Château Les Grandes Murailles 2017

Oak-influenced aromatics; extract-rich on the palate, powdery tannins, noticeable warmth.

Ripe and alluring, featuring crushed plum and blackberry preserve flavors enmeshed with anise, fruitcake and roasted apple wood notes. Shows good underlying structure but maintains a plush feel overall. Best from 2021 through 2032. 500 cases made.

Damson-brushed fruits, with an elegant yet gourmand edge that brings full appellation typicity, and a good balance of power and precision. The oak is evident, with clear cedar notes throughout, and the tannins are well stacked, building towards the close of play. Good quality and enjoyable.

There’s a sheen of fine oak spice across this gently floral and leafy St.-Emilion. The palate has a nice core of quite fluid and attractively balanced dark-plum flesh. Fine tannins. Drink or hold.

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Leather and liquorice on the nose. Very dark and brooding. An excess of oak and extraction and dark fruit on the palate. This is bold and muscular, but the sweetness of spice brings a jarring cherry-cola note throughout. (TP)

The 2017 Les Grandes Murailles has a well-defined, attractive bouquet with plenty of brambly red berry fruit, cedar and sage aromas, and is nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a fine thread of acidity, finishing poised and elegant—a performance that merits a light round of applause. Worth checking out.

Truffle, chocolate, plum and leafy notes on the nose lead to a medium-bodied, polished, fresh wine. You’ll find dark, plummy, rounded fruits, silky tannins and a touch of oak on the back end. The wine is made from 100% old-vine Merlot, reaching 14.4% ABV.

Notes of cassis, chocolaty herbs, licorice, and graphite emerge from the 2017 Chateau Les Grandes Murailles. Made from 100% Merlot, it's medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, mouthfilling texture, solid overall acidity and freshness, and enough tannins to warrant a handful of years of bottle age. It's wonderfully done, balanced, has ample fruit, and will dish out loads of pleasure over the coming decade or more.

Dense purple garnet with a violet rim. Seductive blueberry perfume, with fragrant violet and licorice. On the palate, ripe extract supported by structuring tannins, yet remaining very elegant. A focused finish with plenty of finesse and wonderful blue-berry notes on the aftertaste. Superb St.-Émilion!

Kunz barrel sample 18: Fruity, finely opulent bouquet, cherry compote, slate, caramel. Generous, fruity palate with dark fruit, fine sandy tannins, creamy structure, powerful aromatics, long, vigorous finish.

Fruity, finely opulent bouquet, cherry compote, slate, caramel. Generously textured, fruity palate with dark fruit, fine sandy tannins, creamy structure, powerful aromatics, long, robust finish. 17/20 2024 - 2040

The opulence, set in very fresh tannins, makes the 2017 more approachable, with aromas of red stone fruits and a spicy bite that adds to its charm; it should be opened before its predecessor.

Fruity, sappy, juicy wine, with silky tannins and a slight hardness on the finish.

The bouquet of Grandes Murailles 2017 shows exceptional finesse and is shaped by its terroir with chalky notes. Plenty of minerality, along with blueberry aromas and then red-root notes that evoke an earthy side. On the palate, the wine is gourmand, creamy, and broad, thanks to compact, supple tannins with a very fine grain. Great breeding on the finish, where the structure imparts a refreshing limestone tension. What a superb achievement!

Dark, intense, and bright color. Moderately aromatic nose, yet subtle. Ripe, fresh fruit. Caressing on the attack, then quickly silky from mid-palate, the wine stretches out at length on the finish, with already evolved aromas and finely creamy, oaky nuances. A 100% merlot through and through.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Grandes Murailles reveals a very pretty nose of potpourri, black tea and fragrant soil over a core of raspberry preserves, boysenberries, warm plums and iron ore. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing and well-textured with soft, rounded tannins, finishing long and savory.