has a higher tolerance for some of the riper wines than David, and David has a tolerance for wines that Avi would consider to have too short a finish. When the notes differ for reasons other than this, Avi will usually add an explanation as to why. The bulk of this post was written before we decided to launch this site, and rather than rewrite everything to reflect that this is a joint post, this post (and the next) will remain primarily in David’s voice.

The first wine tasting that Avi Davidowitz and I organized during our trip to Paris was with Menahem Israelievitch, the Managing Director and Winemaker of Royal Wine Europe, in his lovely home. Unlike last year, this was done in one day, and we actually tasted the same number of wines as last year, give or take a few. So, I think we were more efficient this year.

The 2023 Vintage in Bordeaux

So, unlike the 2022 vintage, the 2023 vintage does not come across like 2009 or 2016. The 2023 vintage is very close to the 2014 vintage, maybe a step closer to the 2019 vintage than 2014. As I have commented on a few times, 2014 will always have a very special place in my heart, as it was the first big push back into France by Royal and others. It was also exceptionally good, and the prices were the best we would see until COVID hit and the 2019 vintage was released.

The 2023 vintage has been hit-and-miss overall for most producers, but Royal hit this vintage out of the park. Outside of the 2019 vintage, I do not remember a vintage with so many scores at this level. The ABV levels are much in line with those of 2014 and 2019, and the drinking windows start earlier than for the 2022 vintage.

Some of the wine notes you read below will state those words, the magic pop word. The wines, without that word, are still wonderful, and wines I may buy, but those with pop show more expressive.

Unlike the 2022 vintage, the wines from 2023 are far more accessible and easy/ready to drink. The weight and alcohol are lower; it is more balanced, and it pairs with more foods than the 2022 vintage.

Royal did a great job with the 2023 vintage, but do not expect those results from everyone. So far, of what we have tasted, Royal did the best job. Thankfully, 2023 is NOT like the 2021 vintage; these wines are not green. Maybe they have roasted herbs, but that is more oak, and they rarely show vegetal notes.

How do I compare the 2023 vintage to other recent vintages? I say the quality and personal interest I have in buying these wines are in line with the 2019, 2016, and 2014 vintages, followed by 2022, and then 2015, 2018, and so on.

Looking through the list of wine notes below for the 2023 vintage and the notes for the other wines we tasted from this vintage, you will not see a pattern. Royal crushed it this year! Mr. Israelievitch and the team did an excellent job with the 2023 vintage. As you will see soon, there are many wines here. At first, I thought that the 2022 vintage would have the most wines we have seen from Royal for a few years. But no! I was wrong. In 2023, they made even more Bordeaux wines. There were no Bordeaux whites in 2022, but in 2023, there are FIVE! We tasted three of them, but two are still at large: the 2023 Haut Condissas Blanc and the 2023 Chateau Greysac Blanc.

Comparing the wines we tasted last year from the 2022 vintage with those we tasted recently from the 2023 vintage, I was surprised. The ABV is all over the place in 2023; some are 14+, and some are 13+. All 2022 wines are pegged at 14.5% or higher. I was surprised because, in 2023, I did not expect to see so many 14+% numbers, but they are there. In 2022, they made 40 wines from France. In 2023, they made more; the number comes in at 47, at least of what we tasted! The wines keep coming! Which is great news!

The total number of wines we tasted last year (over two days) versus this year (in less than a day) was 58 and 54, respectively. Last year, we had 28 WINNER wines out of 58 total wines tasted. This year, there were 35 WINNER wines out of 54 total wines tasted. That is an incredible haul for 2203 or any year, in my view.