THE MILLENNIUM
After a cold January, February and March were rather mild, and budburst was rapid and even. The vintage promises to be an early one, with a particularly fine April and wide temperature variations. The wind shifted to the north. At dawn on April 27 and 28, the sky was perfectly clear, and temperatures dropped below 0°C.
Most of the vineyards of Château Cantenac Brown did not suffer too many losses.
After this climatic shock, the following months were warm, particularly at the end of June when a heat wave boosted vegetation. It was a real boon. In July and August, temperatures remained reasonable, with the vines maintaining their lead over the thirty-year average.
Summer was slightly cooler than usual and rainy at the beginning of September. This vintage has great potential, thanks to constant attention to detail. Leaf-thinning, de-stemming, and even green harvesting on a few overloaded plots.
THE HARVEST
The harvest begins very gradually in mid-September. Starting with the plants and young vines, the harvest of mature old vines is prepared.
2017 will be remembered as the vintage of the frost, but 2017 was above all an early vintage, with regular, rapid flowering and homogeneous veraison. The great terroirs produced great grapes.
Very early on, the bunches were remarkably rich in anthocyanins: the juices are fresh and colorful. The Merlots are fleshy and full-bodied. The Cabernets reveal complex aromas.
