2020 Malartic Lagraviere Blanc

Drink Date
2023 - 2030

Reviewed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown


The 2020 Malartic Lagraviere Blanc leaps from the glass with invigorating notes of lime blossoms, lemon meringue pie and green mango, followed by hints of wet slate, green apples and wild sage. The medium-bodied palate has a racy backbone and loads of citrus and mineral layers, finishing with a peppery kick.

The tentative blend is 71.8% Sauvignon and 28.2% Sémillon. Only 30% of the total production will be bottled as grand vin, representing just 7,500 bottles. The alcohol is 14% this year.

The estate has chosen a new bottle for the grand cru and second vin, highlighted by an engraved ship, the symbol of the estate. The 2020 vintage will be the first one in this brand-new bottle.

The 2020 Malartic-Lagravière Blanc has a very well-defined bouquet, although unlike its peers, this demands a few minutes to find its voice. But it is worth the patience, delivering almost Burgundy-like citrus fruit mixed with apricot, citrus lemon and crushed stone aromas. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity that cuts through the intense notes of citrus peel, lychee and chamomile. Great energy here, and it fans out gloriously toward the finish. Sophisticated and quite delicious.
- vinous.com

Lots of dried-apple and lime aromas and flavors with some green melon. It’s full-bodied and creamy with a nice combination of fruit and intensity. Phenolic and structured.

71.8% Sauvignon, 28.2% Se?millon. Fermented and aged in oak. Cask sample.
Rich nose with Sémillon evident, floral and broad. Pear juice, grip and nuanced. A really interesting wine. Long and exciting.

The 2020 Malartic-Lagravière Blanc is bright and airy in its aromatics, but then shows its power on the palate, mostly the result of a higher percentage of Sémillon than in the past. White flowers, lemon confit, anise, white pepper and mint give the 2020 a brilliant aromatic upper register. The 2020 is going to be fascinating to follow, as it possesses tremendous depth and textural intensity. There is a lot of wine here. Tasted three times.
Vinous.com

Mango, white peach, lemon, flowers, an array of spices and a gentle touch of almond make a beautiful perfume. Lush, creamy and loaded with sweet, fresh, bright, yellow citrus, green apples, grapefruit and a drizzle of pineapple are found on the palate. This is so good now, it is going to be hard not to open it on release. But patience is a virtue. So give it at least 5 years in the cellar and it will be a much more complete, complex wine. 94

Tasted by Jane Anson(at Primeur week tastings in Bordeaux, 01 May 2021)

Fragrant blossom aromatics give way to more concentrated waxy lemon and juicy lemongrass attack. Barrel fermented, with careful extraction. The warm summer comes through in traces of cumin spice and white pepper, and in the concentration of the flavours through the mid palate, but this is measured and deft, and extremely easy to recommend. Second year with Eric Boissenot as consultant, 65% new oak. A yield of 31hl/ha.

Drinking Window 2022 - 2030