Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
This is a great example of how 2011 is evolving. There's a softness and grace to the fruit that was perhaps not expected in the austere early years - and even during a tasting I did of this wine in late 2017. Today, it's starting to open up, with an emphasis of rose petals and light spices that give the appellation signature but in a less concentrated form than, say, 2010 or 2015. It's enjoyable and good quality, a welcoming bottle that has plenty of complexity to get hold of, and tannins that suggest there's still a long way to go. It speaks of the success of Brane Cantenac in recent years. 0.5% Carmenère completes the blend. 39% of production.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Made in a sexy, perfumed style, this 2011 seduces the taster with its wonderful aromatics of blue, red and black fruits, flowers, damp earth and forest floor. With excellent to outstanding concentration, fresh acidity and velvety tannins, this plush Margaux is atypically opulent/flamboyant for the vintage. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.
Barrel Sample 90-93 Points -
Wine Enthusiast
Solid and dominated by dry tannins from both wood and fruit, this wine has intense, juicy black-fruit flavors. It's open and lively, but shows a core of dense dryness.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 Points -
Wine Spectator
Offers a pretty, dusty edge, with lightly mulled cherry and plum notes, stitched with floral hints and a touch of singed sandalwood. Shows good flesh through the finish, with a pebbly backdrop. Best from 2016 through 2026. 8,330 cases made.
Lucien Lurton's grandfather acquired the estate in 1925, and was succeeded by his grandson in 1956. Lucien Lurton's son, Henri, currently manages the estate and puts all his efforts into producing a great Margaux in each and every vintage, reflecting Brane-Cantenac's superb vineyard soil.
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.