Chateau Kirwan 2017

Very fruity and elegant, balanced and smooth thanks to round, fresh tannins, yet with depth; so harmonious that it can be uncorked young, even though a bit of maturity does no harm.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Kirwan has a nose of baked black fruits, herbs and earth with balsamic, smoked meats and spice box. Medium-bodied, it has just enough fruit and is a little firm, chewy and cedary with a woody finish.

Red currant and damson plum notes are melded together, while lilac, lavender and incense accents swirl around. The elegant, fine-grained finish pulls them together with a savory stitching. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2021 through 2029. 6,833 cases made.

Kirwan’s 37ha of vines, in 45 parcels, sit on the Cantenac plateau, overlooking Margaux. After fermentation in concrete vats in the new winery – completed in 2016 – the 2017 wine (55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot) was blended and aged for 20 months in barriques, 50% new. Georgie Hindle: Mouthwateringly fresh, just rippling with life and energy. Powerful and poised – such delicate florality – delivering a beguiling and seductive nose. Margaux polish and glamour. Vincenzo Arnese: With aromas of raspberry and red cherry, the nose is vibrant and has good personality. The palate is fresh, not overly tannic, with good integration of the oak. Shows purity and complexity. Andy Howard MW: Very appealing Margaux with bright, ripe black and red fruit on the palate, good concentration and some lifted floral notes. Tannins are a little grainy but will soften and integrate. Appetising, with a lovely freshness on the finish.

This shows fantastic depth and fruit quality for the vintage, with crushed currants, raspberries and flowers. Medium to full body, round and ripe tannins, and a flavorful finish. Good tension and poise. Drink after 2022.

The 2017 Kirwan has a highly perfumed, very floral bouquet. It is almost like walking into your neighborhood florist! The palate is rich and silky smooth on the entry, a very concentrated Kirwan with saturated tannins. Certainly one of the richer takes of the vintage within the appellation, it just needs more delineation and terroir expression on the finish. Maybe it will with time? One for the cellar.

With its floral notes and spicy red fruits, the wine is medium-bodied, sweet, and fresh with an upright cherry core, creating a lighter style and an early-drinking vintage. The wine was produced from blending 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The harvest took place from September 14 to September 28.

Deep dark ruby garnet, purple reflections, delicate edge brightening, delicately floral cherry fruit, vegetal nuances, a hint of orange zest. Medium body, red cherry fruit, subtle tannins, freshly structured, appears somewhat broad-meshed, lemony finish, offers uncomplicated drinking pleasure.

Kunz barrel sample 18: slender, floral bouquet, sour cherries, chalk, metal. Thin, bony palate with little fruit, firm tannins, angular structure, light finish. Can still improve.

Slender, floral bouquet, sour cherries, chalk, metallic note. Thin, bony palate with little fruit, firm tannins, edgy structure, light finish. Can improve with time. 15/20 2023 - 2032

Love this, back to the crushed rose petals, delicate white pepper, capsicum and pomegranate, with mouthwatering oyster sapidity on the finish. It is from this point, in what was a relatively challenging vintage, that you start to see how Kirwan is regularly delivering great wines with appellation typicity. 50% new oak for ageing, 38hl/ha yield. Eric Boissenot consultant, Philippe Delfaut director.

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Kirwan is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to bring out delicate scents of black and red cherries, blackcurrant jelly and black raspberries, plus hints of violets, iron ore and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a quiet intensity of red and black berry flavors with loads of savory nuances and a grainy texture, finishing long and refreshing.

Beautiful color; a vinous, well-balanced whole, with lovely flesh and all the nuances one expects from the terroir, without hardness or leanness.

The 2017 is appealing, with admirable structure and tannin quality that continues to improve.

A fruity, juicy, taut, elegant wine, well-structured, sapid, with a long, silky finish.

Kirwan’s bouquet unfolds with great delicacy and complexity. Pleasant notes of blueberry followed by a touch of licorice and graphite. Juicy, dense character on the palate. This Kirwan shows character thanks to compact tannins. They have substance and are in step with the structure. A racy, characterful wine with everything it needs to move forward! Bravo.

The finish of this wine seems a bit too lively to me!

A full wine, this comes from an estate at the top of its form. The balance between tannins and blackberry fruits is just right, offering density and richness. The wine will be ready from 2024.