Wine 2017
1 product
The story behind your wine from 2017
When you enjoy a glass of wine from 2017, you are also tasting a year that, globally speaking, was marked by extremely dramatic and at times extreme weather conditions. Although the total amount of grapes fell significantly in many of the classic wine-producing countries, the fruit was in return enriched with remarkable quality and an incredible depth of concentration.
The imprint of the weather on the harvest
The year began with an unusually mild spring, which caused the vines to produce early shoots. Unfortunately, large parts of Europe were shortly afterwards hit by a biting Arctic frost at the end of April, causing some of the most severe frost damage in decades. As many of the first shoots were lost, the vines instead gathered all their energy around the few grape clusters that survived, creating a fabulous concentration in the remaining fruit.
Later in the year, intense heatwaves and an unusual drought followed across large parts of the world. In many places, these extreme conditions led to an early harvest, but this very climatic stress factor resulted in grapes with a beautiful natural balance and a high degree of aromatic complexity that can truly be tasted.
Characteristics across the regions
In France, the consequences of the frost were especially felt across large parts of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, where harvest yields shrank significantly. The grapes that made it through, however, created classically structured wines with excellent balance and incredibly beautiful ageing potential. The white wines from Burgundy in particular stood out with a crisp freshness and a completely pure minerality.
In Italy, the warm summer in regions such as Tuscany and Piedmont produced rich and concentrated wines. Here, the taste offers darker fruit notes and firm tannins, although the quantity of grapes here too was noticeably lower. Despite the different climate challenges across national borders, a common feature of the vintage is that the wines possess great aromatic depth and admirable resilience in the finished bottles.
Tasting notes and style in a wine from 2017
Overall, the vintage offers a classic, elegant and well-balanced profile, where it clearly shines through that quality has triumphed over quantity in the glass. The lower yields in the vineyards have created some firm flavour characteristics that recur across many different grape varieties and regions:
- A deep and concentrated fruit flavour, which arose quite naturally because the vines' energy was concentrated into fewer grapes.
- Elegant and fresh red fruit notes, such as bright cherries and raspberries, which are particularly pronounced in the European red wines.
- A crisp and lively acid structure, which in many places remained beautifully preserved despite the very warm periods during the summer.
- Complex aromas of flowers and earth, giving the wines an extremely classic, refined and aromatic profile.
- Silky-soft and well-integrated tannins, making many of the red wines incredibly approachable to enjoy already in their youth.
- White wines with pronounced minerality, fresh citrus notes and a precise, upright structure.
Find a special wine from 2017 for the collection
Due to the historically low harvest yields in large parts of Western Europe, many prestigious bottles from this very year have become particularly sought-after and difficult to find on the market. In areas such as Bordeaux, production fell drastically by up to 40 percent, which means that the quantity of available top wines is severely limited. At the same time, this year contains a magnificent story for port wine, as it was the first time in over 140 years that the producers in the Douro Valley chose to declare a classic vintage two years in a row. These historical circumstances make it incredibly exciting to collect this very vintage, whether you are looking for rare wines from 2017 to enjoy in the company of good friends, want to supplement the collection with wine 1997, or are seeking bottles with enormous concentration, a fascinating origin story and excellent potential for preserving their value in the cellar.
How to assess ageing potential
To ensure you get the most complete experience in the glass, it is an advantage to know the elements that help the wine develop beautifully over time. The following factors are crucial for assessing when the wine has matured perfectly and is ready to be enjoyed:
- Acidity level and pH value: A naturally high acidity in interaction with a low pH value works in practice as the wine’s primary preservative. It effectively protects against oxidation and unwanted bacteria, so the fresh fruit flavour and the lively colour are preserved through many years of ageing.
- Tannin structure: The firm, yet well-integrated tannins act as natural antioxidants in red wines. As the years pass, these tannins will bind together in longer chains, beautifully transforming the texture from being structured to appearing silky soft and completely harmonious.
- The concentration of the fruit: The wine needs a strong core of deep and concentrated fruit in order to withstand a prolonged maturation process. If this fruit concentration is lacking, the taste will fade too early, and only the acidity and the tannins will remain in the flavour profile.
- Stable storage conditions: The physical environment is absolutely crucial for how the wine develops in the bottle. A constant and cool temperature of around 12-14 degrees, a relative humidity of 50-80 percent as well as a complete absence of direct UV light and vibrations ensure that the chemical development proceeds at exactly the right and calm pace.
Perfect storage of your wine from 2017
To protect the delicate aromas and the complex structure, it is absolutely essential that the bottles are stored under optimal conditions, both before and after they arrive in your own collection. At Bottles With History, we never compromise on quality. Therefore, all our historical bottles have been kept under strictly controlled conditions, where both temperature and humidity are closely monitored. When you receive your order, we recommend continuing this careful storage by keeping the bottles lying horizontally, in the dark, cool and completely free from vibrations. In this way, you give the wine peace to continue unfolding its finest flavour nuances and ensure yourself a complete experience when the cork is pulled.
Next-day delivery of your order
When you have found exactly the right bottle, whether it is a wine from 2017 or a wine from 2007, the purchasing experience should feel just as safe and smooth as the wine is in the glass. We provide next-day delivery, so you can quickly and safely receive your goods at home. Our dedication to providing exceptional customer service is reflected in a fine score of 4.6 out of 5, based on reviews from many satisfied wine lovers. In addition, we offer free shipping on purchases over 500 kr., whether you prefer to collect the package from a nearby parcel shop or want delivery directly to your own address. At Bottles With History, we consider safe and fast shipping a natural extension of our great passion for bringing historical taste experiences directly home to you.
