Le Comte de Malartic 2021

A Second white Wine from Pessac-Léognan with a seductive freshness and finesse

The estate

Under the auspices of the Bonnie family, the majestic Château Malartic-Lagravière has experienced a spectacular growth. This Grand Cru Classé de Graves benefits from an exceptional location, with a vineyard superbly situated on a gravelly outcropping. Endowed with state-of-the-art technical facilities, Château Malartic-Lagravière shines in the appellation, with white and red wines which stand out among the finest vineyards of Pessac-Léognan.

The vineyard

Château Malartic-Lagravière 2021 is a Pessac-Léognan wine made from a 73-hectare vineyard, of which 7 hectares comprise white grape varieties. The vines, which are 28 years old on average, are planted in dry gravel and clay soils. The subsoil is made up of shell limestone and clay veins.

The wine

Since the 2020 vintage, La Réserve de Malartic has been renamed "Le Comte de Malartic". It is the Second Wine of the estate.

The vintage

Although the mild winter and early spring favoured an early bud break, the growth was slowed down by a particularly cold and dry second half of spring. Thanks to late pruning, the heavy frosts on April 6th and 7th had a limited impact on the vineyard. Despite the heavy rainfall in May, the flowering recorded at the end of May-beginning of June under good conditions was uniform and rapid. Subsequently, the unstable weather conditions punctuated by stormy episodes until mid-July led to a strong mildew pressure and a very active vegetative growth. The dry period stretching from the end of the veraison stage to the beginning of the harvest was beneficial and helped to refine the ripeness of the grapes. The harvested grapes are healthy, dense and reveal a beautiful freshness.

Vinification and ageing

Manual harvesting by successive selections. Then, the grapes are slowly pressed and totally inerted before undergoing fermentation in barrels. Lastly, the wine is aged on its lees in French oak barrels (30% of which are new) with regular stirring of the lees.

The blend

Comte de Malartic Blanc 2021 white wine comprises a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (87%) and Sémillon (13%).