Malesan

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Malesan 1999 Chateau Prieure Malesan Red (Premieres Côtes de Blaye)

Editors' Choice

Price $16

For a solid mouthful of Merlot at a great price, there’s no need to look further. Spicy blackberry and toast aromas add vanilla on the palate, before finishing with soft, ripe tannins and leathery notes. Drink now–2008. Editors’ Choice. — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 1999 Reserve de Malesan Red

Price $15

Black cherries and chocolate combine on the palate, but there’s also a certain weediness to the aromas. This blend of approximately 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon finishes strong, with tart fruit and a dose of chocolate. — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 1999 Vielles Vignes Red

Price $13

“Old vines” means different things to different people. In this case, the fruit comes from vines that average 25–30 years old in the Côtes du Bourg and the Côtes du Blaye. The wine is fruit-focused (black cherries and cassis) but relatively light-bodied, finishing with lemony acids. — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 2001 Blanc Red

Best Buy

Price $9

Four months in oak has given this wine a decidedly soft, creamy texture that meshes nicely with the flavors of ripe peaches and green apples. Yet there’s also a crisp, lime-driven finish so the wine doesn’t seem heavy. Best Buy. — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 2000 Rouge Red

Best Buy

Price $9

Despite coming from a universally hailed vintage, this generic Bordeaux is still weedy, herbal and lean. But it also has decent cassis and cherry fruit, some tasty vanilla and cinnamon notes from oak aging, and a tart, dry finish. It’s light, but it hasn’t been dumbed down for the mass market. — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 2001 Rose Red

Price $9

Bright, fresh strawberries combine with a hint of green herbs for an attractive nose. But the flavors of this 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are less effusive. Still, it finishes lemony and tart, making it a fine summer sipper. — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 1999 Fierte de Malesan Red

Price $11

Smells plummy and ripe but tastes of bright cherries and shows a lean, claret-style mouthfeel. It’s a little thin, but still manages to provide pleasure. Finishes with tasty mocha and toast shadings. White Wine — W.E. (9/1/2002)

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Malesan 2000 Rouge Wood Red

Online Exclusive

Price $10

Malesan is the bestselling Bordeaux brand in France, and this wood-aged version shows the French have got it right. With the quality of the 2000 vintage to help it along, it is ripe, packed with black currant flavors and ripe acidity plus just a touch of wood. Anybody in Bordeaux should visit the Malesan cellar, which is like a football ground, with the tasting… — R.V. (11/15/2004)

Most Reviewed Designations

Blanc Chateau Prieure Malesan Fierte de Malesan Reserve de Malesan Rose Rouge Rouge Wood Vielles Vignes

Most Reviewed Varietals

Bordeaux-style Red Blend

2009 Mira Hyde Vineyard

The esteemed Hyde Vineyard is in Carneros, and is the source for some…

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