Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste 2017

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 in color, it opens with notes of fresh black raspberries, kirsch, and crushed black and red currants, with hints of spice box, fragrant earth, and potpourri. Medium-bodied, the palate is lively and fresh, with a moderate level of approachable, soft tannins and a compelling restraint on the finish.

A taut and minerally version, defined by a chalky underpinning that harnesses the core of damson plum, bitter cherry and red currant fruit. Streaks of cedar, chestnut and bay leaf mark the finish. Shows the austere, iron-driven side of Pauillac. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2038. 10,000 cases made.

Expressive and concentrated on the nose, showing cocoa-dusted blackcurrants and vibrant vegetal notes. Powerful, rich and concentrated, with firm tannins and a long minty finish.

Aromas of fresh raspberries with some lemon peel and fresh herbs follow through to a full to medium body. Fresh herbs and graphite highlight the wine. Chewy finish. Needs time to soften. Better after 2022.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Winemaker/R&D director Christel Spinner suggests it will develop shoulders during barrel ageing. Colour of blackcurrant juice. Fresh and peppery with lots of pure, fine cassis on the nose. Dark and pure. Silky, moreish, not that much more intense than the second wine Lacoste Borie but a little more persistent and with more depth in the middle. Fine tannins, soft and supple. Fresh on the finish. Pure and persistent in its relative delicacy. (JH)

The 2017 Grand-Puy-Lacoste was bottled at the end of June. Brambly black fruit, wild hedgerow, cedar and a touch of wild mint. This is classic “GPL”. The palate is very well balanced with brine-tinged black fruit and a fine bead of acidity. It is beautifully focused with a refined, lightly spiced finish. You have to give this wine time in the glass because it really starts to “flow” after 5–10 minutes. Excellent.

Classic and classy, with a refreshing mint-leaf edge to the crisp, chewy, sweet, vibrant red fruits on the nose and on the medium-bodied, energetic, crunchy palate. Drink from 2025–2045.

Deep dark ruby colour, with purple reflections, and a delicate bright trim. It is relatively closed on the nose, with a spicy red berry aroma, and nuances of green tea, vervaine and tree resin. It has a soft and comparatively generous opening on the palate, and has a powerful body, with a mild acidity, very fine tannins, and is quite silky and fresh, polished and long lasting, with plenty of juice and a slightly salty background.

The 2017 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is more open and expressive, with beautiful red and black fruits, dried herbs, savory flowers, and graphite-like notes, as well as a terrific sense of minerality on the palate. It's balanced, medium-bodied, has fine tannins, and a great finish. It's a charming, complex, graceful Pauillac to drink over the coming 15 years.

Deep purple with ruby highlights. What a perfume of fresh morello cherries, cooled rosehip tea and redcurrants. On the second approach, alpine blueberries, rosemary and Virginia tobacco. On the delicately structured palate with a creamy texture and cocoa-like tannins—what a delicacy. In the aromatic finish, the GPL shows red-berry contours, then gentle claws and thus good reserves. An absolute must for lovers of finesse!

Kunz barrel sample 18: (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 45 hl/ha) Dense, deep, elegant, mineral bouquet, small black berries, cassis, strawberries, currants, fine smokiness, noble woods, dark tobacco. Tightly woven, multi-layered palate with a dense, classic, elegant structure, diverse dark aromatics, plenty of fine tannins, fresh fruit, very long, fresh finish with lots of lingering aromas. Has room for further development.

(80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 45 hl/ha) Dense, deep, elegant, mineral bouquet, small black berries, cassis, strawberries, currants, fine smokiness, noble woods, dark tobacco. Tightly woven, multi-layered palate with a dense, classic, elegant structure, varied dark aromas, plenty of fine tannins, fresh fruit, very long, fresh finish with many lingering flavors. Can improve further. 18/20 2025 - 2048

A lighter-framed vintage that will be ready to drink before the classic 10-year window. You see hints of this immediately in the plum color, with shades of lighter raspberry around the rim even at four years old. The fruit is savory blackcurrant and bilberry, with sculpted tannins that make their presence felt. Elegance and finesse show the Cabernet dominance, and the slate and smoke edge bring complexity. Needs a few years, but I would keep checking in, because there will come a point — as with the 2007s before it — when this will offer succulent drinking pleasure, and for me it is one of the clear standout successes of the 2017 vintage in Pauillac. Harvest September 15 to 29. 75% new oak, technical director Christel Spinner, consultant Eric Boissenot.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Grand-Puy-Lacoste slowly emerges from the glass with evocative notes of kirsch, fresh boysenberries, and redcurrant preserves, followed by hints of rosehip tea, dried Provence herbs, and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refreshing, featuring fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone to support the perfumed red berry layers, finishing fragrant.

The 2017, more ready to drink, has a beautiful classic profile, driven by very noble Cabernets.

Deep garnet red. What a bouquet! Marked by freshness, red berries, spices and a classic touch of cedar. The nose alone indicates depth. This follows on the palate, where the wine shines with its density, creaminess, and its ability to handle the breed of the structure. A great wine that reveals itself over the minutes, endowed with fine yet powerful tannins. Beautiful aromatic expression from the attack through to the finish.

Dark color, of normal intensity and slightly evolved. Very beautiful aromatic nose, with fruit that is both fresh and ripe. Subtle. The palate presents in a Burgundian style, all about tactile delicacy, with a pronounced caressing feel and great brightness of flavor. Fine-grained tannins. Delicious right away. Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot.

This is a stylish wine that displays plenty of black currant fruit framed by fine tannins. Medium bodied, it has a juicy core that is already attractive, but for best enjoyment, drink from 2023.