The 2023 Burgundy vintage arrives with a curious contradiction: the hottest year on record and the most generous crop in history, yet the wines defy expectations. Despite the sweltering summer, the wines maintain a surprising freshness and elegance, offering charm and drinkability across the board. It is a vintage where context, site, and producer know-how play an outsized role in the final result.
SARAH MARSH MW – THE WORLD OF FINE WINE
Sarah Marsh MW provides a considered take on the 2023 vintage, noting that the wines are far from the heavy, sun-soaked styles one might expect from such a warm year. Despite the heat, growers managed to retain balance and vibrancy in both reds and whites. The whites, in particular, display a lively freshness, with many offering immediate pleasure while still maintaining their hallmark minerality. Marsh credits this to growers’ adept vineyard management and Burgundy’s ability to preserve acidity in challenging conditions. The reds, meanwhile, are charming and fruit-driven, with silky tannins and an inviting, approachable style. However, she cautions that the high yields and varied harvest dates have resulted in a spectrum of styles, emphasising the importance of choosing wines carefully.
NEAL MARTIN – VINUOUS
Neal Martin expresses genuine delight with the 2023s, calling them some of the most enjoyable wines he has tasted from barrel. He underscores the importance of yield management, with those who curbed excess producing wines of impressive balance and clarity. In particular, Martin praises limestone-rich terroirs for delivering whites with remarkable freshness despite the heat. Chassagne-Montrachet continues to shine, bolstered by the increasing number of talented producers calling the village home. The reds, he suggests, sit between the ripe 2020s and the lighter 2017s—lithe yet structured, with a crisp red-fruited core. Gevrey-Chambertin stands out as a stronghold of consistently excellent Pinot Noir. While 2023 lacks the density of more classical vintages, Martin believes it will charm drinkers with its easygoing, fruit-forward nature.
STEEN ÖHMAN – WINEHOG
Steen characterises Burgundy 2023 as a vintage of extremes: record-breaking yields reminiscent of 1982 and surprisingly dark, concentrated reds despite minimal extraction. He notes that whites promise hedonistic appeal with generous energy, while reds face questions about maintaining freshness and vibrancy post-malolactic fermentation. Yield management remains pivotal, with concerns that excessive quantities might compromise quality, particularly for reds harvested after late rains. Öhman remains optimistic for whites and selectively hopeful for reds, highlighting producer skill as critical.
MATTHEW HAYES – JANCIS ROBINSON
Matthew Hayes sees 2023 as an echo of the balance achieved in 2022. The reds show fresh red fruit, fuller body, and greater consistency than the tricky 2021s. Hayes detects a shift this year, with producers exerting greater control to craft wines that align with their stylistic goals rather than simply reacting to nature’s whims. The whites present a compelling combination of ripe fruit and racy acidity, resulting in wines that are both lively and approachable. For Hayes, this is a vintage designed for near-term enjoyment, bridging the gap while collectors wait for more structured years like 2019 and 2020 to mature.
WILLIAM KELLEY – WINE ADVOCATE
William Kelley takes a more measured stance, describing 2023 as a vintage of abundance—both in yield and stylistic variability. The whites are generally rich and textured, with a plush quality reminiscent of 2015. Yet Kelley cautions that some wines lack sufficient structure to age with confidence. The reds present a similarly mixed picture: while many are fleshy and charming, others veer toward dilution or volatility, depending on when the grapes were harvested. Kelley advises buyers to choose selectively, focusing on producers known for meticulous vineyard practices.
JASPER MORRIS MW – INSIDE BURGUNDY
Jasper Morris MW reflects on the vintage with a sense of surprise. The whites, he says, are deliciously vibrant and inviting, though not in the rich, tropical style one might expect from a record-hot year. Many are best enjoyed young, ahead of their more structured 2022 counterparts, though a handful of wines display enough taut energy to justify longer cellaring. The reds tell a more varied story: while many exhibit an easy, juicy charm, some from the Côte de Beaune show an unusual earthy note on the finish. Morris is withholding ratings for these wines until he can better understand the cause, but he emphasizes that this quirk should not distract from the many excellent reds produced across the region.
ALLEN MEADOWS – BURGHOUND
Allen Meadows presents 2023 as a study in contrasts. While the weather diverged starkly from 2022, the resulting wines share some stylistic similarities—particularly their drinkable, approachable nature. He finds the reds more consistent than the whites, with plenty of aromatic, supple wines that showcase their terroir with clarity. In Chablis, Meadows finds the wines particularly compelling: their balance and transparency highlight vineyard nuances with remarkable clarity, even if they fall just short of the quality seen in 2022. Across the Côte de Nuits, he sees variation linked closely to yield management; producers who controlled their crops have delivered wines with attractive perfume and elegance.
CHARLES CURTIS MW – DECANTER
Charles Curtis MW describes the 2023 Chablis wines as refreshingly crisp and elegant, despite the year’s scorching heat. He attributes this success to producers who harvested early, capturing acidity before it could dissipate. The best examples—especially among the Grands Crus and select Premiers Crus like Montée de Tonnerre—combine ripe orchard fruit with vibrant minerality, echoing the style of the 1999s. Looking more broadly across Burgundy, Curtis sees a vintage defined by its plush, generous fruit and soft tannins. The wines may lack the structure of the 2022s but compensate with their open, inviting personalities.
BURGUNDY 2023 IN SUMMARY
The 2023 vintage is a story of surprise and charm: heat without heaviness, abundance without dilution. Across the region, the wines favour pleasure over power, delivering aromatic whites with broad appeal and juicy reds that are delightfully accessible in their youth. It is not a vintage destined for the history books, but for those who seek drinkability and charm, Burgundy 2023 will offer ample enjoyment for years to come.
EXPLORE MORE?
Check out our France guIde to explore regions, appellations and producers of note, including a detailed view on erstwhile favourite Burgundy