2017 Bordeaux: The Heart of the Matter

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | MAY 3, 2018

Read the French Version

Left Bank: Margaux | Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan | Saint-Estèphe | Saint-Julien | Satellites

Right Bank: Pomerol | Saint-Émilion | Sauternes | Satellites

Don’t Miss | Sleepers

Mother Nature was not especially kind to Bordeaux in 2017. A devastating spring frost, uneven weather during the summer and rain just before harvest were some of the challenges winemakers had to deal with. Where are the bright spots? They aren’t all where you would expect… 

Even though quality is inconsistent, 2017 produced a number of tremendous wines. Yes, the April frost was devastating in many places, but there is so much more to understanding 2017 than just those few horrific days. Two thousand seventeen is, in my opinion, very clearly a Right Bank vintage. While many properties were adversely affected by frost, there can be no question that one of the results of the frost was a natural selection that sacrificed lesser vineyards in favor of sites with greater pedigree. A number of 2017s on the Right Bank are positively thrilling. Over on the Left Bank, the finest 2017s are polished and refined. Examples include Montrose, Haut-Brion and Léoville Las Cases, all of which are more sensual than they usually are at this stage. Even so, I can’t say I tasted too many wines on the Left Bank I would call extraordinary or absolute must-haves. Lastly, 2017 is a fabulous vintage for Bordeaux’s dry whites and almost as good for the sweet white wines. My preference is to taste Bordeaux en primeur as late as possible, because the young wines often change for the better as the spring progresses. I tasted all of the wines in this article between April 9 and 20.

A panorama of Saint-Émilion as seen from Ausone

The Ten Most Exciting Wines of 2017

These ten 2017s left a deep impression on me. They aren’t necessarily the highest-scoring wines in this article, but rather wines that made a deep emotional impression.

Ausone – Alain and Pauline Vauthier, along with cellarmaster Philippe Baillarguet, and their team made one of the most hauntingly beautiful wines of the vintage. The 2017 Ausone is deep, layered and simply exquisite.