(92-94) The wine opens with the warm toke of a luxurious cigar brushed with graphite and rich with dark fruits. Lambskin texture, verve on the palette, polished, round and juicy, this wine is all fruit and lift with creamy but lively tannins. Using almost 40% less new oak than the previous vintage, the fruit demonstrates its charms early on. Produced from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% alcohol. The higher portion of Cabernet Sauvignon is due to the frost, which damaged mostly Merlot vines. The harvest took place from September 14 to October 3.

This ripe, structured wine is dense with tannins as well as acidity and black fruits. The weight and concentration promise well for the future, offering a richly juicy wine that will be ready to drink from 2023. - ROGER VOSS

This has plenty of rich fruit, in the dark-cherry and cassis zone. The oak is nicely played into earthy accents, too. The tannins are smooth-grained and open out smoothly on the finish, delivering creamy, ripe berries. Drink or hold.

Quite ripe, with succulent plum, cassis and raspberry pâte de fruit flavors mixed together, lined with licorice and anise details, showing a well-integrated apple wood note on the finish, backed by a light scoring of tar. Exhibits lots of compact energy, so this should unwind nicely in the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2022 through 2035. — JM

Half the vineyard was affected by frost in 2017, although the grand vin wasn't affected as much as the second wine. The last Cabernets came in on 3 October - fairly early for Malartic. This is young and tight, showing pure cassis fruit that strikes you from the first nose. It needs a minute in the glass to open up as there's some austerity here. It's a gorgeous wine though, subtle but just so sophisticated. It feels absolutely poised in its fruit delivery. Great stuff. 22hl/ha yield. 2% Petit Verdot completes the blend. Read more at https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-malartic-lagraviere-pessac-leognan-cru-classe-de-20628#BEy771qV7KFqxSVp.99

The 2017 Malartic-Lagravière is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This has come on nicely since tasting it from barrel. The bouquet is almost understated at first, relying on its purity and delineation to seduce. Scents of blackberry and briary gently unfold with time. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, a lithe Pessac-Léognan with soft blackberry, red plum and redcurrant fruit laced with clove and white pepper towards the finish. Not a wine of astonishing complexity, but elegant and satisfying persistence. Enjoy this over the next 15 years, possibly longer. -- Neal Martin