Château Malartic-Lagravière 2014

Everything is spot on: freshness, density, aromatic potential, quality of the ageing.

The 2014 Malartic-Lagravière has quite a high-toned, upfront bouquet with kirsch, crushed strawberry, iodine and iris scents that do not hold back. The palate is rounded on the entry with supple tannins, has slightly lower acidity than its peers yet remains balanced. There is impressive depth to this Malartic-Lagravière with a subtle white pepper/sage note toward the finish. Though it will be overshadowed by the 2015, this is a well-crafted Pessac-Léognan with the chutzpah it showed in barrel.

Very solid, with a core of dark plum, blackberry and fig preserve notes held in check by tarry grip. Ample singed apple wood and cocoa elements form the frame. Give this time to meld fully. Best from 2019 through 2026. 9,167 cases made.

Lifted and tangy on the palate, bright fruits and fresh acidities – it's clean and precise, fun and easy to enjoy. Lots of cool blue fruit markers and tannins that are present but not overbearing giving this structure and charge. I actually like the no frills aspect here, they've got everything right and this is likeable if not so layered and dense and nuanced. Lovely juicy almost sweet, sour and cool instant taste with a mineral aftertaste.

So perfumed with a freshness and beauty that is amazing. Blackberries, black cherries and violets. Full-bodied yet so polished and velvety. Gorgeous finish. A beauty. Best ever in bottle from here? Drink in 2020.

With a round, silky texture, the wine shows plenty of smoke, licorice, dark chocolate, espresso bean, and ripe, juicy plums. There is depth of flavor and fruit in the finish that carries through. The wine was made from a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot.

A terrific success in the vintage, the 2014 Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 70% new oak. Hitting 13.5% natural alcohol, it offers a vibrant ruby/purple color as well as vibrant aromatics of cherries, mulberries, red plums, exotic flowers, and lead pencil shavings. Medium-bodied and beautifully polished and elegant, with solid acidity, it’s a juicy, vibrant, fresh 2014 that’s going to drink nicely for 15-20 years.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with a garnet sheen at the rim. Dense, tightly knit bouquet: raspberry canes, wild cherries, a hint of mocha and tobacco. While many competitors feel rather cool and reserved, this nose is instantly appealing. Very fine-textured palate, with the extract lending a slightly candied impression (redcurrant). The tannins, combined with the acidity, are slightly grippy and still a bit powdery. The foundations here are more than sound. On a par with its own 1999, which today is giving tremendous pleasure.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with garnet glints at the rim. Compact, tightly knit bouquet of raspberry canes, wild cherries, a touch of mocha and tobacco. While many competitors come across rather cool and reserved, the nose here is instantly appealing. Finely textured palate, with the extract showing a slightly candied note (redcurrant); the tannins, linked to the acidity, are slightly roughening and still powdery. The foundations are more than promising. On a par with its own 1999. And that one is giving tremendous pleasure today.

Light, slender, floral bouquet, raspberry spirit, smoke, toasted notes. Silky, delicate palate with subtle fruit, fine, firm structure, sweet aromatics, precise, firm finish. Still has room to improve. 16/20 2019 - 2035

Inky blue-ruby in colour, well constructed, with an emphasis on Cabernet Sauvignon character, pencil lead and tobacco leaf. Concentrated but starting to soften, ready to drink with a little coaxing. The tannins are a touch austere through the mid-palate, suggesting the extraction was a little heavy, bearing the fingerprint of the vintage.

Deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 Malartic Lagraviere Rouge features tiring notes of dried figs and prunes with underlying hints of leather, stewed tea, and spice box. The medium-bodied palate delivers quite a lot of mature fruit with firm, chewy tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing spicy. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

This is a very fine wine: complete, powerful and generous, with dense, tight, concentrated structure and richly fruited character expressing ripe grapes. A full-bodied, generous whole with beautiful intensity. The oak still needs time to integrate.

Balanced and creamy on the nose, this wine reveals highly appealing pastry and vanilla notes. On the palate, it delivers everything the nose promised: a creamy texture, ripe, sweet fruit, all wrapped in a very straight, clean structure, with juiciness at its core. Delicious and easy to drink.

The nose is fruity, concentrated and powerful. It reveals notes of blackberry, black cherry and plum, combined with subtle hints of Zan, a touch of oak, as well as delicate notes of Ceylon tea. The palate is fruity, mineral, elegant, offering a slight concentration, some roundness, minerality and fine saline notes. On the palate, this wine expresses blackberry, black cherry and plum, with a hint of fresh cherry, joined by subtle notes of red berries, licorice, Ceylon tea and a light toasted oak.

Beautiful dark, intense, purple color. Very aromatic nose with ripe, even suave fruit. The palate is slender-bodied with a caressing touch, supple mid-palate, developing flavorful notes toward a vanilla-tinged finish with a touch of austerity. Good length.

Tight tannins mask the ripe fruit in a wine that is set for long-term aging, so there is a dry core that dominates at the moment. But not for long: the bold black fruits are insistent and are going to be delicious. This is a structured wine that will be ready in 2026.