Christophe Roumier said that he began the harvest on 8 September. Yields were normal; he did a green harvest in Les Cras and Bonnes-Mars, but not in the village Chambolle, Amoureuses, or Musigny.
There were no whole clusters in the Bourgogne, the “normal" amount in the others, about half, except for the Musigny, which is 80% whole clusters.
Christophe said that there was a little less malic acidity than usual and that pHs were a little higher than usual. Malolactic fermentations began in May and finished in June and July.
He characterized the vintage as like 2014, but with a bit less fruit and more minerality and seriousness. He said that it was an easy year to do.
These wines were racked just two weeks prior to my tasting them.
2017 Bourgogne Pinot Noir
This wine has purity with red cherry fruit, a smooth texture, a medium-weight body, and quality tannins. (88-91)
2017 Chambolle-Musigny
The village Chambolle is precise, pure, and focused with red and dark fruits, good acidic support, and overall freshness. This should be delicious young. (91-93)
2017 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos de la Bussière
Roumier’s monopole Morey-Clos de la Bussière smooth and elegant with precise blackberry fruit in a medium-weight body. (92-94)
2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Combottes
The Chambolle-Combottes has floral aromas. The mouth is elegant and weightless on the tongue with length, minerality, purity, and quality tannins. (92-94)
2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras
As one would expect, the Chambolle-Cras is more tannic than the Combottes. The fruit is dark and mineral with excellent focus and good supporting acidity. The contrasted with the Combottes is marked. (93-95)
2017 Echézeaux*
This is the newest wine in the Roumier line-up (it was made in 2016, but not commercially released). There are two barrels in 2017, or about 600 bottles. The wine shows Echézeaux sensuality, but the structure and energy of the Cras are lacking here. The wine is medium-light on the palate with blueberry and other dark fruits and a smooth texture. (90-92)
2017 Charmes-Chambertin Mazoyères*
Roumier’s Charmes-Chambertin displays good minerality to go with its red fruits and a touch of Mazoyères gaminess (but not too much). The wine has freshness, some structure, and no rusticity. (92-94)
2017 Ruchottes-Chambertin
The vines here date half from 1953, half from 1982. The nose is floral and perfumed. The mouth has a stony texture with darker fruit than in the Charmes-Chambertin. The wine has excellent freshness, precision, and depth and is easy to approach. (93-96)
2017 Bonnes-Mares
With the new parcel that Roumier has added, the proportion of white soils has been increased and there is more finesse young than previously had been the case. The wine shows great depth and purity to its dark fruits, some chalk, and airiness. This is flat-out great wine. (95-98)
2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
The Amoureuses is precise, light, and airy with red cherries and some spice. The wine has some tannic underpinnings and good length and precision. It should turn out to be great. Six barrels (1800 bottles) in 2017, for a yield of 34 hl/ha, double that of 2016. (95-98)
2017 Musigny
Although the nose was somewhat closed, the wine is pure with dark fruit, minerality, intensity, and lightness on the palate. There’s great penetration here, energy, but also calm. As is so often the case, it is one of the very great wines of the vintage. 1-1/2 barrels, or about 450 bottles. (97-99)
2017 Corton-Charlemagne*
Last, the Corton-Charlemagne is quite mineral with lime fruit, and the wine is pure, focused, and penetrating with good length. The wine is already delicious for drinking. (94/A)