2017 Puygueraud
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Tasting notes
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Puygueraud tumbles out of the glass with carefree plum pudding, baked blueberries and Black Forest cake notes plus hints of wild sage and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the black fruit is well-sustained in the mouth with rounded tannins and a mineral tinge to the finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Deeply colored, the 2017 Chateau Puygueraud checks in as a blend of 63% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Malbec that spent 12-16 months in barrel. It's a winner, with lots of fruit and richness as well as classic notes of dark fruits, leafy herbs, damp earth, and spring flowers. I'd be happy to drink this rounded, textured, medium-bodied effort any time over the coming 7-8 years. You'd be forgiven for claiming Pomerol in a blind tasting. Tasted twice.
The 2017 Puygueraud, with which Nicolas Thienpont debuted in 1983, was picked at 35hl/ha from 21 September to 5 October. The vines here were affected by the frost. It has a light blackberry and bilberry-scented bouquet with a light marine-like tincture. It is just missing a touch of vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with dark plum and blackberry, a touch of white pepper, nicely balanced if showing just a touch of rusticity towards the finish.
The 2017 Puygueraud is another attractive wine in Nicolas Thienpont's stable. Cedar, savory herb, red cherry and espresso give the 2017 lovely aromatic top notes to balance the natural raciness and density of the fruit. The Cabernet Franc (30%) gives the wine a good bit of backing structure as well. In 2017, the Merlot parcels bore most of the brunt from hail. As a result, the final blend contains more Franc and Malbec than is typically the case. Tasted three times.
About the producer
The Thienpont family bought Ch. Puygueraud in 1946, running it as a farm until the 1980s when Nicolas Thienpont moved the focus to viticulture, with the first vintage in 1983. Based in the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux, the property comprises 47 hectares of vines, both red and white.