Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry's history goes back at least as far as 1608, when records show that 30-40 barrels of wine were produced on an estate belonging to the Escoussès, a family of royal notary publics. Wine has been produced there without interruption ever since.
In 1697, Louise Escoussès sold the estate to Simon Malescot, a member of the Bordeaux Parliament and councillor of Louis XIV. His descendents gradually expanded it and went on to build a country manor and wine cellar.
In 1827, Count Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Exupéry the great-grandfather of the famous aviator and author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, purchased Château Malescot. Unfortunately, due to his profligate lifestyle, the estate had to be sold at auction by Jean-Baptiste's widow in 1853. At the time, the poster announcing the sale said that Malescot was a third growth, and this was born out in the famous 1855 classification. The buyers, Mr. Fourcade and Mr. Boissac, built a château in keeping with the château's reputation in 1870. They also built the region's first two-story cellar, prefiguring winemaking relying on gravity flow that only became widespread in the late 20th century. The estate was sold again in 1901, and was maintained in a fairly poor state by a succession of owners for the next 50 years, until it was acquired by Paul Zuger and his son Roger in 1955. By that time, Malescot Saint-Exupéry had just 7 hectares of vines! It took them 30 years to restore Malescot's reputation. It is worth noting that the present layout of the vineyards is 80% faithful to that of the 1697 boundaries.
Three generations of Zuger, who originally came from the Swiss canton of Zug, have been in charge of Malescot Saint Exupéry. Roger Zuger's son, Jean-Luc, is currently at the helm.
The terroir of this third growth consists of a thick layer of gravel two to ten meters deep on limestone or clay-marl bedrock including fragments of ironpan. The vineyards slope gently towards the Gironde, which is conducive to excellent natural drainage and deep rooting. The gravel soil enhances vigor and ripening by retaining the sun's heat. The microclimate Is rather wet, and subject to winds off the estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. The temperature is temperate all year long.
Four grape varieties are planted according to the soil profile of each plot: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 23.5 hectares are in the Margaux appellation, and 6.5 hectares in the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation. The average age of the vines is 35 years, although some plots have vines over 50 years old.
Samples are taken before the harvest in order to make sure to pick at peak ripeness. The grapes are harvested into small crates in order to prevent premature bruising and sorted as soon as they reach the winery, then gently destemmed thanks to a new system that eliminates any extraneous vegetable matter.
Alcoholic fermentation is temperature controlled, and no yeast or other products are added. Pumping over is frequent and staggered for gentle extraction. Carefully-dosed oxygen contributes stability and colour to the wine. The length of time the wine stays on the skins is depends on the vintage. Malolactic fermentation takes place predominantly in new barrels, and ageing on the lees with bâtonnage slows down oxidation. The wine's needs in oxygen are calculated in accordance with its equilibrium. It is aged in new oak barrels for fourteen to sixteen months prior to blending and bottling (without fining or filtering).
