Château Soutard 2017

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Soutard comes racing out of the glass with vibrant blackberries, warm blueberries and redcurrants scents, plus wafts of roses and pencil lead. Medium-bodied, the palate has loads of crunchy fruit and a seriously zippy line of freshness, finishing with a slightly chewy texture.

Ripe and focused, with a tasty core of blackberry and boysenberry coulis flavors racing through, laced with anise and pain d'épices notes. Stays focused on the silky finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Drink now through 2025. 3,000 cases made, 100 cases imported.

Pleasingly ripe fruit aromas and flavors lead to an easy-going wine, but it lacks the vigor of the 2016. The oak tannins are also more dominant, leaving the impression of a somewhat disjointed wine. Frost led to a change in the typical blend since the 2012 vintage, with more Cabernets. Medium finish.

Aromas of fresh red plums with a cedary edge. This has a very succulent, evenly paced palate that carries bright red-plum flavor amid soft, easy tannins. Drink or hold.

Merlot-dominated blend with Cabernet Franc. Deep crimson. Black-fruited, dark and a little charry on the nose, slightly herbaceous too. Light and juicy on the palate, a light framework, supple. Perhaps not built for a long life but the balance is good. (JH)

The 2017 Soutard has plenty of fleshy red berry fruit on the nose, with the Merlot really driving the aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with a pastille-like entry, moderate acidity, and fine purity toward the finish. It may just lack a bit of personality and charm at the moment.

Fennel, cherry and cocoa aromas blend with luscious red fruits, soft yet present tannins, and a crisp, bright red-berry finish.

Made by Veronique Corporandy and from an estate that flies under the radar too often, the 2017 Chateau Soutard checks in as 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Its deep purple color is followed by a beautifully complex wine that has medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberries, white truffle, spring flowers, and chocolate spice. Textured, fabulously balanced, with ripe tannins, I'd be happy to have bottles in the cellar. It's going to start drinking nicely with just a few years of bottle age and keep for 15 years or more. This is an estate well worth following.

Kunz barrel sample 18: subtly jammy, mineral bouquet, blackberry jelly, slate, mint. Medium-bodied, silky palate with fine sandy tannins, medium aromatics, light fruit, bitter finish. Can still improve.

Fine jammy, mineral bouquet, blackberry jelly, slate, mint. Medium-bodied, silky palate with fine sandy tannins, moderate aromatics, light fruit, bitter finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2023 - 2036

The Soutard 2017 is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It gallops out with pronounced scents of blackberry pie and black plums, plus suggestions of dusty soil, Ceylon tea, and wild sage. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers mineral-laced black fruits with a chewy texture and a lively backbone, finishing on a stewed tea note.

The richness of vibrant fruit coupled with a flavorful extraction gives this wine real drive. It already shows genuine depth, yet remains shaped by rigorous élevage, laced with deep, racy, sensual tannins that serve as promises for the future.

A delightful, fruity, juicy, elegant wine with supple tannins and a long finish.

Garnet red with violet highlights. The bouquet of Soutard 2017 opens onto beguiling, inviting dimensions, thanks to its finesse, complexity and many facets where élevage, terroir and fruit are in perfect harmony. The palate delivers on the nose’s promise: fruity, juicy, yet also creamy. There is both freshness and substance. The tannins are fine and powerful, perfectly supporting the wine, while the structure lends pedigree across the palate. During the en primeur tastings I certainly sensed its greatness, but today it seems even more evident! A truly beautiful wine.

The nose is elegant, racy, nicely defined and offers concentration/power as well as depth. It reveals notes of fleshy blackberry, wild blackcurrant and, more lightly, small black fruits, combined with touches of licorice, grey pepper, fine hints of small red fruits, and a touch of violet, spices, camphor and discreet hints of roasted almond. The palate is fruity, balanced and offers a juicy/tangy backbone, precision, tension, and finesse/richness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fleshy blackcurrant, juicy blackberry and, more lightly, juicy raspberry, combined with fine hints of small berries, licorice, violet/iris, as well as discreet hints of cardamom, sweet spices, toasted notes and toasted almond. The tannins are elegant and structuring. Good length.

Dark, vibrant color. An intense, refined nose with pure fruit. An original palate that combines a supple feel with a taut frame in a beautiful balance. The whole is both delicate and racy, a rare impression this year. Bravo. For the record, this cru was affected by frost by 50%.