The 2009 Malartic-Lagravière is a little simpler on the nose than I would have anticipated. Touches of black olive and sea spray infuse the black fruit, yet the delineation and clarity deserve applause. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, and fine grip. A very well balanced, quintessential Pessac finish, just a touch of clove and white pepper lingers on the aftertaste. Excellent and very refined. - vinous.com, March 2019

The 2009 Malartic Lagravière is medium to deep garnet colored and reveals alluring scents of warm cassis, redcurrant jelly, spice cake, forest floor and potpourri with hints of unsmoked cigar. Medium-bodied, it has a firm, fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness supporting the vibrant red and black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering earthy note.

Probably the best wine that has come from this estate, along with their 2005, the final blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot boasts Michel Rolland as the consulting oenologist. This organically farmed vineyard has turned out a deeply layered wine with a striking perfume of graphite, wet stones, red and black currants, tobacco leaf and underbrush. The compelling aromatics are followed by a medium-bodied but intensely concentrated wine with loads of ripe fruit, plenty of glycerin (14% natural alcohol) and a long, nuanced, impressively endowed finish. Accessible already, this wine should continue to drink well for 15 or more years.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012)

(a blend of 59% cabernet sauvignon, 38% merlot, and 3% petit verdot; 13.6% alcohol; pH 3.7; 75 IPT) Inky purple. The initially closed nose opens slowly with air to reveal very ripe black plum and blackberry syrup aromas complicated by underbrush and plenty of sweet oak. Enters soft and creamy, but with lively acids framing the ripe black fruit and herbal flavors. Finishes long and very minerally, with a dense, tactile mouth feel. This very impressive wine borders on overripeness yet manages to stay fresh and lively. The dusty tannins will require at least a few years of bottle aging to resolve fully.

Good medium red-ruby. Complex aromas and flavors of red and black cherry, dark plum, mocha, licorice pastille, tar and hot rocks. Supple, suave and broad but not overly sweet, with an edge of acidity keeping the wine fresh throughout and leavening its thickness of texture. With its firm, buildng tannins, this concentrated, youthful wine calls for at least five years of patience.

59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Has the prune and meaty notes of a warm vintage. Liquorice and medicine on the palate with dark, savoury fruit but ripe, fat body. Rich, broad flavours. Long, eucalypt finish. Still very youthful, and finishes with a little heat. (RH)

[55CS/38M/5CF/2PV] Nicely balanced middleweight with firm tannins and a fresh acidity. A good moderate (Graves) concentration with very nice purity of ripe, mineral backed cassis fruit, and a gentle complexity; fresh and juicy, with a long, fruit emphatic finish. Stylish Malartic, needing 6-8 years. 2017-25