About Château Malartic-Lagravière 1966
The Château Malartic-Lagravière 1966 is a Cru Classé de Graves from Léognan. The appellation on the original label is Graves; the terroir is located in what is now the Pessac-Léognan appellation. The 1966 vintage is considered a strong vintage for the Left Bank, with particularly good ripeness of Cabernet Sauvignon. After sixty years, this Graves red wine shows the robust, tannic structure of classic vintages of this decade. Collectors value it as a rare, well-documented historical artifact of the appellation.
Origin & Classification
Château Malartic-Lagravière is located in the commune of Léognan, in the heart of what is now the Pessac-Léognan appellation. Originally, the estate was called Domaine de Lagravière. From 1803, it was run by the Malartic family, named after Comte Anne-Joseph-Hippolyte de Maurès de Malartic, a French governor and naval officer. After the Malartic family, the Ricard, Ridoret, and Marly families followed as owners. In 1966, the Château belonged to Jacques Marly-Ridoret – his name is still on the original label of this bottle today. Since the 1959 Graves classification, the Château has been one of the Crus Classés de Graves, for both red and white wine. The soils consist of gravel and clay with limestone content, up to eight meters deep in some parcels. The original label states the appellation Graves Contrôlée; since the creation of the Pessac-Léognan appellation in 1987, the terroir has been located within this younger, more narrowly defined appellation. Here you can buy this Château Malartic-Lagravière.
The 1966 Vintage
1966 is considered a powerful, classic vintage in Bordeaux. An average to cool summer preceded it, then an almost perfect, warm September saved the harvest. The harvest began in early October under favorable conditions. The Left Bank particularly benefited from this vintage, with very good ripeness of Cabernet Sauvignon. The white wines from Graves also showed strength in 1966, and a robust Graves red wine like this one benefited from the firm tannins of the vintage. The vintage is considered old-school, with high acidity – a characteristic that has given many wines of this vintage a long aging potential. After sixty years, the Château Malartic-Lagravière 1966 is today primarily a rare, well-aged collector's item from one of the stronger vintages of this decade.
FAQ
Is the Château Malartic-Lagravière 1966 still drinkable?
Yes. 1966 is considered a powerful, tannic vintage with high acidity and corresponding long aging potential. After sixty years, the wine has reached its drinking window and, if stored correctly, remains ready to enjoy. However, no guarantee can be given for this.
What makes this bottle a sought-after Bordeaux collector's wine?
The combination of its classification as a Cru Classé de Graves, its location in Léognan, and its rare age of sixty years makes this Bordeaux collector's wine a sought-after piece from one of the stronger vintages of the 1960s. Anyone looking to buy this Château Malartic-Lagravière secures a well-documented historical artifact of the appellation.
Is the Château Malartic-Lagravière 1966 suitable as an investment?
Older classified Bordeaux wines like this Graves red are also sought after by collectors with an eye on market trends. We do not provide investment advice or promise returns – classification, vintage, and condition serve to assess rarity and demand, not as a financial forecast.
