Bordeaux Left Bank 2017 in bottle: Anson’s top-scorers
Red
1 Château Latour, Pauillac 1CC 98
It’s fairly unusual in 2017 to find the bright blue-violet reflections around the rim of the wine that you find in years like 2010 and 2016, but it is here in abundance. Still extremely young, knitted, closed up and holding tight to its cassis and bilberry fruits at this point. This was the first year when Latour was working fully organically, although not certified until 2019. This is a big-framed Latour and will need at least a decade before beginning to soften its Pauillac tannins. Lovely rich, deep flavours with great dollops of black spice. It feels majestic and full of the Latour signature of menthol, liquorice, slate and earth. Aged for 18 months, building up to 100% new oak. Drink 2027-2050 Alcohol 13.3%
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac 1CC 97
£428-£490 (ib)
Not so inky as to be impenetrable: that is not Lafite’s style. Nose subdued at first, but on the palate it unfurls to show violet edging and rich but well defined black fruits. Plenty of concentration: there are hefty tannins but they’re so finessed that you don’t feel them at first. It will almost certainly take a full 10 years to reach its drinking window, unlike many in 2017. The 97% Cabernet Sauvignon (in 99% new oak) means a lot of the power is implied at this point, with only a hint of Merlot to soften and gently layer up through the palate. Extremely impressive. The yields were only very lightly affected by frost. Drink 2025-2050 Alc 12.8%
Château Léoville Las Cases, St-Julien 2CC 97
£140-£162 (ib)
A little less inky than the 2015, 2016 or 2018. Clear layers of fruit; the nose is one of the rare ones in the vintage where you want to spend time just thinking about the different strands that are coming at you. Black truffle, liquorice, cinnamon spice, saffron, slate and cigar box – this is a standout wine in the vintage. The team just knows how to tease flavour out of the ground at Léoville Las Cases. Closed, not exactly forbidding but certainly
