In the glass
Aroma: blackberry, iris, wet pebble, tobacco leaf
Palate: dark cherry, fine tannin, iron mineral, savoury length
Single-vineyard Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil from gravel-over-tuffeau soils. More structured than La Source, with iron-mineral spine and a savoury, tobacco-laced length.
What it pairs with
-
Slow-cooked duck legs with cherry
Duck and the wine's iron and dark-fruit register align. -
Beef bourguignon
Long-cooked beef and red-wine reduction echo the wine's mineral length. -
Reblochon with new potatoes
Soft cow's-milk cheese sharpens the wine's saline grip.
History
Les Malgagnes is a single-vineyard Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil cuvee from a 2-hectare gravel-over-tuffeau parcel. The Amiraults bottle it as a flagship of the AOC.
- 1992 — First vintage of Les Malgagnes
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Yannick Amirault
- Grapes
- Cabernet Franc (100%)
- Classification
- Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOC
- Oak
- 16 to 18 months in oak demi-muids, around 20 percent new
- ABV
- 13.0%
- Price
- EUR 24 to 36 at retail
- Drinking window
- 6 to 18 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1992
- Biodynamic
- Biodynamic Practicing
- Organic
- ORGANIC CERTIFIED
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Scores
- Wine Advocate 91 (2018 vintage, reviewed 2020)
Frequently asked about Les Malgagnes
What does Les Malgagnes taste like?
Blackberry, iris, wet pebble and tobacco leaf on the nose; dark cherry, fine tannin, iron mineral and a savoury length on the palate. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and high acidity, long finish.
When should I drink Les Malgagnes?
Drink between 6 and 18 years from vintage. Decant 45 minutes for younger vintages.
What food pairs with Les Malgagnes?
Slow-cooked duck legs with cherry, beef bourguignon, and Reblochon with new potatoes are all strong matches.
Where is Les Malgagnes made?
From a 2-hectare gravel-over-tuffeau single vineyard in the Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil AOC, farmed biodynamically at Domaine Yannick Amirault.