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News
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com - February 2013
94 A white with lovely minerality and sliced lemon character. It's full and fresh with bright acidity and a long exciting finish. The wines keep getting better and better here. Drink or hold.
Robert Parker - erobertparker.com - February 2013
93 This full-bodied blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon hit 14.5% natural alcohol. It is deep and rich, with loads of caramelized grapefruit, tropical fruit, subtle oak, wet stones and plenty of melons. Drink 2013 - 2035
Neal Martin - erobertparker.com - February 2013
92 This estate has been producing excellent white wines of late and the 2010 has a lot to offer. It is bestowed with a fragrant lime and passion fruit tinged bouquet with hints of melted wax. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, well-integrated oak and a lovely spice tinged finish that lingers long on the mouth. Very fine.
Izak Litwar - greatbordeauxwines.com - Tasting at Château Gazin Rocquencourt - September 2013
92 White displayed splendid intensity on the nose with pineapple and lemon grass, great acidity on the palate. Very stylish wine with finesse and elegance. Well-deserved.
Anthony Rose - anthonyrosewine.com - February 2013
92 Attractive delicate smoky grapefruity aromas, tight and focused yet richly flavoured with
mineral acidity and a subtle layering of oak bringing complexity to an intense, well-crafted dry white.
James Molesworth - Wine Spectator - February 2013
90 Ripe and lush, with lots of creamed yellow apple, melon and white peach flavors carried
by an alluring, lightly toasted brioche note. This has the vintage's punch in the end, kept honest by a lively citrus accent. Drink now through 2014.
Wine Description
The Story
Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere white is a Classified Growth produced in Pessac-Leognan. The estate has 7 hectares of white grape varieties planted. The vines, on average 31 years old, are planted on gravel, clay and limestone. Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere white 2016 is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Semillon. The wine is aged on lees in oak barrels (55% in new barrels).
Wine Information
2010 was characterized by contrasting weather conditions. The winter was cold and dry, the spring alternated between sun and rain, while the summer was exceptionally dry (only 51 mm of rain in three months).
After a fine bud-break in early April, flowering took place in late May and early June, but struggled to finish, resulting in unevenness. Thinning and the subsequent weather were essential to correct or compensate for this lack of homogeneity (requiring three green harvests). As usual, September came to finish the task of ripening the grapes, with some rain at the beginning followed by exceptional sunshine and good temperatures that continued until 18 October. The harvests were calm and undisturbed. The weather conditions in 2010 enabled slow, optimal ripening of the white grapes, with good structure in terms of acidity and an exceptional density of flavours. 2010 should present optimal quality.
Vintage 2010
Drought and cool temperatures contribute to optimal ripeness
The sum of summer temperatures in 2010 was close to that of summer 2009 (962°C compared to 982°C), but significantly colder than those of 2005, which totaled 1052°C. These cool temperatures had a substantial influence on the balance of our wines, preserving a good level of acidity and an attractive aromatic freshness.
Very little precipitation (only 267 mm) from March to August 2010 generating a drought of similar intensity to that of 2005, when only 227 mm of rain fell.
Another characteristic of the 2010 vintage is the low temperatures especially during the first three weeks of August, which allowed good acidity levels to be preserved in the grapes while maintaining an attractive aromatic freshness.