2015 Malescasse

One of the real sleepers of 2015, the Malescasse has turned out beautifully. Sumptuous, dark and brooding in its beauty, the 2015 is bursting at the seams with intensity. Crème de cassis, lavender, licorice and menthol are some of the many aromas and flavors that build in this exceptionally beautiful, vivid Haut-Médoc. The blend is 50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The 2015 is a brilliant effort from Malescasse and consulting winemakers Frédéric Massie and Hannah Fiegenschuh.

One of the most successful Cru Bourgeois I was able to taste is the 2015 Château Malescasse which comes from an estate located between Margaux and Saint-Julien. A rough blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, this beauty boasts a deep ruby/purple color as well as loads of ripe dark fruits, chocolate, bay leaf and exotic spices. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, with ripe tannin and the upfront, sexy charm of the 2015 vintage, give bottles a couple years in the cellar and enjoy through 2027.

Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois annual tasting, the 2015 Malescasse felt broody and saturnine on the nose, mulch-like aromas percolating through the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, quite austere in style and old-fashioned but it pulls it off well. Don’t approach if you want bags of fruit, but personally I adore the pencil shaving finish and its old school sensibility. Tasted September 2017.