Château Malescot St. Exupéry

The estate traces its roots to 1616 under the ownership of the Escousses family, though it was formally established as a winery after Simon Malescot purchased it in 1697. Simon, a conseiller to King Louis XIV, gave his name to the property, which remained with his descendants until the French Revolution. In 1827, Count Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Exupéry acquired the estate and added his name to the title, creating the present designation. Following a period of ownership by Henri Fourcade and the Boissac family, who built the current château and model cellars in the 1870s, the estate underwent several transfers. The Zuger family purchased the property in 1955, at which point only seven hectares of vines remained. Jean-Luc and Catherine Zuger now manage the estate as the third generation of the family.

The vineyards encompass 28 hectares in the Margaux commune, featuring deep Pyrenean gravel soils mixed with chalk, clay, and iron deposits. These holdings are planted with approximately 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, at a high density of 10,000 vines per hectare. The winemaking philosophy emphasizes precision through parcel selection and the use of gravity during the fermentation process in concrete and stainless steel vats. Under the guidance of consulting oenologist Michel Rolland since 1995, the winery utilizes aging periods of 12 to 14 months in French oak barrels, of which up to 100 percent may be new depending on the vintage.

The property was classified as a Third Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification and maintains a reputation for producing wines with a focus on aromatic intensity. The flagship bottling is recognized for its combination of power and the typical elegance of its appellation, often characterized by black fruit notes and refined tannins. In addition to the grand vin, the estate produces a second wine called La Dame de Malescot. This label is intended for earlier consumption and is sourced from younger vines or specific vineyard sections, adhering to the same technical standards as the primary selection.