TN: 1978 Château Magdelaine (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru)

[Jayson_Cohen]

I haven’t had the 10, but the 09 Magdelaine showed some heat on release. Still very tasty but I’d never had an even remotely hot Magdelaine before.

I agree. That’s the only one I’ve ever thought was a little too ripe and spiky. Not just on release. A couple years ago too.

[Mark_Golodetz]

I think the 2010 is marginally riper than 2009, but that little bit makes a lot of difference. If only Magdelaine had made a 2014 and 2016.

[Ramon_C]

Thanks for all your thoughts, Mark in particular.

I was quite taken by notes of a distinguished poster here on 2004 Belair, Keith Levenberg, look it up on CT. I have had that wine several times and I get why he is excited by it. But to put it crudely it is not a 95 point wine more like a 91 point wine imho.

I love old Magdelaines but now they are becoming fully valued relative to their underlying quality. Magdelaine in my experience does not have the complexity of a first growth, it is more of a RB second growth. But I do get the obsession with unadulterated old school St-E. Belair has excellent terroir. Was the winemaking of Pascal Delbeck so terrible? Well not in my experience.

Disclaimer/disclosure: I am trying to offload a case of 2004 Belair on BWE which I have stored in the US which is surplus to requirements, because I have over half a case of this wine in the U.K. I do however want to repatriate my bottles of Haut-Brion, RSV, Giacosa red label, Cappellano and other more valuable wines. Not sure how often I will get to the US to repatriate these remaining 50 bottles. The deadline is midnight tonight and the highest bid is $240 for a case of 12, a bargain.

Let me know if I can help make it convenient for you to offload the case of Belair. I may not be able to make an emphatic bid over the highest, but will go for it to add to my at home dinner drinker.

[Ramon_C]

Just snagged a duo of 1988 and 1989 Magdelaine. I recall from past verticals and non-vertical dinners that these don’t quite reach the highest of the highest among Magdelaines but swooped on them, anyway, as local market scarcity and fair pricing (imo) tempted me to do so.

[Tom_Reddick]

I haven’t had the 10, but the 09 Magdelaine showed some heat on release. Still very tasty but I’d never had an even remotely hot Magdelaine before.

I agree. That’s the only one I’ve ever thought was a little too ripe and spiky. Not just on release. A couple years ago too.

Same here. 2009 and 2010 are the only Magdelaines where I have noticed a bit of heat. Granted 2009 and 2010 were outliers as vintages generally- but were they really all that extreme? I am asking- do not know the answer. If they were not all that extreme, then perhaps the winemaking at Magdelaine was starting to veer a bit in new directions? The 2008 and 2011 are quite “classic” and so I am tempted to think any moves in modern directions were fairly minor, but I do not know.

FWIW, in the 2019 tasting I found the 2009 showed a bit of heat generally that dissipated with time, but the 2010 had a streak of heat that did not go away. And so I think the 2009 will be fine in the long run, where the 2010 is likely to always be somewhat marked.

[Robert.A.Jr]

I haven’t had the 10, but the 09 Magdelaine showed some heat on release. Still very tasty but I’d never had an even remotely hot Magdelaine before.

I agree. That’s the only one I’ve ever thought was a little too ripe and spiky. Not just on release. A couple years ago too.

Same here. 2009 and 2010 are the only Magdelaines where I have noticed a bit of heat. Granted 2009 and 2010 were outliers as vintages generally- but were they really all that extreme? I am asking- do not know the answer. If they were not all that extreme, then perhaps the winemaking at Magdelaine was starting to veer a bit in new directions? The 2008 and 2011 are quite “classic” and so I am tempted to think any moves in modern directions were fairly minor, but I do not know.

FWIW, in the 2019 tasting I found the 2009 showed a bit of heat generally that dissipated with time, but the 2010 had a streak of heat that did not go away. And so I think the 2009 will be fine in the long run, where the 2010 is likely to always be somewhat marked.

Personally, I think it is vintage here, not style. I have one of each, but have only tried the 2009. I have quite a bit of 2008 and 2011, which speaks to my vintage preferences of course. I actually only bought one other right bank in 2009, VCC. I do not even own that many left banks from 2009.

[CCoulson]

Same here. 2009 and 2010 are the only Magdelaines where I have noticed a bit of heat. Granted 2009 and 2010 were outliers as vintages generally- but were they really all that extreme? I am asking- do not know the answer. If they were not all that extreme, then perhaps the winemaking at Magdelaine was starting to veer a bit in new directions? The 2008 and 2011 are quite “classic” and so I am tempted to think any moves in modern directions were fairly minor, but I do not know.

FWIW, in the 2019 tasting I found the 2009 showed a bit of heat generally that dissipated with time, but the 2010 had a streak of heat that did not go away. And so I think the 2009 will be fine in the long run, where the 2010 is likely to always be somewhat marked.

Would be easy to believe the winemaking changed as the Moueix brothers split their holdings and long time, classic winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet stepped back in 2007. His son took over Petrus and cellarmaster Eric Murisasco took over for the other properties. I believe he made changes such as raising the fermentation temperatures (at least for La Fleur Petrus) in 2008. Petrus successor named as Moueix appoints new director - Decanter

Would wonder thoughts on what Moueix property would be the Magdelaine of Pomerol (pre 2008)? La Fleur Petrus or Latour a Pomerol or another site?

[Mark_Golodetz]

Same here. 2009 and 2010 are the only Magdelaines where I have noticed a bit of heat. Granted 2009 and 2010 were outliers as vintages generally- but were they really all that extreme? I am asking- do not know the answer. If they were not all that extreme, then perhaps the winemaking at Magdelaine was starting to veer a bit in new directions? The 2008 and 2011 are quite “classic” and so I am tempted to think any moves in modern directions were fairly minor, but I do not know.

FWIW, in the 2019 tasting I found the 2009 showed a bit of heat generally that dissipated with time, but the 2010 had a streak of heat that did not go away. And so I think the 2009 will be fine in the long run, where the 2010 is likely to always be somewhat marked.

Would be easy to believe the winemaking changed as the Moueix brothers split their holdings and long time, classic winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet stepped back in 2007. His son took over Petrus and cellarmaster Eric Murisasco took over for the other properties. I believe he made changes such as raising the fermentation temperatures (at least for La Fleur Petrus) in 2008. Petrus successor named as Moueix appoints new director - Decanter

Would wonder thoughts on what Moueix property would be the Magdelaine of Pomerol (pre 2008)? La Fleur Petrus or Latour a Pomerol or another site?

It is possible. Christian as a traditionalist, while his son Edouard is more modern in his approach. The Moueix holdings seem to be moving towards that more modern style of wines; it may have started around this time.

[Jayson_Cohen]

Maybe. 2011 is very classic Magdelaine.

For my taste Lafleur Petrus and Latour a Pomerol pre-2008 are excellent, and I fear the consequences of the mission we can make it better, thinking it is double talk for we can make it more modern and easier to drink young.

[Jay_Miller]

Third bottle from the 4 bottle purchase was he most promising so far.

Cork was in great shape, it didn’t fall into the bottle when touched and came out easily using a Durand.

Unfortunately the wine itself was madeirized and completely shot.

Sigh, one more to go.