"With its deep purple-red color, Le Petit Cheval immediately seduces us with its complex nose. The bouquet offers scents of black cherry, cocoa bean and delicate floral notes. On the palate, the attack is full-bodied and powerful. Relatively opulent, with integrated tannins and a velvety texture. Aromas of plum and blackberry develop and gain in intensity through to the long finish." - Marie, Oenologue Premium Grands Crus - April 2024
A generous vintage, a faithful reflection of its climatic conditions, which expressed the singularity of each parcel.
A 2023 vintage without climatic excesses
The 2023 vintage took place without any climatic excesses, with the exception of August 23 and 24, when maximum temperatures reached 40 degrees. Rainfall was fairly regular throughout the year, with a slight surplus in August (65 mm), which helped ripening to proceed smoothly. On the other hand, the rise in average temperatures confirms the trend towards global warming that has been observed in recent vintages.
Classic phenology
Bud-break occurred in a very classic way: at the end of March for Merlot, and at the very beginning of April for Cabernet Franc. A cold spell set in at the beginning of April, but did not cause any frost damage. Flowering began around May 28, under very favorable weather conditions, resulting in relatively generous yields. Mid-ripening on July 22 for Merlot and July 29 for Cabernet Franc was rather clustered. The foliage, preserved from mildew and excessive hydric stress, remained remarkable even after the harvest, ensuring a fine finish in Réserve. Harvesting took place from September 6 to October 3 under particularly favorable conditions.
Strong mildew pressure kept under control
The year 2023 was marked by heavy mildew pressure. At the end of June and beginning of July, symptoms of rot brun appeared quite regularly on the Merlot vines. Fortunately, very little rain (25 mm) in July slowed the disease's development. Damage remained anecdotal, and the grapes were harvested at full maturity in very good weather conditions. Sexual confusion worked very well against cluster worms, which were very virulent this year on certain Sec vines of Bordeaux.
A generous harvest
The number of bunches was high in 2023, the quality of the flowering having favored good yields. Climatic conditions produced classic berry weights, and thinning was relatively consistent on the Merlot. Hot weather on August 23 and 24 caused some scalds on the sunset side of the bunches. This had no impact on the aromatic expression of the grapes. The degrees remained reasonable, and the juices were remarkably well-balanced. All three grape varieties in the vineyard performed very well. Both young and older vines took full advantage of the year's climate. The identity of each of the terroirs is very marked in this vintage.
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