Malartic Lagraviere 1967

Malartic Lagravière is a producer located in the Pessac-Léognan region of Graves in Bordeaux. It was one of only six châteaux to have both its red and white wines classified in the 1959 Graves classification, and since then, the estate has become a very modern winemaking establishment.

The estate, then known as Domaine de Lagravière, was originally purchased at the end of the 18th Century by the family of Count Hippolyte de Maurés de Malartic, an admiral who served in the French navy, notably during the Battle of Quebec in 1756. His legacy is commemorated with an 18th-Century ship on the wine label.

In 1850, the domaine was purchased by Madam Arnaud Ricard who is credited with adding he Malartic name to that of Lagravière. It was passed down through the Ricard family before it was purchased in 1997 by the Bonnie family.

With the help of architect Bernard Mazières and consulting winemaker Michel Rolland, they built the winery into a modern facility incorporating gravity flow tanks and temperature-controlled stainless steel vats for fermentation.

Château Malarctic Lagraviére covers 53 hectares (131 acres) on a high terrace, with deep deposits of gravelly soil over limestone and clay. The gravel gives excellent surface drainage, while the clay retains enough moisture to keep the vines hydrated throughout the growing season.

The flagship red is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, with an almost equal amount of Merlot, depending on the vintage, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It spends 15 to 20 months barrel-aging with the portion of new oak any where between 40 to 70 percent. The dry white – a Pessac-Léognan blanc – is predominately Sauvignon Blanc with a small percentage of Semillon and is barrel-aged for 10 to 12 months.

The château also makes a second-tier label in both red and white: La Réserve de Malartic rouge and La Réserve de Malartic blanc.