2012 Malartic Lagraviere
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Tasting notes
Good, expressive nose with ripe fruit and some floral fragrance. Pretty, and ripe and sweet on the palate. Medium bodied with silky tannins. Very Pessac. Good. FINE+RARE
Critic scores
Average Score
FINE+RARE
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
The 2012 Malartic Lagravière has an open-knit bouquet, quite "airy" in style, with more blue fruit than its peers, perhaps more floral and almost Margaux-like. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy opening, fine acidity, taut and fresh with an attractive bitter edge towards the finish. Drink now, but it should keep for another decade, possibly more. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
Tasted blind. So concentrated as to be painful to taste. Bitter and over-extracted. (JR)
The 2012 Malartic-Lagravière comprises a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. It has a precocious bouquet laden with black cherry, blueberry and red plum fruit, hints of cedar and graphite developing with aeration. It is still very backward, a bit stubborn at the moment so decanting is advised if you intend to broach this in its youth. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy, quite structured tannin, firm but well balanced and far more freshness and fruit intensity on the finish compared to the 2013. This is an excellent 2012 although it still needs three or four more years in bottle. Tasted at the vertical tasting at Malartic-Lagravière.
About the producer
One of few estates classified for both red and white wine production, Malartic-Lagravière was renovated entirely after the Bonnie family purchased it in 1996. They also expanded the property to its current 53 hectares.