Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry 2000

The motto for Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry is written on the label of every bottle in elegant, Latin script. It consists of the simple phrase, “Semper Ad Altum,” meaning “Always striving higher.”  This is absolutely the case for this well thought-of Margaux property.  The viticultural team, now helmed by the brilliant and forward-thinking oenologist, Michel Rolland, consistently strives for excellence – setting the bar higher with each passing vintage.  The wines of Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry have consistently scored in the 90 points and above range for several decades. It is clear this estate is one of the most consistent jewels of Margaux.

Origins of Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry date all the way back to 1616 when the Escousses family owned it.  The Escousses family were notaries to King Louis XIV and in 1697, the property was sold to the King’s Attorney General, Simon Malescot.  The estate owes its namesake both to Simon Malescot and Jean Baptiste de Saint-Exupéry.  Interestingly enough, Jean Baptiste was the great grandfather of the famed novelist Antoine de Saint Exupéry, the author of the famed novella, Le Petit Prince.  Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry was acquired by Monsieur Boissac who implemented a gravity flow device in the winery, which was very forward thinking at the time.  Eventually it was acquired by the Zuger family, who revitalized it and still run the estate today.  The passionate, hip, and energetic Jean Luc Zuger is currently at the helm of Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry.  He enlisted the help of Michel Rolland, and together they have taken the wines of this Third Growth producer to new heights.

Michel Rolland and Jean Luc Zuger both implement natural yeasts to the winemaking process.  They believe using designer yeasts strips the wine of the essential terroir that makes it so unique.  They use a variety of fermentation vessels, including glass ones to ensure the freshness and ripe fruit qualities in their wines.  During poorer vintages, the winemaking team at Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry uses advanced winemaking technology like reverse osmosis devices to increase concentration of the wines.  Their wines usually consist of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc.  Creating terroir-driven wines is the ultimate goal at Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry and  the terroir there is enviable, to say the least.  The gravel soils with bits of chalk, clay and iron prove to be the perfect home for the 45-hectares of vines.

It is an interesting coincidence that Antoine de Saint Exupéry, the author of Le Petit Prince, is connected to the history of Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry.  Le Petit Prince is about a pilot who crash lands in the desert and has an encounter with a young Prince from another planet.  The Prince is in love with a Rose and tends to her devotedly.  One of the more famous quotes from Le Petit Prince is, “You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed.” It is readily apparent that Jean Luc Zuger, Michelle Rolland and the rest of the team at Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry share this philosophy.  

"This estate, which has continued to impress me in recent years, hit a home run in 2000. Showing slightly better than I rated it previously, this wine is deep bluish/purple with some lightening at the edge, and its floral nose displays notes of melted licorice, crushed rock, blueberries and black raspberries. A wine of extraordinary balance, equilibrium, and purity, with supple tannins, this medium to full-bodied, concentrated effort is already compelling and has hit its window of full maturity, where it should stay for another 15-20 years." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (6/28/2010, Issue 189), Ratings: 95, Drink Date: 2010-2030

"A cut above most of these wines in quality, but also in price too usually. Very deep colour with lift and toasty oak. Very seductive blend of ripeness and a tantalising sense of much left in reserve. 17.5/20" - Jancis Robinson, Ratings: 17.5/20