Bordeaux 2017 rated by Neal Martin and Lisa Perrotti

The 2017 vintage in Bordeaux East a somewhat complicated vintage because the climate incidentsnt had reason to quality of the wine produced. And the weather hasn't affected all châteaux and appellations equally. Therefore, more than ever, we encourage our readers and customers to consider critics' ratings and, in particular, to follow three reviews: Neal Martin (visited Vinous in 2017) who had rated the 2015 and 2016 Bordeaux wines for Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) Lisa Perrotti-Brown which succeeds Neal Martin At Wine Advocate And Jean-Marc Quarin.

At Cavissima, we believe that reading Neal Martin and Lisa Perrotti is enough to form a clear idea of each château in this 2017 vintage. Jean-Marc Quarin's opinion is also very important because, not only is he beginning to gain influence globally, but he also seems to be ahead of the curve and remarkably identifies the progress made in the vineyard and the cellar to measure its real impact in the glass. Furthermore, we appreciate the taste of Quarin's wine, which, more than others, seeks out the finesse of the tannins, elegance, and drinkability. la garde.

What does 2017 look like?

Our three critics, of course, recount the chronology of climatic events that shaped this vintage and impacted the development of the grapes. A closer look at the notes of Neal Martin and Lisa-Perrotti reveals a broadly similar interpretation of their appellation rankings compared to the 2015 and 2014 vintages.

Opinion of L Perrotti	vs 2014	vs 2015	Best
Pomerol	+++	+	Lafleur, L'Eglise-Clinet
Saint-Emilion	+++	=	Ausonius, Pavia
Pessac-Léognan	++	-	Haut-Brion, La Mission Haut-Brion
Margaux	+++	-	Margaux, Palmer
Saint-Julien	+++	+	Léoville las Cases, Ducru Beaucaillou
Pauillac	+++	+	Lafite, Mouton
Saint Estèphe	+++	++	Cos d'Estournel, Montrose

 

N Martin's Opinion	vs 2014	vs 2015	Best
Pomerol	++	--	Lafleur, The Church Clinet
Saint-Emilion	++	--	Angélus, Ausonius
Pessac-Léognan	+	--	Haut-Brion
Margaux	+	---	Margaux, Palmer
Saint-Julien	-	-	Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Barton
Pauillac	+	=	Lafite, Mouton
Saint Estèphe	++	++	Cos d'Estournel, Montrose

When Neal Martin tells us that overall 2017 was a "2014 Plus," Lisa Perrotti's tasting notes suggest she identifies 2014 as a "2015 Minus." Aside from this difference, we note that both awarded virtually the same wines top marks. However, it's clear that Neal Martin's judgment is more severe: he doesn't award any potential 100 points. Lisa Perrotti (and we expected the opposite) awards three châteaux 100 points. Jean-Marc Quarin awards 97 points to châteaux with a significant proportion of Cabernet Franc in their blends. Lafleur, Carmelites Haut-Brion, Cheval Blanc and Ausonius.

Top-quality white wines

Both critics also awarded exceptional scores to both the sweet and dry white wines. Yquem, Coutet, Haut-Brion Blanc and Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc are pure marvels with scores exceeding 96.

Hierarchies are respected.

Within each appellation, the range of scores is very wide this year. The difference is certainly greater for 2017 than for 2014 (which benefited from an Indian summer that ultimately corrected the other problems of the vintage). The smaller vineyards suffered more than the larger ones and were often more exposed to frost.

The great wines of the 2017 vintage are the Premiers Grands Crus Classés, to which are added the rare and exceptional Grands Pomerols.

Saint-Estèphe at the top

Without a doubt, the Saint-Estèphe appellation has benefited most from the climate. At the northern tip of the Médoc, the vines benefit from the proximity of the ocean, which limits frost and water stress during the summer. The great Châteaux such as Cos d'Estournel, Montrose and Calon Ségur have a quality implementation policy that is very similar to what we see at the Premiers de Pauillac.

		2014	2015	2017
		WA - NM	WA - NM	VN - NM	WA - LP	JMQ
Cos d'Estournel	Saint Estèphe	93-95	92-94	94-96	97-100	94
Montrose	Saint Estèphe	95-97	93-95	94-96	96-99	95