Winemaker Notes
Purple garnet in color, the 2016 displays an intense nose of elderberry, blackcurrant, blueberry and fresh raspberry, complemented by notes of toast and humus. The dense palate displays good volume right from the start, and builds on a tight structure of ripe, fresh tannins. Meaty, full-bodied and powerful, it develops robustly towards a concentrated tannic finish with magnificent length.
Try pairing with a tournedos Rossini or roast salt marsh lamb.
Blend: 53% Merlot, 38% Cabernet-Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
A broad-shouldered Haut-Médoc that feels true to the vintage, fleshed out with cassis and blackberry fruits and confident tannins, traces of heat through the mid-palate making it a little uncharacteristic of the appellation, but this has swagger and interest – an excellent wine. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040
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Jeb Dunnuck
From vines located between Margaux and Saint-Julien, the 2016 Château Malescasse is a winner and a solid step up over the 2015. Saturated ruby/purple-colored with a smoking good bouquet of blackberries, saddle leather, dried herbs, and lead pencil, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a rounded, sexy texture, and a serious finish. Hats off to this estate and the consulting team of Stéphane Derenoncourt for this stunning effort. Drink it any time over the coming 15+ years.
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James Suckling
A touched of char-grilled character, next to bitter chocolate and full black fruit. This is big-boned Haut-Médoc that packs a serious punch at the front, but is quite silky and long at the finish. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Solidly built, showing tobacco and charcoal notes mixed with dark currant and blackberry compote flavors. There's good energy here and the fruit and earth details meld well through the finish. Has a little grip for mid-term cellaring too. Best from 2021 through 2030.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
While it claims the same basic landscape as the Medoc—only every so slightly elevated above river level—the Haut Medoc is home to all of the magnificent chateaux of the Left Bank of Bordeaux, creating no lack of beautiful sites to see.
These chateaux, residing over the classed-growth cru in the villages of Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe are within the Haut Medoc appellation. Though within the confines of these villages, any classed-growth chateaux will most certainly claim village or cru status on their wine labels.
Interestingly, some classed-growth cru of the Haut Medoc fall outside of these more famous villages and can certainly be a source of some of the best values in Bordeaux. Deep in color, and concentrated in ripe fruit and tannins, these wines (typically Cabernet Sauvignon-based) often prove the same aging potential of the village classed-growths. Among these, the highest ranked chateaux are Chateau La Lagune and Chateau Cantemerle.