We tried a small but interesting sample of '17’s when we were in Burgundy last year:
So from what we saw the whites generally seemed quite pure and lovely, the reds more elegant and pretty - overall a good drinking vintage for sure IF you get the right wines, noting my bolded comment from above…
And a shame about the pricing - if these were 15-20% below '15/'16 prices, you’d be pretty tempted, but not so much at the same level or higher.
Given currency movements of the last year you would hope US prices manage to go a little lower (since London prices seem flat to slightly lower).
The first part of my report for TWA came out January 4th and Neal’s for Vinous came out yesterday, so between us, John and Allen, there is now no shortage of opinions.
Interesting to see people writing of over-extraction. I think those comments simply reflect the fact that the tannins were not as ripe or as fine quality as tannins in 2016 and 2015. Since I was there tasting grapes and fermenting tanks, I can say that with some certainty. Some producers tried to compensate for the comparative lack of tannin by extended macerations and keeping their tanks heated, which I think was a mistake. But I can only think of a couple of producers that might be said to have ‘over extracted’. It’s far from being a theme of the vintage! Would be interested to hear which producers folks were singling out, as perhaps I didn’t visit them.
Regarding buying decisions, I think Robert’s observation that “When one thinks about vintages 2000 and 2007 and how tasty and well they are drinking now, I think it would be a mistake to skip 2017, except you have a cellar full of ready to go bottles for the next 5-10 years” is truly spot on. A number of recent vintages have been billed as classically balanced, charming and likely to drink well young, but of all of them, 2017 gets my bet as the vintage the most likely to honor that promise. I am certainly buying selectively but quite aggressively for my own cellar.
Sounds like a vintage I want to buy. I tried and failed to get to London en primeur week, so I won’t have the chance to try the wines in advance. But that is no different from any other vintage for me.
My sources for evaluating the vintage are the same every year. I read Doug Barzelay’s old vine notes website. Many of Doug’s notes relate to wines that are in a space in which I can’t play, but Doug’s evaluation of village and 1er cru wines is extremely helpful and, interestingly, not necessarily tied to hierarchy in the same way as other reviewers (I think I can generally predict where meadows is going to score a wine because it is almost the same every year).
I also read Sebastian Thomas’s notes and he has been the source of every under the radar burgudny producer that I’ve discovered over the last however many years.
And then I try to keep in mind that I find the concept of vintage to be least useful and most unpredictable of the vintage-producer-vineyard triumvirate, so I take all broad proclamations with a grain of salt.
But based on what I’ve seen, it sounds like there is general consensus that the good wines will taste good in the near future, and perhaps they won’t live as long as some other vintages. That seems fine to me. As in other vintages, there is an ocean of burgundy at a decent price point for my budget, although burgundy remains an expensive proposition.
A
I was able to get to a few of the En Primeur tastings this year. My tenth consecutive vintage, yay. Honestly, the best thing about Burgundy week is that it provides an excuse to meet up with friends and drink ridiculous wines. After the fourth Coche, my buddy and I agreed we had a great year last week.
As usual my focus was on the red wines.
The samples were all already wine. By which I mean there was none of the usual EP tasting challenges. Shit was easy to drink. (I didn’t try Gouges which is the most frequent WTF? EP offender.)
This is a fruit driven vintage, and not terribly acidic or tannic. Better palates than mine claim there is a lack of nuance and complexity. Maybe, but I liked what I tasted. They should drink well early and buying these wines will help you save the wines that need more time. I like the 2007 parallel. Ask most burg fans which 21st century vintages are drinking well now, and 2007 will be high on their list, despite it being in the bottom five for overall quality. 2017 should be like that, but is better and more consistent, imho.
When I say they should drink well young, remember I am talking Burgundy. Down to village level, they should be good for ten years. Probably a lot more. And when I say good, I mean they will likely improve notably from the EP samples over time.
I disagree that one has to be any more careful choosing producers than usual. That’s just critics justifying their product. Producers you’ve had before and liked will have done fine. That is the way to buy Burgundy, imho. Consistently buy producers you’ve liked, and try all the new producers you can. Tastings, quality merchants and friends are key.
Pricing seems unchanged from 2016 to me. I’d have loved it go down, but that seems optimistic given how little Burgundy is being chased by too many consumers and speculators. I’m not sure how this impacts US pricing.
Second to last thought… I will buy my usual subjects. Bits of Fourrier, Roumier, Dujac, Jouan, Bertheau, Hudelot Baillet, and a few others. I am not saying these are better than other makers in 2017, merely that they suit my palate.
Last thought… Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I learned years ago I know nothing about Burgundy, and seem to know less every year. This goes double with EP campaigns.
Brady,
Where did you taste Coche? I am jealous…
But it was very nice to see you.
Thanks Brady.
Three bottles at a Domaine Direct dinner at Noble Rot, and one on Thursday, when I thought you were busy.
Agreed, it was good to see you too, but next time we must pre-select a meal time, and record it with pen, not pencil.
Be well! Come to Portland!
It’s been far too long, Julian!
I did PM you a couple of months ago 
I’m kind of surprised at how little people are upset over the pricing. 15 went up because it was a smaller and high quality vintage. Then 16 was even smaller and still high quality. Now a vintage comes along that is both plentiful and lighter and the price stays the same ? Sorry I’m not happy about this. I’ll take my allocations as usual and that’s it. Looking forward to another good white vintage though.
The only time I’ve ever seen prices go down through official channels was if there was a big currency fluctuation. I’ll also be taking my allocations which if the prices are the same will be a nice respite after increases in 2015 and 2016.
For Mugneret-Gibourg Feusselottes: 2013 to 2014 +8%, 2014 to 2015 + 19%, 2015 to 2016 +24% (admittedly weird, only bottled in mags, 90% crop loss). 2013 to 2016 +57%.
For Fourrier CSJ: 2013 to 2014 +6%, 2014 to 2015 +7%, 2015 to 2016 +19%. 2013 to 2016 +34%.
For Barthod Cras: 2012 to 2013 +0%, 2013 to 2014 +7%, 2014 to 2015 +12%. 2012 to 2015 +19%.
The way of the world, I suppose. Personally, I’m looking forward to having some Burgundy that drinks young as I don’t think any of 2013-2016 will and I don’t have many 2011s and 2007s are all gone.
Agreed. Historically, Dujac and DRC have been the only producers who regularly adjusted their pricing to both vintage quality and market demand. Presumably both still do- but it is just less obvious with the unprecedented long term upward demand curve we have seen. 1999 DRCs were cheaper than the 1997s for example- all because of predictions of market demand. No joke- one of the best vintages of our generation was cheaper at release than one of the weakest. The difference on RC was about $250 a bottle.
Otherwise, prices tend to take their strongest upticks at the next really great vintage, regardless of production, and then either hover or go up from there. The ultimate random walk.
I am with Nathan on the 2017 decision. Even though I am winding down in a big way on new wine purchases, I do not really have much that will be ready to drink in the short to mid term in terms of younger vintages. And so 2017 is not only a natural fit- but I welcome it with open arms. In my younger burgundy drinking days, 1992s, 2000s and even some 1997s (the only vintage I truly dislike overall in all my time buying burgundy), provided not only a much needed supply of wines to enjoy while bigger vintages matured- but they provided something unique in their own right in allowing you to see a good bit of terroir and detail in a wine that is still very primary. That is a special and enjoyable experience that you will never have with the bigger vintages on a reliable basis- it is only for a short time that is not predictable, and even then only with certain wines. Luck, as it were.
I saw price decreases in 08/09 and 14. Anyway doesn’t much matter what we think. I’m 55 and so I’ve been drastically reducing what I buy.