| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pessac-Léognan |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
This Pessac Leognan Chateau has been making excellent wines in recent years under the management of owner Jean-Jacques Bonnie whose family purchased the property in 1997. The 46 hectare vineyard is planted with equal proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. A property on the rise where prices tend to be reasonable.
The 2016 Malartic-Lagravière has a wonderful bouquet of perfumed, mainly red fruit laced with potpourri, black olive tapenade and light brine-like aromas - a bouquet full of personality. The fresh, harmonious palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and just the right amount of salinity toward the loam-tinged finish. Bon vin from the Bonnies. Drink 2023-2045.
I love the deep and complex nose, in which the cassis and mint of cabernet sauvignon are beautifully married to the more generous blackberry of ripe merlot and the vanilla and toasty notes from the oak are marvelously integrated. On the palate it creeps up on you slowly; the first impression is ripe yet delicate, then the fine-grained tannins charge through and light up the sky. Very long finish. Drink or hold.
The 2016 Malartic Lagraviere is blended of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with wild blueberries and black cherries with cassis, bay leaves and dark chocolate nuances plus a hint of charcoal. Medium-bodied with a lively backbone and solid frame of ripe, rounded tannins, it finishes with an herbal lift. Drink 2020 - 2032.
This is great, with clear cinnamon and black pepper spicing and lovely upfront impact with coffee and tar edging, black fruits and a very appealing sense of balance. It softens through the mid-palate then lengthens out again on the finish, providing the full architectural experience. The tannins are well placed and careful but need time to soften; this is a wine built with ageing in mind. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new oak. Michel Rolland consults.
Tasted blind. Distinctive and daringly alcoholic and then uncomfortably dry. Ambitious even if slightly in a 20th-century idiom.
Drink 2025 – 2034
This Pessac Leognan Chateau has been making excellent wines in recent years under the management of owner Jean-Jacques Bonnie whose family purchased the property in 1997. The 46 hectare vineyard is planted with equal proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. A property on the rise where prices tend to be reasonable. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep in colour, with a modern ripe black cherry, damson and sweet vanilla nose. Plush and ripe, with smooth, spicy fruit and slick, ripe but quite extractive tannins. Sweet blueberry pie and vanilla on a plush, rounded finish.
As to the red, the grand vin is the 2016 Château Malartic-Lagravière (53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Aged in 80% new barrels and hitting 13.5% natural alcohol, it offers a deep purple color with beautiful cassis, tobacco, crushed rocks, and subtle incense aromas and flavors. Balanced, medium to full-bodied, and straight-up seamless on the palate, it’s another brilliant Graves that offers ample pleasure today yet will keep for 20+ years or more. Drink 2019-2039.
The nose is bright with fresh black fruits and the start of the palate light. More depth and richness in the middle a concentrated mix of black fruits the tannins firm giving structure but feel ripe the finish has firm black cherry. 2025-39
Like many of the 2016 Pessac-Léognan reds, this is deceptively forward and easy to drink from barrel, with abundant red berry perfume, strawberry and plum flavours and smooth tannins and oak. But the acidity and underlying concentration will help it to age. 2022-28
The 2016 Malartic-Lagraviere is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot picked between 13-20 October at 46 hectoliters per hectare. It is matured in 80% new oak and the remainder one year old. It has a very composed and pure bouquet with blackberry, mint and just a touch of blueberry, the new oak neatly integrated and menthol developing with time. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, fine structure and a keen line of acidity; this is a pixelated Pessac-Léognan that exudes style and panache. There is an effortless nature to this wine and it feels so persistent in the mouth that you cannot wait to take another sip. This is (another) impressive release from the bonny Bonnie family and do not be surprised if it eventually surpasses the outstanding 2015. Drink 2023-2045.
This is so linear and refined with compacted fruit and superb tannin texture. The length and beauty to this grab you immediately and make you pay attention. Wait and see.
This is great, with clear cinnamon and black pepper spicing and lovely upfront impact with coffee and tar edging, black fruits and a very appealing sense of balance. It softens through the mid-palate then lengthens out again on the finish, providing the full architectural experience. The tannins are well placed and careful but need time to soften; this is a wine built with ageing in mind. 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, aged in 80% new oak. Michel Rolland consults.
Drinking Window 2027 - 2045
Lively crimson. Meaty, vegy and with lots of energy on the nose. Then very thick and sweet. Almost too much so for my palate though the richness ratio is certainly impressive. Super-flattering. Sandpaper finish. More depth than the Latour-Martillac.
Drink 2024-2040
