Bordeaux 2023 – left-bank reds

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...