Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This fine estate at the western end of the Margaux appellation has produced a smooth ripe wine. Black fruits, wood flavors and ripe tannins give it a generous feel. The wine will be ready to drink from 2026.
Editors' Choice -
James Suckling
Blackcurrants, mushrooms, bark, and black cherries. Some tar. Full body with juicy and chewy tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Solid red for the vintage. Drink after 2025.
-
Decanter
Round and wide, this has a nice energy and texture from the start, slightly grainy tannins give the grip and hold the ripe red cherry, strawberry and raspberry fruit in place while the acidity carries the freshness from start to the long, minty fresh finish. The fruit feels well worked and this has a nice harmony to it. Refined and charming. An easy wine to recommend.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 D'Arsac gives up notes of ripe raspberries, Bing cherries and fresh blackberries, plus hints of wild thyme and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate offers compellingly pure red berry layers with bright herbal sparks and a soft texture, leading to a refreshing finish. Barrel Sample: 89 - 91
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The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area.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.