I loved the 2018 Château Malescot Saint Exupéry from barrel two years ago, and it certainly doesn't disappoint from bottle today. Based on 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this deeply hued beauty boasts smoking good notes of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, chocolate, and spice. Full-bodied and impressively concentrated, it has a stacked mid-palate, ripe, sweet yet certainly present tannins, a terrific sense of freshness, and a great finish. It's going to fun comparing this and the 2016 over the coming two decades! While there's some up-front accessibility and charm here, it really needs 4-6 years of bottle age and is going to have 20-25 years of overall longevity. This is gem of a wine that's well worth seeking out.

The 2018 Malescot Saint Exupéry is fabulous. Powerful and explosive in the glass, and yet remarkably polished, the 2018 is impressive. Graphite, smoke, gravel, spice and leather infuse a potent, full-bodied Margaux built on structure. Even so, in this vintage, Malescot shows unusually supple tannins and a softer feel than is usually the case. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Tasted three times.

The medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Malescot St. Exupery leaps from the glass with expressive scents of baked blackberries, Morello cherries and boysenberries with hints of blackcurrant cordial, dark chocolate, licorice and tilled soil. The medium to full-bodied palate has impressive intensity without heaviness, delivering mouth-coating black fruits and a firm, grainy texture, finishing with a refreshing earthy lift.