Château de Malle 1997

An exotic, flamboyant bouquet of orange marmalade, honeyed citrus, caramel, coconut, and pain grillé soars from the glass of this well-bodied, potentially outstanding effort. In the mouth, it reveals an unctuous texture with tangy underlying acidity, medium to full body, and gobs of fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2020. (No tasting note was provided in Issue 128. We have instead included the text of the tasting note from Issue 122)

Absolutely wonderful, with honey, vanilla and apple aromas that follow through to a full-bodied palate. Very good acidity and a long, flavorful finish. Best after 2001.

Medium, already clarified yellow. Compote-like, gently jammy fruit, very ripe. On the palate, full-bodied and fairly delicately structured, much more elegant than on the nose thanks to the well-supporting acidity.

98: Medium, already clarified yellow. Compote-like, gently jammy fruit; appears very ripe. On the palate, full-bodied and fairly delicately structured; thanks to the well-supportive acidity, the wine shows much more elegance on the palate than on the nose. 17/20 2004–2020

Dense, fresh, fruity bouquet with almonds and apricots. Dense, full and well-balanced palate with pronounced sweetness and good acidity. Very long finish. (17) 17/20

Straw-yellow colour. Green. Medium-intensity nose. Evokes cold chicken skin and yeast. A note of gingerbread upon swirling. Quite fresh (Sauvignon?). The palate is very soft, rounded, with a very good flavour of candied fruit and roasted notes on the finish, while remaining medium in density. Very pleasant and quite refined. This wine will please both as an aperitif and at the table.