Rare taste: Atkin’s verdict on the DRC 2017s

La Tâche Grand Cru Monopole 2017 98 £970 (ib) Corney & Barrow

The La Tâche was the palest of all the DRC 2017s, almost to the point of transparency. This is a floral, open-knit expression of the monopole grand cru, which is very far from being a blockbuster this year. Scented and appealing, with notes of dried rose petals, fresh leather and peat smoke on the nose, then lots of whole-bunch spice and structure, racy acidity, a hint of salinity, succulent red-berry fruit and remarkable palate length. A layered, understated red. Drink 2029-2037 Alcohol 13%

Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole 2017 98

£3,000 (ib) Corney & Barrow

This has gained in weight and intensity since I tasted it from barrel in October

2018, but it’s still innately graceful: a string quartet rather than a full orchestra perhaps. On the nose, aromas of incense, fresh tobacco and forest floor are complemented by sweet spices and stylish new oak. The palate is layered, refined and savoury, gaining in intensity on the tongue and finishing clean, bright and refreshing with the promise of greater things to come. Stunning. Drink 2029-2040 Alc 13%

Romanée-St-Vivant Grand Cru 2017 97 £920 (ib) Corney & Barrow

Bertrand de Villaine sometimes refers to Romanée-St-Vivant as ‘monastic’ and there can indeed be a taut, almost ascetic note to the wine when it’s young. This is the tightest and most focused of the 2017 DRC wines, showing subtle, struck-match reduction, chalky top notes and subtle whole-bunch aromas of clove and aniseed. The palate is refined, refreshing and almost mouthwatering, with red-cherry and wild-strawberry fruit, underlying tension and wonderful length. Drink 2029-2037 Alc 13%

Corton Grand Cru 2017 96

£300 (ib) Corney & Barrow

Still blended from the Les Renardes, Bressandes and Clos du Roi grands crus – the original idea in 2008 was to produce three separate wines – this Corton is appreciably more than the sum of its parts. Floral, direct and engaging, at least by the standards of many Cortons, it arguably reflects its producer as much as its terroir, with clove spice from 75% whole bunches, subtle wood and a long, engaging, refreshing finish. Drink 2025-2035 Alc 13%

Grands-Echézeaux Grand Cru 2017 96 £545 (ib) Corney & Barrow

Showing more colour as well as more weight and intensity than the Echézeaux, as it often does, this is also a much more complete, harmonious wine with more flesh on its bones. Stony, stemmy and peppery, it handles its 100% whole bunches with style. A hint of good reduction and leafy, autumnal, forest-floor aromatics segue into a palate that has fine-grained new oak, refreshing minerality and sweet, beguiling, wild-strawberry fruit. Drink 2027-2035 Alc 13%

Richebourg Grand Cru 2017 96

£850 (ib) Corney & Barrow

Richebourg can often be quite closed at this early point in its development, but the comparative brightness and charm of the 2017 vintage are apparent here too. Earthy, savoury, slightly animal aromas with some fresh tobacco notes from whole-bunch fermentation lead you into a palate that is sappy, chiselled and focused, showing notes of pomegranate, redcurrant and citrus fruits, with scented framing oak and impressive underlying grip, intensity and depth. Drink 2027-2037 Alc 13%

Echézeaux Grand Cru 2017 94

£366 (ib) Corney & Barrow

Delicate, light and pale in colour, this pure, scented Echézeaux shows how well the vines bounced back from the catastrophic 2016 harvest, when frost resulted in super-concentrated yields of only 6hl/ha. Spicy, savoury and appealingly perfumed, with notes of red berries, fresh tobacco and green malt from 75% whole-cluster fermentation, medium weight, sappy tannins, redcurrant and raspberry fruit and a slightly bitter, almost medicinal undertone. Drink 2025-2032 Alc 13%