A superb Graves terroir
The Graves terroirs are strung out along the Gironde estuary like beads on a rosary, a list of famous names vying with one another in prestige, starting with Margaux, followed by Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe. And in the midst of them lies the commune of Lamarque, which sits next to Margaux with Moulis close by. Here, the mild climate and deep soils create an exceptional environment for producing wonderfully balanced wines.
Sitting in a direct line with Margaux to the south and Saint-Julien to the north, Lamarque stands at the highest point of the Médoc, some 30 metres above sea level.
The 40 hectares of vineyards of the Château Malescasse sit on the crest of these famous gravelly croupes, a traditional Médoc term referring to softly rolling hills formed by large expanses of alluvial sediments deposited by the Garonne during the Quaternary Period. Composed of varying proportions of sand, gravel and clay in layers of varying depth, they cover the limestone bedrock and hold the key to the great wines of the left bank. It is these poor, well-drained soils, combined with the mild oceanic climate, which bring out the best in the great Médoc varieties: for centuries the local cabernets and merlots have achieved a level of distinction rarely matched elsewhere.
The Château Malescasse vineyard consists of a single estate of 40 hectares, which accounts for its extraordinary consistency, while the subtle nuances between one plot and the next give the wines their complexity and balance.
