Winemaker Notes
The nose is complex, combining aromas of yellow fruit, zest, mirabelle plum, peach and apricot. Its straightforwardness and tension on the palate reflect the dynamism of the limestone plateau. Citrus notes combine with red and black fruit, supported by powdery tannins.
Blend: 57% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Soutard has turned out beautifully in the bottle and represents a notable success. It reveals aromas of dark berries, dark cherries, rose petals, violet and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, it is built around a dense yet sweet core of fruit framed by lively acidity and powdery tannins, extending into a long, saline, penetrating and ethereal finish. It may well prove to be one of the vintage's sleepers.
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Vinous
The 2023 Soutard-Cadet is fabulous, Rich, ample and explosive to the core, the 2023 delivers the goods and then some. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, pencil shavings, licorice and incense infuse the 2023 with tremendous depth and overall intensity. This is a stunning wine by any measure. Superb. Tasted three times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 93-95 -
Decanter
One of the oldest properties in St-Emilion, this 35ha vineyard is one of the most representative wines on the limestone plateau, and it does not disappoint in 2023, with pleasing plum and blackberry fruit and floral notes. Very expressive with spice on the palate, it displays depth and both red and dark fruit (reflecting a long harvest from 5 September to 6 October) with a balanced sense of concentration, salinity and tannic finesse, the low 3.48pH balancing the 14% alcohol. Ageing in 50% new oak will increase a sense of palate breadth.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
James Suckling
Fresh and rich nose of ripe plums and cherries with touches of dark spices and graphite. Juicy and plummy, with fleshy fruit and round, fine tannins that are evenly packed on the center palate. Long finish. 57% merlot, 29% cabernet franc, 7% cabernet sauvignon and 7% malbec.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Deep purple-hued, the 2023 Château Soutard reveals terrific aromatics of ripe black cherries, spring flowers, graphite, and some smoky tobacco nuances. Based on 57% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 50% new French oak with the balance in once-used barrels and foudre, it's medium-bodied and has a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel with outstanding length. I love its mid-palate as well as its overall sense of balance.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
As I was speed tasting through the 2023s, I nearly moved past Château Soutard too quickly. Although I have tasted this wine many times over the years, my memory of it was a bit foggy. Pausing for a moment revealed a tightly wound wine that carries itself with quiet elegance. The 2023 is tense and biting, with excellent tree-ripened fruit and a firm line of acidity. Its precision makes it a natural partner for lemongrass-marinated chicken accented with ginger, garlic, bird’s-eye chili, and a splash of fish sauce, where the wine’s energy cuts cleanly through the dish’s aromatic lift and gentle heat. (Tasted: January 22, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.