Chateau Malartic Lagraviere Pessac Leognan (750) 2016 (750ml)
Product price
Description
Pessac-Léognan sits at the northern edge of the Graves, close enough to the city of Bordeaux that its red wines tend to show both structure and a certain polish. This 2016 from Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere, the Bonnie family's estate, leans on Cabernet Sauvignon (just over half the blend) with a substantial portion of Merlot and small contributions from Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The fruit was picked in mid-to-late October and raised mostly in new oak, the rest in barrels of one year, a regime that has been folded into the wine rather than left to sit on top of it.
The nose is composed and precise, blackberry and cassis edged with mint and a cool menthol lift, the oak reading as vanilla and gentle toast rather than anything overt. There is real ripeness here, a mark of the vintage, but it arrives with restraint: the first impression is supple, and then fine-grained tannins build and tighten the frame. Crisp acidity keeps the line taut and the finish long, and the whole thing has an easy, persistent quality that pulls you back to the glass. Built to age, and rewarding patience.
Product Details
| Category | Wine |
| Color | Red |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Subregion | Pessac-Leognan |
| Varietal | Bordeaux Blend Red |
| Producer | Chateau Malartic Lagraviere |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Size | 750 ML |
| Subtype | Still |
Expert Reviews
The 2016 Malartic-Lagraviere is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot picked between 13-20 October at 46 hectoliters per hectare. It is matured in 80% new oak and the remainder one year old. It has a very composed and pure bouquet with blackberry, mint and just a touch of blueberry, the new oak neatly integrated and menthol developing with time. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, fine structure and a keen line of acidity; this is a pixelated Pessac-Léognan that exudes style and panache. There is an effortless nature to this wine and it feels so persistent in the mouth that you cannot wait to take another sip. This is (another) impressive release from the Bonnie family and do not be surprised if it eventually surpasses the outstanding 2015. (Wine Advocate)
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 flavors of black currant and dark berries give ripeness. It is a wine to age; drink after 2026. (Wine Enthusiast)
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 marvelously 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. (James Suckling)