84 WINE SPECTATOR • MAY 31, 2020he told me at the time. “Some
people said it’s a year you
want to bottle early, but I
won’t touch the wines before
March or April [of 2019].
They need time [in barrel] to
reach their full potential.”
“Rain on the 30th and 31st
of August refreshed the vines,”
says Bouchard Père & Fils
winemaker Frédéric Weber,
who made eighteen 2017 reds
that rated 90 points or higher
on Wine Spectator’s 100-point
scale, including three in the
classic range of 95-plus. He
describes the wines as fruity
and the vintage as one of
pleasure: “A cross between
2000 and 2010.”
All this is good news for red
Burgundy lovers. Balanced,
fresh and approachable, the
2017s are delicious Pinot
Noirs to be enjoyed while
awaiting the classically pro-
portioned 2016s, the dense,
concentrated 2015s and the
reserved, even austere 2014s
to reveal all their facets.
At the very top, the wines
show purity and vivacity, with
the structure to develop over
the next two decades. Leading
the pack are two 97-pointers:
the energetic Domaine de
l’Arlot Romanée St.-Vivant
2017 ($550), saturated with
black cherry, black currant,
violet and mineral flavors,
and the impeccably balanced
G. Roumier Bonnes Mares
2017 ($1,800), which shows
licorice-tinged black cherry,
plum, iron and spice notes.
Close behind is a trio from
Gevrey-Chambertin. The
racy Bouchard Père & Fils
Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
2017 (96 points, $415) offers
notes of macerated cherry,
wild strawberry and mineral;
the Olivier Bernstein Cham-
bertin 2017 (96, $1,430) is a
concentrated red whose black
currant and violet flavors are
accented with sandalwood,toast and iron; and the beautiful Domaine Faiveley
Mazis-Chambertin 2017 (96, $359) evokes violet, rasp-
berry, strawberry and kirsch notes. Also at 96 points is
the powerful, firmly structured and superlong Jacques
Prieur Musigny 2017 (96, $1,193).
Of particular note among the late-release 2016s are
the stellar reds of Domaine Armand Rousseau, led by
the Chambertin (99, $946). This wine is nothing short
of majestic, with a distinctive creaminess and harmony,
showing cherry, oak spice, sandalwood and cinnamon
notes. At 97 points, the lush Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
($946) delivers flavors of kirsch, macerated cherry,
blackberry, violet and spice; the complex Gevrey-
Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques ($614) offers lovely aro-
mas of rose, strawberry, cherry and sandalwood; and the
juicy Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes ($510)
exudes pure cherry, currant and wild strawberry.
These are the highlights from the nearly 425 red Bur-
gundies I have reviewed in blind tastings at our New
York office since my previous report (“Cold Comfort,”
May 31, 2019). The bulk of them hail from the 2017
harvest, rounded out by some late-release 2016s and a
handful of 2015s. Based on the impressive ratings of the
’17s, including 27 classic-scorers and another 240 in the
outstanding range, I rate the vintage for red Burgundy
94 points overall for the Côte de Nuits and 93 points
overall for the Côte de Beaune. (A free alphabetical list
of scores and prices for all wines tasted is available at
WineSpectator.com/RedBurgundy053120.)W
ith Burgundy prices continuing to rise, it can
be a challenge to find good value reds. For
consistency and quality, the region’s de facto
capital of Beaune is a good starting point. The high SE
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DETAILPARIS0 miles 5Domaine de l’Arlot technical director Géraldine Godot crafts pure and
precise wines at this top Nuits-St.-Georges estate.WS053120_redburg.indd 84 3/18/20 11:17 AM