Dear Client,

The Bordeaux 2017 En Primeur is in full flow ..

Yesterday was a rather strange day, even by the mercurial French standards. While most of the UK merchants where tasting the 2017 releases from some of the top producers in the shadow of Westminster Abbey, the Bordelais were banging out release after release much to the annoyance all of concerned!

While sharing some lunch with Florence Cathiard (Owner of Smith-Haut-Lafitte), she just shrugged .. However, her 2017 wines are gorgeous and particularly the white. (watch this space!)

Most of the professional critics have now released their scores with the general consensus that the vintage is very good but clearly over shadowed by 2015 and 2016, not as good as 2005, 2009 and 2010 but broadly better than the rest this century.

Château Langoa-Barton part of the famed Barton family dynasty from Saint-Julien, has been a stand out wine it its own right for a number of years. This 3rd growth wine from 17 hectares of prime Saint-Julien terroir, is full of elegance and finesse.

From the smallest classified appellation in Bordeaux a rare Pomerol - Château Vray Croix de Gay now owned by the same group as Château Latour is "one to watch" (NM)

Others of note include Château Ormes de Pez a '"don't ignore this" (NM) from Saint-Estephe, with a further mixed selection of merit below including Château Sociando-Mallet a perennial favourite .

James Suckling

"I was very surprised by the relatively outstanding quality of the wines I have tasted so far … most of the top wine estate of Bordeaux made some outstanding quality wines that will deliver beautiful drinking for years ahead."

Neal Martin

"The 2017 Bordeaux vintage is a good to very good vintage, but it is not close to 2015 or 2016 in all but a handful of cases. Some proprietors talked of a “2014-plus” which is pretty fair"

As you might be aware the 2017 vintage was affected by extreme weather in some parts of Bordeaux including a late frost in April, scorching temperatures in mid June, followed by rain in July and that mix proved costly for some producers.

The result, despite the excellent quality thanks to a warm late summer, the yields are greatly reduced; in some cases up to 70% (La Dominique)

Allocations have subsequently been dramatically cut and those wishing to purchase this year will have to be quick off the mark!

Initial thoughts on the 2017 Vintage

The frost, which hit April 26 and 27, resulted in a dramatically reduced crop—about 40 percent of the previous year, overall. But that number is skewed, as some areas of Bordeaux actually produced as much or more in 2017 than they did in '16. The frost was most severe on the Right Bank, particularly the lower-lying areas around St.-Emilion and into Entre-Deux-Mers, where the crop was clipped by more than half, on average, while some producers lost everything. On the Left Bank though, particularly farther up in the Médoc, areas where the Gironde plays a key moderating influence such as Pauillac and St.-Julien were unscathed.

Following the frost, May was particularly warm and dry, a trend that continued into June with a heat wave occurring June 18 to 22. July followed with cooler temperatures and needed rains, slowing down the ripening process and ameliorating any maturity blockages somewhat. The harvest was still on the early side, and growers needed to wait for phenolic ripeness to match the fast-rising sugar ripeness caused by the warm summer. 

Those that survived the frost unscathed made the most of the favourable conditions during the rest of the growing season. That includes most of the best Cru Classé properties along the river.

Despite several Châteaux not declaring a vintage in 2017, the wines of Sauternes & Barsac should be excellent however, there won't be much to go around .. If you are a sticky fan, grab a case when you can!

Château Ormes de Pez

Saint-Estephe

51% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc & 1% Petit Verdot

£115 for 6 bottles (OWC) In Bond

Neal Martin (Vinous.com) Score: 91-93 pts

"The 2017 Les Ormes de Pez was matured in 45% new oak with 13.42% alcohol. None of the vines were touched by frost. Cropped at round 50hl/ha, it has a clean, pure red cherry, blackcurrant and cedar-scented bouquet, more Pauillac in style than Saint-Estèphe. The palate is well balanced with ripe tannin that feel more malleable than previous vintages at this stage, a little saline in the mouth with a silky smooth finish. This will be delicious over the next couple of decades and I suspect it will be more approachable than the 2016. Don’t ignore this."

All prices are 'In Bond' and exclude, duty, VAT & delivery and subject to availabilty and confirmation

The wines above are subject to strict allocation on a first come first serve basis, confirmation and remaining unsold.

Different formats are available for most wines (375ml to 15L) at additional cost.

Delivery is expected to commence in early May/June 2020.

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