Idk why, but there’s always something very exciting about drinking an extinct wine! Just knowing that this was truly a piece of history that no longer exists. Hehe. Anyways, Ch. Magdelaine was by itself a StE 1er GCC, but was merged with Chateau Bélair-Monange in 2012.

Only 1750 cases made in this vintage, 95% Merlot, 5% cab franc.
This wine was delicious.

In the glass: as you would expect, this is a deep dark garnet, with a deep core. Mid+ bodied.

On the nose: how very very charming!! Fresh off the bottle, the inhale was dominated by a delicate cedar and leather and shiitake mushrooms. Very little fruits to speak off. However, this was a different animal upon drinking and exhaling: pure rich blackberries, savory notes of soy sauce. So complex and delicious.

On the palate: plenty lively!! Mid+ acidity, distinct but softer tannins, mid+ finish, and mid body (it was actually lighter than it looked visually). The one surprising thing was: the wine created this odd fresh, minty sensation on the tongue when I left it in my mouse and swished it around for an extended period. This was fresh and bright not solely by acidity, but by some sorta mintiness. I loved it.

As the wine breathed: it also developed a mild smoky peaty nose. On the aggregate the wine’s fruits, tertiary notes came into a beautiful balance, esp on the exhale. For my palate, where I prefer to have a nice balance of primary fruits with all the tertiary funks, this is a wine at its prime drinking window.

This is such beautifully made St Emilion man. In spite of the blend, it never came close to being flabby. It wasn’t just a chocolate/mocha bomb as is typical of many Merlot dominate StE. This was concentrate, slightly lean, sooo complex, and fresh and vigorous on the palate. Clear wine of the night for me.