Château Malescot St. Exupéry 2012, 3rd Growth, Margaux
We tasted vintages 2011, 2012 and 2013 in a roll at the Hong Kong Intercon years back, We believe the 2012 vintage Château Château Malescot St. Exupéry 2012, 3rd Growth, Margaux performed best. We like the 2012 better because it has lots of interesting dry extract (rose, violets, lavender), but there is some freshness (strawberries fruit) and precision here too. Starts with notes of smoky cassis and new oak (mocha coffee and vanilla); there is good purity of fruit (ripe red, dark to mix), a bright core and well worked tannins. If you look super complex this is not for you, but the ease of tension, balanced and should become an interesting wine given time.
For vintage 2012, harvest picked late between 9 and 20 October. So there is always some pastille tones/shades to the fruit. Vinification/ Maturation Temperature controlled and matured in 100% new oak hence the wine is bold and powerful. It undergoes malolactic in barrel depending on the vintage. Aged on lees with stirring, so really some adequate intensity and complexities. 13-14 months barrel ageing before being racked without fining or filtration.
ABV is just right 13.5%, so this wine is still bodied. 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot. Soil gravel overlaying chalk or marl which slopes towards the Gironde. Fruit picked into trays to prevent crushing.
The wine is consistently commented. Critical acclaim includes:
RP93
The Wine Advocate - "Another great wine in this vintage, the 2012 Malescot offers up tremendous level of black fruits, charcoal and intense, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, sensational purity, low acidity and ripe tannins. It is full-bodied, stunning, multidimensional, and a compelling example of this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2030+."
JS93
James Suckling - "Beautiful aromas and flavors of cassis, ripe black cherries and raspberries. Some earth, too. This is a full-bodied red with silky tannins and a long, fruity finish. Juicy. Better in 2018."
93 points Wine Spectator
This is distinctive, with a roasted alder streak running through an enticing core of crushed plum, blackberry and black currant confiture flavors. Long and velvety on the finish, with bay, tobacco and black tea accents checking in. This is suave, with fruit and terroirin spades, particularly for the vintage. Best from 2017 through 2025. (1/2015)
96 points Wine Enthusiast
Barrel sample. This concentrated wine brings out all the qualities of 2012 -juicy black fruit and great swathes of fresh acidity. It's a finely balanced wine. (4/2013)
