Bordeaux 2017 Primeurs: Pessac-Léognan, White
I have already discussed the frost and how it pertained to these vineyards in my 2017 Red Pessac-Léognan report. There was, in short, significant frost damage in this region, slashing yields and threatening the vintage, in terms of both quality and quantity. In this, the story of Pessac-Léognan in 2017 resembles that of Margaux, St Emilion and Pomerol much more than it does St Estèphe, Pauillac and St Julien, most châteaux in the latter three appellations having escaped any damage thanks to the protection afforded by the Gironde.
So we can expect lower yields here, that much is given. There is more to this tasting report than just another discussion about frost though; this is one of only two reports where my focus is entirely on white wines (the other is Sauternes of course) and so it makes sense to wind things back a little here, and take a more detailed look at how the vintage played out for those looking to pick Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon rather than the red varieties.
Early and Good?
Before I headed out to the region in April 2018 to taste the wines, I had a grasp of just a few vital facts about the vintage. First, I knew the 2017 vintage had seen the most premature harvest for the red varieties for many years, the earliest in many vineyards since the 2003 or 2011 vintages. The harvest for the white varieties was equally early, and this immediately rang alarm bells, as early vintages are generally warm vintages. This was partly the case in the 2017 vintage, the vintage having got off to a very early start (hence the extensive frost damage when the mercury plummeted in late April), and an early start will tend to lead to an early flowering, an early véraison and ultimately an early harvest, almost regardless of what weather comes later in the year. Even so, it is undeniable that 2017 had a warm and dry growing season with at least two periods when the vineyards flirted with hydric stress, and that should at least induce caution with regard to the whites.
