Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Malartic-Lagravière – 2022
Grand Cru Classé – Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A jewel of Graves, this Grand Cru Classé de Graves estate is owned by the Bonnie family and consistently delivers wines of depth and precision. The 2022 vintage was marked by a hot, dry summer, yet the gravelly soils of Pessac-Léognan preserved freshness, giving balance to the ripeness. This V.22 blend features Cabernet Sauvignon 53%, Merlot 43%, Cabernet Franc 1.5%, and Petit Verdot 2.5%.

Aromas & Flavors
Deep layers of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and blackberry, with notes of graphite, smoke, and cedar. Subtle accents of spice and cocoa add elegance.

Mouthfeel
Multi-layered and structured, with a perfect balance of ripe fruit, freshness, and polished tannins. Full-bodied yet graceful, this wine already shows harmony, but its true depth will unfold with a few years of patience.

Food Pairings
Roast duck with black cherry reduction, grilled ribeye, venison, mushroom and truffle pasta, chargrilled lamb burgers, Comté, aged Cheddar cheese.

Verdict
A serious, cellar-worthy Pessac-Léognan. Concentrated and elegant, it’s very approachable in youth, (had it on Oct 23-2025, it was outstanding!), but destined to hit peak stride around 2027 and beyond as a full extend of its brilliancy, rewarding the wait with even greater complexity. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Château Malartic-Lagravière is one of the few Bordeaux estates classified for both its red and white wines,a rare honor showcasing its exceptional terroir. — 9 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2016 | Excellent effort, could easily be mistaken for Sauternes | at Fort Des Rousses — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium light lemon gold , quite young looking . Aromatic apricot , white flowers , saffron , honey and citrus peel . On the palate quite rich with barley sugar , saffron , lemon peel , apricot , decent acidity , and ok length with apricot and honied lemon peel finish . Not overly complex but well balanced , with ok acidity , drinking perfectly now . Now and over the next 10 years — a month ago

Stuart Pollack

9.5

Apricot, honey, molasses, and nutty. Lamb Rogan Josh match. — 4 days ago

Conrad Green

9.7

Outrageous. Intense pretty and bright. Lemon curd, orange rind, lifted zesty fruit. Just spectacular — 21 days ago

with Matt and David

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2002 | wonderful vintage with apricot in smell and a vital, vibrant taste with nice acidity | paired with Blue de Gex | at Les Rousses — a month ago

Mark Osmers

9.1

Consistently excellent Bordeaux-style red blend
(Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc)
Fruit forward cherry, plum, blackberry, with a nice oakey finish
— 22 days ago

AHF

9.5

Lingering acetone at 26 years. Powerful and elegant dessert wine that goes well with food, too. Drinking well with more upside — 9 days ago

Sarah Scharf

9.1

Fresh but sumptuous. Nice balance. Good with carrot cake — 10 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.3

Medium amber color. Aromas of crushed pineapple, dried apricot and orange marmalade. Burnt honey on the palate, tropical fruit flavors and caramel on the finish. Very tasty Sauternes! — 25 days ago

with Quentin