En Primeur 2017

Tuscany and Sicily 2017 by Andrea Franchetti

Tuscany and Sicily 2017 by Andrea Franchetti

Discover all 2017 wines from Andrea Franchetti in Tuscany Trinoro, vintage 2017 Frost hit most of the vineyards in Europe at the same time, early in the morning of april 19 th. Expecially the ones growing in the valley bottoms lost their produce. We had fires burning throughout our flat acreage by three o'clock that night. For that effort the secondary buds still hidden in the shoots stayed saved and later we looked at each plant and counted to determine which of the fields would bare a late, secondary crop; then we eliminated the primary shoots' fruit which would be…Read more
Douro, Bairrada and Dão 2017 by Dirk Niepoort

Douro, Bairrada and Dão 2017 by Dirk Niepoort

Discover all 2017 wines of Dirk Niepoort from Bairrada, Dão and Douro Douro 2017 The viticultural year 2016/2017 was one of extreme heat and very dry. Although rainfall in November was above average, rainfall in December and January  was over  50% down on an average year and the winter was cold, especially during the month of January when temperatures were 2ºC lower than average (source ADVID). While from February onwards temperatures were significantly higher than average (source ADVID). The spring of 2017 saw rainfall well below average, for example during the month of…Read more
2017 Vintage : how terribly meager yields can give birth to a Naturally Great Year !

2017 Vintage : how terribly meager yields can give birth to a Naturally Great Year !

If we look at the half empty glass - or tank -, frustration, and even sadness, will overwhelm us : historically small yields in France. The lowest of the post-war years. Cellars are empty. Clearly, one has to state that climate hazards, methodically, worked against us this year, in a succession of definitely adverse events : an abnormally cool spring caused frost, then grape shatter, on all of Rhone cépages, and, more particularly, Grenache. This cruel Spring followed up on a dauntingly dry summer… In the end, the yields in juice are tragically…Read more
Bordeaux 2017 by Bordeaux Vins Sélection

Bordeaux 2017 by Bordeaux Vins Sélection

Discover all 2017 wines from Bordeaux 2017 - The Pleasant Surprise Of course when we look back on the 2016 vintage it was a state of grace – the wait, the calculation, the hope and finally the realisation that it was an exceptional vintage. 2017, season after season, was a stressful year. Some vineyards were very harshly damaged by the bad weather whilst others were spared. While we can be at the whim of climatic variations, there is also today the intelligence which comes with experience and savoir-faire which plays a role in…Read more