Château Malartic-Lagravière 2020

Ripe and plush, with a light frame of sweet toast gently guiding the core of cassis and plum purée along, while subtle iron and red tea notes peek in. Nicely focused for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2034. 5,800 cases made.

Sweet and aromatic fresh black fruits and flowers on the nose. Sensual and nicely round on the palate, this has body and nuance with crunchy fruit that have a lovely almost sour tang to it, vibrant and vivid. Still has quite a dark, almost sombre core, brooding with liquorice and slate giving the dark tone as well as blackcurrant and black plum fruit. Feels sculpted though, gently muscular with power and precision. I really like this. You could drink this straight away such is the balance and overall flavour profile but it’ll age well. Impressive with lovely texture, weight and length.

Blackberries and licorice with blackcurrants. Mushroom, too. Medium to full body. Creamy, soft tannins with fine texture. Delicious finish. Racy, polished and sophisticated. Drink after 2026.

50.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47.8% Merlot, 1.8% Cabernet Franc. Sustainable farming. Haute Valeur Environnementale certified at Level 3, ISO 14001. Fermentation for 21–23 days in thermoregulated stainless-steel vats. Aged for 18 months. Ripe and sweet and pretty soft, though there is quite a bit of acidity. The oak seems just a bit uncomfortably sweet. Not quite refreshing enough. Drying finish. (JR)

Dark in color, the wine shows its blackberry, black cherry, dark chocolate, smoke, espresso, and an array of spice aromas on the palate with ease. Rich, full-bodied, vibrant, and intense. The wine is fresh as well as lush, and polished. Vibrant, expansive, creamy, and deep, this is going to rival many of the best vintages produced here. Drink from 2025-2048.

Deep dark ruby, with purple reflections, a dark core, and subtle rim brightening. Delicate hints of clove and vanilla, ripe plum fruit, candied orange zest and nougat. Juicy red cherry fruit, integrated tannins, a mineral-salty finish, good freshness: already developed and accessible.

Good purity and intensity, fresh red berries, cassis, fine oak and an aromatic herbal spiciness. Dense palate with a youthful tannic structure, good volume and length.

Coming in at close to equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the 2020 Château Malartic-Lagravière is another brilliant 2020 Pessac-Léognan with loads to offer. Expressive notes of red and black fruit, sweet tobacco, lead pencil, and camphor all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a forward, seamless, sexy profile that already offers pleasure. The tannins are present yet integrated and perfectly ripe, it's balanced, and I suspect it will evolve for a solid two decades or more. Tasted twice. The blend is 50.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47.8% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that hit 14.2% natural alcohol.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: silky, fresh, fruity, subtly lactic bouquet, cherries, strawberries, mocha yoghurt, mint. Delicate, fresh, elegant palate with fragrant, sweet aromatics, fine tannins, an elegant, refined structure, powerful, sweet fruit, long, fresh finish. Has room to improve.

Silky, fresh, fruity bouquet with a delicate lactic note, cherries, strawberries, mocha yogurt, mint. Fine-boned, fresh, elegant palate with airy, sweet aromatics, fine tannins, elegant, delicate structure, powerful, sweet fruit, long, fresh finish. Still has room to improve. 17/20 2026 - 2040

Huge depth, such beautiful texture running right through the palate; love the brambled, juicy blueberry and blackberry fruits, crunchy and concentrated. Excellent quality. 65% new oak, harvest from 9 to 24 September, consultant Eric Boissenot.

Composed of 50.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47.8% Merlot, and 1.8% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Malartic Lagraviere Rouge is deep garnet-purple in color, it strolls out with confident cassis and blackberry pie scents, leading to wafts of cedar, underbrush, and bay leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound, with vibrant black fruits and a grainy texture, finishing long and refreshing.

The nose opens with warm aromas of thoroughbred after a race, fresh red fruits, chamomile and dark berries, laid over a bed of spices. The palate is broad and juicy, with an enveloping fruit intensity yet no heaviness, despite the still-marked wood notes, as suggestive as a kiss. A lovely juice that promises beautiful tastings in the years to come.

What precision and energy in this wine! The bouquet reveals hints of mint and blackberry that invite you to taste it. Charming and supported by elegant tannins, the wine is indeed graceful, yet so juicy and mouthwatering that it ultimately takes on the role of a hip‑hop‑dancing hipster! What a great success.

94–96. Barrel Sample. A richly impressive wine from the Bonnie family's estate. Dark tannins and rich fruits are elements of a wine that is going to be generous and dense, ripe and stylish with plenty of aging potential.