Les Perrières, 2023
Omri explained 2023 is "not a solaire vintage, it’s not a “classical” cool vintage, it’s not another hybrid vintage like 2016, 2018 or 2020 with a wet, cold spring and then a very hot, dry summer… The best we’ve come up with so far is it’s an extreme vintage with no real extremes… It felt extreme when we were working in the vineyard, it was challenging and complex, but when we look back at the data, it was quite unremarkable.” The wines they have produced certainly are remarkable and very much appeal to our palates. They are dense, but less overly fruity than recent greats like 2019 and 2022. They have wonderful aromatics and bright, tense cores of fruit framed by gloriously ripe tannins packed with detail. It's a masterful range, which sits right up there with the very best from these estates. Perrieres possesses a singular nose, but this is perhaps not a great surprise given the blend this year is 100% Bouchet. Omri explained the Merlots were excellent, but they didn't seem to marry with the Cabernet Franc. Cassis, cigar leaf, bergamot, minerals and spices. A very focussed, linear style, with great tension, lots of power, finely grained tannins and salinity. This has a staining intensity on the finish. It really haunts with fine lines and great finesse. Almost has the shape of Pinot Noir. Superb.
critic reviews
Chalky, vertical, finessed, fragrant, peony, iris flower, tomato leaf, expansive, fabulous. Huge energy, vertical lift. 33% new oak for ageing. 100% Bouchet, first time for them to do this, and almost certainly not repeated often, giving this a wonderful point of difference for those who follow the property.
The 2023 Les Perrières, pure Cabernet Franc, has a well-defined bouquet with mineral-driven black fruit, light marine scents, quite linear and strict in style with beguiling purity. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, a perfectly pitched line of acidity, again, quite marine-influenced in style with a silky smooth finish that lingers in the mouth.
Les Perrieres 2023 is 100% Bouchet (Cabernet Franc). "This is the first time we've done 100% Cabernet Franc here, it is supposed to be a varietal copy of Lafleur. We loved the effect of the Cabernet Franc on the limestone this year." commented Omri Ram. It has a deep garnet-purple color and the nose is so floral with scents of roses and lavender opening out to reveal a core of redcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and fresh black cherries, followed by hints of pencil shavings and wild sage. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is graceful and energetic, prancing with vibrant red berry and floral-inspired flavors, supported by very fine-grained tannins and fantastic tension, finishing on a long, lingering, mineral note. This is stunning.
Fragrant tomato leaf, peony, fresh tobacco, with a saline hit from the first moments that runs through the blueberry fruits. This is a fascinating Les Perrières, really one that those who follow this label will be interested in getting hold of, because it is entirely Cabernet Franc for the first time. It's a little austere, as you might expect, but then this wine often is in its early years due to its limestone soils, and there is a purity and vibrancy underneath the fruit that is stunning, and roots you to the spot. Huge energy, vertical lift, wonderful. 33% new oak for ageing.