Château Malartic-Lagravière 2015

Compact, dense, a bit more closed than the other wines in the tasting, yet flawless, with character and even minerality: it conveys class—let it age.

A slightly high-pitched style, with a mix of red currant and raspberry fruit laced with rooibos tea and blood orange notes. A good snap of licorice adds weight on the finish, showing a flash of tar. Has sneaky depth and should evolve well in the cellar. Best from 2020 through 2028. 10,000 cases made.

Full of black-currant flavor, this firm wine has structure and a rich texture. Its bolstering tannins and vibrant acidity mark out an age-worthy selection. Spice tones and a dry core set the stage for a slow development into an even more complex and fulfilling wine. Drink from 2025.

Displaying the more highly-charged, well ripened character that you would expect from a 2015, this is rich and silky, showing incredible texture. It combines plump black fruits with the most gorgeous liquorice and dark chocolate in a coiled, restrained sexiness. It's totally moreish without being over the top, with a lovely lift of acidity - although it was a hot vintage, there were cool nights. A brilliant effort. 5% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

Deeper wine from the get-go with dark violets, mocha, cassis and blackberries. The palate has suave, smooth and sturdy tannins and terrific length. Very polished and seamless with flavors of fresh black cherries, blackcurrants and blue plums. Best from 2022.

Luscious, silky, ripe, deep, dark red fruits are found from start to finish here. The wine is round, polished, full bodied and long. The fruit is sweet, ripe and leaves a lingering impression on the palate. In time, as the oak further integrates, this will be a super wine to enjoy over the next 2 decades.

Deep ruby with purple reflections and subtle rim brightening. Fresh cherry, delicate nougat, fine herbal savouriness, some cassis and candied orange zest. Juicy and elegant, mineral, freshly structured, with fine nougat, pronounced in fruit on the finish, lingers, has future certain ageing potential.

Dense dark ruby core with a purple hue. Pure and perfumed nose with good layers with floral violet notes and crushed cassis, plum, dark cherry with tobacco and sage, fine oak underneath. High concentration, really ample with fine extraction, grainy tannin, cocoa powder, fresh dark berry fruit, cassis, cherry and coffee bean notes. Really long and vigorous finish with a polished texture, stylish and elegant with plenty of stuffing. Really good.

The 2015 Malartic-Lagravière is also terrific and comes from a 46-hectare vineyard in Léognan. Made from 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it offers a smorgasbord of aromatics including red currants, ripe cherries, cassis, licorice, toasty oak, and spice. With full-bodied richness, building tannin, and a rounded, sumptuous style, as well as a great finish, it’s going to benefit from several years in the cellar and keep for 15-20 years. Tasted three times.

Dense purple with garnet highlights. An extremely sweet, candy-like bouquet; within the toasty notes you can also sense hints of Malaga and young Port. With a second impression, cooked Piedmont cherries and dark chocolate notes. On the palate, good fruit intensity, again focused on cherry, with well-supporting acidity; you also feel a clearly marked extraction. At the core, there are firm, even green tannin remnants. The potential is certainly great, but it (still) lacks harmony. Has the winemaking gone a bit too far? The potential is greater than the pleasure.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with a violet rim. Extremely sweet, candy-like bouquet; within the toasty notes, hints of Málaga and young Port come through. On the second pass: stewed Piedmont cherries and dark chocolate notes, with a lactic edge. On the palate, good fruit drive, again leaning on cherry, with well-supporting acidity; there’s also a clear sense of extraction, probably on the high side. At the core, firm, almost green tannin remnants can be found. The bones are there, but it (still) lacks harmony. Did things go a bit too far in the cellar? The potential is greater than the pleasure.

A clear success at this estate, more generous than the 2014, with confident sculpted dark berry fruits, graphite, crayon, gunsmoke and dark berry spice. Really stepping into its role as one of the go-to Pessac classifieds, expertly overseen by the Bonnie family, Michel Rolland consultant. 80% new oak. Tasted separately to the rest of the horizontal.

The 2015 Malartic Lagraviere Rouge is medium to deep garnet colored. It saunters out with scents of baked black plums, cassis, and mulberries, followed by wafts of unsmoked cigars, bay leaves, and pencil lead with a hint of charcuterie. The medium-bodied palate has a refreshing line cutting through the intense flavors, framed by grainy tannins, finishing with lovely vivacity.

A refined nose offering ripe, pure fruit, well-integrated oak and great minerality. The palate is powerful and tasty, with a broad, ripe tannic structure, density and a fresh finish. Both full-bodied and elegant. Energetic.

With impressive substance and a sense of precision, along with a slight milky note, the 2015 red is not yet fully settled, but we remain optimistic about its potential.

Deep purple with violet highlights. Complex bouquet with fruity and spicy notes. Very refined, with pleasant aromas of black berries. A juicy, fruit-driven attack. On the palate, the wine is creamy and supported by a structure that brings freshness and character. It carries the aromatic expression beautifully through to the finish. The tannins are dense and well integrated. A fruity, lingering finish. A delicious yet powerful wine with excellent ageing potential. Bravo.

The nose is refined, elegant and intense, revealing notes of violet, blackberry and, more subtly, rose and blackcurrant, alongside delicate oaky and spicy nuances (clove, dried tobacco, black tea) and a discreet touch of distinguished minerality. The palate is fruity, balanced and poised, offering tension, smoothness and richness, with a lovely texture, a silky substance and fine-grained tannins. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of blackberry, damson plum and, more subtly, ripe red fruits, combined with fine graphite notes and discreet hints of toasted oak. The tannins are fine, elegant and ripe.

Deep, intense color. The nose is rather discreet, fruity, with a hint of pine wood. Once again, while the palate is engaging at the start and through the mid-palate, the finish is more restrained.