France · Bordeaux

Chateau Malartic Lagraviere

Château Malartic-Lagravière is a Cru Classé de Graves in Pessac-Léognan, producing both red and white wines from a 53-hectare vineyard south of Bordeaux. The estate was acquired in 1997 by Alfred-Alexandre Bonnie, a Belgian businessman who invested substantially in new facilities and vineyard management. Malartic-Lagravière's biodynamic conversion (completed in the 2010s) is unusual for classified Bordeaux and reflects Bonnie family commitment to sustainable viticulture. The red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant (45%), blended with Merlot (40%), Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot; the white is a Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blend. At auction, the estate averages $77 per bottle across 167 lots, with both rouge and blanc appearing in the record. Malartic-Lagravière's white wine has attracted particular critical attention — Pessac-Léognan white is a serious category, and Malartic Blanc earns scores of 90–94 regularly, competing with Haut-Brion Blanc and Domaine de Chevalier Blanc. The red wine offers classic Graves characteristics — tobacco, graphite, and blackcurrant on a firm but not harsh tannic frame — with the cool, smoky minerality of the appellation. The 2015 and 2016 vintages are modern benchmarks for both colors. Biodynamic certification aligns the estate with European quality-conscious buyers and reflects in the consistency of recent vintages. The $77 average makes this a relative value among classified Graves, particularly for the white wine.