Chateau Malescot St. Exupery Margaux Bordeaux Wine, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Malescot St. Exupery Margaux Third Growth with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn all the best vintages, wine ratings, a history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery History, Overview

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery has a long history in the Bordeaux wine region. The roots of Malescot St. Exupery can be traced all the way back to 1616 when the Margaux estate was owned by the Escousses family. The Escousses were best known as notaries for the King.

Near the close of the century, in 1697 the Bordeaux wine estate was sold to Simon Malescot. Once Simon became the current owner, he followed the tradition of the time and changed the name of the estate to Malescot. Like the previous owner, Malescot also had a connection to royalty. He was the attorney-general to Louis XIV.

The property remained with the Malescot family until the French revolution. At that point in time, the large estate was divided between three family members.

Over the next several years, the formerly robust Bordeaux vineyard of Chateau Malescot was split and split again. In 1813, Francois Benoit Dunogues purchased the chateau, reselling it in 1825 to Louis Pierlot. The Pierlot family resold the property to Comte Saint-Exupery.

In the tradition of Bordeaux chateau in the Medoc, following the lead of Malescot, he also added his name to the estate. The property was now known as Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery. The Margaux estate continued to expand thanks to the dowry of his wife. The gift included Chateau Loyac and Chateau La Colonie.

After he died, the Saint-Exupery family fell into debt and was forced to sell Chateau Malescot St. Exupery in 1853 to Mr. Fourcade. At that point in time, the labels were changed and added a new line of type to the label that remains on the bottles today; “Semper Ad Altum,” which is translated into “Always striving higher”.

Fourcade increased the size of Chateau Malescot Saint Exupery by adding more vines from neighboring Margaux estates. One of his most important acquisitions was Chateau Dubignon, which became part of Chateau Malescot St. Exupery in the 1870s.

Chateau Dubignon was also a 3rd Growth vineyard at the time of the 1855 Classification. Mr. Fourcade died in 1866. Chateau Malescot St. Exupery was sold to a group of owners, the most notable being Mr. Boissac in 1870.

It was Boissac who designed and built the classically styled chateau still used by the property today. Boissac was a visionary. In 1870, under his direction, Chateau Malescot St. Exupery became the first Bordeaux winery to use gravity during fermentation. While that does not seem special to us today, in 1870, it was revolutionary!

In 1900 the Left Bank estate of Malescot St. Exupery was sold at auction. During World War 1, the French government ordered the chateau to be confiscated.

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery Th Modern Era

The Zuger family bought it in 1955. The Zuger family were experienced in Bordeaux as they previously owned Chateau Marquis dAlesme.

At the time of the sale to the Zuger family, Malescot St. Exupery was in such poor shape, only 7 hectares of vines were planted. Extensive replanting of vineyards took place and within a decade, 80% of the vineyard was planted.

The Zuger family, headed by Jean Luc Zuger, who took over in 1994, continues to own and manage Chateau Malescot St. Exupery today. Michel Rolland is the consultant.

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 30-hectare vineyard of Chateau Malescot St. Exupery is planted to 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The terroir is gravel, chalk, and clay soils with iron deposits on gentle, slopes. The gravel can be quite deep here. In some parcels, gravel is found up to 10 meters into the subsoil.

The vines are 35 years of age. The vineyards are planted to a vine density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The chateau is located in the small, village of Margaux, right on the D2 highway, just a stone’s throw from Chateau Rauzan Segla. Portions of the vineyard abut the vines of Chateau Margaux.

To produce the wine of Chateau Malescot St. Exupery, vinification takes place in a combination of 22, temperature-controlled, concrete vats and stainless steel tanks. These are divided into 6 concrete vats and 16 tanks of stainless steel that range in size from 80 hectoliters up to 160 hectoliters.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in either tank, vat, barrel, or a combination of any of those vessels. They can use concentrators or reverse osmosis machines, as well as bleeding of the vats to increase the concentration of the wine. Those decisions are left up to the vintage according to Jean Luc Zuger.

The wine of Chateau Malescot St. Exupery is then aged in between 80% new and 100% new, French oak barrels for between 14 to 16 months before bottling. There is a second wine, La Dame de Malescot. On average, production is about 9,000 cases of wine per year.

The best vintages of Chateau Malescot St. Exupery are: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2000, 1961 and 1959. It is quite possible that ancient vintages are worth trying. But not much was made in those years and they can be difficult to find today.

It should be noted that starting with the 2015 vintage, the wines here seem to be made with a more delicate touch, providing more elegance and refinement, which I really like.

Run, do not walk, and taste this wine! Jean-Luc Zuger is on fire at Chateau Malescot St. Exupery. The wines being made at the property today are stunning! Perhaps because they have only been on a hot streak for a few years, for a Bordeaux wine of this quality, they remain fairly priced.

This wine is no shrinking violet. It is thick, rich, pure, and aromatic. The tannins are soft and the texture is elegant, with age. 2009 is a stunning wine and is even better than the sublime 2005! For a wine of this quality, it remains fairly priced.

When to Drink Chateau Malescot St. Exupery, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery can be enjoyed on the young side with decanting, due to the lush quality and character of the wine. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-3 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery is usually better with at least 10-12 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pibran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 12-30 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Malescot St. Exupery, with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Malescot St. Exupery is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Malescot St. Exupery is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.

The Zuger family also produce Domaine de Balardin, a Bordeaux Superieur as well as make a wine in the Cotes de Provence appellation, Domaine de Tamary. The Zuger family are also partners in a Negociant company with the Salin company.

www.malescot.com