2023 Mauvesin Barton (Moulis)

The 2023 Mauvesin Barton, closed under Diam since 2022, has quite a rich nose, richer than expected, with cassis and kirsch scents. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, gentle grip, a little powdery in texture, with just a little attenuation toward the finish. This needs a few months to knit together and just muster a tad more precision. 88 points

Inky ruby colour, another vintage that underlines how impressively Mauvesin Barton has been doing over the past few years. Delivers brambled blackberry fruit and balanced but clear toasted spices, austere on the finish, this heads towards closing in, but keeps the fruit on the savory side, and you feel that the Barton family`s experiece means they can clearly identify what claret lovers expect from Moulis and zeroed in on it. Harvest September 14 to 26, 33% new oak, 30hl/h yields. Tasted twice. 92 points

The 2023 Mauvesin Barton shows a dark, somber character with aromas of licorice, smoke and spices. Medium-bodied, rich and firm, it`s tannic and somewhat austere. 87-88 points

The 2023 Mauvesin Barton is a potent, dark wine. A blast of dark cherry, plum, chocolate and gravel gives the 2023 its exuberant profile. I find the tannins a bit imposing and large in scale. It will be interesting to see if this softens with time. Today, it is quite the bruiser. Yields were 30 hectoliters per hectare—in other words, on the lower side. 87-89 points