The best wines of Bordeaux 2017

Every year after the en primeur tastings, Liv-ex asks its 400 global members to contribute to a survey that aims to get some sort of consensus on what are considered the ‘best’ wines, those tipped to be (with any luck) the ‘best value’, where the vintage ranks against its recent peers and expected demand from customers etc.

The best wines as chosen by Liv-ex’s members certainly represent the most storied names not just of Bordeaux but of fine wine in general, comprising all five first growths and five of the leading grands crus from the Right Bank.

As such, it typifies the general feeling that at the very top of the spectrum the wines of 2017 are really very, very good – not quite as exceptional as 2016 but still no slouches.

The even split between Left and Right Bank properties also highlights the fact that this is not a vintage that favours one side of the Gironde or another.

On the other hand, this list was put together by aggregating the responses from merchants and as such while it does certainly offer a broad snapshot of the wines they consider the best, by no means does every merchant in the UK or US believe that Mouton is superior to Lafite this year or Vieux Château Certan above Lafleur and the major critics certainly don’t see it that way; therefore, while one can choose to view this list as an ascending collection of the ‘best’ wines of the 2017 vintage, one might also simply view it as a collection of the best wines ‘in no particular order.

Lafite

2016 release price: €455 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 97-99
Julia Harding MW: 17
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 95-97

Supposedly the premier first growth, Lafite has certainly had its supremacy challenged by the other four grands crus in recent years, with its price premium declining and scores having often not quite been up to the level one might expect for the prices it continues to charge.

That all changed last year with the 2016 vintage, which was named Liv-ex’s member’s favourite wine in the survey for that year.

It hasn’t quite lived up to that billing in 2017 but the scores from the critics are uniformly good and if we were judging Lafite 2017 on their scores then one would expect it to be very much higher up the list.

Martin, at least, considers Lafite the best first growth in 2017 “by a whisker”.

Ausone

Image credit: Jonathan Warrender

2016 release price: €588 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 97-99
Julia Harding MW: 18
James Suckling: 96-97
Neal Martin: 94-96

One of the great wines of St Emilion and in a vintage that is so clearly dominated by each appellation’s great estates it is no surprise to see Ausone here.

Saved, as has happened before, by its terroir, the estate was largely untouched by frost, losing only the fruit from the vines at sister properties Simard and Haut-Simard.

Haut-Brion

2016 release price: €420 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 95-97
Julia Harding MW: –
James Suckling: 95-96
Neal Martin: 94-96

A solid if perhaps unremarkable effort from a first growth that has put in some real legwork in in recent vintages. Judging by scores from Neal Martin and Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, one wonders if its white wine might be a better entry as the Pessac whites generally flourished in 2017 while those reds unaffected by the frost sometimes suffered through some late rains in September.

In the case of Haut-Brion the rains ruined the majority of the Cabernet Franc and most was rejected for the final blend.

Cheval Blanc

2016 release price: €552 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 93-95
Julia Harding MW: 17.5
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 93-95

An interesting and rather conflicted wine would perhaps sum up Cheval Blanc 2017.

It’s scores are, fine, and much like Ausone its rank as a grand cru classé ‘A’ will mean its inclusion in the top 10 is no real surprise.

The divide among the critics is not huge but it exists with one half giving the wine very solid high marks and the others…pulling their punches somewhat.

By all accounts it’s one of the more ‘intriguing’ if not outright “fascinating” (according to Martin) wines of the vintage.

Of all the great estates and terroirs , Cheval Blanc was actually hit by frost and rather seriously. As much as 33% to 35% of potential production was lost in two nights and two thirds of the plantings affected in some way, cutting production of the grand vin vs 2016 by half.

As Martin notes, this has led to 2017 being something of a “remix” vintage with a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon than usual and rather less Cabernet Franc.

Depending on one’s preference this might make it something of a Marmite* wine and Martin for one is unconvinced.

It’s “cerebral” to taste he says but ultimately he misses the Cabernet Franc and this is reflected in his “cold-hearted” score – though 93-95 is still nothing to be sniffed at.

On the other hand, it’s perhaps the wine he thinks he’ll be most intrigued to return to in 10 or 20 years.

*A powerful, tangy, yeast-based spread that is simultaneously adored and reviled in the UK. Superior to Vegemite.

Mouton Rothschild

2016 release price: €420
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 97-99
Julia Harding MW: 18
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 94-96

Possibly the first growth to grown in stature the most in recent years and the one presenting the most serious challenge to Lafite’s supremacy.

As mentioned previously, Martin thinks Lafite the best first growth in 2017 and the Mouton lacking some of the “panache” of its 2016 incarnation, though Julia Harding MW seems rather more taken with the ‘other Rothschild’ property and Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW and James Suckling scored them the same so presumably don’t think there’s much in it.

Lafleur

2016 release price: €420 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 97-100
Julia Harding MW: 18.5
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 95-97

Although the various scores and reports have generally encouraged the suggestion that there is no one wine or appellation that is a clear ‘winner’ in 2017, reading through the various critics reports one might actually begin to draw a circle around Lafleur.

‘Just magic!” enthused Perrotti-Brown, while Martin noted that it and fellow Pomerol L’Eglise Clinet demanded patience at this stage but once Lafleur opened up it, “took your breath away, offering a brief glimpse of what one of the standouts wines of the vintage will become when it reaches its peak.”

Latour

2016 release price: N/A
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 97-99
Julia Harding MW: 18
James Suckling: 98-99
Neal Martin: 94-96

A great wine, a great terroir, what much more is there to say? The critics and merchants have clearly given it the thumbs up but as Latour no longer releases its wines en primeur this won’t be making an appearance until at least the late 2020s probably – which is quite a thought.

Margaux

2016 release price: €420 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 96-98
Julia Harding MW: 17.5
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 93-95

This list is clearly the result of averaging out the picks of Liv-ex’s members which may have distorted things slightly.

Not that Margaux hasn’t made a good wine in 2017 of course but one gets the feeling from the critics that Lafite and Mouton are perhaps the strongest first growths in this vintage.

Although Margaux as an appellation was more affected by frost than Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, Château Margaux itself escaped largely unharmed and has produced a wine with surprising concentration (said Martin) but ultimately not a wine that quite lived up to the 2016 and monumental 2015.

On the other hand, lime Haut-Brion, the white wine produced under the Pavillon Blanc label is clearly superb.

Vieux Château Certan

2016 release price: €192 p/b
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 96-98
Julia Harding MW: 18.5
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 94-96

Another estate that has been punching well above its weight for years, like Lafleur it is clear that this Pomerol has excelled in 2017 and should be on buyers’ hit lists if they’re going to buy anything this campaign.

“Enthralling precision,” enthused Martin.

Petrus

2016 release price: £22,000/cs
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW: 93-95
Julia Harding MW: 18.5
James Suckling: 97-98
Neal Martin: 94-96

Wine of the vintage? Perhaps, though as referred to earlier, Lafite, Lafleur and Mouton certainly seem to get the critical thumbs up as well and should be counted top contenders.

Perrotti-Brown in particular has not rated it too terribly highly, nor Martin. Alcohol levels are reportedly quite high, comfortably above 14.5% which might put some off.

It’s “reassuringly ‘Petrus’,” thought Martin but he wouldn’t rank it as one of the estate’s best efforts of recent years.

Then again, for buyers of Petrus is that really a concern?