I’m starting to get offers for 2017 Northern Rhones. Heard it was hot and dry and comparable to 2003–which was good but not as good as '15 or '16. Are you buying '17s?
I think I remember reading that 2017 should be a real terroir vintage so yes, I’m buying! For example Gonon’s or Balthazar’s reds were both just amazing what I got to taste from the barrel. They had really lovely fruit and structure were really spot on. Can’t wait to get my hands on them.
If it’s comparable to 03’ I would never buy…
Those wines have turned out to be a hot mess…
I’m still confused on '16- heard all the fervor about '15 and seemed to hear nothing about '16.
The ones from 2016 that I have tasted from Xavier Gerard, Pierre Gonon, Aurelien Chatagnier and Franck Balthazar were really nice. At this moment I actually prefered '14 and '16 to '15, because it they are a bit lighter in style. '16 can age well where '14 is more earlier drinking stuff. '15 is a bit too big at the moment for my taste, but we’ll see how they evolve in next 10 years.
The received wisdom is that 2016 is a ´millesime du vigneron’ that while complicated those diligent winemakers made excellent wines that are more transparent of place than 2015.
I haven’t tasted much yet, but feeling might be it’s more successful in the north of the north, with Cote rôtie especially good. Hermitage will be difficult as it got hailed in April…
My memory of the weather was mild winter followed by a crappy spring that may have delayed the season, and then rainy early summer, followed by dry July, aug, sept with rains timed very well to rehydrate at the right time.
In any case, my second was born in that year a stones throw from Ampuis so i’ll be backing up the truck!
Not much released yet, I only have a few Geynales from V Paris in the cellar and one Burgaud CR to try soon and will post a note once I do.
Note: maybe we ought to edit the thread title as we are all over the place here!
These sound contradictory.