Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 2017

97 points Rebecca Gibb, MW (Vinous): "The 2017 Le Bourg exemplifies the site's characteristic power and structure. This is not a wine that you should buy to drink now. This Cabernet Franc is almost beast-like compared with Les Poyeux, which is relatively accessible and graceful. It has rounded shoulders and finely woven yet structured tannins, which could be attributed to the clay topsoil of the Le Bourg site. It's a heady expression that displays the smoky bacon notes that can be found when it's a baby wine in barrel. It also offers mocha notes, and a heady perfume that lingers in the air as if you're in an Indian garden, followed with bergamot and tea leaf. This is a wine that moves with power and direction. Due for release - on allocation - to those lucky enough to be on the buying list for Clos Rougeard. Drink: 2025-2050. (Aug 2022)"

96 points CellarTracker.com community score.

94 points Benjamin Lewin, MW (Decanter): "The nose broadens out with a more obvious sense of fruit followed by some herbal and mineral impressions. A roundness and depth to the fruits comes through that crystalline purity on the palate, with a note of minerality adding complexity at the end. Vintage conditions are reflected in a sense of tension. Drinking Window: 2032-2052. (Jun 2022)"

94 points La Revue du Vin de France: "Still nicely smoky (bacon) from its signature barrel aging, Le Bourg reveals itself without showiness or opulence; it will need time to relax; this vintage lacks the magic of the ebullient 2016. (2023)"