96pts Wine Enthusiast

Despite its weight, this is a well-crafted wine. It combines richness with sophisticated tannins, dense black fruits and considerable potential. Ripe berry flavors give depth. Drink this wine from 2026. Cellar Selection

95pts Wine Spectator

This has a big ball of warm plum and boysenberry compote notes at the core, framed with a liberal dose of singed cedar and apple wood. Hasn't integrated fully yet, but there's good length and energy here, with a positive vibe.
Barrel Sample:92-95

95pts Decanter

This remains a little hidden and distant at this point in time, but there are some gorgeous rich liquorice and cassis fruits here, and the texture stands out for its silkiness. Clearly a very good wine, which opens up slowly and carefully. Classic but with depth and grip, continuing a run of successful vintages at Malartic. Last vintage before they take on Eric Boissenot as consultant. 2% Petit verdot makes up the blend, with 70% new oak for ageing. Drinking Window 2026 - 2042

94pts James Suckling

Blackberry, hot-stone and blueberry aromas follow through to a full body with chewy, dusty tannins that are long and chewy. It shows lots of Pessac character, reminding me of the stoney soils of the area. Give this at least three or four years to come together. Try after 2024.

94pts Jeb Dunnuck

An outstanding wine, the 2018 Château Malartic Lagraviere (57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest 3% Cabernet Franc) offers a deep purple hue as well as beautiful cassis and blackberry fruits intermixed with lots of graphite, gravelly earth, violets, and spring flower-like aromas and flavors. Beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, with ripe tannin's and impressive purity of fruit, it's another gorgeous 2018 that can be drunk today or cellared for 15 years.

92pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Composed of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc and aged in 70% new oak barriques, the 2018 Malartic Lagraviere has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and pronounced notions of stewed black and red plums, boysenberries and cassis on the nose, with hints of hoisin, dried Provence herbs and unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate has a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness to support the black fruit preserves flavors, finishing savory.

Winemaker Notes

The wines had all the characteristics of a great vintage. 2018 was a very hot year, but this had relatively little effect on the aromatic profile of the white wines. They have superb balance, tremendous freshness, and a distinguished, elegant character. The reds are beautifully crafted. The Merlot offers a sublime mid-palate, with a silkiness and density that are rarely achieved. The Cabernet is spectacular, with exceptional aromatic profiles and levels of quality. The Petit-Verdots, co-fermented with the merlots, are particularly silky. This superb 2018 vintage comes after more than 20 years of environmentally-friendly practices at Malartic, continually striving for the best possible quality. The vineyard’s maturity is now giving its full expression, enabling us to obtain remarkable precision on the palate and incredibly well-defined tannins.

Blend: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc