2 0 1 7 B O R D E A U X E N P R I M E U R The Chai at Château Cheval Blanc, designed by Christian de Portzamparc CONTENTS Page 2-4 2017 Bordeaux En Primeur releases to date, arranged by Appellation. Page 5 - Tasting Notes Please get in touch with your preferred order. You can email your Account Manager directly, or alternatively email BDX_EP2017@wine-source.com COMPARITIVE CRITICAL SCORES AG Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com NM Neal Martin, Vinous.com LP-B Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com All wines offered are from the 2017 Vintage. Prices quoted are per Case of 12 x 75cl. Larger formats (Magnums 1.5L, Double Magnums 3L, Imperial 6L etc) are available upon request please let us know your preference, we are glad to assist. Prices are quoted in bond. Your order will be collected from Bordeaux in 2020. Allocations are subject to availability. Last Edited: Friday 25th May 2018
2017 En Primeur GBP per 12 x75cl in bond Critical Scores Wine Source Recommend SAINT-ESTÈPHE AG NM LP-B Château Les Ormes de Pez 230 88-90 91-93 - Château Haut-Marbuzet 322 89-91 89-91 - PAUILLAC Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 310 87-90 88-90 85-87 Château Pédesclaux 354 88-90 90-92 89-91 Château Lynch-Bages 885 92-95 91-93 - Echo de Lynch-Bages 295 89-91 86-88 - Château d Armailhac 386 90-92 87-90 90-92 Château Clerc Milon 530 88-91 89-91 93-95 Château Duhart Milon 565 89-92 89-91 89-91 Château Haut Batailley 495 91-94 90-92 - Château Lynch-Moussas 320 88-91 89-91 89-91 SAINT-JULIEN Château Saint-Pierre 469 92-95 92-94 91-93 Château Lagrange 387 89-92 87-89 89-91 Croix de Beaucaillou 372 90-92 - 89-91 Gloria 316 91-94 89-92 89-91 * Clos du Marquis 401 90-93 90-92 - * La Petite Marquise 221 88-90 88-90 82-84 (Second wine of Clos du Marquis) Château Beychevelle 650 92-95 90-92 90-92 Château Talbot 456 88-91 90-92 87-89 Connétable de Talbot 206 88-90 85-87 - Château Branaire-Ducru 411 91-94 91-93 88-90
MARGAUX Château Lascombes 1,896 91-94 89-91 92-95 Château Cantenac Brown 428 90-93 89-91 90-92 Château Prieuré-Lichine 332 91-94 88-90 88-90 Château Palmer 2,350 93-96 93-95 96-98 * Alter Ego de Palmer 584 89-92 89-91 90-92 * Château Malescot St Exupery 430 89-91 91-93 91-93 PESSAC-LÉOGNAN Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 580 88-91 92-94 93-95+ Château Carbonnieux Rouge 290 90-93 88-90 85-87 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion 287 93-96 90-92 89-91 Château Malartic Lagravière 400 90-93 90-92 89-91 POMEROL Château Le Gay 852 90-93 90-92 93-95+ * Château La Violette 2,208 91-94 92-94 94-96 * Château Le Bon Pasteur 631 90-93 90-92 91-93 Clos l'eglise 690 92-95 91-93 90-92 Château Nenin 588 90-93 89-91 87-89 * Château Clinet 690 90-93 92-94 92-94 Château l Évangile 1,896 94-97 90-92 93-95 Château Rouget 377 92-95 90-92 89-91 Château Gazin 350 90-93 91-93 89-91 SAINT-ÉMILION Château Beau-Séjour Becot 500 91-94 91-93 92-94 Château Clos de Sarpe 525 91-94 90-92 93-95 Château Canon La Gaffelière 654 92-95 87-89 91-93 Château Quinault l'enclos 265 87-89 89-91 89-91 * Château Fonplégade 280 91-94 92-94 93-95 * Château Faugères 327 89-92 - 90-92 *
CÔTES DE CASTILLON Château Cap de Faugères 89 88-91 88-90 86-88 * MOULIS-EN-MÉDOC Château Poujeaux 260 88-91 88-91 83-85 MÉDOC Château Potensac 204 88-90 87-89 88-90 * SAUTERNES Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 420 93-96 92-94 92-94 * WHITE BORDEAUX Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 827 92-95 93-95 91-93 * Château Carbonnieux Blanc 260 88-91 92-94 89-91 Caillou Blanc de Talbot 264 87-89 - 89-91
Top score tasting notes: PAUILLAC Château Grand Puy Ducasse The 2017 Grand Puy Ducasse, which was picked 13 September to 3 October, has a light violet-scented bouquet that you might mistake for a Margaux. There is moderate intensity here, though it does not manifest the complexity of the top tier Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with light tannin, although it feels a little hard towards the finish where I would like more fruit to develop and fill in the gaps. Tasted three times with consistent notes. Score: (88-90) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Pedesclaux Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Pedesclaux is scented of crushed blueberries, warm black cherries and cigar box with touches of garrigue and cinnamon toast. Medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins and just enough vibrant fruit, it has a nice long vivacious finish. The tentative blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Score: (89-91) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Lynch Bages The 2017 Lynch-Bages is a wine of impeccable balance and class. Deep, fleshy and inviting, the 2017 should be ready to deliver pleasure with minimal cellaring. All of the Lynch-Bages signatures come through in a very pretty, deceptively medium-bodied wine loaded with personality. Lynch-Bages is never a huge wine, but like most of his colleagues, proprietor Jean-Michel Cazes opted for especially delicate extractions. Score: (92-95) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Echo de Lynch Bages The 2017 Echo de Lynch Bages is absolutely delicious. Pliant and openknit, the 2017 offers up a compelling mélange of red berry fruit mixed with floral and spice notes. In 2017, Echo has a bit more Cabernet Sauvignon than is typical. I very much admire the wine's creamy, inviting personality. In other words, Echo is exactly what a second wine should be. Score: (89-91) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Armailhac
A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2017 D'Armailhac is deep garnet-purple in color and very open on the nose with expressive notes of crushed black cherries, black raspberries and cassis with hints of baking spices, lavender and wood smoke. The palate is medium-bodied with a great core of vibrant red and black fruits, ripe, grainy tannins and superb freshness, finishing long and minerally. Score:(90-92) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Clerc Milon A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Carménère, the 2017 Clerc Milon is deep garnetpurple in color and scented of crushed red and black currants, wild blueberries and black pepper with touches of cigar box, violets, underbrush and menthol. Medium-bodied and with a very firm structure of wonderfully ripe, pixelated tannins and exhilarating freshness, it finishes long with notes of pebbles and floral perfume. Score: (93-95) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Duhart Milon The 2017 Duhart-Milon has a crisp, pencil lead scented bouquet, introverted at first, a little conservative with smoke and freshly rolled tobacco. It is classic Duhart-Milon really. The palate is medium-bodied with a sharp, pointed entry. This is already quite austere and saline in the mouth, just a little toughness towards the finish that should soften by the end of the élevage. There is something almost standoffish about this Pauillac, a noticeable bell pepper tang developing towards the finish that lingers after the wine has departed. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Score: (89-91) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Lynch Moussas The 2017 Lynch-Moussas, cropped at 51hl/ha from 19 to 26 September, has quite a strong sea influence on the nose, touches of oyster shell and mudflats infusing the well defined black fruit. It is not as intense as the 2016 but it is nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity with just a touch of star anise and clove that infuse the red fruit towards the spicy finish. Fine. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Score: (89-91) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Haut Batailley
The 2017 Haut-Batailley is a hugely promising wine. Sumptuous and expressive in the glass, with gorgeous layers of fruit that unfold effortlessly, the 2017 has quite a bit to offer. Silky tannins add an air of sensuality to a core of dark fruit, lavender, leather and spice notes. Tasted next to the bottled 2016, the 2017 speaks with an effortless refinement. The oak is especially well judged for a young wine. The Cazes family is putting a serious amount of investment behind their newest acquisition. Among other things, an ambitious replanting program is underway. Jean-Charles Cazes told me yields were generous in 2017, which is quite unusual for the year. Score: (91-94) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Palmer The 2017 Palmer, a blend of 54% Merlot with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, is very deep purple-black in color and leaps from the glass with freshly macerated blue and black fruits: wild blueberries, blackberries and black cherries plus hints of licorice, rose hips, tilled soil and oolong tea with a waft of truffles. Medium-bodied, very finely crafted with exquisitely ripe and smooth yet firm tannins and sporting great mid-palate intensity and wonderful freshness, it finishes long and minerally. Score: (96-98) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Alter Ego de Palmer A blend of 53% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Alter Ego de Palmer is very deep purple-black in color and gives up exuberant crushed red currants, red cherries, black plums and mulberries with touches of forest floor, garrigue and lavender plus a waft of dark chocolate. The palate is medium-bodied with a good core of plummy fruit and very soft, plush tannins, sparked by just enough freshness, finishing fruity. Score: (90-92) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate SAINT-ESTÈPHE Château Haut Marbuzet The 2017 Haut-Marbuzet has a typical plump, fruit-forward bouquet with red plum, strawberry preserve and dark chocolate aromas. If you appreciate this property s forward, fruit-driven style then this will suit you to the ground. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin and moderate depth. It is a little more conservative towards the finish and oaky at the moment, a vintage constrained by the growing season unlike in 2016. Whilst not as complex as the top tier Saint-Estèphes, I feel there is some drinking fun to be had here given three or four years of ageing.
Score: (89-91) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Les Ormes de Pez 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. Score: (91-93) Neal Martin, Vinous SAINT-JULIEN Château Lagrange The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Lagrange is 100% Merlot and opens with a seriously plummy nose with a compelling undercurrent of spice cake, potpourri and chocolate box plus a waft of sage. Medium-bodied, taut and muscular with a rugged frame of chewy tannins and lively acid, it finishes with an energizing herbal lift. Score: (89-91) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Croix de Beaucaillou The 2017 La Croix de Beaucaillou sees 60% new oak for 12 months, with a fairly high IPT of 75. It has a ripe and generous bouquet of blackberry, fresh fig, cedar and crushed violets that blossom in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity, that structure making its presence felt towards the finish that exerts an insistent grip. As such, this will probably require three or four years in bottle just to soften the edges. Score: (90-92) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Gloria The 2017 Gloria is superb. At once deep and fleshy, but also beautifully delineated, the 2017 is incredibly satisfying. Succulent red and blue fruit, cedar, tobacco, anise and leather are some of the many notes that develop in the glass in an explosive, potent Saint-Julien that delivers the goods, and then some. Best of all, Gloria remains one of the most compelling values in all of Bordeaux. Don't miss it. Tasted three times. Score: (91-94) Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Clos du Marquis The 2017 Clos du Marquis was cropped at 37hl/ha between 15 September and 4 October during an overall 15 days of actual picking. It is matured in 55% new oak and includes 6.2% vin de presse from 25 different lots. It has a more backward, tightly wound bouquet than I was expecting but it opens up with time. And wow, give it 10 minutes and that estuarine saline scent feels quite pungent. There is impressive density imbued into this Clos du Marquis, if not the detail, the precision of last year s wine. There is plenty of rondeur towards the finish with a pleasant saltiness flanked by a hint of salted liquorice on the finish. Score: (90-92) Neal Martin, Vinous La Petite Marquise The 2017 La Petite Marquise du Clos du Marquis, which comes from younger vines plus in this year some Merlot deselected from the Grand Vin, was matured in 30% new oak. It delivers quite a forthright bouquet of wild strawberry, raspberry confit and cedar, a hint of blood orange in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, rounded in texture, quite fleshy for the 2017 vintage with a harmonious, smooth, almost plush finish driven by the Merlot. Delicious. Tasted twice and shows better the second time. Score: (88-90) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Beychevelle The 2017 Beychevelle is absolutely gorgeous. Creamy and beautifully layered on the palate, Beychevelle exudes exotic richness in its ripe red/purplish berry fruit. Even though the 2017 is rather flamboyant in style, it retains quite a bit of brightness to play off its more extroverted leanings. Beychevelle was impressive on the several times I tasted it. Score: (92-95) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Talbot The 2017 Talbot was picked from 18 to 4 October using manual and optical sorting, matured in 50% new oak. It has a relatively light but welldefined, floral bouquet, pressed flower filtering through that blackberry and boysenberry scents, a little clove and bay leaf lending complexity as it opens in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannin that frame the slightly savory black fruit, just a little earthiness developing towards the finish. It is a classic Talbot really, exactly what you would expect for the vintage. Score: (90-92) Neal Martin, Vinous
Connétable de Talbot Succulent black cherry, plum, lavender and spice notes flesh out in the 2017 Connétable de Talbot. Drink this juicy, forward Saint-Julien over the next handful of years. Silky tannins and soft contours add to the wine's open-knit, inviting personality. Score: (88-90) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Branaire Ducru The 2017 Branaire-Ducru offers lovely depth and density. The characteristic dark red/purplish fruit character of Branaire comes through beautifully. As always, Branaire is a wine of polish and finesse. Stylistically, the 2017 comes across as a smaller scaled and more accessible version of the 2015. If that sounds appealing, well, it is. The 2017 is really quite lovely. Tasted three times. Score: (91-94) Antonio Galloni, Vinous MARGAUX Château Lascombes The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Lascombes gives up lovely scents of roses and lavender over a core of kirsch, crushed black plums and black raspberries with a waft of cinnamon stick. Mediumbodied with a rock-solid frame of firm, ripe, grainy tannins, it has a great core of muscular fruit and lingering spicy notes on the finish. Score: (92-95) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Cantenac Brown The 2017 Cantenac Brown is dark, plush, and powerful. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice notes infuse this plush, voluptuous Margaux. There is no shortage of depth or intensity, that much is clear. This is an especially potent style. Technical Director José Sanfins lowered temperatures in fermentation and chose to handle the wines minimally with the goal of avoiding the extraction of hard tannins. Tasted three times. Score: (90-93) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Prieuré-Lichine The 2017 Prieuré-Lichine is another in a series of utterly gorgeous wines that have emerged from this château in recent years. The construction of a new cellar a few years ago seems to have made a huge difference in the precision of the wine. Soft, supple and gracious, with gentle contours
and silky tannins, the 2017 is pure class. Succulent red berry, plum, rose petal and mint infuse this gracious Margaux. The blend is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. The increase in Cabernet Sauvignon is a reflection of a desire to gradually build the wine on a core of Cabernet rather than a response solely to the conditions of the year. Stéphane Derenoncourt and his team continue to do a brilliant work at Prieuré-Lichine. Tasted two times. Score: (91-94) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Malescot Saint Exupéry The 2017 Malescot St. Exupéry has a simpler bouquet than recent vintages with high-toned red cherry and raspberry fruit, quite warm compared to its peers and it would benefit from a little more delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. It is not a complex Malescot St. Exupéry but I admire the balance and focus. There is plenty of tightly wound red berry fruit laced with cedar and smoke, quite finessed towards the finish with a long spicy aftertaste. I would just like the aromatics to step up to the grade of the palate, so let s see how this shows once in bottle. Score: (91-93) Neal Martin, Vinous PESSAC-LÉOGNAN Château Carbonnieux Rouge The 2017 Carbonnieux is a dark, fleshy wine. Cedar, woodsmoke, tobacco, crème de cassis and incense are laced into a core of deep, plush fruit. Today, the 2017 is perhaps a bit burly and rough around the edges, but it is certainly not lacking in personality. Black cherry, chocolate, new leather and incense punctuate the potent finish. Score: (90-93) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Larrivet Haut Brion Rouge The 2017 Larrivet Haut-Brion is magnificent. Frost took out a large portion of the château's parcels. As a result, the wine is a highly unusual blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. In the glass, the 2017 is rich, sumptuous and explosive, with serious density to match its flamboyant personality. A highly unusual wine, the 2017 has so much to offer. Wow! Now, for the bad news. Production is down 75%. Tasted two times. Score: (93-96) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Domaine de Chevalier Rouge 2017
The 2017 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge was cropped at 34hl/ha between 11 and 29 September and is matured in 35% new oak for 18 months. It has a vivacious bouquet with quite generous black fruit, raspberry, brine and black olive that is well-defined and focused, if not possessing the complexity of the previous two vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly edgy tannin layers of black fruit interlaced with melted tar and graphite, closing in a little towards the finish with a gentle grip. I appreciate the deft manner in which this fans out and leaves a mineral residue on the finish. A Domaine de Chevalier of refinement rather than power, one with buvabilité or drinkability. Score: (92-94) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Malartic Lagraviere The 2017 Malartic Lagravière is dense, powerful and explosive. Succulent dark cherry, raspberry jam, chocolate, sweet spice and heavy toast notes give the 2017 its extroverted, racy personality. Malartic Lagravière is one of the more flamboyant wines readers will taste in 2017. Tasted four times. Score: (90-93) Antonio Galloni, Vinous POMEROL Château Le Gay The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Le Gay is youthfully mute, opening with black cherries, wild blueberries and mulberry scents with suggestions of violets, licorice and black soil. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers beautifully delineated fruit with oodles of freshness and firm yet beautifully ripe tannins, finishing very long and perfumed. Score: (93-95) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château La Violette Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 La Violette is a little reticent to begin, unfurling to give crushed blackberries and blackcurrants notes with touches of forest floor, truffles, cast iron pan and star anise. The palate is exquisitely balanced and intense, with firm, ripe tannins and seamless freshness framing the rock-solid, muscular fruit, finishing very long. Score: (94-96)+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Bon Pasteur Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Bon Pasteur rocks up to the party with gregarious blueberry compote, blackberry pie and cassis notions followed by a floral entourage and charcuterie nuances. Medium to full-
bodied with a firm, grainy backbone and just enough freshness, it gives a long, purely fruited finish. Score: (91-93) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Clos l'eglise The 2017 Clos L'Eglise is a wine that brings together power, tension and energy. There is quite a bit of richness to the fruit, but also plenty of supporting structure. Beams of underlying tannin give the 2017 its drive and sense of direction, while keeping the flavors perked up. Bright red stone fruit, mint and white pepper lead into a sculpted finish lifted by striking floral notes. This is a decidedly tannic, tightly wound Pomerol that is going to require patience, but it is also hugely promising. The 2017 was done in 100% new 300L barrels. Score: (92-95) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Saint Pierre Stéphane Derenoncourt has worked for five years with this estate to bring it to its potential. Lying just between Le Pin and Vieux Château Certan, there was no frost here. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Saint-Pierre (Pomerol) leaps from the glass with the most gorgeous violets and lilacs perfume over a core of blackberry preserves and blueberry tart plus hints of Indian spices and licorice. The palate is medium to full-bodied with bags of rich, perfumed fruit, supported by velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Only 3,000 bottles were produced this year. Score: (92-94)+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Nenin The 2017 Nénin is terrific. Brilliant, focused aromatics and finely chiseled fruit give the wine vivacity and energy to burn. Pliant and succulent in the glass, with striking fruit purity, the 2017 Nénin has so much to offer. Because of the frost, the 2017 contains more Cabernet Franc in the Grand Vin than is typical, which gives the wine its very distinct red toned flavor profile and structural feel. Frost losses were much more severe (70%) in the plots dedicated to the second wine Fugue de Nénin, which was produced, but will not be sold en primeur. In 2017, Nénin is a winner. Score: (90-93)+ Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Clinet The 2017 Clinet was picked from 19 to 26 September for the Merlot and on 29 September for the Cabernets at 35hl/ha. It is matured in 72% new oak and the remainder one year old. The alcohol is 13.1 compared to say 14.4 for 2016. It has a perfumed bouquet with mainly red berry fruit, top
notes of loam and a touch of violet. It is certainly well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, well delineated, and saline in the mouth. It is quite open towards the finish, perhaps with less grip than other Pomerols that I have tasted, but it is undeniably elegant and well balanced with a hint of cured meat cropping up on the aftertaste. Classic Clinet! Score: (92-94) Neal Martin, Vinous Château l Evangile The 2017 L'Evangile is deep garnet-purple in color, featuring a profoundly scented nose of plum preserves, smoked meats, chargrill and cigar box with touches of licorice, tapenade, tar and truffles plus an earthy waft of underbrush. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a lovely purity of black and blue fruits, accented with baking spice notions and framed by plush tannins that offer just the right amount of provocative grip, finishing long and earthy. Score: (93-95) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Rouget The 2017 Rouget is gorgeous. Bright, aromatically lifted and pliant, with tremendous depth and intensity, the 2017 hits all the right notes. Bright red cherry, plum and pomegranate are pushed forward. In 2017, Rouget has an extra level of aromatic intensity and overall finesse that makes it compelling. Tasted three times. Score: (92-95) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Gazin The 2017 Gazin has a very classic Pomerol bouquet with black brambly fruit infused with black truffle and subtle raspberry confit notes. Then, as it opens, there are loamy aromas that lend more complexity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin and a fine bead of acidity. There is a slightly powdery texture, feeling quite saline. White pepper and fennel notes become more conspicuous towards the finish. Just a classic Gazin from proprietor Nicolas de Bailliencourt and his team. Score: (91-93) Neal Martin, Vinous SAINT-ÉMILION Château Beau-Sejour Becot The 2017 Beau-Séjour-Bécot is dark, dense and inviting, with striking textural richness and fabulous depth. Succulent black cherry, chocolate, new leather, spice and menthol. All the elements fall into place in a soft, beautifully resonant Saint-Émilion from the Bécot family.
Score: (91-94) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Clos de Sarpe A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc and displaying a deep garnet-purple color, the 2017 Clos de Sarpe has a totally sexy, wonderfully spicy nose of star anise, cloves, Sichuan pepper and allspice over a core of blueberry preserves, chocolate-covered cherries and crème de cassis with hints of violets and licorice. Full-bodied, muscular and with a firm backbone of seriously ripe, velvety tannins, it has amazing freshness and a wonderfully layered, epically long finish. Score: (93-95) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Canon La Gaffeliere The 2017 Canon La Gaffelière is superb. Compelling in its aromatics and overall balance, the 2017 has so much to offer. All the elements simply fall into place. As is the case with all of Stephan von Neipperg's wines, the 2017 is wonderfully fresh and nuanced, with less muscle than in the past and noticeably more finesse. Bright floral and mocha notes add lift to the dark red stone fruits. What a gorgeous wine this is. Tasted two times. Score: (92-95) Antonio Galloni, Vinous Château Quinault l'enclos The 2017 Quinault l Enclos has a slightly warmer microclimate than Cheval Blanc so it was not affected by frost at all. It is managed exactly like Cheval Blanc even though the terroir is different. It is the first vintage to be vinified in the new cellar equipped with 22 different sized vats and in recent years, more and more Cabernet Sauvignon has been planted due to its gravel soils. This is matured in 50% new oak and 50% used, including one 20-hectolitre foudre. It has a curiously Fronsac-like bouquet with broody dark berry fruit laced with warm gravel, becoming more Left Bank in style as it opens up. The palate is medium-bodied with lace-like tannin, very linear and conservative in style, quite saline in the mouth with a brisk, dried herb, perhaps even fennel-tinged finish. Give this three, maybe four years in bottle as I would like to see it develop a little more grace and personality. Score: (89-91) Neal Martin, Vinous Château Fonplegade The deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Fonplegade has quite a spicy nose sporting notes of anise, cloves, fenugreek and black pepper over a core of warm black plums and blackberries plus a waft of potpourri. Mediumbodied with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, it features bags of vibrant black fruits and a long, spicy finish. Score: (93-95) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate
Château Faugères The current blend is 85% Merlot, with smaller portions of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Faugeres is a little shy to begin, revealing crushed black cherries, mulberries and red currants with coaxing plus hints of lavender, bay leaves and tilled soil. Medium-bodied with a firm frame of grainy tannins and just enough freshness, it delivers oodles of black fruit and a refreshing lift to the finish. Score: (90-92)+ Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate CÔTES DE CASTILLON Château Cap de Faugères The 2017 Cap de Faugères is absolutely delicious. Fresh, perfumed and inviting, the 2017 has a good bit of aromatic lift melded into a core of fleshy raspberry jam and red cherry fruit. The 2017 is a bit fresher and more vibrant than has been the norm for Cap de Faugères in the recent past, but that has been achieved while maintaining plenty of depth. This is really quite lovely. Tasted four times. Score: (88-91) Antonio Galloni, Vinous MOULIS-EN-MÉDOC Château Poujeaux The 2017 Poujeaux has a generous, slightly smudged bouquet with cranberry, raspberry and cedar aromas, just a little greenness in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, dark berry fruit, black pepper and a little graphite. It just misses a sense of energy that I have found on the finest vintages of this Moulis, although there is a pleasant sappiness that develops. Score: (89-91) Neal Martin, Vinous MÉDOC Château Potensac The 2017 Potensac is a pretty wine with good depth and resonance to its dark red cherry and black stone fruit. Soft and open knit in feel, with lovely depth, Potensac is especially fruity and supple in this vintage. Even so, all the elements are very nicely balanced. creamy, but understated through to the finish. Tasted two times. Score: (88-90) Antonio Galloni, Vinous
SAUTERNES Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey Silvio Denz's 2017 Lafaurie-Peyraguey is rich, tropical and unctuous, and yet also manages to retain a terrific amount of freshness. White and yellow flowers, passion fruit, mango and orchard fruit are some of the many nuances that develop in the glass, but it is the wine's total sense of balance that makes the deepest impression. Tasted two times. Score: (93-96) Antonio Galloni, Vinous WHITE BORDEAUX Caillou Blanc de Talbot The 2017 Caillou Blanc de Talbot has quite an earthy nose of wet pebbles and struck flint over a core of lemon juice and white grapefruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fantastic intensity and bags of minerals on the long refreshing finish. Score: (89-91) Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate Château Carbonnieux Blanc The 2017 Carbonnieux Blanc has an impressive bouquet with scents of Granny Smith apples, crushed stone and nettle. There is certainly impressive intensity here a bouquet that means business. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity. This is one of the most sophisticated white Carbonnieux that I have encountered at this stage with wonderful mineralité and veins of ginger furnishing the finish that convey brio and confidence. This should evolve into an outstanding Pessac-Léognan. Score: (92-94) Neal Martin, Vinous Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2017 The 2017 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc was picked from 31 August until 15 September via several tries through the vineyard that yielded 46hl/ha, with 13.5 alcohol. It has a very attractive, estuarine influenced bouquet with scents of cockle and oyster shell infusing the vivacious citrus fruit. This opens up very nicely with aeration in the glass. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity. It feels quite saline and spicy in the mouth with a rather intense citric finish that is very persistent, the aftertaste again, quite saline. Score: (93-95) Neal Martin, Vinous