2009 Margaux, Château Malescot St-Exupéry
About Producer
Dating back from the 17th century, this estate owes its name to two former owners, Simon Malescot (in 1697), a royal councillor to the Parliament of Bordeaux, and Count Jean-Baptiste de St-Exupéry (in 1827), the great-grandfather of Antoine de St-Exupéry, author of ‘The Little Prince’. The property was in an appalling state of disrepair when Paul Zuger and his son Roger bought it in 1955. After a checkered record in the 1970s and 1980s, Malescot St-Exupéry has returned to remarkable form since the 1990s. Since 1994, it’s Roger’s son, Jean-Luc who is in charge of the family estate. The 28ha vineyards sit on gravel, chalk and clay soils, with some parcels abutting the vines of Château Margaux.
Varietals
Blend of 51% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 8% cabernet and 6% petit verdot.
About Appellation
Located at 25km north of the city of Bordeaux, Margaux AOC includes the communes of Arsac, Labarde, Margaux-Cantenac and Soussans. Though vines have been planted here since the Gallo-Roman era, viticulture got boosted in the 17th century, after King Louis XIII commissioned Dutch engineers to drain the swamps and marshlands around the Gironde estuary. The vineyards cover 1,530ha and sit on a silt and gravel plateau on limestone and some clay subsoil. Carmenère and malbec which are permitted for wines of the appellation have been dropped out, and the current predominant varietals are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot. There are 21 grands crus classés in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, the most famous being first growth Château Margaux.
Tasting Notes
Captivating nose of dark berry fruits, baking spices, tobacco leaf, forest floor and floral scents, dense mouthfeel with fleshy texture, ample volume and excellent focus, multilayered flavours of black currant, raspberry, plum, roasted coffee and undergrowth liberally laced with spicy notes and mineral undertones, well-balanced acidity and fine-grained tannins carrying through a long, precise finish. This is a beautiful wine with alluring succulence, controlled exuberance and vibrant freshness. It’s far removed from the typical margaux, yet beyond its lavish fruit intensity and powerful structure that are more redolent of Northern Médoc, there are composed poise and irresistible charm that bear witness to its exceptional terroir. Without taking sides in the lingering debate about its Margaux typicity, I always have a great deal of pleasure tasting this wine and can’t help thinking of this quote from Antoine de St-Exupéry, 'Si tu diffères de moi, loin de me léser, tu m'enrichis.' (‘If you differ from me, far from doing me harm, you enrich me’). (01/2022)