The 2023 Vintage: Two Wines, One Extraordinary Season.

There are vintages you forget, and vintages that stay with you. For us, 2023 is the latter.

From the first weeks of summer to the final days of harvest, the 2023 season at Château Canon Chaigneau unfolded with a rare kind of generosity, warm and abundant, yet never excessive. Cooler winds swept through the Néac plateau at just the right moments, preserving the freshness and acidity that give our wines their signature vibrancy. The result is a vintage that is both expressive and precise: wines that feel alive in the glass.

The Harvest

We began picking on September 13th, relatively early, driven by a hot summer that accelerated ripeness across the plateau. Working in the early mornings to avoid the afternoon heat, our team moved through the vines with care, selecting only the best fruit: thick-skinned berries, deeply coloured, with healthy sugar levels and bright natural acidity. A few summer storms kept us on our toes, but the rhythm held. By September 27th, harvest was complete. The wines reflect every one of those carefully chosen days.

Our Terroir, As Always

Château Canon Chaigneau sits at the highest point of the Néac plateau, on the same iron-rich clay-limestone soils that define the great names of Pomerol, just across the border. That terroir is not incidental, it is the foundation of everything we make. The iron deposits give our wines their characteristic mineral backbone; the clay retains freshness even in warm years; the limestone brings structure and length. In 2023, with a growing season that balanced heat and coolness so beautifully, the terroir had everything it needed to express itself fully.

Grand Vin 2023: Built to Age

The Grand Vin is the fuller expression of our estate: aged twelve months in a combination of concrete vats and 500-litre French oak barrels, the oak used not to impose flavour, but to add depth and dimension. The 2023 is generous from the first pour, dark berries, cocoa, a gently creamy texture on the palate, with tannins that are perfectly integrated and a long, persistent finish.

The critics agree. Yves Beck awarded it 93 points, describing it as "a wine of striking beauty that reveals itself progressively." Colin Hay of Drinks Business praised its "pleasing glossiness and subtle creaminess", calling it "a fine bottle of wine offering lots of terroir expression." Neal Martin noted its "vibrant and balanced palate, with fine tannins and neatly integrated oak", awarding 92 points and calling it "a very fine wine."

Cuve 8a 2023: Pure and Immediate

Where the Grand Vin invites you to wait, the Cuve 8a asks you to open it now. Aged exclusively in concrete vats — no oak, no intervention — it is the most direct expression of our terroir: linear, energetic, alive with notes of red berries, mint, and a chalky mineral character that is entirely its own.

Béton (concrete) is not a compromise. It is a choice. Concrete preserves freshness, protects fruit, and allows the wine to breathe slowly without the influence of wood. The result is something increasingly rare: a Bordeaux that drinks beautifully in its youth, without sacrificing depth or complexity.

The critics agree. Yves Beck scored it 91 points, calling it "a fruity, mouth-watering wine." Colin Hay praised its precision, noting it is "decidedly fresh for the vintage" and "nicely done." Neal Martin highlighted its "subtle saline edge and strong ageing potential", awarding 92 points and calling it "certainly worth seeking out."

Enjoy now, or cellar through 2044.

Two Wines, One Vision

The Grand Vin and the Cuve 8a are not competitors, they are companions. Different expressions of the same vineyard, the same vintage, the same winemaker. Thierry Garnaud, who spent 38 years as winemaker at Cheval Blanc before joining us, brings to both wines the same rigour and sensitivity. The difference lies in the intention: one built for time, the other for tonight.

Together, they form the 2023 Discovery Box (three bottles of each) our invitation to explore what this vintage has to offer, across both styles, at a single table.