Château Haut Gros Caillou Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2023.
Grape Variety: 80% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Maturation: 15 months in 60% new French oak barrels, 40% in traditional vats.
Alcohol: 13% ABV
Château Haut Gros Caillou is the first ever vintage from a completely new estate recently acquired by my friends at Château Palais Cardinal who have been supplying The Other Bordeaux with top value Saint-Émilion Grand Cru since 2020. The inaugural 2023 vintage of Château Haut Gros Caillou is a smouldering expression of Right Bank meatiness and earthy soul. Dominated by plush, ripe Merlot, it opens with a punchy, smoky bouquet of black cherries, plum compote, and violets, underpinned by cedar, tobacco leaf, and a delicate graphite note from the Cabernet components. On the palate, the wine is supple yet structured, with finely grained tannins and a layered profile that unfolds in waves—juicy dark fruit, cocoa, clove, and a whisper of vanilla from the new oak. The finish is long and poised with a mineral lift. It’s medium-bodied but with a juicy, fleshy, slatey-tannin texture that glides across the palate.
Approachable now with decanting, this wine will evolve beautifully over the next 10–15 years. Ideal pairings include roast duck with cherry glaze, beef tenderloin, or a mushroom truffle risotto.
This 2023 vintage was rated:
91-93-100 by Yves Beck
91-92/100 by James Suckling
90-92/100 by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
Jane Anson: 90/100
Colin Hay/Drinks Business: 92-94-100
Gold Medals at both the Sakura and Berliner Wine Trophy awards.
