Cru bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC Haut-Médoc

A rather dry winter and an early spring marked by frosts led to budburst on an average date. April began with two bouts of frost between the 2nd and 5th,  and again on the night of the 10th. Unlike the 2021 frost, which was later and more intense, the 2022 frost occurred in less advanced and more heterogeneous vineyards. As a result, the damage, which was more difficult to assess, was also more variable, depending on the stage of budburst and the implementation of frost control measures. May was dry and warm, favouring vine growth and early, even flowering. Favourable weather conditions enabled us to meet the first condition of a good vintage, namely rapid, even flowering. A hot, stormy start to the summer after fruit set helped to maintain the phenological advance and partially replenish the soil’s water reserves. The second part of the summer was hot and rainless, favouring an early veraison. A hot, dry end to the summer. Ideal weather conditions for choosing harvest dates with peace of mind.

49% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 45.5% Merlot, 5.5% Petit Verdot. Vertical destemming – densimetric sorting, weighing of the harvest to obtain more precise yields. Gravity-fed plot-by-plot vatting in small wooden and concrete tanks (60 to 110hl), no crushing, use of active dry yeasts adapted to the characteristics of the vintage. Vatting period of 3 to 4 weeks. Gentle and selective extraction of tannins by pigeage. Short pump overs. Pressing with a pneumatic vertical press

12 months in 225 or 300 liter oak barrels, of which 1/3 new wood, 1/3 in barrels of 1 wine and 1/3 in barrels of 2 wines

A sunny vintage with excellent ripening conditions. Beautiful aromas, delicate and voluminous on the palate. Very silky texture with expressive tannins.
Long finish with a hint of oak and a lovely return of the fruit.

20 years

29.15€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC Haut-Médoc

Following a rainy autumn (400mm) and a mild winter (+3°C), the vines resumed their vegetative activity in the last days of March. Faced with a spring frost ranging from 0 to -2°C on the morning of April 8th, the vineyard once again benefited from the protection offered by the estuary. Large temperature swings up to 20°C, over a 24-hour period, disrupted floweing and veraison was slow due to the weather conditions. Overall, the vintage was marked by relatively little sunshine: -26% in July. The harvest took place from September 27th to October 14th.

50% Merlot, 42% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. Vertical destemming – densimetric sorting, weighing of the harvest to obtain more precise yields. Gravity-fed plot-by-plot vatting in small wooden and concrete tanks (60 to 110hl), no crushing, use of active dry yeasts adapted to the characteristics of the vintage. Vatting period of 3 to 4 weeks. Gentle and selective extraction of tannins by pigeage. Short pump overs. Pressing with a pneumatic vertical press

12 months in 225 or 300 liter oak barrels, of which 1/3 new wood, 1/3 in barrels of 1 wine and 1/3 in barrels of 2 wines

A vintage based on Cabernet grapes which had good ripening conditions. Beautiful aromas, delicate and voluminous on the palate. Very silky texture.
Long finish with a note of wood and resurgent fruity notes.

20 years

24.70€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC Haut-Médoc

A very technical vintage for which we had to adapt our processes several times, the first being organising work during Covid. The particularly mild winter led to a resumption of the vegetative activity on March 10th, 3 weeks earlier than usual, leading to great apprehension around the risk of frost.
Our proximity to the estuary spared us from sub-zero temperatures in late March. Spring was rainy with over 200mm between mid-April and mid-May.
Summer was very dry, from mid-June to mid-August we had no rain, temperatures sometimes exceeded 36°C and we had over 120 hrs of sunshine.
60mm of rain fell on August 12th which was very good for the youngest vines which did not have a well-established deep root system yet. The marked difference between daytime and night-time temperatures ensured full pigmentation potential and good cell membrane permeability. Grape harvesting began on September 14th and was spread over 3 weeks.

58% Merlot, 37% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot. Vertical destemming. Sorting: Grapes undergo a densimetric bath where they are washed and sorted based on their degree of ripeness. They are then weighed and gravity-fed into wooden and concrete tanks. Use of active dry yeasts tailored to the characteristics of the vintage. Maceration: 3 to 4 weeks. Gentle and selective extraction of tannins by pigeage. Short pump-overs. Pressing with a pneumatic vertical press

12 months in 225 or 300 liter oak barrels, of which 1/3 new wood, 1/3 in barrels of 1 wine and 1/3 in barrels of 2 wines

A deep, dark-red colour. Lively nose characterized by black fruit, an aromatic freshness with minty notes. On the palate, the attack is full-bodied, silky, and beautifully dense, with notes of violet and chocolate. The tannins are soft and well blended.

20 years

29.15€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC Haut-Médoc

Winter was dry and without any significant cold spells. The budburst therefore came early, making us particularly attentive to temperature variations. In the spring, mild weather alternated with cool, rainy periods. Despite the rather unfavourable weather conditions, with a combination of wind, coolness and rain, the vines nonetheless flowered well. The very hot summer, with temperatures regularly above normal (for example 40°on July 23rd and 24th), fortunately saw some rainfall, thus avoiding water stress. September concluded the annual cycle with warm, dry, and sunny weather. The harvest went smoothly and was spread out over time.

63% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot. Vertical destemming – manual sorting on a vibrating table – weighing of the harvest for more precise yields – gravity-fed plot-by-plot vatting in small wooden and concrete vats (60 to 110 hl) – no crushing – use of active dry yeasts adapted to the characteristics of the vintage – vatting period of 3 to 4 weeks – gentle and selective extraction of tannins by pigeage – short pumpovers – pressing with a vertical pneumatic press. 12 months in oak barrels, of which 1/3 new wood, 1/3 in barrels of 1 wine and 1/3 in barrels of 2 wines

A beautiful deep dark red color. The nose is powerful and precise, characterized by a great finesse and a seductive aromatic complexity: a voluptuous combination of blackcurrant, blackberry and wild strawberry, with a hint of liquorice. The attack is broad, the wine is centered and the palate very juicy.
A pleasant tension, complemented by a hint of graphite and camphor, gives this wine an enjoyable and original personality.

20 years

29.15€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois Exceptionnel AOC Haut-Médoc

A wet winter and spring resulted in heterogeneous flowering and outbreaks of mildew. We had to keep a close eye on the vineyard! The bud burst was delayed due to a dry and cold February. May and June were also particularly rainy. On the other hand, a dry summer resulted in grapes with a high concentration. During August, intermittent showers ensured the growth cycle was not hindered. Some rain in September alternated with lovely sunny days and, when combined with a temperature which was 3° above the usual average, enabled the grapes to reach full ripeness. The grape harvest went smoothly. In terms of quality, this 2018 vintage is considered to be one of the best of its kind, although it was produced in low quantities.

50% Merlot, 28% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 22% Petit Verdot. Vertical destemming – manual sorting on a vibrating table – weighing of the harvest for more precise yields – gravity-fed plot-by-plot vatting in small wooden and concrete vats (60 to 110 hl) – no crushing – use of active dry yeasts adapted to the characteristics of the vintage – vatting period of 3 to 4 weeks – gentle and selective extraction of tannins by pigeage – short pumpovers – pressing with a vertical pneumatic press. 12 months in oak barrels, of which 1/3 new wood, 1/3 in barrels of 1 wine and 1/3 in barrels of 2 wines

On the nose, the wine is very fresh, with notes of ripe red berries and floral aromas with a hint of violet. It is delicate on the palate, full of finesse, and possesses a long finish that reveals velvety tannins. It is a truly elegant and classic wine!

20 years

29.15€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois AOC Haut-Médoc

This vintage will be remembered because of a great freezing spell that destroyed 50% of the Medoc’s grape vines. The large terroirs fared better because of their proximity to the river, which acted as a thermal buffer. This was the case for Malescasse, where only 20% of the plots were affected. A dry cold winter (which saw a 78% precipitation shortfall in January), followed by a mild and rainy February and March, resulted in the vines budding early. During the month of April there were 2 frosty periods (on 20th-21st and 27th-28th April) that destroyed almost half of the Gironde’s harvest. These frosty spells were similar to the ones which occurred in the region during 1991. In 2017, temperatures dropped down to -5° on 10 cm shoots. Malescasse benefited from the protection of the Gironde estuary. Flowering was fast and smooth, and the ensuing grapes and bunches had good homogeneity. Summer was exceptionally dry but saw relatively fresh temperatures. September started with a rainy spell, which raised fears of a potential deterioration in the health of the vines. There were a few outbreaks of Botrytis but from 23rd September the sun shone again and the North-North-West winds stopped any development of the fungus. Finally, the wines have a good cabernet structure whilst being refined and easy to drink.

62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot. Vertical destemming – manual sorting on a vibrating table – weighing of the harvest for more precise yields – gravity-fed plot-by-plot vatting in small wooden and concrete vats (60 to 110 hl) – no crushing – use of active dry yeasts adapted to the characteristics of the vintage – vatting period of 3 to 4 weeks – gentle and selective extraction of tannins by pigeage – short pumpovers – pressing with a vertical pneumatic press. 12 months in oak barrels, of which 1/3 new wood, 1/3 in barrels of 1 wine and 1/3 in barrels of 2 wines

On the nose, the wine is very fresh, with notes of ripe red berries and floral aromas with a hint of violet. It is delicate on the palate, full of finesse, and possesses a long finish that reveals velvety tannins. It is a truly elegant and classic wine!

15 years

24.70€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois AOC Haut-Médoc

A very good year. The Cabernet-Sauvignons have rarely been harvested so late, and this year they were exceptional, with great olfactory intensity and maturity and an aromatic freshness. Right from the start the wines displayed a high degree of fullness, elegance and balance.

53% Merlot, 38% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot. De-stemming. Vatting by gravity. Fermentation at between 26º and 28º with gentle punching-down for selective extraction of the tannins. Vatting takes 4 weeks. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in barrels which are 30% new wood. Vertical pneumatic pressing. Alcohol content: 13,5%.

Purple-garnet in colour, the 2016 displays an intense nose of elderberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, myrtle and fresh raspberries against a background of light, mellow woodiness. The dense palate immediately reveals good volume, followed by a dense framework of fresh, mature tannins. Flavoursome, meaty, full-bodied and powerful, it develops robustly towards a finish which highlights the fullness of the fruit. Magnificent!

20 years

27.95€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois AOC Haut-Médoc

A year which developed in a harmonious fashion, producing powerful, complete wines with beautiful tannins. A vintage with great aging potential.

46% Merlot, 45% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot. De-stemming. Fermentation at between 26º and 28º with gentle punching-down. Vatting takes 4 weeks. Malolactic fermentation is carried out in barrels, 30% of which are new wood. Vertical pneumatic pressing.

Rich in colour, it already shows a nose with superb complexity with aromas of red and black fruits such as blueberry and blackberry competing for your attention. Fine notes of menthol and liquorice give it an elegant freshness. A gloriously full palate reveals instant harmony: powerful and velvety, it displays the great maturity of its tannins and great subtlety and elegance leading to a very long, full finish.

15 years

28.35€ (75cl)

Cru bourgeois AOC Haut-Médoc

A very fine vintage which combines strength, colour and perfect maturity with freshness.

Produced from 36% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 54% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, the 2014 vintage enjoyed gentle fermentation and regular, moderate punching-down. Malolactic fermentation was carried out in oak with 35% of new barrels. The wine was then aged in these casks for 14 months.

Ruby red in colour, the 2014 offers an intense nose of blackcurrant, blackberry and raspberry, with great maturity. Subtle undertones of roasted mocha give it great elegance and added complexity. The palate, with its perfect balance of alcohol and acidity, is not heavy or aggressive in the mouth. An intense attack builds over a tight, silky tannic structure leading to a long, dense, aromatic finish. The whole is elegant but powerful. Enjoy it with grilled beef or leg of lamb.

It will age for 10 years or more.

25.35€ (75cl)

This was a mixed year for Bordeaux, but thanks to a process of careful monitoring, forward planning and selection this Château Malescasse is fruity, with a distinct liveliness, and is well-rounded. In short, it has a great deal of charm.

41% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 48% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdot make up this blend. Short but frequent pumping-over combined with racking during the fermentation process enabled us to produce a fine, silky end product. Malolactic fermentation was carried out in oak with 35% of new barrels. The wine was aged for 12 months on fine lees.

Clear garnet in colour with ruby overtones, the 2012 offers a nose of red and black fruits, with spicy aromas which evolve into elegant balsamic notes. A frank, rounded attack on the palate gives way to an elegant, flavourful wine with nicely softened tannins. The flavours of fruits of the forest develop into fine smoky notes, with good length. You can enjoy it straight away with rib of beef or roast poultry.

This wine will age for 5 or 6 years.

24.60€ (75cl)