Winemaker Notes
Blend: 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 12% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Earthy and rich with currant, meat and spice undertones. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh finish. Needs two or three years to soften. Better in 2017. Delicious Angludet.
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Wine Enthusiast
Very open, ripe and soft, this wine has spice, fruity plum-juice flavors and just a touch of warm tannin.
Barrel Sample: 89-91 Points -
Decanter
An enjoyable second bottle reveals clearly defined, juice-filled black fruits. It's younger and more fleshy than the 2011, but not quite as successful, certainly if you are planning to drink soon. Has ambition but needs longer.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another truly exceptional wine from the Sichel family, the 2012 d’Angludet has a deep ruby/purple color, a sweet floral, blueberry and blackcurrant-scented nose with a touch of licorice, light tannins, low acidity and a nice, fleshy mouthfeel. This is a sexy, mouth-filling and satisfying wine from both a hedonistic and intellectual vantage point. Drink this sleeper of the vintage over the next decade.
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The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area.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.