2017 Sansonnet
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Tasting notes
The 2017 Sansonnet is a fabulous wine. Ripe and unctuous - without being overdone - Sansonnet offers tons of character, but in the mid-weight style of the year, which is to say the 2017 is not quite as fleshy as readers have come to expect. Raspberry jam, wild flowers, mocha, mint and sweet spice are beautifully layered in the glass. Best of all, the 2017 will drink well with minimal cellaring. Tasted four times.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Sansonnet needs some coaxing to reveal notions of warm blueberries, plum preserves and boysenberries followed by Chinese five spice, licorice, fertile loam and charcuterie with a waft of lavender. Full-bodied, the palate is packed with layered black and blue fruits, framed by ripe, velvety tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and with great purity.
The 2017 Sansonnet was cropped at 21hl/ha and matured in 100% new oak. It has a well defined bouquet building on its promise from barrel, plenty of black fruit with dark chocolate and mint. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, a little powdery in texture. A precise and quite refined finish copes with that new oak with aplomb. This has very good potential.
A blend of 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 Chateau Sansonnet is another beautiful wine from the talented Marie-Benedicte Lefevere. With loads of creme de cassis and black raspberry fruit as well as notes of leafy herbs, flowers, and spicy oak, it hits the palate with medium to full body, a beautiful sense of elegance and purity, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It doesn't have the density or breadth of the 2016, but it’s a remarkable wine in the vintage. A blend of 85% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon that was brought up in new oak, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 20-25 years or more.