Freddy R. Troya

9.6

Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2023 — Pessac-Léognan, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A precision-driven, electric yet composed white blend of Sauvignon Blanc 79% · Sémillon 21% delivering razor-clean acidity, layered citrus tension, and mineral depth that instantly reconfirms a deep love for Pessac-Léognan whites. Vibrant, energetic, and beautifully balanced, this wine stands shoulder-to-shoulder with many of the top benchmark whites of the appellation.

Aromas & Flavors
Lemon zest, grapefruit pith, white peach, green apple, crushed stone, subtle smoke, fresh herbs, faint vanilla, and delicate oak spice.

Mouthfeel
Bright, linear acidity with excellent tension and drive. Medium-bodied, sleek and polished, showing freshness without sharpness and a long, mouthwatering finish.

Food Pairings
Grilled branzino or halibut, lemon-herb chicken, goat cheese crostini, sushi and sashimi, scallops with citrus beurre blanc, spring vegetable risotto.

Verdict
A serious, high-class white delivering energy, clarity, and complexity in perfect harmony. Confident, compelling, and dangerously drinkable already while clearly capable of further evolution. A reminder of why Pessac-Léognan whites remain world-class benchmarks.

Did You Know?
Malartic-Lagravière is one of the rare estates classified for both red and white wines in Graves, with a strong focus on precision vineyard management and restrained oak to preserve freshness and terroir expression.

🍷 Personal Pick
This bottle effortlessly showcases balance, tension, and layered nuance that hits exactly my sweet spot, a reaffirmation of my deep love for Pessac-Léognan whites and now firmly seated among my newest favorites. — 13 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2019 vintage. Underbrush and certain amount of weediness on the nose. Medium body. Full color. That Graves/Pessac-Léognan milk chocolate texture. Flush and full mouthfeel. Gliding finish. Unexpected balance of fruit and tannins in a pop and pour price range. More oomph (generally) than Malartic Lagravière but less than Chevalier. Drink now? Yes. Drink in 25 years? Probably not. Likely has a end game of 15 years with the sweet spot in the (shocker) 5-8 year range. Picked up at Costco and price was $32 USD. Affordable Graves/P-L not the easiest BDX to source. This was firing from the get go. 7.22.24. — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

Second wine of Château Malartic-Lagravière. A blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 45% merlot and 5% cabernet franc. This has definitely some of the class of the grand vin and it is still very young at 10 years old. Cassis, cedar wood and Graves spiciness. Tightly structured serious wine with cassis and blueberry fruit in a frame of ripe tannin and very good spicy length. Terrific value at 23 euro for a 10 years old wine in a great vintage. No hurry to drink this, I feel there is still a lot of potential and I suspect it might benefit from another 5 years of cellaring. This is clearly an estate to watch ever since the Bonnie family took over. Abv. 14%. — 6 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2023 – Pessac-Léognan, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A beautifully balanced Pessac-Léognan red blend of Merlot 55%, Cabernet Sauvignon 42% , Petit Verdot 2% and Cabernet Franc 1% that delivers finesse, aromatic complexity, and immediate approachability while maintaining classical structure and aging potential. A textbook expression of modern-classic Pessac harmony.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, blackberry, ripe plum, and dark cherry layered with cedar, graphite, cocoa nib, tobacco leaf, crushed gravel, and subtle floral lift. The fruit feels vibrant and pure with beautifully integrated oak and savory mineral nuance.

Mouthfeel
Medium-to-full bodied with finely polished tannins and excellent balance between freshness and density. Silky entry, energetic mid-palate, and a long, clean, gently savory finish. Elegant rather than massive, delivering precision and drinkability without sacrificing depth.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye, lamb chops, duck breast, mushroom-based dishes, herb-roasted poultry, aged hard cheeses, and classic French bistro fare. Equally rewarding with refined meals or elevated casual cooking.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is exactly the kind of Pessac that keeps you reaching for another glass, delicate yet layered, polished yet expressive, and dangerously easy to enjoy young. Immediate gratification today, with the structure and balance to reward cellaring down the road. A beautiful testament to classical Pessac elegance done right.

Did You Know?
Château Smith Haut Lafitte is known for its gravel-rich soils in Pessac-Léognan, which drive freshness, mineral tension, and aromatic lift in both red and white wines, helping maintain balance even in warmer vintages. — 13 days ago

Stuart Pollack

9.2

Lovely white Bordeaux. The Semillon dominated at the beginning, finishing with lemon from the Sauvignon Blanc. Straightforward and nowhere as complex as the Malartic-Lagraviere, but a delicious bottle of wine. The nose had a great citrus and flower aroma. — 3 years ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.2

Terrific nose and start, mid and ending let me a bit down. The previous 2 I had showed better so it might be that my tasting senses were in an off mode 🤔 — 5 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2020 vintage. More complex and profound than the 2019. — 4 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2018 vintage. This is the red. — 4 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

Vintage 2014 — 8 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2015 vintage. Some definite swings with this wine. Tasting for the third time in three months. Deep, funky leather earth nose. Medium body (and slightly less than the usual Malescot bod). Oak definitely there but more complimentary vs aggressive. Soft/silky tannins. Plums + herbs. If this were a blind tasting, I'd hafta peg this as a 2014-2018 Malartic Lagravières. Def tastes more Graves than Margaux. Best bottle of the three tasted. Scoring a 92.5 but rounding up with the elegance factor. With so much bottle variation (purchased separately 3x), who knows? This one is lighter for Malescot but delicious. — 4 years ago