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Malescot Saint Exupéry 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Margaux
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Malescot St Exupéry

Label

Tasting Notes

An inky/purple color is followed by notes of Asian plum sauce, forest floor, creme de cassis, black raspberries and a floral component that is unusual for a Margaux. A wine of exceptional intensity and purity with a full-bodied, sumptuous texture, lots of fresh vibrancy and excellent definition, this beautiful 2009 exhibits high but sweet tannin. It is more sexy than the 2005 was at a similar age, although their level of extract and concentration is relatively equal. Something about the 2009 reminds me of a Margaux version of St.-Julien-s Leoville Poyferre ... if that makes any sense. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.

This is another fabulous effort from an estate that has been doing extraordinary work over the last 10-15 years. I enjoyed the 2009 as much as the 2005, perhaps even slightly more because while it has structure, the tannins are less aggressive and there is more succulence, flesh and texture in the 2009.

96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, March 2012

Tasted at a negociant. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot 4%, Merlot 35% and Cabernet Franc 8% picked between 29th September until 16th October. This has a ripe, black cherry, briary, graphite tinged bouquet that exudes purity, feminine charm and unlike some other Margaux wine, does not forget where it was born. The palate is medium-bodied with a lively, slightly peppery entry, very fine but robust tannins, very focused with a sense of "controlled power" on the finish. This is a very classy, sophisticated Margaux demonstrating great persistency and elan. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.

93/95
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2010

My Wine of the Year is ...Malescot St. Exupery Margaux 2009 (98)...one of my favorite wines from the extraordinary vintage of 2009 in Bordeaux. It's always shown such fabulous complexity and balance regardless of when I first tasted it in the barrel, and now in the bottle. I should add that I have done much more than tasted it in recent months. I have consumed numerous bottles of the wine in Bordeaux as well as Hong Kong in the last few months, and the wine is absolutely delicious as well as shows fabulous structure. It underlines what I learned at an early stage of tasting great Bordeaux in the 1980s, when the late winemaker Emile Peynaud pointed out that a great wine is always great to taste or even drink - regardless if it is a barrel sample, bottled wine, or mature bottle. The 2009 Malescot is that sort of wine.

98
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, December 2012

Ch Malescot St-Exupéry 2009 Margaux
Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Just the right side of volatile but very winning and opulent. More 2009 than Margaux. A little dry and chewy for the moment. Massive volume and finish.
Drink 2022-2036

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2019

Fine dense red, strikingly vibrant cassis nose, very good clear fruit with density and length, quite tight now and will open up well and always be distinctively spicy. Drink 2015-24.

17.5
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2010
Read more tasting notes...

It's going to take a lot for this wine to equal or eclipse the 2005, but it is a different style of wine. While the 2005 is slightly more structured, with more aggressive tannin, this has more fat, texture, and more tactile magnetism going for it. I suppose the best thing is to own both. Opaque ruby/purple, with a beautiful nose of charcoal, forest floor, and black fruits, the wine hits the palate with great intensity, a sumptuous texture, yet brilliant precision and purity. This is a superb wine that should drink well for 20-25 years. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2035.

95/97
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

From Robert Parker's Hong Kong Tasting, 8th Nov 2011:
Lots of blueberries and blackberries with hints of dark chocolate. Full bodied, with gorgeous fruit. Loads of dried strawberries with dark chocolate. I love the texture of the velvety tannins. What length and beauty here. Superb. Best ever from this estate. Try after 2019.

97+
James Suckling, Wine Advocate, November 2011

This is absolutely fabulous. I love the complex aromas of ripe fruit and fresh flowers that turn to mineral and raspberry, along with tannins on the finish. This changes all the time. Full-bodied and dense, but so beautiful and long. The layers of ultrafine tannins just turn off the tip of your tongue.

97/100
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2010

Lovely sap on the nose here - really appetising. Round and gentle - could do with just a tad more freshness perhaps. But there is so much crammed in here for the future... Persistent and promising. Date tasted 31st March 2010. Drink 2017-2032.

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.