Another Zoom group wine. Not surprising we chose Magdelaine, it is our kind of wine. Old fashioned and traditional, it is a wine that you discover over an evening. A combination of red and black fruit, surprisingly open at the decanting. Closed a little bit, and then opened gloriously. Fruit, minerality, a slightly ferric note, and plenty of spice. 2008 is not an opulent vintage, and Magdelaine itself tends to be slightly austere. Yet this was lovely, a perfect foil to a veal chop. Long slightly lean finish. A wine that traditional Saint Emilion lovers will adore.
Alas Magdelaine is no more. A casualty of modernism, its vineyards absorbed into Belair Monange, which is mid level modern in the spectrum. It is an interesting comparison, Belair Monange wags it’s tail and wants to be loved. Magdelaine is more stand offish. It requires time and patience but is in the end much more rewarding.