Chateau Malescot-St-Exupery 2014

Château Malescot St Exupéry is a wine estate in the Margaux appellation, which was rated as a third growth in the official 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Quality has been rising fast in recent years and the wine is known for its perfume and silky texture, especially after six or seven years of aging.

The winery and cellars are in the town of Margaux itself, while 28 hectares (69 acres) of vineyards are farmed in five parcels within the commune. Typically the blend comprises 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 35 percent Merlot, 10 percent Cabernet Franc and 5 percent Petit Verdot. Grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats using indigenous yeasts, with gentle pump-overs. The grand vin is aged for 14-16 months in new oak and bottled without filtration or fining.

There is documentary evidence that wine has been produced in some of the estate vineyards since 1608. The estate was sold to Simon Malescot in 1697, and the second part of the name comes from Count Jean-Baptiste Saint-Exupéry, who bought it in 1826 but whose extravagant lifestyle meant that his widow was forced to sell in 1853. The estate had gained enough of a reputation to be ranked as a third growth two years later but, by the time the Zuger family purchased Malescot Saint-Exupéry in 1955, the property had only 7ha (17 acres) of vineyards and required a long program of renovation and replanting to bring it to its current state.-Information from Wine Searcher