Château Malartic-Lagravière 2018

Composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc and aged in 70% new oak barriques, the 2018 Malartic Lagraviere has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and pronounced notions of stewed black and red plums, boysenberries and cassis on the nose, with hints of hoisin, dried Provence herbs and unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate has a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness to support the black fruit preserves flavors, finishing savory.

Fresh, forward style with a nice burst of bing cherry preserves as well as plum sauce, melted red licorice and singed vanilla notes. Juicy, friendly finish has a late tug of tar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030. 10,000 cases made.

Candied red fruit and sour cherry aromas. Elegantly layered with kirsch and vanilla notes. A lovely texture of fine tannin, well-balanced with refreshing acidity. Promising supple fruit. Good potential but needs time to shine.

Blackberry, hot-stone and blueberry aromas follow through to a full body with chewy, dusty tannins that are long and chewy. It shows lots of Pessac character, reminding me of the stony soils of the area. Give this at least three or four years to come together. Try after 2024.

The 2018 Malartic-Lagravière was a little variable when I tasted it from barrel. Now bottled, it has closed down on the nose, yet given a couple of hours' decant, it opens nicely to offer black fruit, sage, tobacco and subtle floral scents (iris and violet). The palate is well balanced with a dense entry and good acidity. It would benefit from a little more refinement and I still sense a scintilla of greenness on the aftertaste. Hopefully that will disappear with bottle age, because it deserves time in the cellar.

Deep in color, this beauty pops with licorice, smoke, tobacco, coffee and roasted, deep red fruits on the nose. Lush, round, fruity and creamy, with waves of sweet black, red and blue fruits that keep on coming. Give this at least 5-7 years in the cellar and enjoy it for the following 2 decades after that. The wine blends 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

Deep dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate watery rim. Fresh, dark wild berry fruit, subtle liquorice, orange zest underneath, fine tobacco nuances. Juicy cherry fruit, elegant, lively structure, round tannins, mineral notes and fine blackberry confit on the finish, will benefit from bottle ageing. (Drink 2025-2050).

An outstanding wine, the 2018 Château Malartic Lagraviere (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest 3% Cabernet Franc) offers a deep purple hue as well as beautiful cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with lots of graphite, gravelly earth, violets, and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannins and impressive purity of fruit, it's another gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today or cellared for 15 years.

Deep ruby red. Fragrant bouquet of cooled fruit tea, followed by plum compote and cranberry juice. On the palate, powerful with a supportive tannic frame, fleshy extract and volume, showing great elegance alongside immense power. Aromatic finish of blackberry and morello cherry, ending with gentle astringency. Confirmed its strong performance during the en primeur tastings. Chapeau JJ Bonnie!

Kunz barrel sample 19: (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 35 hl/ha) Velvety, fruity, spicy, slightly tropical bouquet, cherries, plums, fine woods. Silky, medium-bodied palate with delicate fruit, good aromatics, finely sandy tannins, well-kerned structure, long, aromatic finish.

(57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 35 hl/ha) Velvety, fruity, spicy bouquet with a slight tropical note, cherries, damsons, fine noble wood. Silky, medium-bodied palate with delicate fruit, good aromatics, finely sandy tannins, a well-structured, firm core, and a long, aromatic finish. 17/20 2024 - 2040

Malartic-Lagraviere 2018 has a deep garnet-purple color. It prances out with open-knit notes of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry preserves, and potpourri, with touches of unsmoked cigars and bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a good amount of muscular fruit and chewy tannins, finishing with an herbal lift.

Intensely fruity aromas, refined oak and spicy notes, a generous, harmonious body with firm flesh, elegant tannins and length. Seductive.

A well-balanced wine, still somewhat restrained, yet aromatic and with plenty of punch on the palate.

The nose is fruity, racy and structured. It reveals notes of wild strawberry, wild berries and, more subtly, blackberry, combined with touches of licorice stick, flowers and cardamom, as well as a very discreet hint of spice. The palate is fruity and balanced, offering juiciness, good definition, lovely tension, precision, straightness, freshness, attractive minerality and a fine tangy thread. On the palate, the wine shows notes of blackcurrant and blackberry and, more subtly, black cherry, accompanied by small touches of wild strawberry, red berries, licorice, violet, as well as fine hints of spice and chocolate, and an imperceptible hint of coffee in the background. The tannins are elegant and very finely firm.

94–96. Barrel Sample. This powerful wine combines juicy black fruits with concentrated tannins to good effect. This density and grip lends to excellent aging potential.