94 Points Jeb Dunnuck
A brilliant Siran, the 2023 Château Siran offers ripe, perfumed, incredibly complex aromatics of red and black fruits, spicy herbs/flowers, tobacco, and cedar pencil. Based on 49% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot and aged 12 months in 35% new French oak, it has that classic Margaux spice, complexity, and elegance. Medium-bodied on the palate, it has a pure, layered mouthfeel, beautiful overall balance, and a gorgeous finish. It offers immense pleasure today yet should have 25+ years of overall longevity. This is well worth seeking out and stocking up on, and it might be the finest Siran to date.
94 Points Vinous
The 2023 Siran, picked September 11 to 29, has a well-defined bouquet that is not as complex as the previous vintage. It is focused and delineated, with black fruit mixed with graphite and melted tar, almost Saint-Julien in style. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, quite minerally and lively without the depth of the 2022, yet rather elegant and refined on the finish. This constitutes a very gracious Margaux and as I tried second and third bottles towards the end of my trip, it just seemed to get better and better.
94 Points Wine Enthusiast
This sophisticated wine, with its ripe tannins and beautifully balanced texture, is rich and structured. With its spice aroma and fine layers of black-currant fruits, the wine will develop at a stately pace.
92 Points Wine Spectator
Seductive, showing warmed plum and blackberry compote notes that are lush in feel, with pretty violet and anise hints and a flicker of black tea through the finish. This is hard to lay off of now because of its generosity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now.
92 Points James Suckling
An approachable Margaux with good fruit expression, showing berries, cassis, plums and elegant spices. A touch of cured meat as well. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a long, pretty cohesive finish. A blend of 49% merlot, 41% cabernet sauvignon and 10% petit verdot.
92 Points Decanter
Ripe blackberry and cassis aromas with tar introduce a palate of both brambly red and juicy plum, with deft, if slightly tart, tannin. Tasted twice, one sample showed steelier tannin than the other, but both exhibited a more linear rather than broad texture and approach to the medium finish. While I like the precision, there was something a bit more homespun about this fine wine, when compared to some of its Margaux peers, but barrel ageing should lend more palate depth.
92 Points Wine Spectator
A deliciously inviting style, with a soft-edged core of plum and black cherry compote that rolls along steadily over the underlying juiciness, while flashes of ink, chestnut leaf and violet fill in. Silky in structure and fresh through the finish.
Winemaker Note
An elegant and generous expression of Chateau Siran’s terroir. The 2023 vintage showcased the nuances of Bordeaux’s climate. Despite early wet and stormy conditions, strategic viticulture and team effort helped us overcome mildew. August and September brought ideal conditions for ripening, with a mild August preserving freshness and a hot September adding concentration. Harvesting began on 11 September, producing highly colored, aromatic grapes with excellent balance. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Merlot excelled, creating a dense, complex wine with great aging potential. Despite challenges, 2023 was a generous year in volume, reflecting Chateau Siran’s resilience and the harmonious elegance of its terroir. In keeping with family tradition, each label features a different theme: the artwork on the label for the 2023 vintage, ‘Learning the language of Gaia’ by Italian artist Pietro Gallo, celebrates the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), a technological revolution comparable to that of electricity or the motor car. Blend: 49% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot
