Chateau Kirwan (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2005
-
Spectator
Wine -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Guide
Connoisseurs'
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Has loads of coffee, blackberry and cigar box aromas, turning to crushed blackberry. Full-bodied, with big, chewy tannins and an aftertaste of vanilla, blackberry and espresso. Mouthpuckering. Very concentrated and structured for this wine. Best after 2015. 7,500 cases made. –JS
-
Wine Enthusiast
Dense and dark, this is an extracted wine with polished fruit. What stops it going over the edge is the delicious sweet fruits, the dense structure and the elegance that gives it shape and aging potential.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I remember tasting a number of Kirwans from the 19th century that had held up surprisingly well for over 100 years. While the 2005 will probably not last that long, it may be one of the finest wines this estate has made in the last fifty years. This brilliant, full-bodied, powerful, broodingly backward Margaux exhibits a dense purple hue along with notes of charcoal, licorice, blackberries, and graphite. Exceptionally concentrated, possessing high tannin, zesty acidity, and a 45-second finish, it should be purchased only by patient connoisseurs. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035. 92+
-
Connoisseurs' Guide
At this point a wine of somewhat mixed messages, Kirwan is a ripe and fairly outgoing effort that is long on creamy oak and concentrated cassis and blackberry fruit. At the same time, it is limited by its harsh and fairly abrupt tannins, and, while deep enough to offer good aging potential, it clearly requires at least eight to ten years of patience.
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James - Decanter
-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
-
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine - Decanter
-
Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
-
Parker
Robert
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine -
Parker
Robert - Decanter
- Decanter
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine
-
Parker
Robert -
Enthusiast
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Spectator
Wine
-
Enthusiast
Wine -
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Parker
Robert
-
Spectator
Wine
The vines are thinned out in order to encourage maximum concentration and ripeness in the grapes. These are hand-picked and carefully sorted before being crushed. The wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and then aged in oak barrels (35% of which are renewed every year) for 18 months.
Chateau Kirwan takes its name from the Irishman, Mark Kirwan, who owned the estate in the mid 18th century. The Schyler family has owned Kirwan since 1925.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.