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This ripe, structured wine is dense with tannins as well as acidity and black fruits. The weight and concentration promise well for the future, offering a richly juicy wine that will be ready to drink from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEQuite ripe, with succulent plum, cassis and raspberry pâte de fruit flavors mixed together, lined with licorice and anise details, showing a well-integrated apple wood note on the finish, backed by a light scoring of tar. Exhibits lots of compact energy, so this should unwind nicely in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2035. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDeep in colour, with a rich sweet character to the fruit - it’s clear how carefully they have worked to maintain mid-palate roundness in a vintage where half of the fruit was lost to frost (affecting mainly the 2nd wine, with a 22hl/ha yield overall). It’s enjoyable and opens up in the glass. Not as concentrated as the 2018 or 2016 vintages at Malartic, but an awful lot going for it, with precision and poise, and it has settled in to itself over ageing. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040.Decanter | 93 DECThis has plenty of rich fruit, in the dark-cherry and cassis zone. The oak is nicely played into earthy accents, too. The tannins are smooth-grained and open out smoothly on the finish, delivering creamy, ripe berries. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSSixty percent of the crop made it into this grand vin this year. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and it was aged in 45% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Malartic Lagraviere features baked blackberries, mulberries, pencil lead and spice cake with hints of chocolate box, menthol and cassis. The medium-bodied palate is plush, soft, juicy and expressive with a spicy finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RPThe 2017 Malartic Lagravière is a rich, sumptuous wine endowed with tremendous richness. Raspberry jam, mocha, new oak, licorice, mint, chocolate and sweet spice are all kicked up a few notches in this flamboyant, exotic Pessac-Léognan. This is an especially dense, heady style. I would give the 2017 a few years in bottle to see if the new oak integrates a bit more fully. Tasted three times.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGI was able to taste the 2017 Château Malartic-Lagravière two times and it showed consistently on both occasions. Sporting a deep, inky color as well as terrific notes of blackcurrants, black cherries, tobacco leaf, and bouquet garni, it’s medium-bodied, moderately concentrated, charming, and impeccably balanced. It’s going to drink nicely in its youth yet keep for a decade or more as well.Jeb Dunnuck | 89-91 JD

This shows a prominent tobacco leaf note out front, followed by dark currant and blackberry paste flavors, studded with singed alder, savory and charcoal accents. Features muscular grip through the finish, with the savory edge leading the way. A bit burly for St.-Emilion, but should mellow in the cellar. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 4,583 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSA soft, silky wine with plum and chocolate aromas and flavors. It’s full-bodied, yet caressing and delicious. Extremely open and drinkable already, but better in 2022.James Suckling | 93 JSThis juicy wine offers attractive tannins and ripe berry flavors. It is balanced, with plenty of acidity and fruitiness. Drink the wine from 2023.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThe 2017 Monbousquet has turned out beautifully. Rich, ample and generous on the palate, it possesses striking depth from start to finish. A rush of blackberry jam, lavender, spice, menthol and smoke builds into the voluptuous finish. Yields are down a whopping 50%, but the wine that was made is just gorgeous.Antonio Galloni | 91 AGThis vineyard was significantly hit by frost, but I was told there was no use of second-generation fruit. Composed of 60% Merlot, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Monbousquet gives up notes of crushed blackberries, black raspberries and kirsch with touches of black truffles, Marmite toast and tapenade. Medium-bodied, the palate has a firm structure of grainy tannins and just enough freshness to support the earthy, muscular fruit, finishing on a mineral note.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RPFrom half the normal yields, the 2017 Chateau Monbousquet is a more elegant, streamlined example of this cuvee that has complex notes of black currants, espresso roast, tobacco lead, and chocolate. Medium-bodied, with good acidity and plenty of elegance and purity, it’s a toned-down yet balanced, seamless Monbousquet to enjoy over the coming decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 90 JD

This is extremely aromatic and perfumed with crushed-berry, flower, currant and orange-peel character. Full-bodied, very tight and focused with fabulous depth and density that brings you down through the wine. Deep and serious. Very classic wine that reminds me of top Haut-Brions of the mid-1980s. Try after 2025.James Suckling | 98 JSThis will be a magnificent wine. Its structure, acidity and richness all show considerable potential. A crisp edge contrasts with the concentration and density that comes from the swaths of fruit. Wood aging has opened out the tanginess of a wine that will age over many years. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEA hugely captivating wine, one of the contenders for red of the vintage. There's an incredible plush, dense texture to the fruit here, with just the slightest pulling back on the final section that suggests the damson, cassis and black cherry fruit is not at the full extent of ripeness seen in 2016 and 2015, but there is absolutely no question that this is a successful, rich and well-expressed wine. It's extremely powerful and well constructed, with great tannins and a succulence which grows through the palate. 3.73pH. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042.Decanter | 97 DECA blend of 53% Merlot, 6.3% Cabernet Franc and 40.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Haut-Brion sashays gracefully out of the glass with fragrant notions of black raspberries, kirsch, dark chocolate, star anise and candied violets with a core of warm red and black currants and a touch of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate bursts with red and black fruit layers, superbly supported by firm, ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPThe 2017 Haut-Brion is rich and virile, even in a vintage where it has less power than is the norm. My impression is that the 2017 is going to lie dormant for many years before it awakens, but its pedigree is quite obvious. Black cherry, plum, gravel, smoke, licorice and dark spice all burst out of the glass. The 2017 is a powerful, vertical Haut-Brion endowed with a real feeling of gravitas and somber intensity. The long, substantial finish suggests readers can look forward to many years of fine drinking.Antonio Galloni | 96+ AGFeatures red and black currant fruit flavors, laced with bramble, apple wood and anise notes, backed by a powerfully rendered finish. Despite the heft and density, this comes off as refined, with streamlined tannins, buried acidity and a long finish of incense and red tea elements. Not as dense and backward as the top years, but still exhibits pedigree. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2024 through 2040. Wine Spectator | 96 WSA more structured, straight, focused wine than the La Mission Haut-Brion, the 2017 Chateau Haut-Brion is based on a similar blend of 53% Merlot, 40.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6.3% Cabernet Franc brought up in 69% new French oak. Plenty of cassis and red currant fruits as well as notes of tobacco, Asian spices, cedar pencil, and violets all emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant, nicely textured, and concentrated Haut-Brion. It's very much in the classic, sleek style of the vintage and has good acidity, plenty of polished tannins, and a great finish, yet not a massive amount of flesh or baby fat. This classic effort needs 7-8 years of bottle age and will have 30+ years of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 93+ JD

This wine is stacked with tannins and concentrated fruits, with a dense texture. The wine’s future is assured and long term. Drink from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThis is brimming with raspberry and boysenberry compote flavors, while mouthwatering anise and pain d’épices notes fill in the background. Reveals a flash of ganache, a streak of tar and an echo of bramble through the finish, adding range while the gorgeous fruit holds center stage. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2038. 2,000 cases made. Wine Spectator | 95 WSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Clinet opens slowly to reveal vibrant red and black fruits: red currants, black cherries, plums and cassis with touches of roses, yeast extract, wood smoke and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins and a taut, muscular palate of tightly wound fruits and compelling mineral accents, it finishes long with wonderful purity and fragrant earth accents.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThe 2017 Chateau Clinet checks in behind the 2015 and 2016 (and I suspect the 2018), yet it does well in the vintage. Based on 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in 72% new barrels (the estate has moved to using more 500-liter barrels), representing 80% of the production, its deep purple hue is followed by classic Clinet dark, chocolatey fruit and tobacco notes. This gives way to a medium to full-bodied Pomerol that has firm tannins, solid mid-palate density, and outstanding length. The tannins here will need 4-5 years of bottle age, and I’d lean toward drinking bottles over the following decade. (Drink between 2024-2034)Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDA fresh and fruity Clinet with tangy acidity highlighting the plum and cherry character. Reserved style. Medium body, creamy tannins and a delicious finish. Linear and focused in general. Needs a year or two to calm down. Better after 2022.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2017 L’Évangile, 100% Merlot for this first time, is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. Dark, sumptuous and wonderfully inviting, the 2017 has so much to offer. Dark fruit, spice, mocha, leather and licorice infuse the 2017 with notable depth. Time in the glass brings out lovely aromatic top notes that add freshness. A rapturously beautiful wine, L’Évangile is stellar. Frost wiped out half of the potential crop, including all of the Cabernet Franc, which means the Grand Vin is 100% Merlot. Technical Director Jean Pascal Vazart opted for gentle pumpovers and longer extractions than normal.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis is a breed apart, with a remarkably dense yet lithe core of braised fig, warmed plum sauce and steeped black currant fruit, coated with ganache and melted licorice details and infused with incense and black tea notes. Incredibly lush through the finish, but maintains cut and drive due to the well-embedded alder spine. Best from 2022 through 2040. 3,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSProduction was down 40% at Chateau L’Evangile due to the frost. The 2017 Chateau L’Evangile is 100% Merlot, and 2017 is the first time this cuvee has not included some other variety. Aged 16 months in 75% new barrels, it’s a ripe, powerful L’Evangile loaded with chocolate-laced black fruits, mocha, toasted spice, and subtle oak. These carry over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied, has plenty of oomph and power, yet stays flawlessly balanced and even elegant. It’s a stunning example from the vintage that’s going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDAll of the Cabernet Franc was frosted in 2017, so L’Evangile is composed of 100% Merlot for the first time. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 L’Evangile is a little closed to begin, offering glimpses at blueberry preserves, baked plums and black raspberries scents before revealing nuances of spice cake, cinnamon stick, dusty soil and garrigue plus a waft of incense. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a lot of richness and depth, with firm, ripe, rounded tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThis has a lovely silkiness to it, one of the real successes in the appellation in terms of the texture and the quality of the tannins. It’s a fairly powerful 100% Merlot with 100% new oak - an unusual combination because the old vine Cabernet Franc was lost to frost in 2017. This is one of the few wines that gets close to the quality of 2016, even if it’s not quite there in terms of its completeness. 30 days maceration at reasonable temperatures has brought out the heart of plump blackberry fruit, while delivering subtle tobacco and slate elegance. I like this a lot. 100% organic in the vineyard (2016 was 95% organic) but not certified. 60% grand vin this year, from 40hl/ha. Drinking Window 2026 - 2038.Decanter | 95 DECThe generosity in this wine is essence-like with black cherries, black truffles and wet earth. Full-bodied and deep with rich, creamy tannins and a long, intense finish. It goes on for minutes. Silky and fantastic. Extremely well done. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSThis dense wine is packed with intense tannins. The secret to the wine, which is 100% Merlot, is not just the structure but the immensely ripe black-plum and -berry fruits that envelope the dry core, lending opulence and richness. The wine has a lift of freshness on the finish. It will age, and should not be opened before 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WE

The 2017 Beausejour Duffau is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with notes of blackberry pie and plum preserves, followed by hints of dried herbs, tree bark, and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a firm structure of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to support the muscular black fruits, finishing long and minerally.The Wine Independent | 97 TWIThe 2017 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is powerful and backward, with huge tannins wrapped around a core of black cherry, smoke, charcoal, licorice, blackberry jam and graphite. Exotic and rich in the glass, the 2017 needs time to soften, but it is immensely promising, not to mention utterly captivating. Tasted three times.Vinous Media | 96 VMThe star of the show from Nicolas Thienpont, the 2017 Chateau Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) checks in as a mix of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc that spent 16-18 months in 60% new French oak. It offers a wonderful bouquet of creme de cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with plenty of minerality, spice, chocolate, and leafy herb nuances. With medium to full body, a ripe, concentrated, yet elegant mouthfeel, and a stacked mid-palate, it needs 4-5 years to develop additional complexity but is a brilliant, brilliant 2017 that will have 25-30 years of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDThis has a very attractive, ripe black-fruit nose with toasted spices, violets and dark-stone notes. Iodine and cedar, too. The palate is powerful and has quite intense flavors of blackberries and blueberries with a super rich and ripe frame of tannin that carries long and expands the finish in impressive style. Very long. Try from 2025.James Suckling | 96 JSDark currant and blackberry compote notes give this a juicy, engaging feel, while dried anise, apple wood and bramble details fill in the background. Shows chewy grip, but maintains freshness and energy, revealing an encore of fruit and licorice snap on the finish. Be patient with this one. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2038. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is one of the best examples of this wine that I have tasted, reaching the same heights as some of the biggest names in this vintage, and barely a step down from 2016 - great stuff from these guys this year. It’s firm, bright, intense and deep, with salinity, grip and a lovely seam of freshness. It has a really excellent, juicy character and good persistency, with notes of liquorice and dark chocolate.Decanter | 95 DECThis is a smoky, structured wine that also has plenty of ripe black fruits. It is richly constructed: dense with enough solid tannins and a rich background to give the wine longevity. Drink from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) is slightly closed, revealing glimpses at bright, cheery black cherries, black berries and wild blueberries with very serious preserved plums, licorice and mocha in the background and a waft of fragrant soil. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm frame of ripe tannins and seamless freshness supporting the subdued, earthy layers, finishing long and minerally. It should be wonderfully long-lived but will need time to enjoy!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Crushed raspberries, flowers and fresh mushrooms. Full-bodied, very refined and creamy with intensity but no aggression. The length is so enticing and pretty. You can drink it now, but better in 2022.James Suckling | 95 JSThe richness of this fine wine is balanced by delicious freshness and acidity. It has firm tannins, of course, while also having a lift of black currant fruitiness. The tannic core promises great aging; drink from 2025. Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2017 Chapelle d’Ausone is just as impressive from bottle as it was from barrel. A wine of real power, depth and substance, the Chappelle impresses for its fruit concentration and structure. Deep red cherry and plum, fruit, dried flowers, mint, blood orange and sage open up in the glass, with layers of bright, saline-infused aromatics from the 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. In 2017, the Chapelle is truly stellar. I loved it.Vinous Media | 93 VMThe second wine here is always terrific as well. The 2017 Chapelle D’Ausone is a blend of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, mostly from the younger vines of the estate. It has a terrific core of darker fruits as well as complex forest floor, cedar, and violet-tinged aromatics. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied, rounded, elegant, even pretty 2017 that has light tannins and the balance to evolve for 15-20 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDBlended of 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Chapelle d’Ausone sports a deep garnet-purple color. It needs a little coaxing to reveal provocative notes of plum preserves, Black Forest cake and blueberry compote plus suggestions of roses, cloves, pencil shavings and cherry pie. Medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully zippy and elegantly fruited with a tantalizing frame of satiny tannins and a long, fragrant finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RPThis estate has managed to stay true to their signature, producing a gorgeous, round wine with dancing floral aromatics that accompany the autumnal fruit and wonderful lick of wet stone. The tight tannins emphasise the austere finish, but there’s great persistency. 100% new oak. Harvested 23 September to 2 October, yielding 35hl/ha.Decanter | 90 DEC