Château Lagrézette - Cahors Cuvée Marguerite 2016

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

The nose is complex and finely crafted, releasing notes of lily, violet, blueberry and coffee beans. The palate is in tune, with an elegance rare in Cahors, the attack is very voluminous, concentrated, but without excess. The full potential of this long, sapid wine can be felt, and it will prove superb in 5 years' time.

About the domain :

Alain-Dominique Perrin has worked hard to make the magnificent Lagrézette estate one of the beacons of the Cahors revival. The progress made since the cellar renovation is clear to see: the wines have gained in elegance, and the fruit is better highlighted by the ageing process. We particularly appreciate the Château and Clos Marguerite cuvees, remarkable this year.

Decanter

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

From a vineyard of Malbec gravel and clay-gravel soils benefiting from a dry, early-ripening microclimate, this cuvée made a big impression as soon as it was approached, with its deep, highly distinctive inky-black color with hints of violet. The nose shines with complexity, a basket of berries, led by cherry and blackberry, enhanced by liquorice, toast and smoke. A round attack opens onto a palate of rare fullness, supported by already coated tannins that leave a sensation of mellowness. Freshness completes the harmony and carries through to the finish. "What volume! What power!" concluded the judges.

About the domain :

A star estate in the Cadurcian vineyards, acquired in 1985 by businessman Alain-Dominique Perrin. It is renowned for the distinctive architecture of its 16th-century manor house, with its pepper-pot towers, sloping roofs and dovecote; for its vineyard heritage (82 ha), cultivated since the 16th century; and, above all, for its ambitious wines, regularly featured in these pages.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

From a vineyard some 20 kilometers west of the château, the 2016 Cuvée Marguerite is 100% Malbec, aged 16 months in 30% new barrels, with the remainder aged in second- and third-use barrels. Like other cuvées from this estate, it is saturated and dark in color, loaded with extract and tannin, but ripe and almost drinkable on release. With less new oak, it reveals more delicate floral and red fruit notes than the other wines, with violet and strawberry notes accentuating the cedar and black fruit. Full-bodied and intense, it's nevertheless on the elegant side of what this estate offers, with a supple, unctuous palate and a tantalizing finish that adds notes of dark chocolate. It should drink well for a decade or more.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

Powerfully ripe, this dense wine is packed with black fruit and concentrated tannins. Power comes from a solid structure that's lifted by acidity. Wood ageing has enhanced the wine's depth. It is still young and will be ready to drink from 2023.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

Lots of blackberry and black pepper aromas with hints of other spices. Full body, fine, polished tannins and a long, savory finish. A balanced wine with tension. Drink in 2022.

Andreas Larsson