Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Malartic-Lagravière – 2022
Grand Cru Classé – Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A jewel of Graves, this Grand Cru Classé de Graves estate is owned by the Bonnie family and consistently delivers wines of depth and precision. The 2022 vintage was marked by a hot, dry summer, yet the gravelly soils of Pessac-Léognan preserved freshness, giving balance to the ripeness. This V.22 blend features Cabernet Sauvignon 53%, Merlot 43%, Cabernet Franc 1.5%, and Petit Verdot 2.5%.

Aromas & Flavors
Deep layers of blackcurrant, ripe plum, and blackberry, with notes of graphite, smoke, and cedar. Subtle accents of spice and cocoa add elegance.

Mouthfeel
Multi-layered and structured, with a perfect balance of ripe fruit, freshness, and polished tannins. Full-bodied yet graceful, this wine already shows harmony, but its true depth will unfold with a few years of patience.

Food Pairings
Roast duck with black cherry reduction, grilled ribeye, venison, mushroom and truffle pasta, chargrilled lamb burgers, Comté, aged Cheddar cheese.

Verdict
A serious, cellar-worthy Pessac-Léognan. Concentrated and elegant, it’s very approachable in youth, (had it on Oct 23-2025, it was outstanding!), but destined to hit peak stride around 2027 and beyond as a full extend of its brilliancy, rewarding the wait with even greater complexity. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Château Malartic-Lagravière is one of the few Bordeaux estates classified for both its red and white wines,a rare honor showcasing its exceptional terroir. — 7 hours ago

Martijn

9.4

Paired with an excellent prepared CdB. — 12 days ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark ruby red color with bricking. On the nose: Tantalizing perfumed notes of stewed plum/cherry, worn leather, smoke, forest floor, stewed meat, cedar, eucalyptus. Taste: creamy, elegant, with power and depth wine...plum, currants, smokey earth, graphite, saline, dusty crushed gravel, tobacco leaf, and a nice medium plus finish. YUM!! — a month ago

with Brenda

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2016 vintage. Decanted (with little sed) and tasted after 1.5 hours and 3 hours. Medium body. In a state of transition currently. Holding back a bit and has lost that tail-wagging exuberance along with some of the supple qualities of youth. Feel like this wine is on a side quest and will return to the fold in the next 3-5 years. 10.11.25. — 13 days ago

Conrad Green

9.7

So gnarly and violet and intense. Iron and dark plum and leather with blood and forest floor. So complex and delicious — 8 days ago

with Matt

Chris MacLean

9.3

Going for great — 10 days ago

with Sarah

Sagee Aran

9.2

A full body with a ruby dark color. Drinking nicely, tanins are already soften, strong nose and an overwhelming palate with dark plums and matured dried fruits. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Significantly better than the 2008 Lynch-Bages I had the other night.

Domaine De Chevalier is one of the more underrated or under appreciated Bordeaux producers.

The nose shows; beautiful dry, red flowers, black currants, brambly blackberries, ripe; dark cherries & strawberries, black plum, hints of raspberries, anise, dry herbs, mid baking spices, loamy earthiness, dark spice, dry tobacco/leather, graphite, barrel toast, bright red flowers and liquid violets.

M+ dark meaty tannins. Ripe, juicy, gorgeous fruits; black currants, brambly blackberries, dark cherries & strawberries, black plum, hints of raspberries, red licorice, red to mid berry cola, touch of black licorice, anise, dry herbs, mid baking spices-light clove/nutmeg, cinnamon & light vanillin, dark spices with a little palate heat, loamy earthiness, dark spice w/ some palate heat, dry tobacco/leather, graphite, charcoal, pebbles, some soft mushroom, barrel toast, bright red flowers and liquid violets. Really nice rainfall acidity, well tensioned/structured still w/ age, nicely balanced with an elegant, smartly polished finish that lasts minutes and long sets on spice & earth.

15 yrs of good drinking ahead.

@BalancesRestaurant - Lucerne. Balance Restaurant is one of the very best meals I’ve had out in a very longtime. — 19 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2021 vintage. The C is totally different from the grand vin, from a parcel in Marcillac. I would probably not have guessed Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Very unique style, Bordeaux for Burgundy lovers maybe. 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. — 12 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.3

2014 vintage. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Stephen Carrier opted for very gentle extractions for this vintage, looking for a balance,maybe sacrificing a bit of power to preserve the fruit. It seems to have been a wise decision, this 2014 is ready to go, fully mature, with soft tannins balancing the fruit and spices. Very good length also. A great Fieuzal to drink now. Interestingly, it reminds me somehow of Château Musar. Abv. 13,5%. — a month ago