2017 Grand Puy Lacoste
By Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste
2017 Grand Puy Lacoste, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
As one delves into the world of fine Bordeaux, it becomes apparent that certain years leave an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of viniculture. The 2017 vintage was indeed such a year, marked by climatic oscillations that presented challenges yet, in capable hands, yielded wines of remarkable quality. One such exemplary craft is the 2017 Grand Puy Lacoste from Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste.
Masterful Expression of Terroir and Tenacity
The fortitude of the Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste winemaking team is commendably showcased in their 2017 release. A steadfast commitment to expressing the quintessence of their terroir resulted in a Pauillac of supreme elegance and balance. Despite frost concerns earlier in the season across Bordeaux, this resilient chateau has produced a wine that exhibits a harmonious interplay between ripe blackcurrant and the characteristic pencil lead nuances synonymous with its appellation.
Investment Worthy: Fraught Vintage Renders Rewarding Complexity
For fine wine investors, the 2017 Grand Puy Lacoste presents an intriguing opportunity. There's a compelling tension within that speaks not only to the character imparted by the largely gravelly soil profile but also to the meticulous management of this challenging vintage. Those fortunate enough to have this velvety expression of Pauillac grace their cellars will discover a balanced structure and supple tannins that augur well for both medium-term maturation and long-term growth potential.
With judicious oak integration underscored by an undercurrent of subtle spices and cedar, the wine’s nuanced palette carries through to an elegantly persistent finish. This prowess in winemaking has certainly ensured that within the dichotomy of challenge and triumph, this wine stands as an exemplar of what can be achieved in 2017 from Pauillac.
In summation, the 2017 Grand Puy Lacoste offers a poignant narrative — one where ingenuity trumps adversity, culminating in a vintage that provides both remarkable drinking pleasure and sound investment merit for connoisseurs and investors alike.
Market price (CAD)
$867.10
12x75cl
Highest score
93
POP score
40.08
Scores and tasting notes
Very pretty and focused with a tight and refined palate of juicy tannins and a savory finish. Elegant.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com
This is crunchy and lively, offering a bright herbaceous note mixed in with red and black currant fruit. There's good iron-driven cut on the finish. A bit backward, but the pieces are there for a textbook, mineral-driven Pauillac.—J.M.
Wine Spectator - James Molesworth - winespectator.com
The 2017 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is bright, floral and nicely lifted. Gracious in style, the 2017 is built on a core of fresh, red-toned fruit. Silky tannins add to the wine's elegant, cooly sophisticated personality. There is plenty to like and admire in this classically restrained, gracious Pauillac from François-Xavier Borie. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Tasted two times.
Antonio Galloni - Antonio Galloni - vinous.com - May '18
The 2017 Grand Puy Lacoste was picked from 15 to 29 September cropped at 45hl/ha, matured in 75% new oak. It has a clean, precise and conservative bouquet that takes time to open. I like the mineral tension here, the focus, and hints of freshly shucked oyster shell emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, fresh in the mouth with plenty of cedar and tobacco-infused red and black fruit that drive a long, slightly peppery finish. It is a quintessential Grand Puy Lacoste, sans the frills of the 2016 and yet you can already imagine this being drunk to the very last drop in about ten years time. It is simply a very likeable Grand Puy Lacoste in the making. Tasted twice with consistent notes.
Neal Martin - Neal Martin - vinous.com - May '18
Composed of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2017 Grand-Puy-Lacoste was aged in French oak barriques, 75% new. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with notes of fresh black raspberries, kirsch and crushed black and red currants with hints of spice box, fragrant soil and potpourri. Medium-bodied, the palate is frisky and fresh with a moderate level of approachable, soft tannins and compelling restraint on the finish.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 16 March 2020