Château Malartic-Lagravière 2010

Tasting Characteristics and Advice for Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2010

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a lovely pale yellow hue, bright and crystalline, reflecting the purity and elegance of this great white wine from Pessac-Léognan.

Nose

The nose first opens on aromas of citrus and exotic fruits, then evolves subtly toward notes of truffle and white fruits. Fragrances of caramelized grapefruit, sliced lemon, and passion fruit mingle with mineral hints of wet stone. With aeration, floral nuances of acacia and orange blossom accompany mentholated notes and a delicate touch of honey.

Palate

Intense and rounded, the palate revisits notes of citrus and white-fleshed fruits, with a mineral touch, almost mentholated. The whole is underscored by beautifully integrated oak aging and great freshness. The lively attack gives way to a full, enveloping mid-palate, carried by vibrant acidity and a creamy texture. The finish, superbly long and elegant, lingers with finesse on spicy, lightly toasted aromas.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2010 pairs perfectly with grilled fish or fish in sauce, seafood and shellfish, as well as roasted poultry. It also matches very well with hard cheeses such as Manchego or Parmesan, and with fresh salads.

Serving and Cellaring

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2010 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 10 and 12°C. This wine can be enjoyed until around 2035, reflecting remarkable aging potential.

A Grand Cru Classé from Pessac-Léognan with a Mineral Character and Remarkable Complexity

The Estate

The Château Malartic-Lagravière is a Grand Cru Classé of Graves, and one of the rare classified growths recognized for both white and red wines. Owned by the Bonnie family since 1997, it is now led by Jean-Jacques and Véronique Bonnie. The vineyard spans 73 hectares, 7 of which are planted to white varieties. The aging process favors early blending and 18 months in barrels, producing wines that are dense, fresh, and balanced.

The Vineyard

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2010 comes from a seven-hectare vineyard in the Pessac-Léognan appellation, in the commune of Léognan. The vines are planted on dry, clayey gravel soils, with a subsoil of shelly limestone interspersed with clay veins. This geological composition gives the wine its characteristic minerality. The vineyard has been managed under sustainable viticulture since 1997.

The Vintage

The 2010 vintage in Bordeaux is recognized as exceptional for white wines. The year began with a dry, cold winter, followed by a spring alternating sunny and rainy periods. The summer was remarkably dry, with only 51 millimeters of rain over three months. Cool nights helped preserve the grapes’ acidity while promoting optimal phenolic ripeness. Uneven flowering in late May and early June required green harvesting to even out the crop. The harvest took place in excellent conditions, with Sauvignon Blanc picked between September 7 and 23, and Sémillon on September 21 and 22, 2010.

Vinification and Aging

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2010 was crafted using traditional methods. After slow, gentle pressing, the musts fermented in barrels at a controlled temperature between 20 and 22°C. The wine was then aged on lees for 11 months in French oak barrels, 50% new oak and 50% one-wine barrels.

Grape varieties

Sauvignon Blanc (85%)
Sémillon (15%)