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Château Magdelaine 1970

This week, another episode of Random Old Bordeaux.

Well, perhaps not so random, as it is yet another 1970, opened last week to celebrate my completion of yet another turn around our star (for me, but I suppose for the wine as well).

Considering the fact that Château Magdelaine ceased to exist as an independent entity more than a decade ago it seems to me that the property, through an inevitably dwindling supply of old vintages, still has a following.

It is perhaps not my place to posit why this might be, but I think the wine typifies a style which many find increasingly difficult to find in Bordeaux these days; they were wines of sinew, freshness, delicacy of form and energy, something of a contrast to many Bordeaux wines made today. For many reasons – including among others climate and different winemaking approaches, the latter in turn shaped by critic scores and the influence of the region’s consultants – many Bordeaux wines produced during the course of the last two of three decades have more texture and weight than these older vintages, as well as more alcohol and oak.

That’s probably a profound over-simplification, but let’s leave that there for now.

Château Magdelaine is a historic property with a story which stretches back at least as far as the mid-19th century, when it was in the hands of the Chatonnet family. Through marriage it came to the Jullien family, and at the turn of the century it appeared to be enjoying a golden era, frequently ranked alongside the best in the St Emilion appellation, including plateau-neighbours Ausone and Belair. Then like many properties in the region, the 20th century opened the door to decline.

Château Magdelaine St Emilion 1970

In 1952 it was rescued by the Moueix family, bringing the potential for a period of revitalisation. There was a need to replant though, and this was not a straightforward process; having begun in 1954, the devastating frost of 1956 laid waste to the young vineyards, necessitating a second start. Perhaps reeling from this insult this second round of replanting never really got underway until the 1970s, ultimately setting the scene for some strong vintages (although still with some young vines, I note) during the 1980s and 1990s.

Then in 2012 the property, classified as premier grand cri classé since the inaugural iteration of the St Emilion Classification in 1955, disappeared from view. It turned out that the Moueix family had decided to amalgamate it with neighbouring Château Belair, which they had acquired and rechristened Château Bélair-Monange. And so Château Magdelaine ceased to be, going the way of other long-lost and lamented Bordeaux properties such as Château La Tour Haut-Brion (absorbed into Château La Mission Haut-Brion), Château Pavie-Decesse (now part of Château Pavie), Château Matras, Curé-Bon (both absorbed into Château Canon) and so on. Once you start delving into Bordeaux’s many histories, there are dozens of similar stories.

I have a few old vintages which date to various moments of Magdelaine’s story, all of which deserve discussion. Perhaps I will pull them from the cellar in chronological order, as part of my Cellar Raid process? Maybe, but for the moment let’s kick off with the 1970.

The cork extracted with no difficulty, I gave the 1970 Château Magdelaine a little breathing time in bottle, but did not formally decant it beyond that. Once in the glass it displays a fading and undeniably evolved hue, the red showing plenty of bricking tones, with a broad, pale pink rim. Given the appearance I am not surprised to find a very tertiary degree of development on the nose, which comes layered with tobacco and damp humus, quite earthy and fungal, with threads of freshly picked mushroom and truffle, touched with delicately stewed and decayed summer fruits and a touch of prune. Despite all these warm words it feels delineated and restrained, and this is mirrored on the palate which presents a lean, peppery and acid-framed structure, with a little powdery grip, the structure subsumed by the acidity and layers of fungal flavour. It doesn’t linger long in the finish, which degrades sharply. Not a wine to hoard in the cellar this, as it seems to be well-established on the downward slope; drink up now is my advice. Of note, no alcohol declared on the label. 89/100 (23/3/26)

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