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Château Malartic-Lagravière

So often in Bordeaux tales of familial domination eventually peter out, giving way to corporate fiscal superiority. Whether the owner is a French insurance firm, a Japanese conglomerate, or even a Champagne house, ownership and control by big business is not unknown in Bordeaux. In fact, as Napoleonic laws of inheritance essentially force families into converting their estates into family-run businesses, it seems almost like an inevitable progression.

And so it is very fine to read of an estate where this process has been reversed. Malartic-Lagravière has passed through the hands of a number of notable families; one imagines that Lagravière may relate to an original owner, although the evidence for this is sparse. And then came the Malartic, Ricard, Ridoret and Marly families, each of which made their mark on the property and vineyard, before the estate finally fell into the ownership of a well known Champagne house. In the latter years of the 20th century, as the vineyards and cellars called out for new investment and revitalisation, the property changed hands once again. But the new owners, who signed the deal in the final weeks of 1996, were no multinational conglomerate. Yes, they had made their money through business, but Malartic-Lagravière was most certainly a family acquisition, and today control has already been handed down one generation.

But before we get to these lucky proprietors, who hail from Belgium, I think we should look in a little more detail at their predecessors.

Nautical Beginnings

Château Malartic-Lagravière, originally Domaine de Lagravière, was purchased by Pierre de Malartic at the cusp of the 17th and 18th centuries. It was not until the middle years of the following century that the estate took on the name by which we now it today, when a subsequent owner added the prefix Malartic, in honour of the family's most famous son, Comte Anne-Joseph-Hippolyte Maurès de Malartic, Pierre de Malartic's uncle. An admiral of the French fleet, Maurès de Malartic fought for France against the British in the battles of Quebec, including the Plains of Abraham in 1759 and Sainte-Foy in 1760. Later in life he took up a position as governor of the Ile de France, today known as Mauritius.

The island of Mauritius is named for the Dutch prince Maurice of Nassau, recognising the fact that the island was first colonised by the Dutch in 1598 and not - as you might think - with Maurès de Malartic. Nevertheless modern Mauritians are quite familiar with Malartic and his exploits. In 1792, in his role as governor, he led a spirited defence of the island against British attack which, although French rule eventually fell in 1810, was sufficiently legendary for a statue to be erected in Port Louis, the capital, in 1916. He has also been honoured elsewhere in France, most notably when the town of Malartic was named after him.

Eventually the estate passed from the Malartic family, coming in 1850 to Madame Verve Arnaud Ricard. Ricard was the matriarchal head of a successful family of barrel manufactures, and also proprietor of Domaine de Chevalier, and it was she that was responsible for amending the name to honour Maurès de Malartic. It remained with her and her progeny, coming to here granddaughter Angèle Ricard in 1901 and continuing through the generations, landing up with Angèle's granddaughter Simone Ridoret, who married the estate manager Jacques Marly.

The Marly family are the third major contributor to Malartic-Lagravière's history before we reach the modern-day proprietors. Having made their fortune in the manufacture of mirrors, Jacques Marly had the financial wherewithal to begin the post-war revitalisation of the estate in 1947. That his financial security came from mirrors was celebrated by Marly with the 1962 and 1964 vintages, on which the text was reverse-printed such that it could only be viewed correctly when the bottle's reflection was viewed in a mirror. Perhaps of more relevance to the modern Malartic-Lagravière, Marly was also responsible for the design on the current label, which features a three-masted sailing ship. Named the Marie-Elisabeth, the ship in question was built in Bordeaux in 1846 and sailed by Laurent Ridoret, Simone's great-grandfather. The ship depicted can also be seen on an enormous tapestry which hangs within Malartic-Lagravière's cellars.

The Marly family had control of the domaine through to the latter years of the century, before selling to Laurent-Perrier in 1990, although Jacques' son Bruno stayed on to manage the estate. Eventually, however, the Champagne house passed it on to Michèle and Alfred-Alexandre Bonnie, the deal being struck as 1996 drew to a close.

The Bonnie Family

If we are to single out one figure responsible for the revitalisation of Malartic-Lagravière it is Alfred-Alexandre Bonnie. A businessman of Belgian origin, he recognised immediately that the running of the estate under Laurent-Perrier had been less than ideal. The vineyards were well-tended but the cellars and equipment were outdated; run from afar with a corporation-mindset, there had been no interested party willing to go the extra mile, to push for the improvements that were necessary if the wines produced were to be worthy of Malartic-Lagravière's cru classé status. He set out - with a multi-million budget, it has to be said - revitalising the estate, with new developments in the château (shown above) which was dramatically expanded, vineyard and chai.

Bonnie started with new cellars (shown above), designed by Bernard Mazières and fully equipped with temperature-controlled stainless steel and new oak vats, the installation complete in time for the under-rated (for Graves at least, this is true) 1998 vintage - an impressive feat of construction by any measure. The vineyards were subject to a detailed analysis and a new programme of planting began; some vines were grubbed up, others newly planted, and there was even expansion with the purchase of 18 hectares from neighbouring estates, including a 7-hectare vineyard that had once originally belonged to Malartic-Lagravière. With the work completed, the Bonnie family today have 53 hectares of vines at their disposal.

Today it is Alfred-Alexandre's son Jean-Jacques, together with his wife Séverine, that have control of Château Malartic-Lagravière. The estate appears to be going from strength to strength, and they are now expanding beyond the Malartic-Lagravière boundaries, as evinced by their recent acquisition of Château Gazin Rocquencourt, a 28-hectare estate with vineyards predominantly in Léognan.

Malartic-Lagravière: The Vineyards

The soils of Malartic-Lagravière are typical of the region; a high platform of gravel originating from the Quaternary era which is as much as 8 metres deep in places. Beneath this there lies a limestone bedrock, peppered with ancient shells, fossils of the sea-creatures that once floated over this land. There are also a few streaks of clay to be found. As indicated above the vines, averaging 25 years of age and planted at 10000 plants/ha, cover an area of 53 hectares (the estate is 60 hectares in total), of which just 7 hectares are dedicated to white grapes. These were once all Sauvignon Blanc but the introduction of Semillon into the vineyard, a process tentatively begun during the Laurent-Perrier era, has been continued by the Bonnie family and their vineyard manager, and today the white varieties are 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon.

The red varieties planted include equal proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at 45% each, with 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, planted on Riparia, 101.14 and 3309 rootstock and trained in the usual Double Guyot system typical of Bordeaux vineyards. The white varieties, 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon, are trained in the same way. Practices in the vineyard are sustainable, caring for the vines using agriculture raisonnée, with ploughing between the rows and minimal use of treatments. Harvesting is manual, at a typical yield of 45 hl/ha. There is a double sorting on a vibrating table, then destemming, followed by transfer of the grapes to the refurbished vat room by gravity feed.

In the newly-equipped chai fermentation is overseen by Philippe Garcia, who trained at Haut-Brion, and is performed a plot-by-plot basis, utilising twenty stainless steel and ten oak fermenting vats, all with temperature control. Consultants Michel Rolland and Athanase Fakorellis provide advice to the Bonnie family and Philippe. Following fermentation and blending, the red wine goes into oak, of which 50-70% is new each year, for up to 22 months. The white wine sees 40-60% new oak for up to 15 months. The wines see an egg white fining before bottling.

Malartic-Lagravière: The Wines

The estate produces both red and white wines (one of only six estates to have both red and white classified wines), as per the 1959 Graves classification. The grand vin in white is Château Malartic-Lagravière, dominated by Sauvignon as dictated by the percentage of this variety in the vineyard, in the wine usually accounting for 70-90% of the blend (although it was 100% in 1998). This cuvée has a relatively small production of just 2000 cases. There are typically 16000 cases of the red Château Malartic-Lagravière, the blend of which usually slightly favours Cabernet Sauvignon (such as 2005, 2004, 2003, 1998, 1997), although in some vintages Merlot just has the edge (such as 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999). As is the case with a number of estates in Pessac-Léognan, the white may be superior to the red; this was certainly historically, and it is only the work undertaken by the Bonnie family that has brought the red up to scratch.

For this reason it can be difficult to decide which colour should really be regarded as the grand vin. Whichever is your preference, quality of both has no doubt been improved by the introduction of red and white second wines in 1990, 6500 and 500 cases respectively. Both were originally named Sillage de Malartic, another nautical reference (sillage being the wake of a boat) but they have been renamed La Réserve de Malartic in the 2007 vintage. Selection is strict, with just 60% of the harvest going into the grands vins in 1996, compared to a figure more like 85% under the previous regime. Of note there is also a rosé, Le Rosé de Malartic, made from a saignée early on in the vinification process, which is mainly Merlot (65%) with 30% and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc respectively. Sealed under Stelvin, with a production in the order of 3600 cases, it is obviously for early consumption.

There is no doubt that under the direction of the Bonnie family the wines of Malartic-Lagravière have demonstrated improvement, and I have frequently (except perhaps in the 2003 vintage, which was very difficult for the region) been taken by the white wine. But the reds also are showing great potential; some vintages early on under the Bonnies, such as the 2001 and 2004, were certainly worthwhile wines. But in more recent years things have stepped up a gear I think, and helped by two back-to-back favourable vintages, both the 2009 and 2010 from this estate are of very good quality. Nevertheless, it is the white wines that continue to really impress, with the 2002, 2004 and 2006 vintages all tasting very good indeed in recent years, and more recent barrel samples also hold promise. They are not yet challenging the top tier of the region, such as Domaine de Chevalier or Pape-Clément, nor have they shown the dramatic leap in quality seen at Smith-Haut-Lafitte, but these are still good wines which are superior to many in the region. (31/5/05, updated 17/5/07, 11/5/11)

Contact details:
Address: Château Malartic-Lagravière, 39 avenue de Mont de Marsan, 33850 Léognan
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 64 75 08
Fax: +33 (0) 5 56 64 99 66
Internet: www.malartic-lagraviere.com
GPS: 44.724069, -0.600402

Château Malartic-Lagravière - Tasting Notes

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White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2010: Rather muted on the nose, a little leafiness to the fruit, a little blackcurrant leaf in particular. The fruit on the palate has a lovely fresh feel to it, and the texture is very finely composed, lovely bones to it. Substance and freshness and grip. And acidity too here. Very well done; this has to be one of the better wines here today. From my Bordeaux 2010 primeurs assessment. 17-18/20 (April 2011)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2010: A vibrant, black cherry hue, lightly glossy but not the most intense. The nose carries some light notes of confit fruit, forest fruits especially, with also a darker seam of spice. The palate seems immediately well balanced, and fresh too, despite the darkness of the fruit. There is some good acidity here, with appropriate tannic grip as well. This is a very attractive wine. From my Bordeaux 2010 primeurs assessment. 16.5-17.5/20 (April 2011)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2009: This wine has a wealth of fresh fruit on the nose, lightly peppery, with a nicely vibrant feel. There is good definition at the start, good substance too. Creamed yellow plum, bright and fresh. Fair acidity here, behind the softly polished and fleshy fruit. Overall, a decent effort. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (March 2010)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2009: Rather sweet and perfumed fruit here, almost with a confected note, along with a spicy, honeyed edge. Quite an admirable texture at the start of the palate, that sweet and lightly dried-fruit character coming though here, with a ripe tannic core and fresh acidity. A really nice weight and extract to this wine, not over-done, well-judged, and with good balance of the various components, segueing nicely into a puckered finish of ripe tannins. An attractive wine. From a tasting of 2009 Pessac-Léognan at two years of age. 17.5/20 (October 2011)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2009: A very dark  and creamy appearance to this wine, with intensely creamed fruit on the nose also, and a vibrant and yet sweet macerated-cherry character. The palate is cool and defined on entry, showing more bold substance in the midpalate. It remains well defined and vigorous though, with a good substance through to the end. The tannins build in the midpalate, showing a more chewy character towards the finish, and moderate acidity cutting through underneath. Lots of substance here. Very good, but again this is certainly a very ripe style of wine that will not appeal to all. From my 2009 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5+/20 (March 2010)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2008: Crunchy yellow plum and greengage on the nose here. On the palate it shows a rather lean and papery quality to the fruit rather reminiscent of young Chenin Blanc which is surprising (to say the least), overlaid with more appealing elements of apple and pear. More importantly it has acidity which certainly does it some favours. This certainly has the freshness and appeal of a good Pessac, it would be all the better for a deeper and more typical layer of fruit. But on the whole I like it. From a tasting of 2008 Pessac-Léognan at two years of age. 16+/20 (October 2010)

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2008: Rather more muted on the nose than some of the more expressive wines at this tasting. Just a little vanilla on the nose. The palate has a nice, full, fresh and slightly weighty substance on the palate though. there is good grip, moderate but fairly bright acidity, and a full, round, slightly fat texture. Decent midpalate substance and good length. If this shows more expression with time, this will be very good. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2009)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2008: A very dark wine in terms of appearance and also a dark character to the nose, which is full of rich, soft, spicy fruit with a roasted, meaty, gamey lift to it. An interesting palate, with plenty of substance, and a layer of plush, deep-pile fruit, rich and creamy, a big, dark style with elements of toffee and caramel laid over the top. Clearly still showing a lot of winemaking elements here. Big, soft, supple, mouth-coating tannins, with lower acidity to match. From a tasting of 2008 Pessac-Léognan at two years of age. 15/20 (October 2010)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2008: Tasted twice. Perfumed and stony fruits, with a warm, dark, slightly meaty substance. Really very fresh and attractive on the palate, textured and substantial. A little creamy, but grippy too, with a big tannic backbone through to a slightly charred finish. Nice harmony here, and good length too. From my 2008 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 16.5-17.5+/20 (April 2009)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: This wine has some lightly creamed fruit on the nose, with Sauvignon elements shining most, namely capsicum. There is some nice, bright fruit on the palate, which is round and textured but also bright and fresh. There are stone fruit flavours, tinged with honey and backed up by good acidity. This has a lovely style. From a tasting of 2007 Pessac-Léognan at two years of age. 16.5+/20 (October 2009)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: This has rather a chewy style of fruit on the nose, overlaid by a smoky and bright style of oak. It is slightly charred, but not over the top, and the meatier fruit character copes well with it. With the aromatic profile in mind, the palate is unsurprisingly quite stolid compared to the rest of the appellation, with a slightly plumper feel to it, backed up by plenty of peppery tannin in the finish. Returning to the nose, the perfume seems a little tighter and better defined which I like. An attractive wine. From my tasting of 2007 Pessac-Léognan at four years of age. 15/20 (November 2011)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: This has some gently perfumed fruit on the nose, but lacks clarity of expression, and there is a little earthiness to it as well. Smoothly polished fruit on the palate, with a stony background, a light texture, and some tannins in the midpalate. It has a slightly hard style, but it does have freshness on its side. Not showing as well as I thought it would from my primeur tasting. From a tasting of 2007 Pessac-Léognan at two years of age. 14.5+/20 (October 2009)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2007: A nice purity and a good richness on the nose here. A lovely texture, with an attractive silky substance. It has a fine presence on the palate, and is a touch creamy, with good grip. Correct acidity. This has good potential. From my 2007 Bordeaux primeur assessment. 15.5-16.5+/20 (April 2008)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2006: This wine is not so expressive as some on the nose, showing just some subtle but fresh fruit. On the palate it has a supply but flashy substance, which is vigorous and lively despite being rich and a touch flashy. It has a fine, bright, citrus peel element, and overall is very well composed and attractive. I like this very much indeed. From a tasting of 2006 Pessac-Léognan at two years of age. 17.5+/20 (October 2008)

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2006: A very fresh and appealing style here, clean and bright. The palate is lively, fleshy, with grip and substance and a good acid backbone. There is plenty of punch and verve here. This is firm, with delicious character, and an impressive, upright, taut style which would do well in the cellar. From a tasting of 2006 White Graves. 17-17.5+/20 (April 2008)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2006: Beautifully pure fruit character on the nose, great intensity, sweet and rather heady, concentrated, with a dark, smoky character. The palate doesn't have the direction I expected from the nose and appellation, but it has plenty of big sweet character, and a soft and plush style. Lots of good texture here, slightly chewy tannins in keeping with the soft sweet substance of the wine. In no way lacking, expect for acidity perhaps. From my tasting of 2006 Pessac-Léognan at four years of age. 16+/20 (November 2010)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: Good character on the nose here, with grapefruit and citrus fruit pith laced with minerals, with a creamy background. The palate is full, minerally and fleshy, and is showing quite a lot of substance. There is a rather gentle, peppery acid backbone behind it all, although it is not quite at the level I would like to balance out the flesh of the wine. Good pithy finish though. Very good. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 16.5+/20 (October 2007)

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: A second taste of this wine within the space of a month, this time with dinner at Château Thieuley. It again shows a gorgeous and exuberantly open nose. It is ripe, rounded, but well composed with a touch of reserve. The palate is grippy, a little pithy, with not a pile of acidity but with a very fresh, mouthfilling style. This wine is very good, with fine potential. 17/20 (December 2006)

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: This has a more creamy character on the nose, notes of yellow plum and greengage, with a slightly more refined air. Full, well composed, acidity a touch on the low side perhaps, but it still has a fine, pithy character and freshness. It has bite and structure layered beneath a lovely array of flavours which show most through the finish. Very good. 17/20 (November 2006)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: Autumn leaves and tobacco, fresh red fruits, there is a lot of good Pessac-Léognan typicity here. There is a little suggestion of density to it though, with slightly darker fruits in the background, and richness alongside the fresh aromatics. A stylish wine on the palate, fresh and very nicely composed, with a great, integrated backbone of tannin and good defining acidity. This is all brought together very well indeed. A lovely effort by the Bonnie family. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at four years of age. 18+/20 (November 2009)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: There is a slightly confected fruit profile on the nose, with a sweetly ripe character tinged with roasted herbs. The palate though is firm, rounded and pure, with a quite seamless style. A gentle tannic backbone becomes apparent through the midpalate, along with a raft of fruit. Nicely balanced out. This has fine style and potential. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux at two years of age. 17+/20 (October 2007)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2005: Also tasted at Château Thieuley. There is a wealth of fruit on the nose here, streaked with tobacco, and the style just screams Graves typicity. A rather cool and attractive presence on the palate, but a big and firm character, nicely composed with very well knit although obvious tannins. Well-rounded, with a clean backbone of acidity. This is very well set up for the future. It has excellent promise. 18+/20 (December 2006)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: A very fresh and open nose, pungently green and grassy, with notes of capsicum, clearly very dominated by young Sauvignon Blanc still. The palate certainly has appeal, is full, firm and has rounded out somewhat. Pithy style, but with a crisp, nettly, fresh acidity leading up to a good grippy finish. Consistently good. 16.5+/20 (November 2006)

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: A lovely nose here, fresh and exuberant with crystal clear fruit; what a refreshing change after last year's effort. Rather Sauvignon-dominant on the nose, green and grassy, but with an appealing passion fruit note, melded with some oak. Full yet reserved, structured and pithy, with fresh, peppery, nettly acidity. Very good potential. From my 2004 Bordeaux assessment. 16.5+/20 (October 2006)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2004: This has a subtle, reserved nose, rather closed, but showing a little perfumed, oaky fruit. Nicely composed on the palate, with soft tannins, a solid yet creamy impact and fresh acidity. This certainly has potential. Very good. From my 2004 Bordeaux assessment. 16.5+/20 (October 2006)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: Rather a nice, lifted nose here, showing some fresh grapefruit character, although really this is the best of a weak bunch. Some grip, and a presence in the mouth, but nevertheless deficient in the all-important acidity. Avoid. From my 2003 Bordeaux assessment. 13/20 (October 2005)

Sillage de Malartic Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: SB 80%, S 20%. Barrel fermented, using 20% new barrels. Fresh, clean nose. Leafy, aromatic. Fortunately no overpowering barrel ferment character. Good acidity with a very clean and fresh style, which is impressive in light of the heat of the vintage. Good structure. A lovely second wine. Drink now. 15/20 (November 2004)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2003: Youthful, primary fruit and oak-derived nutty character to the nose. Rounded, with nice tannic structure, although rather a lean presence of fruit through the midpalate. Clean, and attractive style, although quite simple; but should develop well for mid-term drinking. From my 2003 Bordeaux assessment. 15.5/20 (October 2005)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 2002: Lovely nose; cashew nuts and spice. Good weight and structure, and showing greater concentration than the 1999. This is still a mere slip; there is some oak that needs to integrate, but all the signs indicate this should do well in the cellar. Full, peppery, flavoursome, with style. Needs 2-3 years. Very good potential. 17+/20 (November 2004)

Red Wines

Sillage de Malartic (Pessac-Léognan) 2002: Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Cabernet Franc 20%. Very good nose here, with good depth of fruit. Full, round, good weight. Well defined blackcurrant fruit. It has concentration. Plump, and a little nutty. Very good for a second wine. Drink now. 15.5/20 (November 2004)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2001: A really stylish nose here, full of Graves typicité, with some delightful smoke and tobacco tinged fruit. On the palate, however, it remains rather unevolved, firm, but with plenty of promise. Appealing crunchy red fruits and a reserved style. This is very good, but needs five to eight years in the cellar at least. Coming on nicely. Up a half-point. 17+/20 (November 2006)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 2001: A lovely colour, with the cashew nut oak notes of youth. Full, youthful, well structured, weighty presence. Dark, nutty fruits. Grippy, but well integrated, and with balanced acidity. Plenty of youthful character here. A less feisty more elegant wine, but with very good potential. 16.5+/20 (November 2004)

White Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc (Pessac-Léognan) 1999: Good depth here. A touch of nut oil with the white fruits. Decent concentration, elegant. Seamless mouthfeel with a maturing, nutty character. Some length here too. This is good. 16/20 (November 2004)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 1998: What little I managed to coax from this wine when I last tasted seems to have completely withdrawn into its shell now. Giving away nothing on the nose. Quite nicely rounded, although with lots of tannin, but also some good texture. Difficult to judge in its current state; a more firmly shut down wine would be difficult to imagine. 15.5-16.5?/20 (November 2006)

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 1998: Reticent nose, with some exotic notes when it opens out. Good fruit, with a good balance of grippy tannins and firm acidity. There's a tannic flourish on the endpalate. This has very good potential but has to be cellared. Needs 6-7+ years. 16.5+/20 (November 2004)

Red Wines

Château Malartic-Lagravière (Pessac-Léognan) 1989: Moderate colour, mature. Very mature fruit on the nose, earthy and cedary, with a baked-macerated character. Also a little toffee. Soft texture on the palate, but backed up by some good dry tannins. Firm, mature fruit with a sweet edge and correct acidity. Drinking well now. Very good. From a Graves tasting. 16.5/20 (October 2004)