2021 Château Malescot St Exupéry En Primeur
Released this morning and offered en primeur at £444 per dozen bottles, Châteaux Malescot St Exupéry is a charming little gem of a property in the centre of Margaux, just a few hundred metres from Château Margaux itself. Owned by the Zugers since the 1950s, it has a family-owned feel, but the wines have been getting more and more attention in recent vintages.
Like Château Margaux itself, the 2021 is exceptionally true to the Margaux style with a savoury elegance. Galloni awards it 93-95 points, describing it as "another terrific wine from a property that has been trending towards finesse", whilst Suckling scores it 94-95 points.
Bordeaux En Primeur, landing in spring 2024.
To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
Producer Profile
Château Malescot St Exupéry, Margaux
Château Malescot St Exupéry is a Troisième Grand Cru Classé in the commune of Margaux. It takes its name from two former owners: Simon Malescot, a royal councillor to the Bordeaux parliament, who acquired the estate in 1697, and Count Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Exupéry, who owned it from 1827 to 1853.
Paul Zuger and his son, Roger, purchased the château, located in the middle of the town of Margaux, in June 1955. The 45-hectare estate has 23.5 hectares of vines on a terroir that overlooks the river, planted to 50 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 % Merlot, 10 % Cabernet Franc and 5 % Petit Verdot.
A piece of trivia: years ago, we asked current owner Jean-Luc Zuger if the Count Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Exupéry was related to de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince. We're pretty sure he said he was (possibly his grandfather).
| RED | 2021 | Château Malescot St Exupery | 75cl | £444 per case of 12 | Château Malescot St Exupery 2021 / / 75cl £444 per case of 12 |
IB | |||||
Tasting Notes"49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Mid to dark crimson. Sweet, seductive nose. Very gentle tannins which lurk rather than dominate. A wine that really does taste like a young wine – and a young Margaux at that – that will blossom. Dry but not too drying finish. Neat. Very classic claret with sufficient but not excessive ripeness. Though there is nothing remotely flashy about it and I may be being too generous with my score; its charms are quite subtle. And it’s not especially concentrated. A ‘fluid’ wine… Some may criticise it for its lack of weight. Drink 2027 – 2042. 17 points" jancisrobinson.com (JL)------"The 2021 Malescot Saint Exupéry has quite a high-toned bouquet with black cherries, blueberry and violet aromas, exuberant compared to its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine acidity, quite focused yet there is just a little dryness and abruptness on the finish. That might be remedied during its élevage so let's see how this turns out. I was anticipating a bit more from this excellent Margaux estate, but maybe it will meliorate in barrel? Not beyond possibility. 90-92 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"The 2021 Malescot St. Exupery is a terrific effort, offering up aromas of sweet cassis and plums mingled with notions of licorice, espresso roast and toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's impressively layered, with a sweet core of fruit, ripe tannins and lively acids. The dramatic style of the château has worked very well with the cooler, later-maturing vintage. The blend is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 92-94 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2021 Malescot St. Exupéry is another terrific wine from a property that has been trending towards finesse. The 2021 represents another step in that direction, helped by the vintage, of course. Red cherry, iron, blood orange, spice, tobacco and cedar build as this mid-weight, savory Margaux shows off its considerable charms. Pretty floral top notes accent the finish. Tasted two times. 93-95 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"A tight and focused young red with redcurrant and blackberry character. It’s medium-bodied with racy and fine tannins and a linear, focused finish. Lots going on, yet it’s tight and energetic. 94-95 points" jamessuckling.com |
|||||||||||
