Château Malartic-Lagraviere 2019

At the heart of the Bordeaux region, the Domaine de Lagravière has always been distinguished by the quality of its terroir. Acquired at the end of the 18th century by Count Hippolyte de Maurès de Malartic, from an ancient noble family of Armagnac, this domain witnessed glorious maritime exploits.

Indeed, Count Malartic, a devoted servant to the Kings of France, distinguished himself as an admiral in naval battles against the English worldwide, notably during the Battle of Quebec in 1756. In 1850, Madame Arnaud Ricard, heiress of the domain, added the name Malartic to Lagravière in homage to its illustrious predecessors. Under her leadership, the domain experienced a period of prosperity, marked by the addition of small vineyard parcels and careful management. For nearly 140 years, the domain remained in the family, passed down through generations and primarily managed by women. In 1947, Jacques Marly took the reins of Malartic-Lagravière after marrying a descendant of Madame Ricard. His involvement in local wine-growing life, notably during the Graves classification in 1953, contributed to the domain's renown. In 1990, the domain came under the stewardship of Champagne Laurent-Perrier. Under this new direction, the domain embarked on quality work with the creation of the second wine, Le Sillage de Malartic. However, the renovation projects necessary to preserve Malartic-Lagravière's Cru Classé status were not successfully carried out. In 1997, the domain regained its former splendor when the Brussels couple Alfred-Alexandre and Michèle Bonnie acquired it. They undertook a complete renovation, building a new cellar and restoring the château. The vineyard was expanded, giving the domain its current dimension.

Since then, under the leadership of Véronique and Jean-Jacques Bonnie, the domain is committed to adapting its viticultural practices to contemporary challenges. They also aim to transform this magical place into a space open to visitors, offering an immersive and unforgettable experience at the intersection of digital and terroir.

"The 2019 Château Malartic-Lagravière showed brilliantly, with an elegant, pure, flawlessly balanced style. Giving up ripe black cherry, currants, tobacco leaf, and spicy oak, with textbook Graves scorched earth, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a beautiful layered, seamless mouthfeel, great tannins, and one heck of a great finish. It's not a blockbuster, but it excels on its elegance, balance, and complexity. Readers will love to have this in the cellar, and it will keep for 20+ years." - Jeb Dunnuck, (04/12/2022), Ratings: 96

"The 2019 Malartic Lagravière presents a refined nose of blackberry, raspberry, cedar and light estuarine aromas, very well defined and focused. The palate is framed by fine-grained tannins, and the pure blackberry and raspberry notes are laced with blood orange. Maybe just a little more granular in texture than before, but still wonderfully balanced, with great length and nobility. This will age with style. A sophisticated Pessac-Léognan with a lot of potential." - Neal Martin, Vinous, (02/17/2022), Ratings: 95

"The 2019 Malartic Lagraviere is a blend of 55.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41.3% Merlot and 2.8% Cabernet Franc, harvested from the 17th of September to the 11th of October. The wine is aging in French oak barrels, 65% new, for approximately 18 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose leaps from the glass with exuberant notes of ripe blackberries, fresh black plums and boysenberries with hints of cedar chest, clove oil, violets and black licorice plus a waft of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with ripe, rich black fruits and a compelling spicy undercurrent, framed by firm, plush tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing on a lingering aniseed note. Very impressive!" - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (6/17/2020), Ratings: 93-95