The 2017 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru was picked between September 8 and 11 from a parcel in the middle of the clos and includes 30% whole clusters. Véronique Drouhin said that because it was a warm season, the blend includes a parcel from the lower part of the Grand Cru that they usually sell off. This has quite a sumptuous bouquet of copious red cherries, kirsch and subtle blueberry aromas, becoming more and more floral in the glass. The lightly spiced palate is medium-bodied on the entry, offering gentle grip, although I feel it does not quite deliver the precision on the finish compared directly with the superlative Clos-de-Bèze.

The 2017 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with notes of cherries, cassis and rich soil tones, framed by a generous touch of creamy new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and chewy, with credible substance and depth, though it will never match the 2016 or 2015 renditions.

From the middle of the Clos. 30% whole cluster, picked 8–11 September. Cask sample. Mid to deep crimson. Very pretty red fruits on the nose, almost floral. Juicy, fresh, with dry tannic finesse on the palate. Long and tight, not typically Vougeot? Though I guess Vougeot can be extremely varied. (JH)