Chateau Malescasse Haut-Medoc

89–91. Barrel Sample. This is a structured wine, with dense, dry tannins from both the concentrated fruit and the wood aging. It has the potential to be rich, but is also cut by intense acidity

This vintage will be remembered because of a great freezing spell that destroyed 50% of the Medoc’s grape vines. The large terroirs fared better because of their proximity to the river, which acted as a thermal buffer. This was the case for Malescasse, where only 20% of the plots were affected. A dry cold winter (which saw a 78% precipitation shortfall in January), followed by a mild and rainy February and March, resulted in the vines budding early. During the month of April there were 2 frosty periods (on 20th-21st and 27th-28th April) that destroyed almost half of the Gironde’s harvest. These frosty spells were similar to the ones which occurred in the region during 1991. In 2017, temperatures dropped down to -5° on 10 cm shoots. Malescasse benefited from the protection of the Gironde estuary. Flowering was fast and smooth, and the ensuing grapes and bunches had good homogeneity. Summer was exceptionally dry but saw relatively fresh temperatures. September started with a rainy spell, which raised fears of a potential deterioration in the health of the vines. There were a few outbreaks of Botrytis but from 23rd September the sun shone again and the North-North-West winds stopped any development of the fungus. Finally, the wines have a good cabernet structure whilst being refined and easy to drink.