AMA Vertical Tasting
Château Malescasse

Château Malescasse is one of the most rapidly rising estates in the Haut-Médoc over the past decade. I began following its wines in 2018, yet since it is not part of “La Place de Bordeaux” distribution system, many wine lovers in China may still be unfamiliar with the name. However, if you look up the Cru Bourgeois classifications released in 2020 and 2025, you’ll see that Malescasse has been listed twice in the highest tier — Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel.

The estate was acquired by the AUSTRUY family in 2012. Although the vintages included in this vertical tasting are not numerous, they have nevertheless left a strong impression on me. Here are a few of my key observations:

• It is undoubtedly among the top five most impeccably composed estates in the Haut-Médoc — balanced, firmly structured, and just at the beginning of a promising ascent. My personal recommendations are the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 vintages.

• The expression of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend is remarkable. Even when Merlot takes a larger share, the distinctive spice, structure, and vitality of Cabernet still shine through with unmistakable clarity — as if it naturally carries a protagonist’s aura.

• Vintages with higher proportions of Merlot tend to be more generous and voluptuous, with a full and rounded body (2018 being an exception, combining richness with a touch of tension). Yet whenever Cabernet accounts for more than 50%, the wine seems to “switch channels”: violet notes bloom in layers, and the sense of structure and complexity deepens noticeably.

• Recently, two Merlot plots have been uprooted, which means the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon will continue to increase — something that makes me even more excited about the estate’s future.

• Starting from the 2021 and 2022 vintages, a distinctive salinity has begun to emerge, bringing freshness, depth, and a captivating liveliness to the finish.

This naturally raises a question: how did a once little-known Haut-Médoc estate manage to rise with such astonishing speed in barely over a decade? What lies behind this transformation? Are there lessons worth learning from its journey?

Today, I’d like to take you inside Château Malescasse — an estate that has only just begun to shine, yet already shows extraordinary promise.

First and foremost, its terroir is undoubtedly its greatest strength. When I visited, I noticed an old windmill still standing atop the hill. Anyone with a sense of geography would know that windmills can only function properly when built on high ground. In the Médoc, such elevations are rare — and only there do the classic gravel soils form, the kind that give late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon the chance to reach full maturity. Looking at the map, you’ll see that Château Malescasse lies on a gentle gravel ridge between Margaux and Saint-Julien, just two kilometers from the Gironde River. It also happens to sit on the highest vineyard land in the village of Lamarque.

With such a gifted terroir, the next essential step is to unlock its full potential.

Since acquiring the property in 2012, the AUSTRUY family has embarked on a near “reconstruction” of the estate — rebuilding its foundations from the soil to the vines, from the vineyards to the cellar, layer by layer, to redefine the very core of Château Malescasse’s quality. So, what exactly did they do? Let’s take a closer look.

A New Wine Consultant

Stéphane Derenoncourt: One of the most influential consulting winemakers in Bordeaux, Derenoncourt identified the estate’s key problems from the very first day of his arrival and immediately laid out a detailed roadmap for improvement. His involvement marked the true turning point in Château Malescasse’s renaissance.

The Vineyard

Highlighting the personality of each plot: From the outset, the estate placed its focus squarely on the vineyard. They re-examined the soils, redefined the parcel divisions, uprooted old vines, and adopted a new, more scientific approach to viticulture — all with the goal of allowing each plot’s terroir character to emerge more clearly over time.

Adjusting planting density and yield control: The estate covers around 40 hectares, more than half of which have been completely reorganized and replanted at high density (over 7,000 vines per hectare). This not only increased the proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon but also made the vineyard more resilient to climate change. The current planting composition is 61.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.6% Merlot, and 6.2% Petit Verdot. Yields are deliberately kept between 35–40 hl/ha — well below the Haut-Médoc average — to concentrate the flavor of every single grape.

Enhancing soil vitality: To strengthen the life within the soil, cover crops are sown across the entire vineyard after each harvest. These herbs improve soil structure, foster biodiversity, and eventually serve as natural green fertilizer for the vines.

Refining harvest precision: This was one of the most impressive aspects of my visit. The team shared that before each harvest, every plot undergoes two to four rounds of ripeness testing. Such rigorous selection is usually reserved for classified growths — and it is undoubtedly one of the main reasons behind the estate’s dramatic leap in quality.

The Vinification

The approach in the cellar mirrors the same spirit of precision and individuality. During my visit, I was struck by the level of attention given to every stage of production — from the upgraded destemmer and hand sorting on vibrating tables to the “density sorting” machines that inspect each berry. Every step is carefully overseen with remarkable meticulousness.

During maceration and extraction, the estate opts for gentle, selective techniques, adjusting the level of extraction according to grape ripeness and the stylistic goals of each wine. This ensures that the wines are neither overworked nor lacking in depth. The treatment of the press wine is equally thoughtful: a 25-hectoliter pneumatic vertical press is used to achieve a clean, delicate extraction, preserving the purity and finesse of the tannins while providing a stable, concentrated foundation for the final blend.

As for oak usage, it perfectly reflects the estate’s obsession with detail. Château Malescasse currently holds 640 barrels across two cellars. The majority are medium-toast barrels, chosen to highlight pure fruit expression and subtle aromatic nuance. Some are lightly toasted over low heat for an extended time, contributing finer, softer tannins. The estate has also introduced 300-liter medium-toast barrels to bring greater flexibility and precision to the aging process.

To close, I’d like to share a few stories about the current owners of the estate — the Austruy family. These are delightful anecdotes to share with friends next time you open a bottle of Château Malescasse.

As mentioned earlier, the estate was acquired in 2012 by Philippe Austruy, an entrepreneur with a deep passion for fine wine. Today, it is managed by his nephew Alban Cacaret. The Austruy family also owns several other estates across France, Italy, and Portugal, including:

• Château Peyrassol (Provence, on the historic site of the Knights Templar, acquired in 2001)
• La Bernarde (Côtes de Provence, acquired in 2016)
• Château Malescasse (Haut-Médoc, acquired in 2012)
• Quinta da Côrte (Douro Valley, Portugal, acquired in 2013)
• Tenuta Casenuove (Chianti, Tuscany, Italy, acquired in 2015)

Founded by the Renouil family in 1824, Château Malescasse has a history spanning more than two centuries. In 1932, it earned a place among the Cru Bourgeois Supérieur for its consistently outstanding quality. A new chapter began in 1970 when Guy Tesseron — former owner of Château Pontet-Canet and Château Lafon-Rochet — purchased the property. Together with his son Alfred, he undertook major restoration works, rebuilding the château and replanting the vineyards in an effort to restore the estate’s former glory.

Under the Austruy family’s ownership, Château Malescasse has achieved remarkable progress. It was awarded Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel twice in succession, in 2020 and again in 2025.

In recent years, Château Malescasse has never failed to impress me. In my view, it already possesses both the strength and the spirit to stand alongside the classified growths; it’s the kind of refined yet heartfelt wine that true wine lovers can enjoy every day.