1966 Château Malescot St. Exupéry

Community Tasting Notes (6) Avg Score: 90.5 points

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  12/30/2023 - Bolognese Diner wrote:

  - Bottle that I found some time ago in a trusted store at a reasonably interesting price. The vintage is not outstanding but still good, as highlighted in some magazines for its ability to produce tannins that can withstand the test of time. It is a 3rd Grand Cru Classé from Margaux. Few may know that this producer is the only one in history to have completely absorbed another Chateau of the same level, including its vineyards, which is no longer in production. I am referring to the property in Margaux formerly known as Chateau Dubignon, which in the 1870s, after the devastation caused by phylloxera, the then owners (Philippe Dubignon), already in decline, decided to sell to Monsieur Fourcade, the owner of Malescot. With the change of ownership of Chateau Malscot in 1901, Ch. Dubignon was also resurrected (as Dubignon-Talbot), classified as Cru Bourgeois and able to claim the title of Ancien Troisieme Cru. In 1960, a consortium of three owners purchased the vineyards of Ch. Dubignon Talbot: Pierre Ginestet (owner of Ch. Margaux and Durfort Vivens), Paul Zuger (owner of Ch. Malescot St Exupery), and Jean Cordier (owner of Ch. Talbot, who demanded the cessation of the name Dubignon Talbot to avoid confusion with his Chateau in Saint Julien). Presumably, during this period, the wine we tasted used grapes from Ch. Dubignon as well. In 1970, Bernard Chateau reacquired Dubignon and the nearby vineyards, establishing Chateau Larruau.
  Chateau Malescot also boasts among its historical owners some extremely important and influential figures in the French landscape, including the Escoussés family credited with establishing the Chateau in 1697, Maître Simon Malescot, an advisor to Louis XIV who, after acquiring the property from the Escoussés, renamed it Chateau Malescot and significantly expanded the estate, Jean-Baptiste Saint-Exupéry, great-grandfather of Antoine (aviator and writer) who added his name to that of the previous owner from whom he acquired the chateau, up to the aforementioned Fourcade and Zuger, responsible for the fluctuating fortunes of the chateau over the last 100 years.
  Returning to the wine, unfortunately, I do not know the precise blend, but based on Zuger's replanting efforts that began in 1955, I could venture a distribution roughly as follows: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. Upon opening, we were forced to decant the wine, which may have destroyed the more fruity and floral part that, although faintly, was perceptible initially. The color is still garnet red, intense, and of great depth, giving us hope. However, the nose, apart from some slight hints of initial jammy dark fruit, closed its shutters and quickly underwent strong oxidation. From this point onward, it was only possible to perceive the tertiary notes, with roasted coffee, cigar tobacco, leaden notes of dust, undergrowth, pencil shavings, some vegetal puff almost like black olive paté, and vaguely describable animal undertones.
  In the mouth, its acidity is almost disappearing, and the tannins are completely dissolved. It lingers on the palate for a long time without, however, managing to assert a clear and distinctive finish. A pity, perhaps an unlucky bottle, but in my opinion, the few remaining in circulation are unlikely to last much longer, so hurry!
  
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  2/4/2022 - BHRH Likes this wine: 90 Points

  PnP. Smoky, forest floor with slight vegetal/bell pepper notes and a bit of caramel. Lots of tertiary notes. Really shines on the palate with leather and cigar box mixed with cassis. Although the fruit is starting to dry out it still provides elegant notes of fine BDX. Probably on a slow downhill trajectory, yet this still provides exciting, historic pleasure. Drink up!!

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  6/5/2018 - LWI wrote: flawed

  LS fill. Gone.

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  9/14/2012 - LWI wrote: 91 Points

  Pristine bottle. Classic in every way, albeit not typical Margaux. Forest floor, sweet/sour cherries, somewhat angular. Moderate length.

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  1/19/2012 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points

  Wines Through the Decades (Jade Palace, Forum Galleria): This was unexpectedly good - a great example of the longevity of the 1966 vintage. I feared the worse when the cork popped into the bottle with barely a push from the corkscrew. Thankfully, the wine showed really well after quick decanting. It had a beautiful nose that was still recognisably Margaux in its rich wafts of cigar and earthy tobacco notes, vine talks and green peppers and then slightly dried cherries and raspberries riding alongside a drift of flowery accents. Lovely stuff. Unexpectedly, the palate was still very lively, with beautiful silky tannins that belied the vintage, as spice and tobacco notes swirled around a core of preserved plums, red cherries and dried berries and a hint of funky undergrowth. It was a little woody on the finish, which still seemed well-structured and balanced, if just a bit short. That aside, it was actually quite delicious. Bravo.

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