2017 d'Agassac

D'Agassac is a very pretty and nuanced wine in 2017. Frost wiped out most of the Merlot, so the 2017 is much more Cabernet Sauvignon-based than in the past. Cool savory notes and floral overtones add lift to this bright, focused Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois. I very much like the sense of energy here, even if the flavor profile leans towards the slightly vegetal side of things. The 2017 was a bit more convincing en primeur, while the bottled wine remains a bit awkward.

A blend of 20% Merlot and 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2017 D'Agassac is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and gives up pure cassis and black plums scents with nuances of dark chocolate, pencil savings and fragrant earth. Medium-bodied, the palate takes a little dip in the middle, offering chewy tannins and a firm finish.

The 2017 d'Agassac presented itself as a little green when I encountered it from barrel. Fortunately this is one of several examples where the wine appears to have shaken that off, or at least subsumed any perceptible under-ripeness, resulting in a superior wine. The bouquet has Margaux aspirations thanks to its floral/wilted violet trait. There is fine delineation here - much better than out of barrel. Meanwhile the palate is perhaps a little conservative on the entry. Yet, it has cohered in bottle to reveal a composed, classically styled Haut-Médoc with cedar and black olive/brine-like aromas sprucing up the finish. I am pleased to upgrade my banded score. Drink this over the next decade.