The very best (and worst) wines from the 2017 Bordeaux vintage
The word I heard over and over again was ‘surprise.’ The outstanding quality of wines from ‘not-frosted’ vineyards is way better than everyone expected, given the challenges of the vintage.
Other châteaux, especially those with top terroirs near the Gironde River in Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, and Saint-Julien, escaped with no frost at all.
THE STYLE OF THE WINES
Veronique Sanders, who manages Haut-Bailly in the Pessac-Leognan region south of Bordeaux, explained that the summer’s cool nights and warm days added up to the wonderfully expansive, floral aromas that are another hallmark of the vintage.
The overall style of the 2017s is bright fruit, soft tannins, juicy acidity, and succulent, silky textures. The wines really show the different personality of each estate.
With a few exceptions, the reds aren’t as deep, rich, concentrated, and powerful as those from 2015 and 2016, while some of the dry whites, such as Château Margaux’s Pavillon Blanc, Haut-Brion Blanc, and Domaine de Chevalier are even better than those from last year.
The first growths — châteaux Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Haut- Brion, Margaux, and Latour — are superb, as are the Right Bank’s vibrant, complex Petrus, Le Pin, and Château Ausone. Of those, I’d single out as super- standouts Lafite and Haut- Brion. You’ll be happy with any of these, so I haven’t included them in my list of top picks below.
SHOULD YOU BUY THE WINES AS FUTURES?
Serious wine collectors — or speculators — will buy a volume of their favorite wines at a price set now, hoping that when bottles hit stores in 2020 with their final prices, early buyers will have stored bargains. There were a few hints during en primeur this year as to whether this would be a good idea.
At the annual press dinner at Château Kirwan in Margaux, the Union des Grands Crus president, Olivier Bernard, announced that more merchants have descended on the region than for the great vintage of 2016, despite French air and rail strikes, which marks interest. Enthusiasm, which is diff erent, varied widely among those with whom I spoke. Consensus is that after the great vintages of 2015 and 2016, 2017 is not really a year for speculators.
So should you buy? The big question will be price, which the châteaux will release over the next two months. A weak dollar will add to the cost for American buyers, even if, as many negociants predict, prices will be lower than last year. (That may be wishful thinking.) It’s probably not a safe bet that you’ll end up ahead on your investment in the near future.
Buying futures means plunking down your money for a wine still aging in barrels and then waiting for the bottled wine to arrive in two years. My advice is to buy if you really want a wine from a particular estate to drink, as quantities from many will be in short supply. But remember: The great 2015s are on shelves right now.
TOP 12 WINES (BEYOND THE FIRST GROWTHS)
• Château Angelus — The dark, rich, ripe flavors are matched by bright, savory minerality.
• Château Belair- Monange — Power, elegance, and layers
The best vintage yet of this red is bright and juicy, with good structure.
• Château Le Pape — Charming, spicy and silky textured, this is made by the Château HautBailly team.
• Château Montlandrie — Lush and lip- smacking, this insider wine is made by Denis Durantou of L’Eglise Clinet.
• Château Pibran — Scented and savory, this wine has more merlot than usual because of frost.
• Vieux Château Saint André — Jeff Berrouet and his father Jean- Claude, ex-wine maker at Petrus, made this fruity, fresh Montagne- Saint-Émilion red.
FOUR TO AVOID
• Château de France — Tough tannins and edgy acidity mar this wine from Pessac-Leognan.
• Château Maucaillou — This red from Moulis shows green, unripe aromas and tastes.
• Château Desmirail — Ugh. Overwhelming vanilla tastes come from aging in too much new oak.
• Château Magrez Fombrauge — Tasting this Saint-Émilion is like sucking on a two-by-four.