CHÂTEAU MALARTIC LAGRAVIÈRE
2018 Cru Classé Pessac-Léognan
Plenty of ripeness to the wine. Blackberry juice combines nicely with the mineral elements. The oak plays a supporting role. Some aggressive structure led by the tannins near the end. Drinking range: 2024 - 2035L&S (Apr 2019)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2018 Malartic-Lagravière was a little variable when I tasted it from barrel. Now bottled, it has closed down on the nose, yet given a couple of hours' decant, it opens nicely to offer black fruit, sage, tobacco and subtle floral scents (iris and violet). The palate is well balanced with a dense entry and good acidity. It would benefit from a little more refinement and I still sense a scintilla of greenness on the aftertaste. Hopefully that will disappear with bottle age, because it deserves time in the cellar. Drinking range: 2025 - 2045 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
The 2018 Malartic Lagravière is every bit as compelling as it was en primeur. Inky dark fruit, dried herbs, licorice, lavender and chocolate are all kicked up in this sumptuous Pessac-Léognan. Soft curves and silky tannins add to the wine's considerable appeal. The 2018 is undeniably flashy and alluring, I loved it. Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 95 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Mar 2021)
Loads of tobacco and mushroom with some wet earth and currant throughout. Medium-bodied, creamy and juicy with lovely energy. Real Bordeaux here. Savory finish. Drink now. Rating: 94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2021)
The medium-bodied 2018 Château Malartic-Lagravière comes from high-density plantings on gravelly soils and is a rough blend at this point of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc representing only 55% of the total production. Elegant notes of dark fruits (cassis, blackberries), gravelly earth, and forest floor all flow to a seamless Graves that has good balance, some grainy tannins, good mid-palate density, and ample length. It’s certainly going to be an outstanding wine. Tasted twice. Rating: 91-93 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2019)
Black core, cherry rim. Ripe damsons and blackberries, rich in fruit. Ripeness showing in a touch of mint. Then the tannins really take over on the palate, dry and chalky, though there is some freshness here to suggest it will open to reveal more. Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 16 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2019)
This is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, to be aged for 18-22 months in oak barriques, 70% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Malartic Lagraviere gives scents of baked red and black cherries, warm blackcurrants and balsamic with touches of underbrush, moss-covered bark and tobacco. Full-bodied, firm and chewy in the mouth, it packs in the berry preserves with some pepper and spice sparks coming through on the long finish. Rating: 92-94 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (Apr 2019)
Freshness and depth to this wine with blackberry, blueberry and crushed-stone character on the nose and palate. Full and flavorful, yet with underlying reserve. Rating: 93-94 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2019)
The assemblage is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, picked at a yield of 33 hl/ha. The alcohol is 13%. This has a really plush and charming nose, with crushed black cherries, smoky with notes of rose petals, cocoa bean, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate. The palate has a modern feel to it in keeping with the character on the nose, bold and broad, somewhat sinewy at first, but carrying a richer substance through the middle, the smoky fruit here supported by a wealth of tightly grained tannins. A very broad and confident style, elegant and silky, with a very supple integration carrying a lot of admirably perfumed fruit. The overall effect here is delicious, right through to the long and gripped finish. The élevage will be in 70% new oak. Rating: 93-95 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2019)
This powerful wine combines juicy black fruits with concentrated tannins to good effect. This density and grip lends to excellent aging potential. Rating: 95 Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast www.winemag.com (Apr 2019)
Deep and rich in colour, this is more refined and subdued on the nose than some, with real focus, depth and layers. It needs time in bottle to unveil its potential as everything is curled up right now, from the blueberry and cassis fruits to the liquorice and chocolate touches. With time in the glass, the multitude of layers of spice and slate become apparent. It's a great quality wine that will not be rushed. 2% Petit verdot makes up the blend, with 70% new oak for ageing. Drinking range: 2028 - 2045 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2019)
Château Malartic Lagravière
Château Malartic-Lagravière, originally Domaine de Lagravière, is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Premiers Crus for red and white wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953 and 1959. The winery and vineyards are located south of the city of Bordeaux, in the commune of Léognan. The Domaine de Lagravière was bought in 1803 by Pierre de Malartic whose uncle, Comte de Malartic through battles against the British in Canada and Mauritius brought fame to the name and the martime theme which is associated with this estate. The Malartic name was not applied to the estate until after 1850 however. The estate has belonged to the Bonnie family since 1997, with oenologists Michel Rolland and Athanase Fakorellis as consultants. From a property of 47 hectares (120 acres), the vineyard area consists of 41 hectares (100 acres) of the red grape varieties 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, with 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, and 6 hectares (15 acres) of the white grape varieties 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon.[3] The Grand vin, Château Malartic-Lagravière, is annually produced in 16,000 cases of the red wine and 2,500 cases of the dry white. There are also red and white second wines, Sillage de Malartic, and a rosé, Le Rosé de Malartic.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2022 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2025. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2025. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.