Saint Nicholas de Bourgeil Les Malgagnes

Amirault
France
Loire
2019

A “Premier Cru” of Bourgueil in Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil. The Amirault family has bottled wine from Malgagnes since 1947 and they now farm 2 hectares of 50-year-old vines on red clay and limestone soils. Grapes are hand harvested in successive passes and destemmed. 5-week maceration and fermentation in oak vats. Two thirds are aged in 440L French oak barrels and the rest in sandstone amphora.

91 points
"Tasted alongside the 2018, 2019 Bourgeil Les Malgagnes is the more impressive of the pairing. It has greater power and concentration due to tiny yields (around 25hl/ha) and retains its red fruit character but with more savory nuances-think a little toasty/smoky. There are underlying, powerful, chalk-like tannins and nice sinew on the long, smoky finish. Give this another year or two in bottle before thinking about it. "
Rebecca Gibb,
Vinous Media
August 2021
93 points
"From vines averaging 50 years of age on the calcareous clay soils of the slopes, the 2019 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil Les Malgagnes exhibits a dark and intense cherry color along with a fascinating, elegant, refined and fresh but deep and excitingly complex bouquet of perfectly ripe dark berries intertwined with delicate notes of mocha, toast and smoke as well as graphite and raw meat. Full-bodied, intense and complex on the palate, this is a tight but fresh and sustainable Cabernet Franc with strength and these stimulating tart bitters on the finish that are reminiscent of kumquats or pink grapefruit. Super ripe fruit and even some plummy and potted raisin notes on the aftertaste. Based on destemmed berries that were macerated for five weeks, the wine was aged in oak barrels (two-thirds) and stoneware (one-third) for 11-13 months. Tasted in June 2021."
Stephan Reinhardt,
Wine Advocate
August 5, 2021
93 points
"The 2019 les Malganges from Domaine Amirault is a touch riper than the la Mine bottling this year, coming in again at a full fourteen percent alcohol. These vines are now fully fifty years of age and the cuvée these days is raised in two-thirds older oak puncheons and one- third in sandstone amphorae. The bouquet here is simply beautiful, showing plenty of old vine refinement in its blend of cassis, mulberry, menthol, cigar wrapper, dark soil tones, coffee bean and a touch of spicy oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows lovely mid-palate depth, with ripe, buried tannins, excellent focus and balance and a long, complex and very promising finish. This seems more politely balanced today than the Bourgueil “Cote 50”, with the tannins more suave and seamlessly integrated into the body of the wine. It will need plenty of time to be ready to drink, but will be a fine bottle once it reaches cruising altitude. 2029-2075."
John Gilman,
View from the Cellar
Issue 100

SKU/Code: 
DB3430-19
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Cabernet Franc
Farming Type: 
Organic
Tech Sheet: 
PDF icon Tech_Sheet_-_Amirault_Saint_Nicholas_de_Bourgeil_Les_Malgagnes.pdf