Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2017

Juicy, crisp and robust in style, with verve, and as so often just a slightly hard, angular finish.

The 2017 Grand-Puy-Ducasse is medium to deep garnet-purple colored with aromas of crushed red and black currants, black cherries and boysenberries, with touches of earth, meats, and herbs. Medium-bodied, it is firm and rugged on the palate with muscular fruit and a savory finish.

This sports a savory note up front, lifting the core of plum, black currant and black cherry fruit. Sports a slightly chewy back end, with chestnut, cedar and tobacco details filling in. Maintains good energy and definition overall. Solid length. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2036. 8,333 cases made.

Restrained aromas of creamy dark chocolate, black fruits, tomato leaves and some floral hints. Firm tannins, brightly juicy with a soft minty character.

Very pretty, sweet flowers and hints of fresh herbs follow through to a medium body, creamy tannins and a fresh finish. Hard not to drink now.

Deepish crimson with a purple rim. Clean-cut blackcurrant fruit on the nose and just a hint of char. Rather soft on the palate, and pretty light on fruit so that the chalky tannins finish slightly dry. (JH)

Bright, fresh, minty, red fruits with touches of tobacco leaves and herbs form the core of this medium-bodied, approachable wine, filled with red currant and cherry. Drink from 2023 to 2040.

Kunz barrel sample 18: (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot) Spicy, powerful bouquet, cassis, black cherries. Coal. Velvety, full palate with delicate fruit, good tannins, dark aromatics, finely muscular structure, long, firm finish.

Silky, spicy, medium-bodied bouquet with blueberries, strawberries, black cherries, chocolate. Balanced, medium-bodied palate with fresh fruit, fine tannins, creamy texture, powerful, sweet aromatics, full finish. 17/20 2024 - 2045

The 2017 Grand-Puy Ducasse is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of swirling to reveal notes of warm redcurrants, black raspberries, and stewed red plums, plus hints of forest floor and cast-iron pan. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with firm, grainy tannins, supported by oodles of freshness and finishing long with a spicy lift.

2017 thus shows a very lovely refinement, with integrated tannins.

Juicy, taut, sappy, fruity, broad tannins, long finish, lovely chew.

The bouquet of the 2017 is indeed shy, yet it is fresh and fruity, with shades of raspberry followed by a touch of eucalyptus. The palate shows a slender character. The wine is crunchy, fresh, and endowed with firm tannins. It’s clear that it lacks a bit of dimension and, especially coming after 2016, it struggles to bear comparison—except in one respect: it is ready to be enjoyed, because it is fresh!

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Bright, youthful red color. Discreet, fruity nose. A palate with a supple body, developing into very fruity, pleasant, flavorful notes, with medium body and length.

The tannins show well in this ripe wine. While it also has lots of fresh black-fruit flavors, it's the structure that shines now, indicating good aging potential. Drink from 2024.