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Château Magdelaine Premier Grand Cru Classé is remarkable. Close to Châteaux Belair and Canon, there are eleven hectares in total, planted on the limestone plateau and the southern slopes, overlooking the Dordogne. This highly-renowned terroir produces one of the greatest wines of the appellation.
Château Magdelaine is planted with 90% Merlot, the highest proportion of Merlot across all of the Saint-Emilion first growths. Merlot is generally at home on clay, and on the limestone plateau the roots dig deeply for nutrients, adding complexity and structure in the resulting wines. The varied soils contribute further layers of luscious, sumptuous fruit, spice and minerals over time. Château Magdelaine is very rarely gregarious in youth; serious and structured it rewards the patient. A second wine is now made from the lower slopes, protecting the integrity of the grand vin.

Photo: Château Magdelaine

Château Magdeleine – the vineyards

Château Magdelaine Premier Grand Cru Classé occupies one of the most stunning locations, discrete yet majestic. The vineyard of Château Magdelaine comprises six hectares on the Saint-Martin plateau and five on the slope. The plateau has poor, thin topsoil over Saint-Emilion limestone bedrock while the topsoil on the slope contains more clay, and in varying amounts. This combination of very different yet complementary terroirs provides a complex palette of ingredients. The slope contributes depth and concentration whilst the plateau tends towards finesse and elegance.

The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and is ploughed with the help of a horse. The density is between 7,000 and 9,000 vines per hectare – rather high for Saint-Emilion. The average age of vines is forty years.

Given Château Magdelaine's relatively small size, harvest is affected rapidly and tends to be done in one hit, taking a few days rather than being staggered over a protracted period. This extra element of control helps quality as the team can wait until optimal ripeness is achieved.

Château Magdeleine – the cellar

The house at Château Magdelaine is elegant yet understated when compared to its resplendent views. It is, rather sadly, uninhabited. Behind, excavated natural limestone caves provide a natural chais. Château Magdelaine Premier Grand Cru Classé is vinified in small cement tanks, macerated for around three weeks. Only indigenous yeasts are used.

The wine is then matured for eighteen months in oak. The proportion of new oak rather depends on the vintage characteristics but tends to be between 30% and 50%. Château Magdelaine is not filtered.

Château Magdeleine – the wines

Château Magdelaine: The high percentage of Merlot, the highest of all of the premiers crus makes for an abundance of concentrated fruit, enriched by oak and lifted by a clear mineral character. Terroir is king here, but guided by hand of the Moueix team. Finesse, elegance and intensity tend always to be beautifully balanced, in the context of each vintage – a real Moueix hallmark. There are, on average 2,500 cases produced per annum.

The second wine, Les Songes de Magdelaine is from younger vines and grapes grown on the lesser, more alluvial soils. Its existence – and it is an approachable, attractive wine in its own right – helps to preserve the integrity of the grand vin.

Château Magdeleine – the history

Etablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix acquired Château Magdelaine in 1952. As only the second property that Jean-Pierre Moueix bought, after La Fleur-Pétrus, in Pomerol, Château Magdelaine holds a very special place in the hearts of the family. The property was classified in 1955 as Château Magdelaine Premier Grand Cru Classé. When they bought the château, the successive ravages of phylloxera, oidium and the war had rather taken their toll. Ets J-P Moueix began a restoration and replanting programme in 1954. Château Magdelaine was on the road to regaining its former vaunted status, alongside Ausone and Belair.