Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere Pessac-Leognan 2016 Single Bottle
Country: France Region: Pessac Leognan, Bordeaux
Category: Red Wine Style: Dry Vintage: 2016
Varietal: 57% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
Producer: Chateau Malartic Lagraviere
Description:
In 1996 Alfred-Alexandre Bonnie and his wife Michèle acquired Château Malartic-Lagravière, a Grand Cru Classé de Graves known for its famous “rounded top” of gravel. It was named Malartic in honour of the owner of the estate in the 18th century, Count Hippolyte de Malartic.
Since they acquired the Domaine, it has been completely renovated with innovative facilities, traditional winemaking methods and a fully committed team. These are essential ingredients for making wines that sit among the best grands crus of Bordeaux. One of Bordeaux’s six Crus classés, their Château Malartic-Lagravière from the AOC Pessac-Léognan is a coupage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The grapes are meticulously selected and destemmed in the winery and following maceration and fermentation at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks, the wine is aged for 18 months in 225-litre French oak barrels.
This is how Château Malartic-Lagravière is made. A charming wine for its intensity, complexity and finesse. As Robert Parker himself says: “this is a bright, elegant and refined wine with great aging potential.”
96 points James Suckling
I love the deep and complex nose, in which the cassis and mint of Cabernet Sauvignon are beautifully married to the more generous blackberry of ripe Merlot and the vanilla and toasty notes from the oak are marvellously integrated. On the palate it creeps up on you slowly; the first impression is ripe yet delicate, then the fine-grained tannins charge through and light up the sky. Very long finish. Drink or hold.
96 points Wine Enthusiast
The Bonnie family’s estate has produced a richly structured wine, full of the ripe tannins indicative of the vintage. To balance the structure, powerful flavours of black currant and dark berries give ripeness. It is a wine to age; drink after 2026.
95 points Decanter
The colour is rich and deep but with luminosity that gives nuance and fresh air. It's a lovely 2016, poised but not as powerful as some in the vintage, yet every inch the sophisticated reflection of the appellation. Restrained grilled berry fruits take their time to unfurl. It's still very closed but the liquorice and slate notes become clearer after 10 minutes in the glass, and the wine has already deepened in the few years since bottling.
95 points Vinous
The 2016 Malartic-Lagravière has a wonderful bouquet of perfumed, mainly red fruit laced with potpourri, black olive tapenade and light brine-like aromas - a bouquet full of personality. The fresh, harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and just the right amount of salinity toward the loam-tinged finish. Bon vin from the Bonnies.
94 points Jeb Dunnuck
As to the red, the grand vin is the 2016 Château Malartic-Lagravière (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Aged in 80% new barrels and hitting 13.5% natural alcohol, it offers a deep purple colour with beautiful cassis, tobacco, crushed rocks, and subtle incense aromas and flavours. Balanced, medium to full-bodied, and straight-up seamless on the palate, it’s another brilliant Graves that offers ample pleasure today yet will keep for 20+ years or more.
92 points Wine Advocate
The 2016 Malartic Lagraviere is blended of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-purple in colour, it opens with wild blueberries and black cherries with cassis, bay leaves and dark chocolate nuances plus a hint of charcoal. Medium-bodied with a lively backbone and solid frame of ripe, rounded tannins, it finishes with an herbal lift.
Tasting notes
The 2016 Malartic-Lagravière offers a deeply intriguing interplay of rich red/purplish berry fruit and fresher, brighter notes that give the wine its sense of delineation. Lavender, rose petal and mint add striking high-toned nuances to this finely cut wine. The 2016 has turned out beautifully. Most important of all, it is impressively delicious.
Food Suggestion:
Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.
