2023 Vintage Review: White, Rosé, and the First Look at Solesce

Four 2023 wines are now in bottle, and the rest of the vintage is in barrel and just starting to show me its hand.

It is past time I updated you on the year. The 2023 vintage is shaping up to be a strong one, particularly on the white wine side, and the early blending work on the reds is encouraging.

The Wines Already in Bottle

We have bottled four 2023s so far:

• Oriana
• Abracadabra Rosé
• Désir, our new Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend
• ONE Riesling

I am genuinely excited about the white and rosé wines from this vintage. The acid balance is excellent, the aromatics are expressive, and the flavors have real depth. These are wines we should be remembering for years.

The 2023 Désir is the standout for me right now. It is only the second white blend Brian Carter Cellars has ever produced. Sourced from Red Mountain and the Yakima Valley, 66 percent Sémillon and 34 percent Sauvignon Blanc, it shows pear, fig, and herb aromatics with a long finish.

Starting the Solesce Blend

I have just started blending the 2023 reds, beginning with Solesce. Solesce is always first because it gets the pick of the cellar. Whatever Solesce wants, Solesce gets.

The process is straightforward to describe and slower in practice. I pull samples from every barrel that might contribute. I taste, take notes, and start building combinations. Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain forms the heart of the blend, supported by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. The question is which barrels of each, and in what proportions.

Tasting through all the Bordeaux varieties from 2023 showed a lot of winners. Color is good, varietal character is expressive, mouthfeel is rich. The resulting Solesce blend is delicious and a bit more approachable in its youth than I would have expected. Some vintages of Solesce are wines you have to wait on. The 2023 looks like one you can open earlier without sacrificing quality.

What I Have Noted Across the Vintage

Beyond Solesce, I have taken considerable notes on the rest of the cellar. The vintage signature is:

• Color: good intensity across the reds.
• Aromatics: expressive varietal character. No vintage tricks masking the grape.
• Mouthfeel: rich. The wines have weight without heaviness.
• Acidity: balanced. The whites in particular have the acid spine to age.

There are several stellar wines in the cellar. I will be working on the rest of the blends through the spring and summer, with the goal of getting everything done before harvest 2024 begins.

How the 2023s Are Drinking Now

Since I wrote my first blending notes, the 2023 whites and rosé have had more time in bottle, and they are drinking exactly as I hoped. The Oriana shows nectarine and apricot lift with the lees-driven weight we expect. The Désir has the structure to age, and it pairs beautifully with shellfish and richer seafood. The 2023 Abracadabra Rosé is still bright, and the ONE Riesling is bone-dry with the lime and green-apple lift that the variety does so well on cool Yakima Valley sites.

The reds are still in barrel, and several won't be in bottle for another year. When they come, expect approachable wines with good structure underneath. The 2023 will not be a vintage you have to wait a decade on.

A Quick Note on Harvest

Every year has its unique challenges. We come into each one with the same approach: pay attention, do less rather than more, and let the fruit speak for itself.

More to come as the rest of the 2023 reds find their final shape.

Brian Carter, Winemaker