Malartic Lagravière 2008

One of the most successful wines of the vintage, this blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot achieved 13.5% natural alcohol. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple color along with sweet notes of creosote, graphite, lead pencil shavings, black currants, plums and licorice. Medium to full-bodied and silky with good underlying acidity, it is a juicy, savory, quintessentially elegant wine that will benefit from several years of cellaring and last for 15+ years.

Another brilliant effort from an estate that has done superb work over the last 10-15 years, the 2008 reveals sweet, exuberant notes of lead pencil shavings, smoked herbs, sweet earth, and copious quantities of black currant and blackberry fruit. Dense and full-bodied with a richness and texture that are stunningly opulent, with no hard edges, there is plenty of tannin, but they are sweet and unaggressive. Good acidity provides freshness, precision, and definition to the wine's component parts. It should drink well for 20-25 years